If anyone is sleeping on a cot while camping and pleased with it, please let me know...Thinking of buying one and looking for advice....I'm 6' 1" and 180 lbs...Fly a Scout....thanks..Price isn't a big factor...

I've got a couple of the big ugly folding metal frame ones that I use when truck camping in a large tent. Heavy, probably not what you want.

I hiked the Inca Trail last month in Peru and used an extremely lightweight cot from Thermarest called a LuxuryLite Ultralight Cot. http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/cots/luxurylite-ultralite-cot/product

It was the size and weight of a large gatorade bottle and with one of those self-inflating pads on top made a real difference on comfort especially up high in the Andes where the temps dropped below freezing. Easy to set up, you have to be a little careful plopping your self down on it, but it does the job. I'll have them at the fly-in at Orcas Island next month if you're there.

I have the Cabela's outfitter XL cots. They are wonderfully comfortable and as big as a twin bed but they are heavy. Probably too large and heavy for airplane camping. I'd also be interested in anyone's feedback on some light cots that they like that are more airplane camping compatible.

I have several set of gear, one set for jeep camping, one for plane camping, and one for backpacking, categorized by weight and packed size. For comfort like sleeping at home, and where weight and size may not be a factor, I always take my REI Comfort cot, my Jeep cot. Too heavy and big for my plane, however.

Where weight and size is a factor, the Sleeprite cot comes second in comfort. Collapses into a bag about 10 in long, and at 78 in. by 30 in. considerably bigger than most lightweight cots. Helinox makes some good ones, but the longer length of the Sleeprite sold me, and the small packed size.

Your touring bike sites have good reviews of lightweight cots, as well as Youtube sites.

http://travelchair.com/products/sleeprite-cot

Those thermarest cots are probably what you are looking for, but after sleeping on the Cabelas XL cots it is hard to go back.

The thermarest with an exped pad on top is pretty comfortable.

Big Agnes makes inflatable sleeping pads that are just outstanding! Not a cot, but MUCH smaller and lighter and very comfortable. These are what I use for backpacking and airplane camping.

I just finished a two week trek in Peru on the Inca trail ending at Machu Picchu. Here is where we slept:

pokette wrote:

How small of a package does that roll up into?

Flymac wrote:If anyone is sleeping on a cot while camping and pleased with it, please let me know...Thinking of buying one and looking for advice....I'm 6' 1" and 180 lbs...Fly a Scout....thanks..Price isn't a big factor...

The only advantage a cot has over a sleeping pad is a place to sit to take off my boosts off at night and put them on in the morning. So those little low to the ground cots wouldn't be any good to me.

hotrod180 wrote:How small of a package does that roll up into?

Why should she care, the porters took care of that!

Hey I had to carry my water botte and camera!!

Big Agnes makes inflatable sleeping pads that are just outstanding! Not a cot, but MUCH smaller and lighter and very comfortable. These are what I use for backpacking and airplane camping

I'll second anything with Big Agnes. I have the Big Agnes Lost Ranger bag, which is kinda a semi mummy bag, which was much more comfortable than the regular confining mummy bag. What I like about the Big Agnes bag is instead of down on the underside, which is normally compressed and not efficient, it has a sleeve that you insert your pad or mattress. I like it because you then always have your pad under you, instead of waking up and find your've slid off your pad or you're trying to keep on it throughout the night. Keeps the weight down because you can get by with a smaller pad, and Big Agnus can add more down to the top for a higher rating.

It seems that as I approach "the new 40s" my upper body is a little more bonier and my lower a little more softer, so the cot such as the Thermarest or Sleeprite eliminates the soreness I get in my shoulders and arms from sleeping on the unforgiving ground with just a pad.

A Big Agnes bag with 2" inch inflatable mattress, a lightweight cot like those mentioned, Tennesse Tea, and I'm good to go. One of many approaches to the good nights sleep issue.

I tried out the Helinox High Cot at the PNW aviation tradeshow last February and liked it a lot until I saw the price. $400 is more than I spent on my bed frame at home. Being cheap everywhere else is how I can afford to put gas in my plane...

http://www.rei.com/product/882324/helinox-high-cot

Most of the inexpensive cots out there run about 14-16 pounds. There is a big jump in price to get one down around 6 pounds. The lower weight usually means less ground clearance to minimize the weight of legs.

Since all the light weight cots seem to be very low to the ground I would have to agree that an inflatable sleeping pad would be a consideration.

We have two pads from REI that have an inflation system built in. Once pumped up (about two minutes) they are very comfortable and have insulation built in as well to keep the bottom side warm on cold nights. I would think a cot would let cool (cold) air circulate under the sleeping bag....good for the summer and South, not so good for the mountains in Spring, Winter, or Fall.

TD

Good point on the cot being colder, the pad I use on the Big Agnes eliminates that. Two days ago 3 of us had them in 40 degree nights and the cot was fine with a pad, all of us have the Big Agnes. The Sleeprite is $150 on Amazon.com, and weighs 6 lbs. I hope the Helinox comes with a partner at $400….

http://www.amazon.com/TravelChair-2389A-Sleep-Rite-Cot/dp/B00GME645S/ref=sr_1_1?&ie=UTF8&qid=1436394929&sr=8-1&keywords=travelchair+sleeprite+cot

Big Agnes Q-core is my vote too. I was a believer the first night on one. Maybe more comfortable than my bed at home, very light weight and keeps you warm on cold ground.

We just punked out and got an inflatable mattress for in the tent.

My memory as a kid was that cots were colder 'cuz the air circulated under them - vs a really good sleeping pad.

I bought a Kamp-Rite Tent Cot that has proven to be more comfortable than any tent or cot I have used previously. No kidding it is almost as comfortable as my Sleep Number bed at home by adding a thin pad to the pad that is already part of the cot. Pros: It sets up in minutes, there are no rocks or lumps on which you sleep, it keeps bugs and rain out, it is large enough to undress and store clothing at one end of the bed. Cons: It is bulky and heavy, but it still fits through the door on my C180 so no worries. You can buy them in different sizes too so it is possible to get one wide enough for two. Other than bulk and weight you can't go wrong with one of these.

Always looking for lighter better camp stuff for the maule. Just yesterday was in big 5 here in san diego. Found a 9x9 easy up that weighed 17 lbs. pricey at 200 bucks so not a buy. Also found a coleman cot wider than most with a 2 inch pad that weighed about 10-12 lbs. 79 bucks. I have a low to the ground aluminum frame cheapy that weighs 5 lbs