ABOUT THIS PHOTO:
This bedding box holds my air mattress (in the reddish sack), two rectangular elbow pads, non-skid fabric (under the elbow pads), and an anti-sweat rug (hidden under the non-skid fabric). Later I simplified the packing process by getting rid of the sack and the rolling of the mattress. Now I fold the deflated air mattress and place it in the box folded.

Elbow pads are fabric-covered pieces of Styrofoam used to keep my elbows at the same height as the air mattress. Without them, my elbows fall off the sides of the mattress

ABOUT SYSTEM 5:
My fifth and current system involves sleeping atop a set of plywood boxes having detachable lids. In the Summer of 2010 I built ten plywood boxes of various sizes to hold travel gear. They replace the Rubbermaid totes I had used for years. This system eliminates the need to move things because the boxes stay in place throughout a trip. It also eliminates the plywood-handling nightmare of the previous system---the lids are small enough to be easily handled and stay with the boxes.