O.K. - I may have posted this previously, but I've made some updates to it that are relevant and may prove helpful. Just a friendly warning that this is a long and detailed post. Why? Because this is a topic that hits close to home for me. I've been relentlessly and meticulously scrutinizing over cots and related gear over the past 10 years, trying to find the most useful set up for camping and touring on my motorcycles. I own a Helinox Cot One as well as 6 Camptime Roll-A-Cots. In this review I will summarize why I plan to sell my Helinox and continue to tout the Roll-A-Cots. Keep in mind that I have absolutely NO affiliation whatsoever with Camptime who makes the Roll-A-Cot, nor have I received any reimbursements or free gear from them in exchange for my honest opinions. As some have eluded to here - there are many things to consider when deciding which gear to purchase. Do you want the smallest, lightest gear? Are you willing to sacrifice some size for additional comfort? Are you willing to sacrifice price for size and weight and added convenience?
I started with a 2 person tent and simply found that there was very little room to walk around in after the cot had been positioned on the floor. Furthermore, if the cot is the kind that is low (e.g., 6" above the floor) to the ground, then you are limited in the items you can store underneath it, so you will have to keep them either in the vestibule, or position them away from the cot on the floor, which severely limits the space left over to walk around in. So 6" high cots have no use in my gear stable. My current favourite tent? My Nemo Moki 3P. Why? It has a 48" ceiling height (this is important when using a cot) so I can change my clothes on the side of the bed without my head fighting with the ceiling. Future purchases? I'm planning to purchase my 6th tent - a Nemo Wagontop 3P (3 Person) tent - this upcoming spring as I tend to prefer single-walled tents, and this one comes without any interior poles, and is designed similarly to my Wagontop 4P which I really like. The 3P has an even taller ceiling height of 60", and is much more affordable ($399) than my Moki ($800) too.
The Nemo Moki 3-person tent (seen in the photos below without vestibule attached) is my current "go-to" tent. It is pictured here with the Roll-A-Cot inside.
And now more specifically to my cot (O.K. - I know this is long - but if you are "cot curious" it's chock full of useful information).
As mentioned, I own a Helinox Cot One as well as 6 Camp-time Roll-A-Cots (four 32" wide versions and two 28" wide ones). I take a wide Roll-A-Cot with me on my motorcycle adventures by placing it across the back of the bike. I've also tried several army style cots which were very heavy and shed fasteners over time. So I abandoned that approach. My favourite so far? The Camp-time Roll-A-Cots. Without a doubt. Are they perfect? No. But they are simply the best overall cot that I've been able to find in terms of price, quality, durability, weight, height off the ground, and ease of assembly. Here are my findings:
1. I purchased my first Roll-A-Cot more than 8 years ago. It still looks and functions like new. And the other 5 have held up extremely well and still function like new too. They are VERY durable in my experience. And made in the U.S.A. Yes - this still means something.
2. I can set them up very quickly (faster than my Helinox Cot One) and easily - but I've had lots of practice over the years setting these up - so I'm quite sure that counts for a lot. Others have reported having a little more difficulty setting these up. Once I've adjusted the tension of the cot material with the wingnuts (these could be designed better) I leave them alone. This makes it quicker and easier to set up the cots each time. I timed myself setting one up in the living room recently and it took me 2 minutes, 4 seconds.
3. I like to sleep on my stomach and sides - and prefer the extra width to stretch out, and lift a knee, with the wider version. Not all cots come in wider versions. And this allows me to fit a wider 30" insulated air bed on the cot too.
4. As mentioned, I use a wide (30") version Nemo Cosmo Insulated (and now a 30" Exped Synmat 12) air bed on top of the Roll-A-Cot when motorcycle touring. I find the insulation of both air beds indispensible for the colder overnight camping I do in Canada. I've slept on the Roll-A-Cot without the air mattress and the quality of sleep was still "acceptable" - but the extra comfort of the mattress and insulating warmth is essential for the kind of camping I do.
5. The Roll-A-Cot is relatively light in weight (about 10lbs). Some will concede that this is too heavy, and I'd prefer a lighter weight set up as well. Still - my sense is that the weight really isn't too bad. It would be hard to convince me to backpack with it - but on the motorcycle I think it's acceptable - especially when you stop to consider that this is essentially a bed you are carrying with you.
6. The one trait of the Roll-A-Cot that I simply could not do without is its height off the tent floor. Sitting 15" off the floor is probably the most useful single feature of this cot. This makes it an ideal height to change clothes from in the morning inside the tent. You could even use it as a seating bench on your campsite during the day. And the height also allows me to save tons and tons of room inside the tent by storing virtually ALL of my accessory gear underneath it. This is exceptionally convenient and what I see as a HUGE advantage - that many cots lack (you could even opt for a smaller tent as a result). Others may not see the need. But I see this as the Roll-A-Cots biggest advantage.
7. Some people express concern that cots take up too much space, as most tents have sides that are slanted inward, preventing the cots from being positioned right next to a wall and saving floor space. Of course - this is a valid concern. However, with my Nemo Moki (3 person) and my soon to be purchased Wagontop 3P, both pack relatively small (I carry the tent poles separately in the Roll-A-Cot carry case!) and have essentially vertical walls. This leaves me with plenty of space after positioning the cot.
8. I also really like that these cots only have 4 legs. Two on each end. Why? This allows me to place the cot over a much wider variety of uneven terrain and still sleep level and above any obstructions. I see this as a huge advantage. And I only have to set up two sets of legs (less is MORE in this case) which is quicker. The cots that have multiple legs or legs in the middle can upset the flatness of the cot lay on uneven terrain. Unless where you place the cot is absolutely flat - the extra legs of more complex cots will just follow the flow of the relief, rather than lie ABOVE it.
9. I like that the sleeping surface is made of a sturdy, nylon mesh. If it gets wet (e.g., It's no issue carrying it attached to the back of my motorcycle in the rain for instance) water simply beads from it (and doesn't penetrate it like canvas or other fabrics) and I can quickly wipe it down - and it's dry and ready to be used.
10. The Roll-A-Cot is relatively affordable at about $120 on sale. Essentially - for the cost of a decent hotel in Canada - I can buy a sturdy cot that allows me to sleep great in a much more satisfying and rustic environment. I really don't miss staying in hotels - at least for the bed. Sure, at the end of a long day in the saddle - it's a pain to have to set up camp rather than just check into a hotel. But the comfort of a hotel bed can at times be a crap-shoot too. So I generally prefer the consistent, dependable comfort I get from the cot and airbed. I know I can rely on it for a good night's sleep each time.
11. I use the Roll-A-Cots when I host adventure riders at my house too. I've had three set up in my living room at one time to accommodate inmates. They don't take up much storage space either when disassembled, and the riders typically find them incredibly comfortable as portable beds. I even take them in my car when travelling because they are often more comfortable than the beds on offer at friends' places along the way.
Any drawbacks to the Roll-A-Cot?
Yes - a few. I wish it was portable enough that I could place one inside my Givi E55 Maxia hard case on my bike like the Helinox Cot One. It would just make packing it quicker and easier - as well as tidier. As it stands - I have to carry the Roll-A-Cot on the outside and secure it to the back of my motorcycle. Granted - I've never had an issue doing this. Still - I've contacted the owner of the company about the possibility of designing a more portable version. I also think the wing-nuts used for adjusting the tension on them could be re-designed - they're cumbersome to fiddle with and they leave your thumbs aching afterwards if you do. As mentioned, now that I have them at a comfortable setting - I don't touch them. Also - I wish the feet that attach to the legs were larger so there was less pressure placed on the floor of my tents. While I've never had the feet puncture the floor - it still leaves me uneasy. I've purchased some furniture coasters to support the feet for this reason. However, the legs sometimes slide off them. Also - the Velcro straps that hold the legs through the cot rails are a simple solution - and work well - but can get in the way when trying to assemble and disassemble the cot. In the end, these are just small irritations.
What about the Helinox Cot One? I think that the design is extremely clever. So straightforward to set up. So light in weight. And so portable. Such high quality too in materials. Very impressive from a design point of view. But it is expensive ($300 - when I bought mine). And I just don't find it as comfortable as the Roll-A-Cot. Why? For one thing - I just find 25" too narrow to sleep on. Helinox now makes a Cot Max (wider version) that I would've purchased if it had been available when I sprung for the Cot One. I've also found that the cot is too.....um....taut. It's very tight and firm when laying on it. Too firm. When I lie on my back for instance - there are parts of my body that hardly touch the cot. It's like lying on the floor. If being so taut was ideal and indispensible for comfort - hammock camping would be a complete and utter failure. I tried sleeping on it in the living room without an air mattress and there were just too many pressure points and aches and pains that kept me awake. The Roll-A-Cot on the other hand, "gives" more. Some see this as a potential flaw, but keep in mind that I've never noticed any of mine "sagging" or stretching. And it's this "give" that helps contribute to the comfort of the cot. Normally household beds "give" a bit too. A bit of "give is necessary for comfort. Besides - you also have 15" to play with - so even a little sag leaves you way above the ground and still far from your gear stored underneath. Out in the field, if my airbed springs a leak that I can't fix, I can still make do using the Roll-A-Cot by itself (though I still recommend an insulated airbed for absolute comfort). Sleeping on the Cot One without an airbed would be a torturous night for me indeed. With that said, I like that the Cot One's supports are likely to be much more "tent floor friendly". However, as mentioned, the three sets of supports are more likely to result in an uneven lay of the cot on rough ground. The most important drawback for me is that the cot is way too low to the ground. I can't store much underneath it. Likewise, it's considerably less convenient to change clothes from. That's why I'm am currently looking at selling the Helinox.
There lies my rationale, based on my years of experience fretting over my cot gear. Take from it what you will. Your needs and circumstances are likely to be much different than mine. Hope some find this lengthy evaluation helpful.
Mike
