Does anybody use a cot?

[vanguard]

I normally use an air mattress when I'm camping. However, setting up and breaking down camp takes too long. Also, if it's wet I have to unpack it at home and dry it out. Finally, I expect frost on the ground during my next trip so I'm looking for something warmer, like a closed cell foam mat.

I was talking to a friend and he was convinced after years of camping that a simple mat on the ground would not be comfortable enough. That led me to a foam mat on a cot. It seems like it's quick to set up, warm/insulative(with foam mat), and dry.

What do you guys think? Is there a cot on this page that you like?
http://www.campersstore.com/camping-military-cots-by-style-cs-39~37.html

[Life_in_4Lo]

my friend uses cots, I borrowed one he had on the Rubicon and it was very comfortable.
The only downside I can see is that it is bulky but if you have the room, seems like a good solution. you can still set up tent on less than smooth ground and still be ok w/ the cot too.

[Robthebrit]

I have a cheapish cot that I got at, er, REI (there I said it). I cannot find a picture of it anymore but it folds pretty small and it comfy.

I like cots because I feel more comfortable sleeping outside of the tent when I have a cot, which is great to do in the desert in the summer months. In the SW (or anywhere else the wildlife bites back) you have to be outright crazy to sleep on the floor!

Rob

[Scott Brady]

Even though I have the Eezi-Awn I still sleep under the stars frequently, and on a cot. It works great (just a cheap one).

They are a bit of an issue on the beach. Mine has deposited me into the sand in the middle of the night on more than one occasion. Hell of a way to wake up :)

[vanguard]

Good feedback guys. I got a chance to set up one like this at REI so I wouldn't mind buying it but I was a little worried it would poke holes in the bottom of my tent. What do you guys think

http://www.campersstore.com/military-style-p-227.html

http://www.campersstore.com/images/prods/C401.gif

[Robthebrit]

That is the one I have and could not find a picture of, except mine only has 2 two legs.

I have had no problems with feet in the tent, if you camp on a rock base you might get some problems.

Rob

[atavuss]

I have three tent cots, a little different than you are asking about. I find them comfortable with a thermarest pad. no poles or stakes to mess with ever again!

[goodtimes]

Chuck (Ursadie or however the hell you spell that) seems to be really happy with his Big Black Cot. And he isn't ashamed to let people see it either. :sombrero:

(seriously....)

[SEREvince]

A few squares of old carpet under the feet will prevent any wear and tear on your tent.

"egg crate" style foam works the best for padding and insulation. My Therm-a-rest sleeping pads always slid around and ended up halfway on the floor. Not to mention they cost ten times as much.

Cots do suck for couples, since even if you tie them together there's two metal bars in the middle.

They are much better all around camp furniture. i.e. impromtu campfire bench.

My favorite summer cot set up in areas where mosquitos aren't a huge issue is a "improved star shelter". Buy a roll of clear plastic sheeting, commonly used as paint drop cloths and some light "parachute style" cord. Make it as large as you like, staying clear of any stray sparks from the fire. In order to secure the line to the plastic use "buttons" a small rock or handfull of sand/ dirt with a slip loop at the edges of the plastic sheet. The best way I can describe it is making a little Halloween "ghost" like you see people do with Blow Pops, only the "ghost" has a noose that leads to the nearest tree, vehicle etc.

Do make sure rain will drain off, or if needed you can collect precip by creating a low point. (Bonus- any H2O that falls from the sky requires no purification before using!)

You can do this on the ground, but after an incident with some very friendly skunks in my "bedroom" I decided a cot is a better idea.

[BajaXplorer]

While I carry a tent when traveling in Baja and the Arizona desert, more often than not I just set my cot next to truck and sleep under the stars.
Its a Slumberjack (http://www.slumberjack.com/product_list.asp?category_id=RRPBR27ZCTAZBEQWP6FWZ TPSZE) and is very comfortable used with a sleeping pad.
BX

[vanguard]

I ended up ordering this cot from this store: http://www.campersstore.com/military-style-p-227.html

I added this mat for a little insulation from the cold: http://www.campersstore.com/convoluted-foam-camp-p-1149.html

I had a chance to set up the larger version of that cot from REI and felt like the quality was up to snuff. I didn't buy from REI because their price is high and they work to shut down 4x4 trails. I went with the smaller one so that I could fit two of them in my tent if the need arises. (Maybe I'll get another for my son or daughter at some point.) Also, I've been looking to gain a little tent room and a 6' 3" cot should be big enough.

Thanks guys.

[datrupr]

I used t have a cot that I slept on all the time. Then I got together with a lady and it was not good for couple sleeping. Got rid of it. I now have a huge memory foam air mattress, very comfy, but big, bulky, and takes a while to set up. Now that I am not couple camping any more I might have to go back to the military surpluss cot that I used to sleep on.

[vanguard]

Yeah, big comfy bulky, and hard to set up describes my air mattress too. Another thing I'm looking forward to with the cot is the ability to stand in the tent. My mattress takes just about all the floor space. With a cot I should be able to stand (bent over) and I'll be able to sit up and put my shoes on.

<- master of selling things to himself :)

[devinsixtyseven]

i have a similar cot, folds in half, with three hoop legs...one center, one at each end. while it is comfortable, it squeaks like a massive wet balloon with the slightest weight shift (the fabric dragging against the metal frame), and anyone sleeping nearby eventually gets on your case.

any good way to take the squeak out of the cot? other than the noise, it's pretty comfortable.

-sean

[vanguard]

/vanguard has tons of things to say but decides they should all be censored. :rolleyes:

[calamaridog]

I like cots too, you can store your gear underneath them and maximize your tent space. I like the ones with aluminum poles.

I want a Tent Cot for solo trips where I don't need the whole tent.

[slepe67]

My Uncle Sam gave me a US issue cot, Thermarest, and sleeping system with Gore Tex liner. I use this setup all over the world and it has never let me down. For military use, or my own personal camping/hunting uses. I used to average about 190 days a year on a cot, and could not sleep on my bed well when at home. Hurt my back. Wife loved that....I think the Thermarest works well with the cot, especially for keeping the cold air from under you, and, I hate bugs crawling on me in my sleep. Not to mention, sleeping on cold, frozen, lumpy ground kinda sucks, since we are used to those comfy bed things. Use the cot without the Thermarest in the summer, and a cool breeze blows up from underneath. Well, depends on where you are....I recommend this setup. And a lot cheaper then REI. Sorry, (REI, not trying to punk you out) but, you can go to any army navy surplus and get a surplus cot/heavy *** arctic sleeping bad for pennies on the dollar compared to REI. Just my $.02. later JL

[Ursidae69]

Chuck (Ursadie or however the hell you spell that) seems to be really happy with his Big Black Cot. And he isn't ashamed to let people see it either. :sombrero:

(seriously....)

Running your mouth when I'm outta town... Slacka..

My cot is from Cabelas, here is a link (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0020839516068a&type=product&cmCat=searchFeat&returnPage=search-results2.jsp&Ne=2510&noImage=0&Ntt=cot&Ntk=Products&QueryText=cot&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=4450&trueNum=23&cmCat=search_redir). It's pretty hardcore.

I rarely use tents anymore unless it's winter camping or potentially going to rain and the back of my rig is full. Most often I'm on a cot, falling asleep to the view of the stars.

[vanguard]

I admire your big black cot. :smileeek:

If I like the concept and my $40 cot doesn't last I'll put it on the short list. Having said that, my cot arrived today and it seems pretty strong. I set it up in the house and both the kids jumped on it and started goofing aroud. It seems pretty well built.
I rarely use tents anymore unless it's winter camping or potentially going to rain and the back of my rig is full. Most often I'm on a cot, falling asleep to the view of the stars.Spoken like a guy from out west. That approach will quickly get you very wet out here. I just thought about this. I've gone camping 6 times in the last 6 months and it rained every single trip.

[HiLift Jack]

but I buy a cheap chaise lounge from K mart or such and use it until it fails. These have looped legs that are easier on the tent floor and can be used as a chair around the fire. Thermarest on top and lights out, in doors or out.

[Beowulf]

I wanted to revive the dead here.

How is everyone's cots doing? Are you still using them? Any new extremely compact Cots out on the market now?

[BigAl]

My cot is from Cabelas, here is a link (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0020839516068a&type=product&cmCat=searchFeat&returnPage=search-results2.jsp&Ne=2510&noImage=0&Ntt=cot&Ntk=Products&QueryText=cot&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=4450&trueNum=23&cmCat=search_redir). It's pretty hardcore.



I also use the cabelas XL. I bought the foam pad that goes with it. It feels pretty close to a single bed. The cabelas cots don't sag much so they are a little stiff without the pad.

[FourByLand]

I have a tent cot available if anyone is looking.

[vanguard]

I used a cot for about 2 years and grew to think it was the right decision. The only problem I had with it was that as part of the entire camping package it was getting to be a pita to set up. I would sometimes take the day off of work just so that I didn't have to set up camp at night. It was still better than an air mattress but not good enough.

A few months ago I got a hole in my tent so I went looking for something new. I was thinking I'd get one of those tents that you can toss in the air and they land setup, even though it would mean sleeping on a pad.

In the end I bought a tent cot. http://www.kamprite.com/pages/products/oversize (I'm not sure that link will work without the location cookie)

I've been on a few trips with it now and I'm really happy. I can go from pulling it out of the bed of my truck to actually being inside of it in less than 3 minutes, even if it's dark and windy. This youtube video is part of what sold me on the concept.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=BKO-oZWNwaA

[ckkone]

I was planning on getting a couple of these from Cabela's this weekend....

[Lynn]

i have a similar cot, folds in half, with three hoop legs...one center, one at each end. while it is comfortable, it squeaks like a massive wet balloon with the slightest weight shift (the fabric dragging against the metal frame), and anyone sleeping nearby eventually gets on your case.

any good way to take the squeak out of the cot? other than the noise, it's pretty comfortable.

-sean

I know that this is a revived thread, and Sean's question was posted a long time ago, but just in case anyone else has this problem...

We had a cheap cot that squeaked. After a liberal dose of baby powder, it has been silent. I suspect it may need another dose some day, but it's been quiet for quite a while now.

[kellymoe]

The only time when I am better off on the ground is when it is very cold and windy. I found that even with a good pad on the cot I still got cold if there was a wind blowing, sucked the heat right out of me. I now sleep on the ground when it's really cold and save the cot for warmer trips.

[greybrick]

This is an interesting design for a lightweight cot;

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

.

[atavuss]

here is another idea:

http://www.kamprite.com/pages/home

[greybrick]

Here's a neat design if camping in an area with large trees or if a teepee pole structure could be rigged; no need for a cot;

http://www.floatingbed.com/images/tentw-door-open600.jpg
http://www.floatingbed.com/styles-settings.html

[LXRACR]

I use a full size Coleman cot with a pretty good pad that comes with it. It folds in half and is very easy to unfold and set up. I bring a feather bed with me and put that on top the cot pad for extra comfort. It works way better for me then an airbed. Good luck, Jason

[RHINO]

i prefer a cot to all other forms of sleeping while outdoors, i find the cot just fine w/o extra pad. i curently use a slumberjack "big cot" very roomy and stable with storage underneath for shoes, headlight, book ect.

[Sleeping Dog]

For a few years I've hauling a compact cot on the MC, normal length/width but only 6" off the ground. Weighs about 8# and stores in a bag that's about 26"x8"x2". Nice for old bones and I don't worry about water finding its way into the tent if there is a heavy rain.

One thing to be aware of, if you camp in coldish weather, say overnight lows below 20 degrees, you still need a thermorest or some type of closed cell foam pad on the cot as you will have no insulation under you and lots of air movement.

Jim