cot camping

thanks

– Last Updated: Feb-21-13 9:41 PM EST –

hey everyone thanks for the suggestions. i will look up the roll a cot. also i have an alps 3 person tent for the two of us. fits both allagash cots nice plus the doors on each side really helps. dont know if it will be high enough though but dosent hurt to check it.

i was thinking pool noodles to as they have alot of uses but just wanted to see if there was any better but this would be easy and cheapest route.

the reason i take a cot as the past years i have taken a queen air mattress. just dont like the thought of if the pump breaks to have to blow it up by mouth. just isnt going to happen. last year was the first year for the cots and other than the floor i did like the ease of set up and it folds down nice.

i have considered the air pads but havent really found one i liked and wasnt sure how it would do on the rock ground as we usually camp on the current and not many sand beds there. longest we have been has been 5 nights out and cot and air mattress have both been comfortable during those trips.

if you have a good suggestion on an air mat around 100 it might be something to consider but most pads are so double sided as far as one person has great reviews and the next person to follow says it gets holes in it the first year. i am open to all suggestions though.

Also this is for canoe camping

I would try clear PVC tubing first
its far more resistant to crushing than pool noodles.



You will have to do some cutting for the topside curve for sure, but it ought to work.



http://www.homedepot.com/Plumbing-Pipes-Fittings-Valves-Vinyl-Pipe-Tubing/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbuyw/R-100204418/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051#.USblBKVyshU



I suggest a scamper through your local hardware store. No one knows how to help you but there are often products that fit your “out of the box” needs.

Tent; mattresses
Which exact tent do you have?



A good mattress is expensive but worth the price. Here are two that have almost unanimous excellent reviews:



EXPED SYNMAT 7: Inflatable with built-in pump. Backpackers agree that this is as comfortable as an air mattress gets. Getting very pricey these days. Comfort about 8.5 out of 10.



REI CAMPBED 3.5: Self-inflating. Much bulkier than the Exped. I use it for car camping but I guess it would fit in a canoe OK. Comfort 9 out of 10. The only thing that would be more comfortable is an 8" inflatable bed. The 2007 model is on sale for $65 at the outlet, which is a very good deal. The only difference with the current model is the size.



I own both of those, selected after a ton of research and reading reviews. Very happy with both. Both are insulated for year-round use. For car camping, a Camptime Roll-a-Cot plus the REI Campbed 3.5 is as good as it gets.


Roll-a-cot and/or REI campbed 3.5
Like others, after reading reviews I chose a roll-a-cot. With a thermarest on top it makes a wonderfully comfortable car camping set-up. So far I’ve been placing pieces of cut up minicell floor mat under the cot feet to try to spread out pressure on the tent floor a bit.



After getting the roll-a-cot I saw an REI campbed 3.5 on sale and bought it last year. It too is very comfortable. I’ve been impressed with how well it self-inflates and how it is even more comfortable than the 2.5 inch thermarest that had been my luxury sleeping pad. If I’d bought the campbed first I might not have even wanted a cot, though I do like the roll-a-cot.

Those who camp with me
will tell you I’m not known for traveling light. My bed outfit is a Roll-A-Cot, Aire Landing Pad (google if you’re not familiar), weather appropriate bag and Exped Comfortfoam pillow. I highly recommend this setup provided: you can get it all (x2) in your boat (which might be a stretch depending on what else you take), you don’t have to portage, and you don’t tell your wife how much it all cost.

best part
You don’t have to take off your shoes.



Ryan L.

What does it cost?
My greatest fear is after I die my wife sells all my toys for what I told her I paid.



Former backpacker who now carries 200#'s of gear in the canoe. If you’re worried about failure carry a spare pump. But I don’t ever portage and the whole darn state is a sandbar.

If you’re asking about my setup;
think I found the Roll-A-Cot on sale at REI for $85 including shipping. The Landing Pad is $150 or so. When my buddy’s not using it on his raft I roll it up and stand it on end behind my seat. Makes a good back rest when I’m not paddling. If one weren’t comfortable doing that it could be placed on the floor (open, not rolled) and the gear piled on top of it. It could also be rolled and laid in the floor in front of the gear pile. The pillow was $40 I think and goes in with the sleeping bag.

2.5 vs 3.5"
Comparing the two thicknesses, I found the 3.5" mattress considerably more comfortable and worth the additional weight. Of course, it’s not “really” 3.5" thick. But I could feel my hip bones on the ground with the 2.5" but not with the 3.5".



25" is a good width. 20" is too narrow to support your arms and shoulders. 30" may be overkill, so 25" is a happy medium.

Good discussion. I ordered the REI
3.5 pad from the outlet and am going to get some pool noodles to pad the rails of my cot.

Pool noodles
I have to agree with Kayamedic: pool noodle foam is very compressible. I like her idea of the clear tubing.



Let us know how you like the REI mat. Very good deal you got.

Agreed
Thanks everyone for the advice. I’m thinking the 3.5 on top of the cot with the tubing as the rails are the handle folded up I think that will keep it easier to handle rather than pool noodle on each.



I will see how this works and if I like the air pad I might eventually upgrade that and just start taking the pad without the cot. I have an allagash 174 so I have the extra room but would like to start upgrading items so I can downsize them. Started with the portable grill downsized to the jet boil and like that am just looking for better options.

Which cot
I see the aire pads are 78" long but the cots come in 74 and 84. Weight and size are not an issue as I am thinking about a setup for inside a toy hauler trailer. Are the pads firm enough that 2" at each end doesn’t matter or do you use the long cot?

To cot or not to cot?
There is such a thing as a backpacking cot. See for example the Luxury Lite for a mere $229: http://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html



I can think of two reasons for using a cot: (1) They make it easier to get up off the ground and (2) They avoid uneven terrain, stones, etc.



If you’re young and agile I would say the extra weight and bulk of a cot isn’t worth the trouble, and the REI Campbed 3.5 with no cot should suit most people. I’m not young and agile, but I sure wouldn’t haul the Camptime Roll-a-Cot around on my kayak—or the Campbed 3.5 either. A canoe is a different matter, though.






Mega Mid
Black Diamond Mega Mid is a light weight, extremely durable packable floorles design that can be set up almost anywhere in any conditions.I have used it on river trips and snow canmping to emergency shelter in a bolder field. Have used in a wash with water running through the tent while soundly sleeping on a cot in the rain. Lucky it did not flash. A floor can be ordered separately.Packs down to less than a football.

Agreed.
The Roll-A-Cot is not well suited to yaks or packs. As I recall it’s a 25 pounder. Sho be nice though.

Roll a Cot weighs 10 lbs, not 25
Rolls up to 5" x 37". If that fits in your canoe, then be my guest.

Ha.
Yeah, 25 was a bit hyperbolic.

Sorry Pirate,
I just now saw your question. I use the standard length cot with no issues, and I know others who do as well.

Thanks brother
I knew you’d be by eventually