What do you find to be the best setup for a good nights rest when tent camping???

Air mattress? Cot? Foam pad? A combination of them?

Wanting to do more tent camping this coming year and want to make sure I make the best of it. Curious what everyone's preferred method is?

Back issues make me use a cot. I put a foam rubber pad on it and then a sleeping bag. It ain't perfect, but it works. If you can do without a cot, it's that much less stuff to lug around.

Tried to use an air mattress a couple of time and spent the night fighting with the stupid things. I'd opt for a cot with a closed cell foam pad, good sleeping bag with a fleece blanket as a liner. This combo has kept me comfortable and allowed me to get a good night's rest.

Do you guys think there are big differences in cots? Was looking on Cabelas site and they have a bunch of different ones available. I've always slept directly on ground up to this point but my back has become aggravated the past year or so and was also leaning to trying a cot. I've never slept on one before.

I haven't compared all of the cots Cabelas sells, but have over 10yrs experience with their Outfitter XL. It's good to go IMO, and appear to have a recent update that makes attaching the end bars much easier.

I place an inflatable thermarest under a rectangular bag and sleep like a baby.

Cots are cold unless you get enough under you for insulation.

My back hates cots too for some reason.

We sleep a couple weeks a year in AK on the floor of the tent on a Cabelas appx 3 inch "mattress" and can't say that we have any complaints.

Have been on air mattresses before that have been cold as all get out.

Cots will make getting up IE standing up a lot easier. But personally I can't sleep on them with my back.

I'll echo what 222Rem recommends, as I use the same cot and also the Thermarest self inflating mattress.

I roamed around a lot tent camping when I was a young man.

I didn't know what mattered at the time,...we slept on an old air mattress that would deflate by morning.

A bed is everything. As long as the tent keeps the rain out you won't know the difference in quality. But you need a good bed.

Spend what it takes to have a good cot in your tent.

It'll be the difference between feeling good and feeling like chit when you get up in the morning.

If I'm truck camping I always take the best air mattress (usually a double decker) I have and a moderate feather bed to throw on top. Keeps me warm and easy on the back. I also do not use sleeping bags anymore. My sheets, cheap comforter and a good pillow. I even do that at Interstate hotels. Regardless of the situation I want a good if not great bed!!!

If I'm not truck camping then I use a combo inflatable sleeping bag/air mattress that bind as one.

Thanks to Mother Nature I've been chased off the App Trail more than once because I did not have the right bed and gave into weather. Especially, thoughout VA, NC and GA! Never again!!

I also have a nice setup for the inside of my full sized SUV!!

I have started to realize this very same thing ... pretty sure it comes with age. Experience means everything. Lol

I have done winter, in a nylon tent. The 6 man size does about right for me with a table, coleman stove, and couple chests. Little electric lamp is enough, sunset is bedtime. Closed the vents, added a cat heater, and a cheapo folding bed, or cot. You need foam or something under you for the cold. A rug is a real blessing. My one trouble is I am a side sleeper, and my knees stick out. I use some decent fleece and wool blankets to build a nest. I have gotten rolled completely over in a zipped mummy, it isn't any fun.

#1 My best for all seasons is a cot with a 2 or 3" self inflating pad on top. That adds a cushion and insulation.
#2 An air mattress on a cot is excellent in warm weather but doesn't have the insulation of the self inflating ones in cold weather. A closed cell pad on top of the mattress adds a lot of warmth.
#3 A tight cot with only a closed cell pad is warm but can be hard as a board.
#4 Those Cabelas cot pads are great but they're very bulky to haul if you're short on car space. They take up as much space as a large dog.

For a cot, we use these Alps Mountaineering cots. They work well and fold small. A cot with end stretchers will stay a little tighter but take up more space when folded. If you opt for these, let me know and I'll give you a couple hints on setting it up. It's easy but most people do it wrong.

closed cell foam pad, followed by inflatable bed, followed by cabelas cot in warm weather, followed by Holiday inn

What size tent are you using? If big enough the Cabela's Outfitter XL with inflatable pad as described above. If smaller, we use to use a full size inflatable mattress, a sleeping bags.

I use a cot, with a piece of 1/4 inch plywood cut to size. Topped off with a 6" memory foam pad! Having a bad back this works best! I don't usually care about the size when packing my gear! I just want to be comfortable for the week. I've stayed in my wall tent with this setup for a couple weeks at a time! When it gets real cold the foam is a real blessing! When the stoves burns down at 17 below, my buddies get cold first! Then feed the stove!!

Coleman inflatable mattress with a Cabelas roll up foam pad on top. Cover it with a sheet and sleep under an opened up -20 down bag. If it gets to 20 or below, close the down bag and sleep in it.

Tobaggin for the noggin in real cold.

roll-a-cot and a cut-down walmart memory foam mattress to fit.... old bedsheets and blankets from home with a piece of canvas for a spread. heck with airmattresses or inflateables. And the cot should be high enuff to sit on and still be able to stand up unassisted....grin

same here

Sycamore

This. No matter how hydrated I am I get cramps getting out of my cot. Hamstring and groin cramps. No matter how carefully I get out of it. I need a higher cot I think. Never have this problem in a bed.

Another vote for cabelas xl cot and self inflating pad .
I use a blue x-mart closed cell foam pad then a wool blanket on top of the pads .
Tip: shop in the wood working section of lowes/depot and get 4-5 medium alligator clips about the size that would go on a motorcycle battery charger . Zip a sleeping bag up about knee high and use it like a blanket with your feet in the zipped part of coarse .
Use the alligator clips to fasten the sleeping bag to the cot , that way your sleeping bag won't slide off during the night .

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.

All of this is reminding me of the last time I went tent camping.

Me and 2 of my old childhood buddies that I grew up with down in western Kentucky decided to go camping at the old campsite where we used to hang out when we were kids.

Needless to say,...we all got drunkern a skunk sitting around the campfire.

All of us had our own tents.

"Eddie" bought a tent just for the occasion. Nothing special,...just a nylon 7X7 shock cord tent.

We all stumbled out the next morning and the whole side of Eddie's new tent had been sliced open.

He had awakened during the night and had to take a racehorse beer piss,..and couldn't get the door zipper to work. So he just pulled out a knife and layed the whole side of it open,...pissed out of the hole, then went back to bed.

I brought a quart of bourbon,...they had beer.

Worst hangover I've ever had in my life,...projectile puking,...thought I was gonna die and didn't care.

Don't mix large quantities of bourbon and beer. It'll kill ya *dead*.

Days of half inch ensolite on the ground are long gone for me too.

I've been using a 3" foam pad on a roll a cot or lately on an xl spreader cot with a long, square, 6# sleeping bag.

I like the memory foam mattress idea, I'm gonna try that.

A cot with a thermarest/self inflating mattress. Size/type of cot kind of depends on your tent. My cot is low-profile to use in smaller tents - Byer Allagash Cot.

The self inflating mattresses let you adjust firmness and insulate almost as well as closed cell foam.

I hate memory foam. It's heavy and every time I turn over, I have to climb out of a hole. Good ol' open cell foam for me, thank you.

Take a Benadryl at bedtime with a big shot of water. Your cramps will not happen.

When we are using wheeler we use these cots http://www.everywherechair.com/pi-xl-roll-cot.html with a Therm-a-Rest Luxury Map pad. Sleep like a baby. Not for backpacking but they are comfortable and work down to sub-zero temps.

There are some damn good hammocks out there as well. As qell as insulators for the bottom of the hammock.
I usually use a tent, but i sleep quite well in a hammock.
I carry one on my work truck, another in my personal truck, along with sleeping bag, and a small bag for setting up camp if needed. Each truck has a couple of yoyo reels and a fishing kit, as well.

Yup!

Thought you were posting about the Therma-Rest stadium chair that uses a folded Therma-Rest pad. It is awesome enough I bought one for moose camp this year and managed to leave it at home! Pissed me off! Three weeks on a cot without a decent chair.

Big cots demand really big tents...

That's a cozy looking pile right there! I'd be an afternoon hunter with that cot.

I had back problems in the past and for the last5 years I have been using the Cabelas Outfitter XL cot and the Cabelas XL pad. It is bulky and takes up a lot of space but it is so good to sleep on it is worth it.

What setup is this? The cot and pad mainly?

This^

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everybody is different in what is comfortable .
I have two hammocks -no way can I sleep more than a nap in them -were I shaped like a banana it might be more comfortable .
They are VERY nice to have around camp though -great for lounging during midday .

Someone mentioned that some of Cabela's cots have a gizmo to make putting the stretcher bars on easier. They call it a pivot arm. It uses leverage to force the side rails apart and lets the stretcher just drop into place without getting a hernia. I haven't used one but it looks like it should work great.

Ol Mike,
There are different types of hammocks. The blackbird allows for a diagonal lay which is very comfortable. However, you are right that people are different. Not to different I hope, my wife just had me pick her up a blackbird. She wants to start backpacking with me again.
Good luck and be comfortable,
Pete

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yep , admittedly I haven't tried the diagonal "lay flat type" hammock .
I broke my back about 12 years ago and anything that doesn't keep me 'flat' is not comfy now .

Good for you and the wife -camping is great time spent together !

Slumberjack XL cot + yellow foam pad + sleeping bag = good sleep for me.

The cots with the springs are back wreckers for me!

Have a feeling, picking the right sleeping set up for camping is as individual and a pain in the ass as buying a new mattress!

I have a touch of sleep apnea. I can't sleep on my back. I'm fine on my side or stomach. Stomach sleeping takes a firm bed or it bends my back and in the morning I can hardly get up. So, when camping, I'm 95% side sleeping.

That was me. Thanks for the vid.

Without the gizmo, its a job for XL Cot sized guys to assemble. But the upside is a drum tight cot every time.

Cabelas XL cot and a 3" closed cell foam pad.

My wife and I plan on spending a good part of the spring and summer following the weather north from Az. to the Canadian border and mostly camping along the way.At our age comfort is a priority. We chose the Kingdom cots from REI after a lot of research. They are long, wide and erect in seconds. They come w/ an adequate pad but we add our xl self inflating pads and they are luxurious. They also give the ability to raise the back to your desired angle to hang out or read in bed.

However, they fold easily but take a lot of space in the tent or when packing. We have decided to buy an enclosed utility trailer to accomodate all the goodies for extended camping. We use a 6 person 8'x10'tent that has an interior peak height > 6' and gives plenty of room to move around or hang out in bad weather.

have fun and sleep tight.


mike r

Same here.




Dave

I was thinking that when I typed it but didn't really think anyone would believe me.


mike r

I've done lots of car camping (base camping) over the years. The following items are what I use when I'm going to be setup in one place for several nights and don't have to carry anything on my back.

I start with a freestanding dome tent, large enough to stand up in and big enough for two people to roam around in without getting on each others nerves. I've seen the wind destroy several cheap dome tents so now I use one that's strong enough to take a beating. My current go to tent for base camping is a Cabelas Instinct 6-man tent.
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabe...h-DAC-Aluminum-Poles-Person/2004686.uts?

I'm an active sleeper so I like a cot that's big enough that it's hard to roll off in the night. Also get one that has plastic feet that don't put holes in the floor of the tent. Cabelas and Coleman both offer big cots.
http://www.coleman.com/big-n-tall-cot/2000023591.html
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Alaskan-Guide-Cot-with-Lever-Arm/732573.uts?

I put a 1/2" foam pad on the cot. Buy that at Wal Mart for $15. Then a Thermarest Base Camp Deluxe XL self inflating air mattress on top of the foam pad.
http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/camp-and-comfort/basecamp/product

I like a big hybrid sleeping bag with lots of room, synthetic insulation, and rated at 0°F. I bought the Celsius Regular made by Teton Sports at Sportsmans Warehouse for $80. I often use it only half zipped up, when temps are warm. But if it gets cold, I can zip it up and be cozy.
http://www.tetonsports.com/Sleeping-Bags/Celsius/Celsius-Regular-0.htm

I try to minimise hot things inside the tent that can burn a hole in the wall. I use a couple of LED lanterns inside the tent.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Generic-20287-Ozark-Trail-Lantern-300-Lumens/49332930

If you have to have heat inside the tent, you can use a Mr. Heater Buddy Heater. They will shut off automatically if tilted and are safe to use inside the tent without augmenting the ventilation already provided by the tent. I put mine on a cookie sheet on the ground, inside the vestibule.
http://www.mrheater.com/portable-buddy-heater.html

I also try to keep stoves outside of the tent. Sometimes under a tarp or tipi and sometimes I stretch a tarp over the back of the camper shell on my pickup and cook on the tailgate. 16 ounce propane canisters are the most convenient type of fuel when weight and bulk are not a consideration. It's hard to beat a double burner folding stove for base camping like these.
http://www.coleman.com/classic-prop...d=coleman-stovesandgrills-stoves#start=1
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Tr...pane-Camp-Stove-with-Wind-Guard/23623718

I take a couple of comfortable folding chairs that make a big difference to an old back. I don't particularly like the collapsing nylon chairs, but that's purely personal preference. I like a simple chair like this one.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Caravan-Global-Sports-Suspension-Folding-Chair/34743930

KC

Enough about your Johnsons, back to camping.

That looks like a pretty decent one

Me too. And, I prefer a flannel lined sleeping bag. If cold enough, I wear more night clothes.I do not like to cover my head in the sleeping bag, so I have worn a balaclava or stocking cap to keep my head and ears warm. I don't have much hair these days.

donsm70

You and me both brother! My head is always cold in the winter.

I sleep well in my Eureka Timberline Outfitter. It is a 6 man tent, with just enough room for me.
I sleep on a Cabelas cot, with a three inch thick Cabelas foam mattress. There is also room for a folding table, chair, my suitcase, guns and knives. I have electric fans and lights.

If you're going to pull trailer, why not look for a decent used folder camper or small travel trailer?

After tenting for years, this year I had enough. The day after we got back from hunting I bought a small (21ft) trailer.
Enough of cold tents and bad beds.
Indoor kitchen, heater, running water, electric lighting, warm shower, comfortable bed and a couple of bunks for company, even an air conditioner which I'm not likely to ever use.
Wish I had done it years ago.
Figure if I run the generator an hour a day I can keep everything going.

Next time you need a battery, go with 2 6v golf cart batteries. 2 good ones will run you for a week or more and still have power to spare.

Wife and kid and I stopped in local Gander Mountain today and went to camping section. They had a couple really nice cots that we layed on to feel them out ... not too bad. What really blew me away was how big they were! If we all 3 wanted to sleep on one of these gems we're going to have to move up to a bigger tent for sure. Hmmm ... I've been looking for an excuse to purchase a really nice Springbar! Lol

Camper's are convenient but tent camping is fun.

When I setup up the wall tent my kids go crazy.




Travis

I swear a wall tent, a Cabelas XL cot and their mattress and a little rain will get you the best sleep a man can have.

I had this hog huntin' kick back in the mid 80's. I'd go down to the Cumberlands, pitch a tent and wander the hollers in search of hogs.

The last couple of years a friend of mine with a little pop up camper went with me.

It was a little one,...could pull it behind an S-10.

It had a propane gas stove and heater,...a couple of beds on each end that you could crawl into at night,...

Even a little, economy sized pop up camper beats the hell out of a tent.

If I was inclined to go roaming the wilds again, I'd go on Craigslist and find me a little pop up camper.

Use it 'till you're tired of it then sell it for what ya paid for it.

I'll give it a shot... ZING! (Thanks)

You need something like this...
All of my camping gear lives in there year round...
I just throw some bacon beans and beer in the cooler and off we go..

^^This.I used to have a little pop-up,"Camp Morning Wood" and it was very comfy.Even when the weather was in the teens it would stay 50 in there with the furnace crankin,
Easy to haul and park.kinda miss it.

My experience has been if there's a wall tent in camp, that's where people migrate to, especially if the weather is bad. No one wants mud tracked in their fancy campers, plus there's just not the open space of a wall tent. And there's something about a crackling fire.

Yep. Especially when it's pussy grabbin' weather.

The 'embassy'. Good times at the Icebreaker.

It was after that evolution that we bought our Davis wall tent.

We slept/passed out like gods.

I have a spare bed room if you come up for gophers. No wood burner though. Grin...




Dave

You guys said I was snoring like a dirty bastard....grin

That was Gruff. He's a dirty bearded fugk.




Dave

I'll vote with the Roll-a Cot folks, mine works great. Cold weather does necessitate a barrier between sleeping bag/blankets and the cot though, I use a Thermarest and a backpacking closed cell foam.

https://www.camptime.com/collections/cots

But, getting older has me leaning toward an A'Liner type trailer.

Good luck with your decision.

Geno

That's the idea Fieldgrade. I like to avoid campgrounds and some of the places I like to go would beat the crap out of a travel trailer or popup. I have a freestanding tent that the wife and I can put up in 10 minutes. I will start looking for an enclosed utility trailer after the New Year.


mike r

You'll like it.....mine might be a little small for your needs but it's built like a safe.....I've had it since 1977....love it....

BTW....if I had a dollar for every time someone's tried to buy it from me I could buy an Airstream....

In my tent I like a mil. surplus cot with a foam pad on top so my butt don't get cold.
The foam is held in place by a "single" size fitted sheet (fits a mil surplus cot) and the sleeping bag on top of course.

Lots of cover....and a good stove

This was our next to last tent camping trip.



Not me! My hunting buddy checking out my bull.


I got snow inside my hiking boots getting over to skin him out before dark. The next morning my shoes were frozen solid. I had to thaw them over a single mantle propane lantern before I could get them on.

There was about eight inches of snow under the tent. Temps were not far from zero at night. I am kind of glad we had no way to know for sure. But gallon jugs of water froze solid overnight inside a cooler chest. The only thing between our sleeping bags and the snow for four nights was the sweaty, wet saddle blankets.



I don't know who was more miserable, man or horse?

Conditions were a bit better the next year.
Not quite so much snow on the ground.


The most level place we could find, and still be out of the weather, and close to water for the horses. This was the evening of our first day in camp. About 1.5 inches of rain the day before. Three days later, we had three inches of snow in camp.

Sterilizing stream water for drinking and cooking.




Five miles back down the mountain was base camp

I used an Outfitter XL for years and loved it. Blew a disc in my lower back some years ago and cannot sleep on a cot any more.

A Thermarest is as good as it gets, for me.

Never had a tent, built a shack or had a camper.

A tent's better than some of the shacks I've slept in. At least the mouse population was lower. I've spent nights in shacks where the chewing and squeaking kept us awake all night.

Mike: Since you are buying a trailer anyhow, take a look at Jumping Jack. Very sturdy. It even has grease fittings on the pivot points where the beds fold out. If you move a lot it is much quicker set up than a tent.

Cozy nest you got there. Your pillow should be noted that a good one is also key to a good night sleep.

My favorite is a Slumberjack.

I like a cot. To me, air mattresses suck. I put a small roll up pad on my cot. I think the cot is from Gander. It's quite comfortable.

Being able to get a good night's sleep while camping is one of the least considered but most important skills.

Tenting on the move, I use a Therm A Rest - Ridgerest.

You'll wish for a while it will anydamnhow.

VERY cool set up Wayne.

At this stage of my life I've become a fair weather camper.....



If you look closely you'll see my cot with a big fat pillow on board...there's also a Big Buddy heater in there.....

I could be persuaded to eat beef and pork exclusively after looking at that pic.




Dave

Thanks, the tent is very easy to setup, take down, pack into a canoe or kayak and I can stand up and put my jeans on. My BIL and I have used it as a base camp moose hunting in Ontario several times.



I had Laacke & Joys in Brookfield, WI refurbish it once rather than look for a replacement.

I got the same setup. It's as good or better than our regular bed.

FieldGrade, what is the manufacture of the tent?

Thanks.

Nice set ups. I'm envious. My tents are small, light, and I don't sleep very well when in them. Usually on uneven ground. But, it works and keeps me in the country I want to hunt.

Springbar out of Salt Lake City....I love that thing....

https://www.springbar.com/

Cabelas sells a Chinese knock off called Kodiak for less but I don't mind paying a little more for US made gear...especially a small family based company.