Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Tent camping

I've got a couple of cots that I bought at Walmart several years back for about 35 bucks apiece. They're a simple affair,...aluminum frame that just unfolds,..a 3" thick vinyl covered foam pad.

I drag a couple of old thick comforters with me that were made for a king sized bed. I fold one in half and lay it on top of the foam pad and cover myself up with the other one.

I've slept in hotel beds that weren't as comfortable,....definitely beats the hell out of layin' on the ground.

You can cinch 'em together with large sized nylon wire ties and make a bed that will accommodate the wife if she wants to come along,...or just cinch both of 'em together for yourself and have a big tent bed.

They pretty much look like this one.

http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1363528/coleman-comfortsmart-deluxe-cot.jsp?pfm=rrrecs-pdp-gtab1

I haven't used a cot in 25 years, but I spent almost a month this summer on a Thermarest NeoAir. It was great.

Warbonnet Blackbird hammock! Lightweight and I sleep like a baby. I'm backpacking again thanks to this setup. If you don't want to be limited to car camping you should consider a hammock.

Yep, me too.

If I'm tent camping that means I'm packing in. The less crap the better. Full length closed cell pad is all I need. Not necessarily all I want... but insulation from the ground is all I need. I don't mind firm!

I have to admit that "sheepherder's bedroll" my brother provided on that Salmon River elk hunt back in the 90's was pretty nice, but the horses carried that.

If I ever get to make that trip again, I'll take my ensolite pad and a 0 degree sleeping bag along. There were at least two places I wanted to set up and watch an evening and a morning or more, away from the camp, and that sheepherders bedroll.

If I'm not packing in I have a perfectly good bed in the overhead camper.

If one is winter tent-camping, nothing beats a winter caribou hide for insulation. Might be a little hard for some to come by, tho. It provides pretty good padding too.

Always use aluminum frame cots with the spring loaded bedsprings. Similar to what is linked directly above.

One key to staying warm in a cot off the ground is to stop the air from circulating under the cot. Get a big fleece blanket, or else a cheap tarp, and put it over the entire cot like a tent, then build your bedding on top of it. This stops any extra air from swirling under the cot, and seems like it raises the comfort level by about 15 degrees for me.

When I pack in, my llamas haul it all so the cot goes. My back won't take hard ground like it did 20 years ago.

Near truck = cot and lots of pad and lots of blanky.

Walking in = new thread and broke dicks aren't invited.




Dave

PS-The bigger the cot, the better.




Dave

Over the years I have used a variety of cots, including an Army cot. They all had a stiff, hard surface and I experimented with different pads for comfort and never got satisfactory comfort.

Three years ago one of my elk hunter buds brought a Coleman Comfortsmart Deluxe cot to the base camp. It had a coil spring suspension and a covered foam pad. I got one now and added a closed cell pad for additional insulation. So comfortable I can sleep thru any snoring in the tent.

http://www.coleman.com/comfortsmart-deluxe-cot/2000020269.html

I think the ones with the coil springs on the sides are a bit more comfortable, but the ones with the fabric sewed around the frame hold up way longer. Not a huge difference in comfort, but definitely a difference in durability.

Very sound advice here. It really sucks to wake up cold and stiff and sore.

[quote=deflave]PS-The bigger the cot, the better.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Huh-ha that's uh what she was saying hahah . That was funny .

Walmark sells an aluminum cot with a pad attached -were I to need another cot I'd get it .

pard has gone to a cot the last few seasons, uses the thermarest version, pretty small volume, light weight, kind of a hefty price tag.

but you have to sleep if you're gonna hunt hard.


I'm still using a Thermarest Deluxe Camprest when not backpacking. I'm a restless sleeper I'd probably fall off a damned cot.

Almost took the Exped 7 this year but I hate the lil hand behind hand integral pump in it.

Disgusting.

(That's what she said)

Dave

The Themarest Pads are great. One can get them to about any degree of firmness one desires. Two or three breaths is all it takes.

This^^^^

I started out with a small Coleman about 30 yrs ago...tried several other more expensive cots over the years and finally went back to the large Coleman a couple of years ago....

I have a couple of really nice cots that cost a lot more than the Coleman I'll give you if you pay for shipping....
Me....I'll stick with my Coleman

Cabelas Outfitter cot with a pad.