We get it. Camp budgets are tight, and you'd rather put this year's funds toward a new climbing wall or the latest paintball guns -- not camp mattresses. But you know your vinyl mattresses are on their last leg and have been for awhile.
Then you find out that a camp in Tennessee is giving away their mattresses to anyone willing to pick them up. "What a deal!" you think to yourself. Looks like this time you get to have your cake and eat it too!
But hold up. Sure, getting your mattresses secondhand can save you a lot of money, but is there a down side to this scenario? You better believe there is -- in fact, there are several. Here are 5 reasons you should never get used mattresses for your camp.
You don't know how old it is
Mattresses have a usable lifespan. Generally, that's about 7-10 years, but if you're using your camp mattresses only a few months out of the year, they will last longer than that.
Nevertheless, if someone is getting rid of used mattresses, chances are it's because those mattresses are at the end of their usable life. Would you pay for expired milk if it was 75% off? Nope! Then don't pay for an expired (or nearly expired) mattress regardless of the apparent "great deal."
Whatever has been on it is now inside it
We'll spare you the details, but let's just say humans leave behind all kinds of things on their mattresses, whether that's as minor as body oils and hair (from humans or animals) or as extreme as urine.
Much of that residue soaks into a mattress, staying with it for the rest of lifetime. If that's not enough to convince you to buy your camp mattresses new, then maybe the next point will be.
What you don't know CAN hurt you
Just because you don't know the stove is hot doesn't mean the stove won't burn you. Similarly, just because you don't know your mattress is crawling with bed bugs or growing mold doesn't mean you won't wake up with bug bites or an irritated throat.
Don't put your camp at risk of being liable if one or more of your campers suffer from bed bug bites after sleeping in the mattresses you obtained secondhand. Such an event could quickly escalate to a serious lawsuit.
You can do better
You've heard the phrase "new and improved." Like any product, mattresses experience development over time. At American Bedding Manufacturers, we make changes to their designs as necessary in order to better suit our customer base. For example, the BBP mattress and the fiber mattress were two direct responses to needs in the camp industry. If you're getting your mattresses used, you're getting, not only an older product, but a lesser product.
As a camp director, we know your goal isn't to have the latest and greatest of everything. Maybe that doesn't fit into your take-it-easy camp vibe. But there's a difference between getting the latest Bluetooth sound system when you hardly have a place to store it versus buying mattresses and mattress covers that are truly designed to hold up in your camp's environment. If you're going to pay for or raise money for a product, you might as well know it's fit for the job.
You've already found a great mattress manufacturer
Based on the fact that you're reading this blog proves that you've already found a quality mattress manufacturer. Over the last 20 years, American Bedding has gained a great reputation and strong following for its durable camp mattresses and vinyl mattress covers. We know our customers as well as we know what materials perform best in their varying environments. Those are the materials we use for our camp mattresses and covers.
Ask us about our camp bedding options by giving us a call at (800) 203-2507. You can also contact us online, or click on the banner below to do some shopping on your own first!
