How to Pick a Camping Cot

Finding the best cot for your camping trip is more important than you might think. You really don't want to unroll your sleeping bag on the floor of your tent and lie down for the night -- unless you're a seasoned outdoorsman, you'll wake up stiff as a board. Read about some tips in selecting the best cot for your trip!

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Roughing it...in Comfort

1. The first step in selecting a camping cot is figuring out what kind of camping you will be doing. Are you going to be hiking for a week in the mountains? Then you might want to scrap the idea of a cot for a slender mattress that you can roll up. However, if a weekend or so in a tent is what you have planned, then a cot might be the idea for you.
2. Where are you camping? No matter where you put up your tent, you will be sleeping on the ground. The ground is not perfectly even, like a floor -- there is always something sticking up through the bottom, like an embedded rock, or a stick -- or maybe you're just on rough ground.
3. Easy to assemble...not so easy to carry. What about an air mattress? Air mattresses can be a good option -- if you bring an air pump, and have a nearby power supply. Otherwise, it's a big hassle on your lungs, especially when cots are so easy to assemble. This cot is the L.L. Bean Swedish folding cot -- pretty easy to assemble, not so easy to lug around when you have a long hike into your campsite.
4. Lower to the ground....but very easy to fold up and carry in a compact bag. This is the Go-Kot...designed to be folded up and carried in quite a small bag. So it just depends on your comfort needs. There are other excellent camping gear companies -- REI and Coleman are two of the biggest -- and their websites have many different camping cot choices. It would also be good for you to go to a sporting goods store, or outdoor specialty store if you have specialized needs for your cot. Happy camping!

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure your cot fits your camping style!
• Be sure to read weight limits for the cot that you buy. Depending on your frame, some cots may be a better fit for you.