Last October I took Tucker on a four-day trip to Devil's Fork State Park, right on the South Carolina side of Lake Jocassee. We've camped together for years, but that trip is the one that got me to quit treating the tent floor like a dog bed. The first night a cold front rolled in around 2 a.m. The ground under the tent turned damp, and Tucker, a fifty-five pound hound mix, started shivering no matter how many blankets I piled on. By the second night I'd given him my sleeping pad and was stretched out on the bare floor myself. That's when I started looking for a real waterproof dog bed. The CHEERHUNTING outdoor dog bed has been on every trip since, and after eight months I've got ten reasons it beats the tent floor.
This isn't a fancy ultralight piece of gear. It's a mat that's easy to wipe down, dries fast, and gives the dog his own spot. For weekend campers who bring the dog everywhere, that's what matters. Here's what I've learned.
The mat that gets Tucker off the damp floor
The CHEERHUNTING outdoor dog bed keeps the cold and wet off your dog on every campsite. See today's price on Amazon.
Amazon Check today's price on Amazon →It keeps the damp out of the dog's coat and the cold out of his bones.
The first night at Devil's Fork, the ground under the tent went from dry to clammy by midnight. A sleeping bag or blanket on the tent floor soaks that moisture right up. The CHEERHUNTING mat has a waterproof backing, so the damp stays underneath. Tucker lay on it for three nights straight and never once woke up shivering. The difference was obvious the next morning when he trotted out of the tent ready to go. If your dog runs cold like mine, this alone is worth the money.
It's a lot easier to clean than a tent floor.
After a morning hike up to the Foothills Trail, Tucker came back with muddy paws and a wet coat. In the old days, that meant scrubbing the tent floor and airing it out all afternoon. With the CHEERHUNTING bed, I just lifted the mat outside, wiped it down with a damp rag, and set it in the sun. Ten minutes later it was back in the tent. On a camping trip, you don't want to spend your day cleaning gear. You want to be out there hiking or fishing.
It gives the dog a defined spot, so he stops crowding the whole tent.
When Tucker slept on the tent floor, he'd stretch out and take up half the tent. My bag was always in the corner and my boots out of reach. Once I started putting the mat down on his side of the tent, he learned to go there. It's like giving him a room of his own. He settles faster, and I don't wake up with a paw in my ribs. In a two-person tent, that extra few feet of empty floor makes a real difference.
It's portable enough to follow you from the tent to the truck bed to the picnic table.
This mat folds flat and weighs almost nothing. I've used it inside the tent, in the back of my truck under the topper, and even on a camp bench while I cooked breakfast. On the last trip to the mountains, I laid it out under the tarp while it rained so Tucker could lie outside and still stay dry. That versatility is something a sleeping bag or a blanket can't match. One mat, three places to use it. It takes up about the same space as a folded jacket.
It protects the tent floor from claws, dirt, and wet fur.
The bottom of my old tent floor started looking rough after two summers of Tucker climbing in and out. Worse, bits of mud and pine needles got ground into the fabric. The CHEERHUNTING mat sits on top and catches all of it. At the end of a trip, I shake it out, wipe it down, and the tent floor underneath still looks new. That's less wear on a piece of gear that's not cheap to replace. I've put off having to patch the floor, which is a win.
It dries fast, which a blanket or sleeping bag just doesn't do.
We got caught in a downpour on the second day at Lake Jocassee. Tucker's bed got soaked because I forgot to move it under the tarp. A blanket would have stayed damp for a day and a half. The mat dried in a couple of hours propped against a rock in the sun. I learned that lesson on the spot and now keep the mat in the truck with the rest of the dry gear until camp is set up. Fast drying matters when you have a wet dog and a short weekend.
It keeps the dog off the cold ground even when you set up outside the tent.
A lot of campsites in South Carolina state parks don't have grass. You're on gravel or dirt, and the cold comes right up through everything else. I've put the CHEERHUNTING mat down under the camp chair area while I sat around the fire. Tucker could lie next to me instead of on the damp ground. It's a small thing, but it's why the dog is happy to sit with you instead of pacing. If you spend time around camp during the day, this mat does more than just make the tent floor comfortable.
It keeps smells from building up like a camping blanket does.
After a weekend of campfire smoke, wet dog, and the occasional skunk encounter on the trail, a regular blanket reeks. I learned that the hard way with an old wool throw I used to bring. It took three washes to get the campfire smell out. The CHEERHUNTING mat doesn't hold onto odors the same way. Wipe it down, leave it in the sun, and it's ready for the next trip. That's a real benefit when you're storing gear in your truck between trips.
It's cheaper in the long run than replacing ruined bedding.
I used to bring a couple of cheap blankets for Tucker to sleep on in the tent. They'd come home matted with mud, stretched out, and starting to fray after a couple of weekends. I went through three of them in a year. The CHEERHUNTING mat has lasted eight months so far and still wipes clean. For something that sees every trip, that's the kind of durability I was hoping for. I haven't had to replace it once.
It gives Tucker a familiar place to sleep no matter where we camp.
We've camped at half a dozen different parks in the last year, from the mountains to the coast. Every new campsite has its own smells and sounds. The one thing that stays the same is his mat. When I set it up inside the tent or in the truck bed, he knows that's his spot. That familiarity cuts down on the night-time restlessness and makes him settle in faster. For a dog that likes a routine, that's worth a lot on a weekend trip.
What I'd Skip
If you're happy with a tent floor and don't mind cold, damp nights, you can save the money. But don't skip a waterproof backing. That's the feature that makes a camping bed worth carrying. Also skip any bed that's too bulky to fold into your pack. The CHEERHUNTING mat folds small and fits in my tote with the rest of the dog gear. Keep it simple.
Tucker slept on the CHEERHUNTING mat for three nights straight at Devil's Fork and never once woke up shivering.
Your dog deserves better than a tent floor
The CHEERHUNTING outdoor dog bed gives your dog a dry, comfortable spot on every trip. Check today's price on Amazon.
Amazon Check today's price on Amazon →