We’ve experimented with lots of bunk mattresses over the years. Everything from inner springs (like at home) to various combinations of foam. Our bunk on Beowulf is a single slab, five inches (125mm) thick of high-quality foam.

Here’s a close-up shot of the sandwich construction on our new bunk cushion. Conventional foam (yellow) sandwiches the fancy stuff (green). It looks sexy and is very comfortable!

But it has seen some miles and in the last few months we’ve been waking up somewhat stiff – of course that could be the awful New England weather, or (heaven forbid) the onset of old age.

In the interest of science, and a better night’s sleep, we discussed the problem with Paul Dimartino of S and S Fabrics in Middletown, Rhode Island. Paul has been making bunk mattresses for years and we learned of a whole series of options.

To begin with, a few comments on foam in general (which applies to seat cushions as well as bunks). There are two methods by which foam types are designated. The first is the density – the more dense the foam, the longer it lasts. The second is the stiffness. These values are given in a four-digit number. The first (say 32) is the density – in this case 3.2 pounds per cubic foot. The density is a number between 0 and 100, but usually between 20 ad 40. So a 3230 foam would be 3.2 pound density and 30 stiffness.

Now back to our mattress. Paul had us try a layered construction in his shop and it felt very comfy. We had him make our new mattress from the following materials: on the bottom there is three inches (75mm) of 2831 material (2.8 pound density – #31 firmness). Then comes two and a half inches (62mm) of visco elastic 3821. This is a material which takes a set, and slowly recovers – so it conforms to your body. The 3.8 pound density is very high, which means really long life. A final layer, half inch thick, of the 2831 is on the top.

We had this covered with a vinyl top and Texelene open-weave fabric on the bottom – to allow the mattress to breath.

How does it work? After a few nights of getting snuggled in, it is very comfortable.

The next part of our new sleep system were some “Polar Fleece” blankets. This is the same material used in that warm, lightweight clothing which is so popular. You can get it in different thicknesses – we’re using the 300 series. This is much lighter than our heavy quilt or the sleeping bag which has been on top of our bunk much of the summer, and Paul sewed us up several in sizes to fit the bunks aboard.

There are several advantages to this material. For one, if it does get wet it will only absorb 5% of its own weight in water – and it does a pretty good job of keeping you warm even when it is wet (heaven forbid a leak should occur). Second it dries really fast. Paul says that once you wash it (cold water, mild cycle) it will be almost totally dry after the spin cycle.

We’ll be sending home our conventional bed coverings in the next week – and when these blankets are stowed in the tropics, it looks like they will take about half the space of what they replaced.