Cot vs air mattress?

ssramage

Senior Member
I've been tent camping a few times this year and have been using an air mattress each time. It never fails that it's cold, takes up all of my floor space in the tent and kills my back when it goes slightly flat...

Is a cot any better?
How comfortable are they really?
What cots are worth spending the money on?

I'll likely still use the air mattress when my 5 year old son goes with me, so that he can sleep next to me. But for solo trips, it seems like a cot may be worth looking at. I've got a trip coming up in early Feb that I'm looking at one for.
 

patsam

Senior Member
look at cabela's lounge cot. had one for about 10 yrs., and had me 180 lbs. up too a feller weighing 300 lbs. when he visits deer camp (where i'm on my bed) Ha!! waiting on the smart replys!!
 

Artfuldodger

Senior Member
My daughter liked her cot before we switched to hammocks. I see pros and cons of both.

The air mattresses that I had in the past always went flat in the middle of the night.

Maybe the best of both worlds like the one Pat mentioned with a pad. A cot will be cold without a pad on it. Al least use a cheap closed cell foam pad. Maybe a backpacking pad like a Thermarest that you can add a little air to on the cot.

Make sure you get a cot wider than a standard Army cot. If not your arms will fall off. We have a cot like "hide-a-bed thing with a foam mattress from Fred's. It would make a good tent cot.

Cots are off the floor which does give more room in a tent. You can store gear under them. If it rains and the tent floor is wet, you're not down in it.

It may be cooler in the summer if not using a mattress or pad. It may keep your dog out of your bed.

You can sit on your cot to get your boots on or drink coffee.
 

Artfuldodger

Senior Member
Air mattresses pack smaller. Some think they are softer and thus more comfortable. To me the softness hurts my back. I'd rather use a backpacking air mattress than one of those thicker inflatable mattresses.

My daughter's fat boyfriend broke a leg on the aluminum frame of her cot. So if you weigh over 300 pounds a metal frame may be better.
 

gobbleinwoods

Keeper of the Magic Word
When car/tent camping I use a cot and a closed cell pad in cold weather. I also use that under rug non-slip material cut to cot size to help from slipping around on the cot.
 

DrK

Senior Member
Yep. Air mattress on top of cot. It makes standing up from the bed much easier. Another advice is get your 5 y/o his own air mattress. If you share one, everytime one moves the other one wakes up
 

normaldave

GON Weatherman
Consider these Euro Military surplus cots. The frame is solid tubing, it won't fold, (leg's fold), but it is extremely comfortable. Treated burlap sleeping surface. I used 4 of them in my cargo trailer conversion.
Euro Spec military cot


A folding cot option:
U.S. G.I. folding cot
 

GeorgiaGlockMan

Senior Member
Cabela's XL cot.

Best option out there for a big fella.

Sleep better on it than my own bed and I flail in my sleep a lot.

With a good f.r.t-sack you won't freeze in the mountains.
 

gma1320

I like a Useles Billy Thread
I'm a big boy. 6' 330lb. I use a cot from Walmart which is there middle option. It cost about $50 and supports 350lb. They have a larger one which is around $80. But the one I have gives me room to move and supports me well. If it is cold i put a couple of roll up bed mats on it for insulation. Those can be had at Walmart for around $10 each. It also has a storage pocket. Worked very well for me.
 

HIGH COUNTRY

Senior Member
I have two like new REI Comfort Cots that I used for one year for tent camping, they are very comfortable but you need to be able to drive up close to where youare camping.

We bought a new RV a few months ago, willining to let them go if anyone is interested for a lot less than I paid for them.
 

Artfuldodger

Senior Member
I have two like new REI Comfort Cots that I used for one year for tent camping, they are very comfortable but you need to be able to drive up close to where youare camping.

We bought a new RV a few months ago, willining to let them go if anyone is interested for a lot less than I paid for them.

Wow! Those get good reviews. If I was a tent camper I'd jump on that. You can raise the legs for the head or adjust the legs for uneven ground.

https://www.rei.com/product/765277/rei-co-op-comfort-cot
 

HIGH COUNTRY

Senior Member
I watched them for about two years wanting them, and caught them on sale at REI in Ashville NC. I couldnt afford regulard price.

Gander Mountain used to have a similar cot.

I agree, they are top notch - You cant backpack them but for a cabin, motel room, tent, etc - they are awesome...

Even though we have the new camper, I still like to tent camp in milder temps but that will not be that often...
 
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