Therm-a-Rest LuxuryLite Mesh Cot

[Guest]

Agree with Mike #20. I set the tarp when the forecast is for rain. Ditto the "powder room" tarp. That's right - I like to keep my "powder" dry.

I can't see the advantage of a cot over a 2.5" thick air mattress unless the cot is stretchy enough to conform to body contours.
And the airpad is easy to inflate using a Big Agnes PumpHouse inflater.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Tarp?

No when there is nothing substantial for trees. Willows and alders are terrible.
No when a collapsible beach umbrella does the job. We have one that collapses and packs into a case about twice as long as the Helinox chair and tilts and has screw end to go into the ground, Its called a Portabrella collapses into a carrying bag 24 inches long and weighs 6 lbs. Good for river trips..not so much for portaging at that weight.



No if its nice and I haven't noticed cirrus clouds that day.

Probably not if solo.

Probably yes if basecamping for a few days.

Yes if there are two of us and we get to camp before the squall..though we have had the exquisite experience of putting a tarp up in the rain.

And then it stops raining... Period.

So the final answer? Maybe!!

 

[ppine]

That sure looks like the Green R. A beach umbrella is brilliant. I remember a picture of some small umbrellas that we clamped to the gunwales for calm conditions when we were traveling on the Green.

My last trip out was a week sleeping on gravel bars. The cot sounds like a great solution. Piragus Northwoods carries the Thermarest referenced above and another one for $139 that weighs 5 pounds. Anyone have experience with one of those?

 

[Iskweo]

I am in a quandry. I need a new sleeping arrangement. My Cabelas Alaskan guide pad has given up the ghost. I tried a cot from CAnadian Tire but it left a lot to be desired. Sagged a lot and the uneven ground issue was a lot of trouble. I had one with four legs instead of three and it worked better as I recall, but that was over 20 years ago so my memory may not be all that accurate. I seem to remember it worked best with an air mattress under it anyway.

I am waffing between a synmat 7 and this mesh cot. I have not tried either but am leaning towards the synmat simply because mats have in the past given me the best results. And it's a bit cheaper. No I am not going to try both.

Feedback?

Christy

 

[yellowcanoe]

Synmat 7 works for me. There is a 9 too now. Comes in a variety of widths and lengths. We had a lumpy lumpy campsite this last weekend but with the mat, bed was tolerable.

 

[daveo4]

I've been using a synmat 7 this year. I bought it because it packs down much smaller than my other pads but I like it a lot. The built in pump is OK and keeps moisture from getting in and either freezing or providing a growth medium for mildew. I can recommend them.

 

[memaquay]

I've used my cot this summer a fair bit. There is very little to worry about in terms of levelling off. I camped on some of the most uneven ground to be found, and all i needed to do was stick one shoe under one of the plastic legs. There is a fair amount of movement in the cot, so it twists itself flat. On the bad side, something sticky is in my sleeves, it seems to have come from the stress points where the plastic feet connect to the side poles. Also, the fabric around the holes is getting fairly frayed. If you have a thin sleeping bag, and you are not used to hard surfaces for sleeping, you might consider some kind of pad.

I like it, I've got take down and set up times down to a fairly quick time, it seems pretty robust, but I have to say, i wouldn't have spent the 250 on it. I probably would have just kept using my 29 dollar Canadian Tire air mattress.

 

[Iskweo]

Well, Cabelas is having a sale and I see that the 3"thick Thermarests are about $110. That might work. There are also some cheaper air mattress type pads for a lot less than that. I like the synmat concept but not the price. It looks like another big comfy thermarest.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Well, Cabelas is having a sale and I see that the 3"thick Thermarests are about $110. That might work. There are also some cheaper air mattress type pads for a lot less than that. I like the synmat concept but not the price. It looks like another big comfy thermarest.

Nope.. Not at all. This last weekend a friend brought a Thermarest. I had a Synmat. Both of the same dimensions. Mine packed up half the size of the rolled up thermarest

For you with a large budget

https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Helinox/helinoxcotone

 

[Guest]

Nope.. Not at all. This last weekend a friend brought a Thermarest. I had a Synmat. Both of the same dimensions. Mine packed up half the size of the rolled up thermarest

For you with a large budget

https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Helinox/helinoxcotone

It's kind of heavy at nearly 4.5lbs. I guess per pound it's not a bad price.

Not practical for me except maybe in a pulk or for car camping.