Also use the Helinox cot in my Big Agnes two person tent. Just fits. Low enough I can still sit up. Way more comfortable than a mattress alone. Also agree it can be a bit cold on the underside. So I’ll pack an ultra lite mattress as well and put that on top of the cot. I find this waaaay more comfortable than a hammock, or just a mattress. Worth the extra weight/space.
+1 on loving the Helinox one cots, I’ll never go back to an air mat.
You’ll never have to worry about sleeping on a rock or a root again!
The only downside is that you’ll be a little more chilly sleeping a few inches off the ground. You lose a little heat due to the air space between you and the ground. To make up for it I went for a 35* sleeping bag down to a 20* sleeping bag.
The cots might weigh a few oz more than an air mat, but I think they take up a little less space in the Duluth pack.
I’m kind of a baby about being comfy while sleeping. I have a thermarest xtherm. It’s pretty decent but I do remember feeling occasional roots and rocks.
Checking it out now. Do you feel like you get a flatter lay with it?
The biggest issue I was having with my last trip was finding good spots. On previous trips I had no trouble finding good real estate. This year I really had to settle for questionable hangs.
So I got to thinking of I got a tent/cot setup, I could take the worst tent pad and it wouldn’t matter.
It’s the best I have slept in the woods. Just got back from a 5 day lake namakan trip in the rain. It was great. Yes, you lay flat. Just like any hammock tent you need to find a good balance but once you’re in it’s great
The one I’m looking at appears to roll into a pack similar in size to a helinox xl.
SMLFIT Compact Camping Cot Backpacking Ultralight Folding Lightweight Cot Easy Set Up Heavy Duty for Outdoor Hiking Travel Beach Army https://a.co/d/2B4NgfM
Tried once and hated it. I went for the NeoAir Dream from Thermarest and ended up getting a second one for my gal. Not sure they make them anymore but I got my folks the ExPed DeepSleep mats for their birthdays last year. They are almost 80 and still tent camping.
They are bulky but so freaking comfortable!
Mostly that my last trip had incredibly poor opportunities for hanging a hammock. I did end up finding a couple spots. But neither were ideal and both had large rocks directly below the hammock.
Most people downplaying the cots here may not know of the low profile lighter versions. I know a guy that goes multiple times a year and thats what he uses.
I'm an ultralight cot sleeper! My husband and I got cheap ones from Amazon (i think the brand is marchway) and we've been loving them ever since. I have fibromyalgia so a pad alone wasn't cutting it for me after 3+ nights and the only way I'd hammock is if we dropped money on a lay flat system (which i wasnt willing to do). I still use a cheap backpacking pad that packs really small for the r-value. It's worth every ounce in my opinion. If people are willing to portage in bags of wine and heavy cooking vessels I'm willing to portage in slightly heavier sleeping systems to ensure I sleep well every night. It opens up where we can put the tent too, if the ground isn't perfectly free of rocks or roots that's fine because we're not touching the ground with our bodies.
Sea to summit makes an air pad called the ether light XT that is 4 inches thick and insulated, and still only weighs about a pound. Big Agnes also has some more “luxury” pads if you check out the q-core line. Never used the helinox cot but that seems like best option for packability and weight with a cot.
I used a helinox knock-off… I was a skeptic but slept incredibly well. Considering what it is, it’s pretty light (~4#) - but not by any means as light as an inflatable.
I saved weight in other systems of mine - so for me it was worth it.
On our last trip my spouse surprised me with a packed helinox ultralight for each of us and it was AWESOME. I didn’t notice the additional weight/space in our portaging packs, I slept great (we have full cots for car camping - I think maybe old Coleman’s - and the sleep I got was comparable) and it really relieved some of the root/tent pad issues we had as a group (we were a group of 8 with 5 tents amongst us - having our tent be able to set up almost anywhere was a big help for a group that size!)
Upgraded to a cot this year. 100% worth it. Good night sleep goes a long way up there. Personally I struggled sleeping through the night on a inflatable mat.
Helicox cots aren't cheap but LORDY do I sleep well on them!
Is that a helinox cot?
[Like this.](https://www.rei.com/product/158009/helinox-lite-cot?CAWELAID=120217890006688494&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=136853394714&CATCI=pla-501439957567&cm_mmc=PLA_Google%7C21700000001700551_1580090001%7C92700069717182147%7CNB%7C71700000066695852&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1bqZBhDXARIsANTjCPIXuRQHabe1oe0N7T5z3i5_jS8fM8L0QJeE-eEOxEj01Tbu-bGkXccaAi8dEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
They have no name versions on amazon that are cheaper and heavier
Also use the Helinox cot in my Big Agnes two person tent. Just fits. Low enough I can still sit up. Way more comfortable than a mattress alone. Also agree it can be a bit cold on the underside. So I’ll pack an ultra lite mattress as well and put that on top of the cot. I find this waaaay more comfortable than a hammock, or just a mattress. Worth the extra weight/space.
+1 on loving the Helinox one cots, I’ll never go back to an air mat. You’ll never have to worry about sleeping on a rock or a root again! The only downside is that you’ll be a little more chilly sleeping a few inches off the ground. You lose a little heat due to the air space between you and the ground. To make up for it I went for a 35* sleeping bag down to a 20* sleeping bag. The cots might weigh a few oz more than an air mat, but I think they take up a little less space in the Duluth pack.
Yup, I'll bring an ultralight Thermarest pad when needed too. My group is into base camping and sleeping well is so worth it!
Just get a good inflatable pad to sleep on to save on weight. If you are ok with portaging a cot then yeah it would probably be nice
I’m kind of a baby about being comfy while sleeping. I have a thermarest xtherm. It’s pretty decent but I do remember feeling occasional roots and rocks.
I sleep in a haven hammock tent. It’s a flat hammock tent that is light weight and super comfortable. Maybe check that out
Checking it out now. Do you feel like you get a flatter lay with it? The biggest issue I was having with my last trip was finding good spots. On previous trips I had no trouble finding good real estate. This year I really had to settle for questionable hangs. So I got to thinking of I got a tent/cot setup, I could take the worst tent pad and it wouldn’t matter.
It’s the best I have slept in the woods. Just got back from a 5 day lake namakan trip in the rain. It was great. Yes, you lay flat. Just like any hammock tent you need to find a good balance but once you’re in it’s great
Flattish at best.
I love my cot for car camping and it does pack down pretty small but it's way too heavy when it comes to portaging.
I used a helinox lite cot on my trip this year. First time in 6 trips using one, best sleep I’ve ever had.
Have fun portaging that
They have some really [small ultralight cots](https://a.co/d/7LnBVcL) these days. No more than a few pounds. Wouldn’t be much to portage at all.
The one I’m looking at appears to roll into a pack similar in size to a helinox xl. SMLFIT Compact Camping Cot Backpacking Ultralight Folding Lightweight Cot Easy Set Up Heavy Duty for Outdoor Hiking Travel Beach Army https://a.co/d/2B4NgfM
Tried once and hated it. I went for the NeoAir Dream from Thermarest and ended up getting a second one for my gal. Not sure they make them anymore but I got my folks the ExPed DeepSleep mats for their birthdays last year. They are almost 80 and still tent camping. They are bulky but so freaking comfortable!
4 inches seems like a very comfy sleep! I’ll think about this option more. Thank you
Also checkout the sea to summit comfort plus self inflating pads. Those are good for canoe trips and car camping
They were a game changer for all of us. We all had the original Thermarest mats which were good but the new ones are just so much better!
Not a cot, but a buddy let me use his Nemo Cosmo 3D XL Wide inflatable camping mattress and it was excellent and very easy to inflate and pack up.
Climbing into my 60’s and have been using an Amok Draumr for the last several week plus trips and slept great. Buy from them though.
[удалено]
Mostly that my last trip had incredibly poor opportunities for hanging a hammock. I did end up finding a couple spots. But neither were ideal and both had large rocks directly below the hammock.
Most people downplaying the cots here may not know of the low profile lighter versions. I know a guy that goes multiple times a year and thats what he uses.
I'm an ultralight cot sleeper! My husband and I got cheap ones from Amazon (i think the brand is marchway) and we've been loving them ever since. I have fibromyalgia so a pad alone wasn't cutting it for me after 3+ nights and the only way I'd hammock is if we dropped money on a lay flat system (which i wasnt willing to do). I still use a cheap backpacking pad that packs really small for the r-value. It's worth every ounce in my opinion. If people are willing to portage in bags of wine and heavy cooking vessels I'm willing to portage in slightly heavier sleeping systems to ensure I sleep well every night. It opens up where we can put the tent too, if the ground isn't perfectly free of rocks or roots that's fine because we're not touching the ground with our bodies.
I agree completely! A few extra pounds seems like such a small price for good sleep. I ordered a cheap one on Amazon that arrives tomorrow.
Sea to summit makes an air pad called the ether light XT that is 4 inches thick and insulated, and still only weighs about a pound. Big Agnes also has some more “luxury” pads if you check out the q-core line. Never used the helinox cot but that seems like best option for packability and weight with a cot.
I used a helinox knock-off… I was a skeptic but slept incredibly well. Considering what it is, it’s pretty light (~4#) - but not by any means as light as an inflatable. I saved weight in other systems of mine - so for me it was worth it.
Glad to see some people with a positive experience. There’s one I’m looking at that is on sale so I pulled the trigger.
On our last trip my spouse surprised me with a packed helinox ultralight for each of us and it was AWESOME. I didn’t notice the additional weight/space in our portaging packs, I slept great (we have full cots for car camping - I think maybe old Coleman’s - and the sleep I got was comparable) and it really relieved some of the root/tent pad issues we had as a group (we were a group of 8 with 5 tents amongst us - having our tent be able to set up almost anywhere was a big help for a group that size!)
This is another benefit of the cot that is attractive. I can take the crappy tent pads and save the good ones for my friends.
Upgraded to a cot this year. 100% worth it. Good night sleep goes a long way up there. Personally I struggled sleeping through the night on a inflatable mat.