PlacidWaters
Adventurer
PROBLEM: Maybe you need a small, lightweight tent for SOLO motorcycle camping, paddle camping etc. but you don't want to sleep on the ground due to joint problems, age, or comfort. Cots come in either 6"-8" or 15" high. The low cots don't solve your problem---you have to roll onto the ground to get up. But most 2Ps and 3Ps are too low for a 15" cot. You need enough space above you to not feel claustrophobic.
CHALLENGE: Raise the height of a 2P tent to accommodate a 15" cot. A 2P may be better than a 3P. Although a 3P is a couple of inches taller to start with, the ends are slanted in more toward the center than a 2P, which reduces head room at the end of the cot.
SOLUTION: Lengthen the tent poles using steel-core tomato stakes and hose clamps. A hardwood 3/8" dowel might also work.
COST: About $10
I used a Kelty Trail Ridge 2 because it's one of the tallest 2Ps on the market, at 45."
INSTRUCTIONS.
(1) Get 1 tomato stake 5' long x about 3/8" diameter. They have a green plastic coating.
(2) Also get 8 #8 worm-drive hose clamps (or whatever size fits your tent poles + tomato stake)
(3) Cut 4 pieces of tomato stake 13" long (or whatever length seems suitable)
(5) Attach the stakes to the ends of the tent poles with the clamps, leaving 6" of stake projecting below the tent pole. Use two clamps per pole. If you only use one clamp, the stake won't stay lined up with the pole.
(6) Tighten the top clamp but leave the bottom clamp a bit loose so you have room to fit the grommet of the corner strap on the end of the pole.
RESULTS: The tent is now 50" high, leaving 35" above the cot. The extra 5" makes a difference. 50" is high enough for some people to sit on the cot and get dressed. You can now enter and exit the tent standing up; no need to crawl in! You do lose some floor space as the floor is pulled up, but you won't notice this lying on the cot, plus you now have storage space under the cot. With the Kelty Trail Ridge 2, there is 50" of space between the doors when you spread your arms out. That's plenty for one person.
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF:
(1) You may have to put the cot in the tent before you erect it because it's a tight fit getting it through the door once it's assembled.
(2) Since the poles are now 6" longer, they might not fit in your stuff sack. I wouldn't want to put on and remove 8 clamps every time; they should probably stay on the poles.
(3) Don't forgot to carry a Swiss Army Knife with a short flat-head screwdriver blade.
IMPROVEMENT NEEDED: Does anyone know of a plastic clamp with a thumbscrew?
This solution will work with either the Helinox Cot One Convertible + leg set (6 lbs) or the Camptime Roll-a-Cot (10 lbs), which are the lightest available. Both are 15" high. To date there are no 15" Chinese knockoffs of the tall Helinox cot.
CHALLENGE: Raise the height of a 2P tent to accommodate a 15" cot. A 2P may be better than a 3P. Although a 3P is a couple of inches taller to start with, the ends are slanted in more toward the center than a 2P, which reduces head room at the end of the cot.
SOLUTION: Lengthen the tent poles using steel-core tomato stakes and hose clamps. A hardwood 3/8" dowel might also work.
COST: About $10
I used a Kelty Trail Ridge 2 because it's one of the tallest 2Ps on the market, at 45."
INSTRUCTIONS.
(1) Get 1 tomato stake 5' long x about 3/8" diameter. They have a green plastic coating.
(2) Also get 8 #8 worm-drive hose clamps (or whatever size fits your tent poles + tomato stake)
(3) Cut 4 pieces of tomato stake 13" long (or whatever length seems suitable)
(5) Attach the stakes to the ends of the tent poles with the clamps, leaving 6" of stake projecting below the tent pole. Use two clamps per pole. If you only use one clamp, the stake won't stay lined up with the pole.
(6) Tighten the top clamp but leave the bottom clamp a bit loose so you have room to fit the grommet of the corner strap on the end of the pole.
RESULTS: The tent is now 50" high, leaving 35" above the cot. The extra 5" makes a difference. 50" is high enough for some people to sit on the cot and get dressed. You can now enter and exit the tent standing up; no need to crawl in! You do lose some floor space as the floor is pulled up, but you won't notice this lying on the cot, plus you now have storage space under the cot. With the Kelty Trail Ridge 2, there is 50" of space between the doors when you spread your arms out. That's plenty for one person.
THINGS TO BE AWARE OF:
(1) You may have to put the cot in the tent before you erect it because it's a tight fit getting it through the door once it's assembled.
(2) Since the poles are now 6" longer, they might not fit in your stuff sack. I wouldn't want to put on and remove 8 clamps every time; they should probably stay on the poles.
(3) Don't forgot to carry a Swiss Army Knife with a short flat-head screwdriver blade.
IMPROVEMENT NEEDED: Does anyone know of a plastic clamp with a thumbscrew?
This solution will work with either the Helinox Cot One Convertible + leg set (6 lbs) or the Camptime Roll-a-Cot (10 lbs), which are the lightest available. Both are 15" high. To date there are no 15" Chinese knockoffs of the tall Helinox cot.
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