What kind of portable emergency bed one can carry on backpack? Is it similar to the army bed being setup at Astrodome. <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

You can carry a hammock, which ranges from the simple to a complete shelter and requires two cooperative trees. You can also buy COTS, which are what the army is handing out. The older ones are canvas and wooden affairs while newer versions are aluminum and nylon. Niether version is exactly worth the weight vs a dedicated sleeping bag, pad and groundcloth.

I can't even imagine carrying an "emergency bed" in a backpack. There may be something I am missing here (wouldn't be the first time) but it seems like a terrible waste of space and weight just for a slight amount of increased comfort.

Maybe the lightest weight cot around.

http://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html

Depends on what you meen by bed. I am on assignment with the Red Cross in LA. I have been using an inflatable 3/4 lenght self inflating matress. I think it is a thermorest or something like that. it is in the shelter about a mile away so I can't look, but they are available in any backpacking store.

My accomodations are a room with a concrete floor with a thin rug. Some places I have slept lately have just been concrete. The matress works well, providing reasonable comfort and insulation from the cold floor. It packs small enough for me to carry EDC while on assignment.

Try one before you buy. When I finally get to bed I could probably sleep on broken glass. I am usually exhausted and could sleep anywhere. But I would hate to be without my mat. They do have a limited number of the aluminum/nylon cots, but they are a little short for me and I hear that the heat loss thru the nylon is a problem in a cold room. We are in Louisana and one would think it would be warm, but the facility has air conditioning so the sleeping area is actually quite cold.

nomad

As a medical unit, we are now getting "Tent Cots" for use in our patient holding areas--they are not back-packable, but they are comfy <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

http://www.tentcot.com

I like full length Thermarests. I had a 3/4 length ultralight and found it just made me feel weird having my feet hanging over the end. I lost it somehow so I bought a full length standard which is nowhere near as compact, but it's more comfortable and another advantage is if I sleep outside (e.g. on grass), the foot end of my sleeping bag doesn't get wet from dew.

Generally all the Thermarests are nice and the widest and thickest ones are the most comfortable of all, so it's a matter of what you're willing to carry. I don't have any trouble with the full length standard strapped to the outside of my pack. The real luxury model is called the Camp Rest which is 6" wider and almost 2x as thick. It still weighs under 3 lbs so carrying it isn't crazy, but I decided it was bulkier than what I wanted to deal with. It's almost like sleeping in a real bed though.

Finally, Marmot Mtn Works used to make sleeping bags with an integral theramrest-like pad. I don't know if they still do.

Dang ! You beat me to the hammok option. I love sleeping in a hammok. Keeps you cool, away from crawling bugs, over rain soaked soil, hard rocks ... You do need two supports - but you can set up most units as stand alone tents - if you add a pad for your sleeping bag, you're all set. Check out these:
http://www.nextag.com/camping-hammock/search-html

When you say carry on a backpack, that limits things.

US GI surplus closed cell foam pads can be found for around +/- $10. They weigh about 25 oz. They are much better than sleeping directly on the ground. They provide a little cushion and some insulation from the ground. They are easy to strap on a backpack. I have used one for backpacking. Your choice of colors is olive drab. They are great low-cost Boy Scout gear. OK, so they do not sleep like a feather bed, but did I mention weight of about 25 oz, cheap and durable?

If you want a little better and are not going so far with the pack, a self inflating pad is more comfortable. Costs more and weighs a little more without adding a great deal more bulk when rolled up. That is what I use for camping when I do not have to pack things in so far.

I perfer to sleep with ground cover and pad than on a folding cot even when I can park next to the camp area. I know some will agree and some will disagree.

On a limited budget, I would rather have the cheap GI pad with a good sleeping bag over an expensive pad or cot with a cheap bag.

You can't carry a bed. A cot is too heavy. A thermarest pad is about the lightest thing you can carry and will serve as a bed.