Packable camp cot - not too shabby

[Clo-z-nuff]

Just an FYI. I noticed Sportsmansguide had a Belgian Military Collapsable cot that looked intriguing. They are "used" which always scares me a little but I thought for $30 it was worth a shot. Sorry, no pics but I'm mildly pleased. The one I recieved was definately new and is actually fairly sturdy. Packs down nice, probably 5-6" diameter by 2' long. It's not a real wide cot but should pack nicely on a bike and keep you off the ground.

I'm not looking to get into a sportsmansguide bashing here, just thought someone might be interested. I haven't seen these before.

[Unstable Rider]

Here ya go brother:

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/used-belgian-military-foldable-cot-olive-drab.aspx?a=1145796

[Clo-z-nuff]

That's the one. Helmet not included...

[Wadester]

Sweet. It's like the Byer Trilite folding cot:


http://www.byerofmaine.com/products/...ilite-cot.html

Except that the side poles slip together rather than staying in the cover and folding.

I know the Byer is excellent to sleep on - and this belgian unit is 1/2 the price.

[HaChayalBoded]

Does that cot use a bunch of 2" long steel poles that stack on the ends of one another and then slip into the sides of the fabric?

If so I have the same cot, mine was made by texsport, same price. Packs small, but heavy and is a pain to assemble. I'd only use it if I was staying in the same spot for a few days.

A couple of straps to keep the pad in place and it's actually very comfy.

[Clo-z-nuff]

There's (3) sections of tube on each side. Sure looks eerily similar to the trilite cot posted above but, as mentioned, the sides tubes dissassemble rather than fold. It probably took me 3-4 minutes to assemble and that included figuring out how to put it together as there were no instructions.

[Wadester]

Originally Posted by HaChayalBoded

Does that cot use a bunch of 2" long steel poles that stack on the ends of one another and then slip into the sides of the fabric?

If so I have the same cot, mine was made by texsport, same price. Packs small, but heavy and is a pain to assemble. I'd only use it if I was staying in the same spot for a few days.

A couple of straps to keep the pad in place and it's actually very comfy.

The Ultralite cots use a system like that - the side rails are shock-corded pole sections (6 per side?) that you have to feed into the sleeve of the fabric. A bit of a pain because they try to come out every opening where a cross support comes in, but nice because you get a shorter minimum length when apart. I thought about modding a TriLite to fold shorter, but realized that 1/3 the length was the width - or the length of a cross support. The ultralite cross supports break into 2 sections, so instead of 26" they are about 13".

[sumwon]

I bought a couple of these from my local surplus store, works great. I have hip and back problems, so I put an REI 3.5" pad on top and sleep like a baby.

Originally Posted by Unstable Rider

Here ya go brother:

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/used-belgian-military-foldable-cot-olive-drab.aspx?a=1145796

[Stalky Tracker]

Originally Posted by Wadester

The Ultralite cots use a system like that - the side rails are shock-corded pole sections (6 per side?) that you have to feed into the sleeve of the fabric. A bit of a pain because they try to come out every opening where a cross support comes in, but nice because you get a shorter minimum length when apart. I thought about modding a TriLite to fold shorter, but realized that 1/3 the length was the width - or the length of a cross support. The ultralite cross supports break into 2 sections, so instead of 26" they are about 13".

Sounds like the LuxuryLite or something similar; http://www.luxurylite.com/

I used mine for about 3 months of actual usage and it works fine and packs small. Weights about 3 - 4 pounds, though.

[lhendrik]

This one is like the luxury lite but it's 2" wider at 26" and that can make a big difference in comfort if you are a Clydesdale.

http://www.rei.com/product/846491/th...ylite-mesh-cot

[JR356]

REI mesh cot linked above and Luxurylite mesh cot are the same.
Cascade Designs(Thermarest)bought Luxurylite and Luxurylite is now a dealer for their former product.This is explained on their home page.
Look at specs on both sites,they are the same.

JR356

[lhendrik]

Originally Posted by JR356

REI mesh cot linked above and Luxurylite mesh cot are the same.
Cascade Designs(Thermarest)bought Luxurylite and Luxurylite is now a dealer for their former product.This is explained on their home page.
Look at specs on both sites,they are the same.

JR356

Yes, I was trying to point out that the mesh version is 2" wider. More comfort. +$10. Only a few ounces more.

[Clo-z-nuff]

Unless you are backpacking and a gram counter, for 2-3 pounds and 2" I'd gladly save $200+ and get the military surplus one...just sayin'...

[Hucker]

Looks similar to this cot that I picked up for cheap on CL. Put a 2.5" pad on it and sleep like a baby. Easy setup/takedown.

[Wadester]

So - the only take-down cot that hasn't been mentioned yet is the Go Kot:
http://www.campingcot.com/?section=original


Very similar to the TriLite - except with 2 extra legs. They are lighter steel than the TriLite, but it is higher weight rated (350 lb vs 250 lb). They also have a "large" which is the same 26" width, but longer (7'1")
Also comes in colors: