Cots, worth carrying or not

[Rwolf]

I’m looking at a desert walker cot. Are they worth the expense and weight to take on a moose hunt? I have a pad I will also use.

 

[jmez]

You just have to try one. I packed one once and won't do it again. I didn't feel it offered anything beyond a pad. Both of my hunting partners wouldn't go in without them.

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[menhaden_man]

If you’re a slide sleeper or back/stomach sleeper it changes the equation. I’m a slide sleeper... haven’t packed one in but would think about it!

 

[PNWGATOR]

Hiking it in...virtually zero chance. Having it at base camp via vehicle, backcountry via stock, river via boat or anyplace i didn’t have to lug the thing, even a helinox, yep, I’d take it. I’d also take a pad for the top of it. I’d also make sure the pad going on top is modified to not be a slip and slide off of the cot.

 

[tdhanses]

Very worth it but not cheap to get one that is light enough to pack in, mine is right around 3lbs.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Absolutely worth taking IMO. If you're going to use it for a moose hunt, I'm assuming you won't be packing it much more than a few yards, so wt. shouldn't be too much of a concern. I've used a cot for pretty much all my drop camps, and float or jetboat hunts, and consider them to be very much worth the extra wt. I've also used an UL Helinox cot (44 oz.), on a couple mountain hunts, and I can't remember ever regretting it.

 

[Rwolf]

I bought the desert walker. Seems easy to put together and stable. I’ll give it a try and give a review in a couple of weeks.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Gimme a long/wide 3.5" thick EXPED matt over a backpacking cot anytime.

 

[Bubblehide]

I have used very similar cots and packed them in. But I have packed in and set-up my camp prior to season opening. That has been well worth it, as I leave the camp set up for the whole season generally, packing out the animal (deboned). I go back for camp a few days later, generally. So it may not be worth it to many people.

If I had to pack everything in one trip, I would not be packing the cot, which I also do., depending on the hunt, time constraints... It is simply extra weight in an already heavy pack, depending on the hunt. So in short, consider your pack weight and if the extra weight is worth it. The area I pack in the cot, is local to me, so I have the time to pack in and set-up camp prior to opening. The benefit of having the cot is getting you up off the ground and not need such an insulating pad. My local hunt area can have temps that range from fairly warm nights to below freezing at times. Frankly I sleep much better on a cot that on a pad on the ground. But I do not feel a cot is always necessary, and sometimes just not worth the cost to benefit ratio for some pack-ins.

 

[andrew123]

Never used one, but a buddy will not travel anywhere without his; and he packs much lighter than me. It might be worth trying out to see.

 

[Poser]

I get a basecamp cot: it’s soft and you’re 2 feet off the ground so getting up and laying down is less effort. What I don’t understand are these “ultralight” cots that people pack in. If you spend $250, you get something that close to 3 lbs and you still need a insulated or foam mat if it’s cold. What does being 5 inches of the ground gain you that a 3 inch pad doesn’t?

It’s as if you are taking the negatives of being in a hammock (cold air flowing under you) and combining that with the negatives being on the ground (effort to get up) with the benefits of neither since your are only a mere 5 inches off the ground at a weight penalty of almost 10 oz per inch.

 

[slatty]

The desert walker cot is incredibly comfortable and well made. I worry about the plastic feet but it's held up well so far (and that's including many nights as an extra bed for visiting family and kids at home). For car camp I love it for the hot tent. I would never pack a cot in it's not worth it for me.

 

[UpSideDown]

I run a cot when I’m setting up camp from a vehicle and it’s not too cold. I use my sleeping pad on top of it. It’s a lot more comfortable than just a pad on the ground. The weight, size really make it unjustifiable on a hike. If it’s below freezing I won’t run one because of the heat you lose.

 

[Rwolf]

I tried the cot. I thought I liked it for a few nights but then I gave it to my buddy. I toss and turn a lot and I felt it kind of constricted me from turning over. My buddy is a side sleeper and he really liked it. I thought the cot itself was really nice and sturdy. I would really like to find something more comfortable because I did not sleep well with the pad or the pad and cot. My shoulders and arms kept falling asleep and hurting.

 

[dsotm223]

Not that I have a ton of experience but seems like it'd be a pain to pack way back, even light weight ones cant compact down that much can they?


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[UpSideDown]

Not that I have a ton of experience but seems like it'd be a pain to pack way back, even light weight ones cant compact down that much can they?


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Yeah, cots tend to be big and heavy relative to what they are. There's OK options but it comes entirely down to how much to want to sleep on a cot versus sleep on the ground. We have a large Nemo Wagontop tent for chill trips, and a North Face 2-person tent for anything cold, difficult or backpacking. We use the cots in the big tent when we're camped at the truck and want some amenities. I do sleep better in the cot than on my thermarest inflatable memory foam pad, but I'm either way on if it's worth the extra weight and cost and space. What I really like is the standing room inside the big tent.