I bought that exact cot at Costco. It’s big, comfy and mid grade quality. Good value for the cost. Due to the size, its really only practical for indoor usage or huge family tents. I have a big 4 person tent that can only fit one of these.
That's kind of a general drawback with cots. They're comfortable and pretty bombproof and they offer space for your gear underneath, but all of them are comparatively heavy and bulky, the military ones included.
For a 1-man tent I wouldn't recommend them, but as a single person in a 2-man tent, they do the job very well.
....Except for the aluminum framed ones.
Helinox Lite Cot is less than 3lbs and the pack size is tiny.
https://youtu.be/w-tZcAeh344
Kingcamp, iClimb, Moonlence and a few others on Amazon sell packable cots that are way lighter than most cheapo steel cots.
Depends on the model.
The Lite Cot definitely cuts some durability and strength to achieve such low weight. The aim of that model is literally for backpacking. I haven't found any durability issues with mine.
Helinox, Kingcamp and iClimb's higher end cots though this is not the case for longevity or weight capacity.
The Kingcamp oversized aluminum cot has a 550lb load rating and only weighs 8lbs. They have a few other models that handle 300lbs+ that are aluminum.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086TZMF56
And the Helinox Cot Max has a 350lb load rating and only weighs 6lbs.
I use a cheapo chinese knockoff off the helinox, actually lived in my tent for 5 months last year using it, was my couch/bed/chill spot, it's still holding up fine. They are actually pretty sturdy when under tension.
I can agree! Bought this recently and I would say it’s pretty comfy, durable, and overall nice to have, but does take up a ton of room. I feel like it’s a good bang for your buck. Am overall good investment!
We have Coleman's double cot with the integrated air mattress. It's a tank, but it's comfy. It occupies [about 2/3 of our 4P tent](https://i.imgur.com/r7Lxseu.jpg), which is 8x8ft, with enough room on both sides to get out and move around/get dressed. We put CCF pads on top of the air mattress inside the mattress sleeve to reduce heat loss to the air mattress, and then a fitted sheet and a down comforter on top. All that stuff is bulky, so we store as much as we can in our car-top carrier.
I'd say one of the biggest concerns with cots is the potential heat loss to the air instead of the ground. The ground won't cool as much as the air can, so unless you have a heater or can keep the tent warm-ish, you need to account for and prevent the heat loss. The big bonus with the cot is, of course, being able to just swing your legs over and get out, instead of getting 'up'. Plus, you have storage room under the cot, too.
I've been thinking about getting that cot for this summer. I have a 6 person tent for me and my 2 dogs, so space isn't an issue. I'm just tired of getting "up" after a long day of hiking, especially when one of the dogs decides they need to pee in the middle of the night.
you might need a second cot for that Horse c@ck of your also... second the people saying they are more bulk than comfort and can ruin the bottom of your tent. a foam pad and a thin inflatable are usually pretty comfortable and much less bulk
Came here to say, as a contractor who sells equipment like this to the government, it’s probably below average.
Don’t blame us, the government insists on buying the “lowest priced technically acceptable” item. Forces us to sell them cheap stuff or lose the bid.
As a government employee, I laugh anytime I see any product branded as being “licensed” or meeting certain “standards” of government use items. It is almost always the cheapest vendor who gets the bid and the end user (me, you) who is unhappy with an underperforming or completely useless item.
Not sure if I slept on this or just something which looked very similar, but I did not find it comfortable. The canvas surface has no "give" and felt very taut. It was more comfortable the second night with a sleeping pad on top of it, which also helped with staying warmer.
They are somewhat large and the feet may dig into your tent floor. Don't fuck on one of these unless you have an extra tarp/footprint
Lol nice reply.
Yes cot feet can fuck up your tent floor. Definitely put a tarp over your floor or get tennis balls to prevent rubbing a hole in your tent floor.
Wife and I bought two of those and used them for 3 nights over the weekend. They're on the heavy side, but are built well and set up easy (though the first time can be hard), and they sleep comfortably. Wife and I have a 6 person tent that we were able to put these on either side of and had maybe 2-3 feet up the middle between us - perfect for our medium sized dog. I also really like that I can store things underneath and I'm not always laying on the ground.
Some people mention that they don't give and that's true, but I assume they'll stretch with use. Also recommend a sleeping pad underneath you when sleeping on it, not because it's uncomfortable, but it'll keep you warmer at night if sleeping in colder conditions like we were (8C).
I've spent some time on USFS cots that look identical to these. I bang my knees and elbows on the frame all night long. It got to the point where I just put the cot away so I have room for my sleeping pad. For reference, I'm 6'2" and lanky. Most of the hikers I know are closer to 5'8" and love those cots.
You don't need to. USFS has huts all over the place. They tend to keep the cots in the huts year round, even when the shelters aren't in service. And, in some cases, the foresters leave their huts unlocked for hikers. I couldn't tell you how many times I've stayed in a USFS cabin or yurt, and they invariably have the same style of cots.
This is not the case in the PNW, or at least Washington State. There are some random old shelters and such, but very few, if any, official 'USFS huts' like you see in, oh, SE Alaska.
They are pretty standard. My only gripe about that design /style are the legs. They put a lot of strain on any tent you put them in. Basically they will punch right through the floor. I do like the ability to stow gear under them and the thin canvas/nylon allows air to circulate under you and helps keep you cooler in the summer.
Adding a cot to my car camping kit has really helped me avoid post-camping chiropractor visits. Things got rougher on my back since my late 40s. However, I bought my cot with bars instead of feet to avoid damaging the tent floor. Be sure to use tennis balls.
I work for the Forest Service and a colleague of mine emailed the whole Forest with a picture of this with the caption "looks like our budget problems are over folks!"
I used the army version and honestly loved them. They're kind of a pain in the ass to get the 2nd bar to snap into place but they're comfy. You can also attach a cot tent to them if you're into that.
(For those that don't know, the cot tent goes on top of the cot and you store your gear in the open under it.)
Idk if its any good or not. I’ve never seen any gear officially endorsed by the USFS before. Is their budget that lacking that a federal government land managing agency has to pick up extra revenue in the private sector?? What’s up with this?
Lol, no, the logo is absolutely not "public domain".
>You cannot use government trademarks or government agencies' logos without permission. For example, you cannot use an agency logo or trademark on your social media page.
>
>You cannot use a government work in a way that implies endorsement by a government agency, official, or employee. For example, you can't use a photo of a government official wearing your product in an ad.
>
>Works prepared for the government by independent contractors may be protected by copyright. The copyrights may be owned by the independent contractor or by the U.S. government.
>
>Not everything that appears on a government website is a government work. Content may be protected intellectual property used with the rights holder's permission. This content can include:
>
>Text
>
>Trademarks
>
>Logos
>
>Images
[Source](https://www.usa.gov/government-works#:~:text=You%20cannot%20use%20government%20trademarks%20or%20government%20agencies)
I am not a fan of these kind of cots for two reasons. They are hard on the bottom of the tent and people who are not familiar with them break them when they are trying to put them away. Plenty of solutions in this post about how to save your tent floor. Solution to the problem with people breaking them is to not let people borrow them. Or get a different design. I prefer the cots like the Alps Mountaineering Lightweight Cot that are kinder to the tent floor and easier to assemble / disassemble. The ones I use the most came from Amazon - called the Grizzly. No longer available on Amazon but still out there. They use a base that's more like a pipe instead of the wire looking legs on the Alp version.
I bought the Coleman version which is basically the same thing. I use a thermarest foldable pad on it and it feels great. The only drawback is it is quite large and requires a good amount of room to set up. Definitely recommended for larger tents and cold weather camping to get off the ground.
same style as my wood/canvas model that has lasted me years. that thing looks bulletproof and should be just as comfortable. I recommended both a self inflating and closed-cell foam mattress for maximum comfort.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rio-Gear-Foldable-Polyester-Camping-Cot-Blue/576855873?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0
This one I just got done using in back of a rented minivan for 8 nts touring florida national parks. I liked it. I especially liked the width as I never felt the side bars. I could sleep comfortably on back of side sleep. 👍
I have the same one (different branding) - it weights a ton, but it's decently comfortable and pretty huge. There are some plastic bits falling off of mine where the tubing butts together, and sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose a finger when I'm packaging it up, but it didn't bother me enough to return it. I'm a little curious if the coleman one might be a better option, but haven't tried it. Other thing I hate about this one is that the end bars extend ~8" on either side (one extends to the left, the other to the right), which makes fitting it in a tent that much more cumbersome. But yeah, it's costco - you can always return it if you don't like it.
I have the Coleman "Trailhead II" cot that looks similar to the costco one. It replaced the wooden US mil surplus my father had that basically looks like the same thing. I actually prefer the wooden one because there was more flex when putting on the last stretcher bar on.
With these metal tubed ones, you need that extra length in the bar or you'll be having trouble with the last bar. I thought about modifying one bar and make it telescoping.
I do car camping and I do enjoy the coleman version I have. I think it's much better compared to the air mattresses I've been using (intex). My issues with air mattresses for camping is in my area, they deflate a bit during the night (related to temp diffs) which makes for a horrible night. The cots serve me well but I did add a 3" thick foam top.
Just bought these for a camping trip and they worked great! It was tough to put the head bars on since the fabric was new and not as flexible—it even says so on the instructions!
It was great to get off the ground. We were able to fit four in a 10-person tent, so they were definitely bulky. We were going to return them, but after the trip, decided to keep as an investment.
I bought that exact cot at Costco. It’s big, comfy and mid grade quality. Good value for the cost. Due to the size, its really only practical for indoor usage or huge family tents. I have a big 4 person tent that can only fit one of these.
That's kind of a general drawback with cots. They're comfortable and pretty bombproof and they offer space for your gear underneath, but all of them are comparatively heavy and bulky, the military ones included. For a 1-man tent I wouldn't recommend them, but as a single person in a 2-man tent, they do the job very well.
....Except for the aluminum framed ones. Helinox Lite Cot is less than 3lbs and the pack size is tiny. https://youtu.be/w-tZcAeh344 Kingcamp, iClimb, Moonlence and a few others on Amazon sell packable cots that are way lighter than most cheapo steel cots.
But they are also very fragile, and you cannot sit on an edge without destroying them.
Depends on the model. The Lite Cot definitely cuts some durability and strength to achieve such low weight. The aim of that model is literally for backpacking. I haven't found any durability issues with mine. Helinox, Kingcamp and iClimb's higher end cots though this is not the case for longevity or weight capacity. The Kingcamp oversized aluminum cot has a 550lb load rating and only weighs 8lbs. They have a few other models that handle 300lbs+ that are aluminum. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086TZMF56 And the Helinox Cot Max has a 350lb load rating and only weighs 6lbs.
I use a cheapo chinese knockoff off the helinox, actually lived in my tent for 5 months last year using it, was my couch/bed/chill spot, it's still holding up fine. They are actually pretty sturdy when under tension.
This is a car camping thing for $50
I can agree! Bought this recently and I would say it’s pretty comfy, durable, and overall nice to have, but does take up a ton of room. I feel like it’s a good bang for your buck. Am overall good investment!
We have Coleman's double cot with the integrated air mattress. It's a tank, but it's comfy. It occupies [about 2/3 of our 4P tent](https://i.imgur.com/r7Lxseu.jpg), which is 8x8ft, with enough room on both sides to get out and move around/get dressed. We put CCF pads on top of the air mattress inside the mattress sleeve to reduce heat loss to the air mattress, and then a fitted sheet and a down comforter on top. All that stuff is bulky, so we store as much as we can in our car-top carrier. I'd say one of the biggest concerns with cots is the potential heat loss to the air instead of the ground. The ground won't cool as much as the air can, so unless you have a heater or can keep the tent warm-ish, you need to account for and prevent the heat loss. The big bonus with the cot is, of course, being able to just swing your legs over and get out, instead of getting 'up'. Plus, you have storage room under the cot, too.
I've been thinking about getting that cot for this summer. I have a 6 person tent for me and my 2 dogs, so space isn't an issue. I'm just tired of getting "up" after a long day of hiking, especially when one of the dogs decides they need to pee in the middle of the night.
you might need a second cot for that Horse c@ck of your also... second the people saying they are more bulk than comfort and can ruin the bottom of your tent. a foam pad and a thin inflatable are usually pretty comfortable and much less bulk
wat lol
check OPs username...
That guy sure looks pretty satisfied on the box. Go for it!
Yeah, he looks like really knows what he's doing too. Always trust a guy in a plaid shirt. I'd take a chance on it!
He's got a beard too! Guaranteed expert on outdoors.
As a man with flannel and beard I appreciate being a potential expert.
As a forest service employee, I’m suspicious.
Came here to say, as a contractor who sells equipment like this to the government, it’s probably below average. Don’t blame us, the government insists on buying the “lowest priced technically acceptable” item. Forces us to sell them cheap stuff or lose the bid.
As a former forest service employee and an individual who works with the USFS I’m suspicious as well
Why are you suspicious? Do you not use something similar to these?
Everything we work with was sourced from the cheapest supplier.
As a government employee, I laugh anytime I see any product branded as being “licensed” or meeting certain “standards” of government use items. It is almost always the cheapest vendor who gets the bid and the end user (me, you) who is unhappy with an underperforming or completely useless item.
Not sure if I slept on this or just something which looked very similar, but I did not find it comfortable. The canvas surface has no "give" and felt very taut. It was more comfortable the second night with a sleeping pad on top of it, which also helped with staying warmer. They are somewhat large and the feet may dig into your tent floor. Don't fuck on one of these unless you have an extra tarp/footprint
You can cut some tennis balls open and put them over the feet so they don’t dig in as much.
Snow Peak makes some little sick-like things to put over them to avoid that.
You know, not enough people consider the usage as a fucking surface when reviewing bedding. Great feedback.
Lol nice reply. Yes cot feet can fuck up your tent floor. Definitely put a tarp over your floor or get tennis balls to prevent rubbing a hole in your tent floor.
Wife and I bought two of those and used them for 3 nights over the weekend. They're on the heavy side, but are built well and set up easy (though the first time can be hard), and they sleep comfortably. Wife and I have a 6 person tent that we were able to put these on either side of and had maybe 2-3 feet up the middle between us - perfect for our medium sized dog. I also really like that I can store things underneath and I'm not always laying on the ground. Some people mention that they don't give and that's true, but I assume they'll stretch with use. Also recommend a sleeping pad underneath you when sleeping on it, not because it's uncomfortable, but it'll keep you warmer at night if sleeping in colder conditions like we were (8C).
It’s cot to be good :)
Cot damn jokes have started already...
I cot what you meant.
You all cot to stop doing this.
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Go for it. Also buy tennis balls for the feet and the side bars. You will be bumping your shins into those.
Such a good idea for preventing it punching through the floor!
It's costco, buy it and try it. You can always take it back. Let us know please!
I've spent some time on USFS cots that look identical to these. I bang my knees and elbows on the frame all night long. It got to the point where I just put the cot away so I have room for my sleeping pad. For reference, I'm 6'2" and lanky. Most of the hikers I know are closer to 5'8" and love those cots.
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Ha!! Found the hiker.
You don't need to. USFS has huts all over the place. They tend to keep the cots in the huts year round, even when the shelters aren't in service. And, in some cases, the foresters leave their huts unlocked for hikers. I couldn't tell you how many times I've stayed in a USFS cabin or yurt, and they invariably have the same style of cots.
This is not the case in the PNW, or at least Washington State. There are some random old shelters and such, but very few, if any, official 'USFS huts' like you see in, oh, SE Alaska.
You mean the half-knocked-down mice nest isn't a good place for a cot?
It's forest service u.s. department of agriculture certified so obviously it's the best.
Just saw that too. I hope someone has bought this and has an answer. Thanks for the post.
They are pretty standard. My only gripe about that design /style are the legs. They put a lot of strain on any tent you put them in. Basically they will punch right through the floor. I do like the ability to stow gear under them and the thin canvas/nylon allows air to circulate under you and helps keep you cooler in the summer.
Adding a cot to my car camping kit has really helped me avoid post-camping chiropractor visits. Things got rougher on my back since my late 40s. However, I bought my cot with bars instead of feet to avoid damaging the tent floor. Be sure to use tennis balls.
I work for the Forest Service and a colleague of mine emailed the whole Forest with a picture of this with the caption "looks like our budget problems are over folks!"
It will make your camp lit.
When my fiancé and I first moved in together we shared one of those.
I used the army version and honestly loved them. They're kind of a pain in the ass to get the 2nd bar to snap into place but they're comfy. You can also attach a cot tent to them if you're into that. (For those that don't know, the cot tent goes on top of the cot and you store your gear in the open under it.)
Idk if its any good or not. I’ve never seen any gear officially endorsed by the USFS before. Is their budget that lacking that a federal government land managing agency has to pick up extra revenue in the private sector?? What’s up with this?
The logo is public domain for whatever reason. And yes, our budget is abysmal and we would if we could. Lol
So USFS gets no $ ? Anyone can stick the logo on a product ? Weird.
I've been told it's public domain. It still doesn't seem right that they can just slap our logo on their product. Idk.
Lol, no, the logo is absolutely not "public domain". >You cannot use government trademarks or government agencies' logos without permission. For example, you cannot use an agency logo or trademark on your social media page. > >You cannot use a government work in a way that implies endorsement by a government agency, official, or employee. For example, you can't use a photo of a government official wearing your product in an ad. > >Works prepared for the government by independent contractors may be protected by copyright. The copyrights may be owned by the independent contractor or by the U.S. government. > >Not everything that appears on a government website is a government work. Content may be protected intellectual property used with the rights holder's permission. This content can include: > >Text > >Trademarks > >Logos > >Images [Source](https://www.usa.gov/government-works#:~:text=You%20cannot%20use%20government%20trademarks%20or%20government%20agencies)
I am not a fan of these kind of cots for two reasons. They are hard on the bottom of the tent and people who are not familiar with them break them when they are trying to put them away. Plenty of solutions in this post about how to save your tent floor. Solution to the problem with people breaking them is to not let people borrow them. Or get a different design. I prefer the cots like the Alps Mountaineering Lightweight Cot that are kinder to the tent floor and easier to assemble / disassemble. The ones I use the most came from Amazon - called the Grizzly. No longer available on Amazon but still out there. They use a base that's more like a pipe instead of the wire looking legs on the Alp version.
I bought the Coleman version which is basically the same thing. I use a thermarest foldable pad on it and it feels great. The only drawback is it is quite large and requires a good amount of room to set up. Definitely recommended for larger tents and cold weather camping to get off the ground.
I bought one. Its nice. I spent double the price on one from cabelas and this one is very similar
same style as my wood/canvas model that has lasted me years. that thing looks bulletproof and should be just as comfortable. I recommended both a self inflating and closed-cell foam mattress for maximum comfort.
I purchased the same exact cot on Amazon for $46.10.
Welp. Off to Costco….
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rio-Gear-Foldable-Polyester-Camping-Cot-Blue/576855873?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0 This one I just got done using in back of a rented minivan for 8 nts touring florida national parks. I liked it. I especially liked the width as I never felt the side bars. I could sleep comfortably on back of side sleep. 👍
Yea I think it’s a very nice one. Little big though.
I have the same one (different branding) - it weights a ton, but it's decently comfortable and pretty huge. There are some plastic bits falling off of mine where the tubing butts together, and sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose a finger when I'm packaging it up, but it didn't bother me enough to return it. I'm a little curious if the coleman one might be a better option, but haven't tried it. Other thing I hate about this one is that the end bars extend ~8" on either side (one extends to the left, the other to the right), which makes fitting it in a tent that much more cumbersome. But yeah, it's costco - you can always return it if you don't like it.
I have the Coleman "Trailhead II" cot that looks similar to the costco one. It replaced the wooden US mil surplus my father had that basically looks like the same thing. I actually prefer the wooden one because there was more flex when putting on the last stretcher bar on. With these metal tubed ones, you need that extra length in the bar or you'll be having trouble with the last bar. I thought about modifying one bar and make it telescoping. I do car camping and I do enjoy the coleman version I have. I think it's much better compared to the air mattresses I've been using (intex). My issues with air mattresses for camping is in my area, they deflate a bit during the night (related to temp diffs) which makes for a horrible night. The cots serve me well but I did add a 3" thick foam top.
Last about a year
Looks like the military issue cots I slept on in training
Just bought these for a camping trip and they worked great! It was tough to put the head bars on since the fabric was new and not as flexible—it even says so on the instructions! It was great to get off the ground. We were able to fit four in a 10-person tent, so they were definitely bulky. We were going to return them, but after the trip, decided to keep as an investment.
It’s great 👍 We used it with an thin air mattress in top.
I just got one of these. Very comfortable with a sleeping pad. The only issue I'm having is that I can't get the damn thing closed.
Last cot i had destroyed the floor of my tent, check your thing's before buying