Author Topic: Anyone tried a camp bed, e.g. the Thermarest Cot?  (Read 2675 times)

Nick H.

Anyone tried a camp bed, e.g. the Thermarest Cot?
« on: 22 May, 2018, 07:59:55 pm »
Hard core audaxers who sleep on the floor look away now! The Thermarest Cot seems like a lot of comfort for not too much weight and quite a lot of money. The Ultralite Long version is £165 and 66 x 196 cm. Weighs 1354 grams. Packs into a 43 x 13 cm cylinder, or 5.7 litres. https://amzn.to/2LmC72H

If you normally take a sleeping mat you can leave it at home, so the weight/packing penalty is reduced. E.g. the Thermarest NeoAir XLite Large (which I have) is 460 grams and packs into a 28 x 11 cm cylinder, or 2.7 litres.  (Then there's another savage financial penalty, paying over £100 for a mat which I have no use for. Ebay time.)

I'm tempted to buy the cot, try it at home and return it to Amazon if it's not comfy. 'Not fit for purpose'.

Re: Anyone tried a camp bed, e.g. the Thermarest Cot?
« Reply #1 on: 23 May, 2018, 12:48:01 am »
I've got one of the older versions, or at least a cheap rip-off version thereof.
Outside of the summer, you need some insulation beneath you.

I'd recommend an xlite or xtherm in preference.
There's not a lot in it in comfort terms, and the inflatable mats are warmer.

Nick H.

Re: Anyone tried a camp bed, e.g. the Thermarest Cot?
« Reply #2 on: 23 May, 2018, 12:59:19 am »
Is yours made by Luxurylite? They say there are inferior copies of it. http://www.luxurylite.com/

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Anyone tried a camp bed, e.g. the Thermarest Cot?
« Reply #3 on: 23 May, 2018, 11:29:17 am »
I don't have one but I remember sleeping on one as a child. Horrendously uncomfortable. Felt every one of the transverse bars. Sleeping directly on the floor on on bare ground is far, far better. But that was an ex-army thing probably brought back from WWII by my grandfather, I expect the modern ones in good condition are better. Nevertheless it seems like a lot of money for something that IMO is better done by a mat of some sort. 
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Anyone tried a camp bed, e.g. the Thermarest Cot?
« Reply #4 on: 23 May, 2018, 12:36:09 pm »
I remember sleeping on one as a child staying at Grandparents.  Exactly the same experience (and thoughts) as Cudzo.

Re: Anyone tried a camp bed, e.g. the Thermarest Cot?
« Reply #5 on: 23 May, 2018, 12:47:30 pm »
Is yours made by Luxurylite? They say there are inferior copies of it. http://www.luxurylite.com/
Like I said, it's a cheap copy.

It may not be as light or as strong, but there won't be any difference in terms of comfort. For camping use, you would need some insulation beneath you most of the time, wich is extra bulk to carry.

Nick H.

Re: Anyone tried a camp bed, e.g. the Thermarest Cot?
« Reply #6 on: 23 May, 2018, 07:01:48 pm »
I've read lots of reviews of the Thermarests. Quite a few people rave about them, saying that the comfort margin between cot and mat is as great as the margin between mat and ground. When there's a cold spot under the torso because body heat is lost, people put clothing under their sleeping bag, or some foam, or a 90 gram reflective polyester sheet sold by Thermarest. This is  billed as converting the cot from 1 season to 3.

Some reviews say the cot sinks in the middle too much and their body is resting on the ground. It seems to be a very YMMV product. I've had some decent nights' sleep on an army camp bed from the '50s with 3 transverse bars, so I have quite high expectations of the Thermarest, which has 6. And the Thermarest bars can be fitted in different configurations to alter the amount and the location of the support. I certainly wouldn't assume it's no more comfortable than the alternatives without trying it.