Who sleeps on the the newer light cots?

[Boreal Birch]

I have slept on military style cots, with a nice cushy pad. Never more than a couple hundred yards from some form of mechanical transportation or a no portage trip. I still like sleeping on a good pad on the ground, but like the old dog that I am, I spend a long time finding the perfectly level smooth spot to roll out my bedroll. I also bring my down pillow from home, at the tender age of 75, I feel I may have earned that privilege to cradle my grizzled head.
Before I invest in one of the newer light weight cots I am wondering what ones have merit? Not interested swinging between two trees, as I am a back sleeper & have large investment in 10-11 expensive tents that I really like.
…….B.Birchy

 

[snapper]

Will be interested in the replies you receive. I still enjoy time on the ground under a tarp or in a lean-to. I use an old Therma-Rest 1.5" pad and made myself the gift of a Sea-to-Summit inflatable pillow after many years of stuffing clothing in my sleeping bag's stuff sack. While I do have a hammock, I'm still not proficient enough to get a consistently good night's sleep in one so will probably continue to use the ground until I can no longer get up easily. At 68, and having had total knee replacement on my right leg, I feel fortunate that I can still sleep easily without having to resort to a cot.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[lowangle al]

I'd like to find one too. Although we had a comfortable sleep on all our trips this year it would give my wife one less thing to complain about.

 

[deerfly]

I have a couple of those Byer of Maine tri-lite cot's and sleep quite well in them. Fairly easy to setup and break down. Mine are probably 12-15yrs old and still holding up fine although they don't get used as much as they did when I first got them. I still use them once in a while when camping but these days I'm either truck camping or using a hammock for remote trips or a more spartan gortex Alpine bivy with inflatable pad. We use the tri-lites more often as extra beds when piling into a shared hotel or for guests at the house, but more so with kids since the low profile cot's can be difficult for less nimble adults to get in and out of. Quality product and comfortable for remote camping though.

 

[Robin]

I use a wooden framed Byer of Maine cot, it’s held up well over the years. Just spent 8 nights on it in the North Maine Woods at a moose hunt camp. There where 6 other cots in camp, all metal. One collapsed when an old guy sat on the end to put his boots on a 4 am, but the rest held up well. I’m going over for some moose steaks tomorrow, I’ll try to get some names then.

 

[PaddlingPika]

A few years ago I bought a Roll-A-Cot after reading recommendations on one of the paddling websites. A Thermarest mattress on top of that is real luxury camping! Even though it is a bit lighter weight and more compact than some cots, the Roll-A-Cot is a bit big for fitting in with other camping luxuries in a solo canoe so generally it just gets used for car camping. After experiencing the relative comfort of cot sleeping I started looking at the more compact cots that would be better for canoe camping. I balked at the price of the Helinox Cot One and ended up buying a Thermarest mesh cot on clearance sale. It packs up nice and small and is fairly comfortable once assembled, but assembly is a pain - it takes awhile to get all the pieces inserted properly. Being a compulsive shopper and having an aging back, I eventually succumbed to temptation and bought a Helinox Cot One. It hits a happy medium between ease of assembly, sturdiness, and compactness. I always put a Thermarest mattress on top of any of the cots, which adds to the comfort. All three of my cots get used, depending on the priorities of the trip, but if I was going to keep only one it would be the Helinox.

 

[Boreal Birch]

Thanks for the information, I will continue to use my aluminum/nylon military cot for sleeping in my wall tents close to the road and big rivers and lakes without portages. For getting back in the bush, my plan is to take a long look at Helinox cots for my Scandinavian, single pole tipi style tent. For my crawl into tents I’ll stick to a fat modern air mattress and sleep on level ground. I can still sleep in the dirt like dogs if I have to, I guess.
……. BB

 

[lowangle al]

Here is the view from inside looking out from last week.

 

[lowangle al]

^^^ Wrong thread^^^

 

[Boreal Birch]

PaddlingPika…….
Pika’s are one of the really cute critters of the world. Never saw one near water though. Like those little farmer guy’s, with their little haystacks.
…..BB

 

[ppine]

I use a proto-type of the Thermarest lightweight cot. It weighs 2 pounds. Takes awhile to set up, but very comfortable and gets me off the rocky beaches.

 

[WolfmansBrother]

I have been a hammock camper for years, but this year I switched to a cot. I use this one. I picked it because of the width. I am not a big guy, but in looking online I found a lot of the lightweight cots to be pretty narrow in comparison to this one, and I wanted the extra room. No complaints so far.

ALPS Mountaineering Ready Lite Cot | Sherper's

The Ready Lite Cot is the perfect solution to weight restrictions and not sacrificing comfort. At just 5 pounds, the Ready Lite Cot can make every trip.

sherpers.com

 

[ppine]

Wolfman that looks a lot like a JG sticker.
I named my drift boat "Dire Wolf. "

 

[sweeper]

Once you fly you never go to ground again, even with a light cot.

 

[coldfeet]

I bought one of those Byer of Maine small light weight cots but it sits up only app 8” off the ground. I like it BUT my knees don’t like trying to get up from it. Truthfully I have to roll over off the cot onto my knees and get up. Nice product but bad match for this consumer.
Just like Snapper I’m off to get my left knee replacement (12 years ago) redone next Thursday. recalled. Yep. Sad. Lawsuits against the company. That’s why I switched from kayaking years ago to canoeing because it’s easier on my knees.
I do like the large cots I use with my hot tent, just difficult pulling the cross bar and catching that little plastic piece to attach it. Colder weather is tough also. I did have one with some type of clip on the side but cot did break apart.
I passed up the wooden Byer cot years ago sadly.
Best to all.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Not lightweight so maybe not in contention for many canoe trippers, but I slept for years as a base camping canoeist on a Lafuma cot in a large tent. Very comfortable, wide, high off the ground, the head can be elevated to function as a recliner chair, but weighs about 16 lbs.

I've also for 19 years carried a Lafuma recliner in my van, not for sleeping but for supremely comfortable sitting and reclining any place and any time. Picked up my first one at the Sierra Trading Post store in Cheyenne, Wyoming, while driving from Connecticut to California to pick up my Huki outrigger canoe.

 

[PaddlingPika]

PaddlingPika…….
Pika’s are one of the really cute critters of the world. Never saw one near water though. Like those little farmer guy’s, with their little haystacks.
…..BB

BB,
The first time I saw a pika was near a lake. It darted across the trail in front of me as I was walking around Big Sandy lake in the Wind River range in Wyoming. Didn't know what it was until a friend who was with me looked it up after we got home. No pikas around here in Louisiana though.

 

[Boreal Birch]

PaddingPika……
I haven’t seen many in my life, most were when I was younger, while I was up in Dall Sheep Country. There was water up there, small trickles in creeks. No Pika’s down in the Tanana Valley where I live either. Gotta be up in the high country where they live. I no longer have the lungs and legs to get to see them easily. They seem to never sit still for long, busy little critters drying hay for their long winters high in the mountains.
I did buy a painting of one, from the great artist Ree Nancarrow who lives on Deneki Lakes next to Denali Park.
……..Birchy

 

[Mason]

Did someone say pika? From Mt. Rainier NP.

 

[Boreal Birch]

Only thing more cute than a pika, is a baby musk ox.
Thanks Mason
That little guy’s ears look a little tattered.