In search of ... Cots.

tanglediver

tanglediver

Joined
Sep 2, 2013
Messages
2,400
I am shopping for a cot, I just figured I'ld chum up a few idea and suggestions here. Ya'll seem to be up on the camp life accouterments. Brag on 'em, bash on 'em, it's open season; yeehaw!
 
Army surplus. One of the newer versions. Nice, compact and sturdy
 
I own an older version of the "Mojo Padded Cot." At 6' 3" I found it too short and too narrow for longer use. Plus the fact that it didn't lay perfectly flat drove me nuts. A few years ago, my elementary aged son slept in it every night for about a year. What I really liked about it was that it was attached by bungie cords and so it was just a perfectly flat surface.

I more recently bought a basically standard cot in super large size. It is nice enough and more comfortable than sleeping on the ground, but boy it takes up a lot of floor space. I really do like that it lays perfectly flat so I can use my own pillow without ending up at a 45 degree angle.

I'd also note that as opposed to sleeping on the ground, air temperature really matters as you have air under you as well as over you. On warm nights that's fine. On cold nights, you'll want some significant insulation under you - like in a hammock.
 
I bought one ten years ago from Cabela's, I think it was the heavy-duty army cot, and it is a beast of a cot that can support almost 1000 lbs. I've used it plenty of times and it's still like new, other than the fact it weighs a ton I can't think of anything bad to say about it. I bet you could find one at a surplus store for less than I paid for mine.

I don't normally camp with cots, my tent's too small to fit mine in it and my hammock is now my preferred sleeping method anyway. When I've camped in my hammock I've always had a thermarest pad on it as well and it's been as comfortable as a standard mattress, well insulated and cushy.
 
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I got to borrow one, one night, camping 2 years ago. Slept great, and less back pain than even at home. I'll be darned if I know what kind it was, though.
 
I have a 20 year old slumberjack oversized cot -- it was nice at the time, but newer designs are much easier to put together these days.
 
I probably have the same one you do. The Cabela's Alaskan Guide heavy duty cot. I love the thing, but it is pretty darn heavy. Definitely worth the trade off though as they are super stable and durable.
 
I needed to get a hold of one quickly for a my sister who'll be staying overnight next week. So, I opted to pick up a Coleman from walrus fart for the time being. It seems ok. I never had a surplus cot of my own, though I've seen them everywhere.
 
saw a few cots at the last gathering. tried sleeping in one. it sucked :D also i found out it was broken on one end. hurt my back a lot regardless.

so, i slept in my oversized "camping version" of a folding gravity chair. $50 or so on amazon. best money spent, and amazing comfort. folds! voila...

still, i'm kinda interested in finding a good cot. some of the inflatable mattress pads they have now ($$$) are impressive as well.
 
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