The camp cot thread; what's good, what's bad ...

[elefex]

Interesting on the camptime roll cot stretching
One question does it return or stay stretched ?

The disco end shelf unit seems cool also told the wife if I got one the IV stand they have for it would make a great lantern holder

For me the upside is I can fit 4 camp time cots in less space than the disco and less weight
The upside is we need less tent with disco but straighter walls are important as sloping walls tend to loose floor space quickly with the height ?

Elefex you ever try that couch layout they show ? Is it real or gimmick and to uncomfortable or hassle etc...

The cot fabric will stay stretched and will not revert to its original form since it is plastic. However, you might not experience this unless you have been using the cot daily for several weeks or month. I noticed it after about 2 months of daily use. Other than that, it is a very good design and is a tad more comfortable than the other fabric cots. It is also a good option if you are anticipating hot weather.

The Disc-O-Bed could also be used as two individual cots so keep that in mind. It is also not light--the steel frame is much more sturdy than any other cot I've seen. . .I think it was originally built for military applications. I don't see this cot ever failing.

The couch layout is actually pretty comfortable, there will be a steel bar on your small-of-back area that would be pretty uncomfortable. It is not a problem though, just use a pillow or a cushion behind you when you sit.

Overall, I think the Disc-O-Bed is very versatile and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. At $130 per cot basically, it is a very good price. I would be willing to pay much more for a well made piece of equipment like that.

 

[RHINO]

i have been very happy with many slumberjack and cabelas products, my cot is a slumberjack XL and is durable, easy to set up and comfy. i have spent many nights on it and i have nothing bad to say.

 

[womacje]

The cot fabric will stay stretched and will not revert to its original form since it is plastic. However, you might not experience this unless you have been using the cot daily for several weeks or month. I noticed it after about 2 months of daily use. Other than that, it is a very good design and is a tad more comfortable than the other fabric cots. It is also a good option if you are anticipating hot weather.

The Disc-O-Bed could also be used as two individual cots so keep that in mind. It is also not light--the steel frame is much more sturdy than any other cot I've seen. . .I think it was originally built for military applications. I don't see this cot ever failing.

The couch layout is actually pretty comfortable, there will be a steel bar on your small-of-back area that would be pretty uncomfortable. It is not a problem though, just use a pillow or a cushion behind you when you sit.

Overall, I think the Disc-O-Bed is very versatile and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. At $130 per cot basically, it is a very good price. I would be willing to pay much more for a well made piece of equipment like that.

I experienced the same stretching, but was able to tight the wing nuts to bring it back to a comfortable sleeping cot, did that not work for your situation?
Jeremy

 

[elefex]

I experienced the same stretching, but was able to tight the wing nuts to bring it back to a comfortable sleeping cot, did that not work for your situation?
Jeremy

Jeremy,

It will eventually stretch out far enough that it won't be able to be expanded back to its original shape anymore. It will result in the cot having an imprint of your rump

I've thought about replacing the plastic with a sewn body made with tough cordura. That is probably what I would have done if I did not return it.

 

[Honu]

good info since I am in the battle of the two brands and do have the camptime think I need to pick up a disco and get some sleep time on it
the other cots I tried the military ones are not as easy to setup and not as comfy

I think I have to get a disco and play with it to really know if its going to work we have also thought keep two camptime and get a disco use both for a while
both seem to have good pros and cons

thanks again elefex for feedback

 

[Karma]

HI All,
I'm confused by the OP's original post. He mentions Kamp-Rite as a source. Yet, Kamp-Rite only makes tent cots. That is, they are designed to have their tents mounted on top of the cot. But it's true that the tent can be left off the cot and it could be used as a traditional cot. But why? With the tent mounted it is certainly not a traditional cot.

So, what is the OP really looking for?

BTW, I just purchased a Kamp-Rite Collapsible Combo tent cot. I like it a lot. Great idea.

Sparky

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

Roseann and I have been using Roll a Cots for several years now. We haven't experienced the stretching - at least not enough that can't be compensated for with the wing nuts. Both of us find them comfortable (We're 110 and 150 pounds). However, I'm tired of having black hands from the raw aluminum every time I set them up. And the aesthetics leave me completely cold - hideous aluminum and hideous-er blue plastic. Plus they're a bit of a pain to set up. Finally, the plastic pins that locate the legs into the side bars are showing wear; if any one of them snaps the cot will be useless.

So, recently we bought a pair of Rio Adventure cots. Nicer, anodized aluminum and nicer poly-cotton fabric. Easier to erect than the Roll a Cots, and very comfortable - for the first week. Now the fabric has sagged noticeably, and there's no way on these cots to compensate. I'm trying to figure out a way to make the crosspieces adjustable to re-tension the structure. But in the meantime, I can't say I've found the perfect cot. What I'd give a for a full-height wood and canvas cot with adjustable tension that didn't weigh 40 pounds . . .

 

[jeffryscott]

HI All,
I'm confused by the OP's original post. He mentions Kamp-Rite as a source. Yet, Kamp-Rite only makes tent cots. That is, they are designed to have their tents mounted on top of the cot. But it's true that the tent can be left off the cot and it could be used as a traditional cot. But why? With the tent mounted it is certainly not a traditional cot.

So, what is the OP really looking for?

BTW, I just purchased a Kamp-Rite Collapsible Combo tent cot. I like it a lot. Great idea.

Sparky

The link in my post is to Kamp-Rites site, they make more than tent cots ... How do you like the collapsible tent cot?

 

[jeffryscott]

Lots of good info, thanks. Have to say the disco-bed looks great and versatile, don't know if it would be really long enough for me with the end bars if I were to use it (I hate footboards on beds as my feet hit them).

So nobody has experience with either of the double cots?

Thanks again ...

 

[Honu]

HI All,
I'm confused by the OP's original post. He mentions Kamp-Rite as a source. Yet, Kamp-Rite only makes tent cots. That is, they are designed to have their tents mounted on top of the cot. But it's true that the tent can be left off the cot and it could be used as a traditional cot. But why? With the tent mounted it is certainly not a traditional cot.

So, what is the OP really looking for?

BTW, I just purchased a Kamp-Rite Collapsible Combo tent cot. I like it a lot. Great idea.

Sparky

they make normal cots also like posted above

 

[AmericaOverland]

I wasn't enjoying sleeping on the ground anymore. I picked this cot up 2 years ago after a long search for something that packed small, reasonably priced, and lightweight. I found this from Alps Mountaineering and have been very pleased.

http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/furniture/cots/lightweight-cot

TB, how often do you go to the gym? How much can you bench press? If it is anything like the Byer Allagash model that is very similar to it, I don't recommend it because the Byer cot requires a very strong person to put the axle-leaf-spring-cum-legs into place on the bottom side. I have never been able to assemble one for a customer and always steer elders away from them, especially if they are setting up for 10-year-old grandkids. There'd be no one in the house capable of setting one up.

 

[TangoBlue]

TB, how often do you go to the gym? How much can you bench press? If it is anything like the Byer Allagash model that is very similar to it, I don't recommend it because the Byer cot requires a very strong person to put the axle-leaf-spring-cum-legs into place on the bottom side. I have never been able to assemble one for a customer and always steer elders away from them, especially if they are setting up for 10-year-old grandkids. There'd be no one in the house capable of setting one up.

[chuckle] Never. Did my wife put you up to that?

I don't remember. That stopped being a figure to cite when Disco died and I got married.

I'm retired, am considered disabled by the Veterans Administration, and have an AARP card. It takes me very little effort to put in the 4 spring bars and may differ from the Byer offering in its ease of assembly by your description. I would recommend it to a "fellow elder" who did not have restrictions of mobility or activities of daily living. With supervision, I'd bet a 10-year old could assemble it.

It was a real "comfort revolution" for me going from the deck/sleeping mat to a cot. The fact that it packs to such a compact dimension and is lightweight is icing on the cake.

I recommend taking one for a test drive before assuming it's a non-starter. You're welcome to take it for a spin in Flagstaff next May if you make it out to OX12.

 

[AmericaOverland]

[chuckle]It takes me very little effort to put in the 4 spring bars and may differ from the Byer offering in its ease of assembly by your description. I would recommend it to a "fellow elder" who did not have restrictions of mobility or activities of daily living. With supervision, I'd bet a 10-year old could assemble it.

I recommend taking one for a test drive before assuming it's a non-starter. You're welcome to take it for a spin in Flagstaff next May if you make it out to OX12.

I hope you're right vs. Byer, because I would like to get something like that, and hopefully, I'll be able to see one at OX next year!

 

[TangoBlue]

I hope you're right vs. Byer, because I would like to get something like that, and hopefully, I'll be able to see one at OX next year!

You hope I'm right?

Seriously, you hope that I am right?

I don't believe what I'm reading...

 

[jim65wagon]

You hope I'm right?

Seriously, you hope that I am right?

well, there's always hope.....