Does anyone have any experience with this cot? I have the Helinox chair and really love it. I've never used a cot before but my aching bones are telling me that perhaps it's time to give it some thought...
Helinox Cot One

Dang, I'm already triple portaging. My brother has one of these and really likes it.

$300 ... Pass

quote Doughboy12: "$300 ... Pass"

I agree - it's probably very heavy as well. My vote is for the Exped mats - extremely comfortable, packs down small and I get the best sleep ever.

Ya I have an Exped DM and LOVE it...I think part of me looks for any excuse to buy new gear :)

quote alpine525: "

quote Doughboy12: "$300 ... Pass"

I agree - it's probably very heavy as well. My vote is for the Exped mats - extremely comfortable, packs down small and I get the best sleep ever."

Packed weight: 4.4lb/2000g
Cot and frame only: 4.2lb/1910g

About the same as a "standard" 2 man tent.

The other thing to consider is that if it's cold you'll also need to carry some kind of pad or insulation to keep your underside warm.

I bungy cord my pad near feet area to keep it from slipping.

Cots work best with the insulated air mattress on top so it is 4.4 pounds additional weight and bulk. But cots are great for sleeping. Seems like every spring I get a 24-36 hour period of miserable cold rain. Being stuck in a CCS lean with a chair and cot during those times is relatively luxurious. Being off the ground in heavy rain is nice too.

I'd like to try the Cot One specifically for kayak camping. The reviews are very good. I did try the TravelChair SleepRite cot and didn't like it. Difficult to take apart, didn't feel secure lying on it, threads started to pull out from seams immediately, very noisy every time you move. The Cot One looks a lot better and it has better reviews than the Thermarest Luxury Lite. But man, the price . . . Maybe it will go down next year.

The SleepRite used with an Exped Synmat 7 mattress did add significantly to the comfort. I think the feeling of being suspended on a cot is very comfortable, better than a mattress alone. Probably a cot is only necessary for older people with joint problems?

Once 60 is well in the rear view mirror better furniture is a great idea no matter what the cost. I just finished a week long trip on a river in Oregon where we slept on coarse gravel a lot of the time. The cot would have been perfect. I didn't sleep that well and got really tired.

When car camping I sleep on a cot with a Downmat 9 or a Synmat 9 as well. More comfortable than my own bed at home.

Cot One.. Its really really low. About six inches off the floor. I find no substantial additional git out of bed ease with it. Its got a price tag that will buy you a computer.

Last Sunday we were supposed to paddle but after the deluge opened at the campsite we ran for the cover of LLBean in Freeport ME ten minutes away.. We had a good time perusing and rolling around in just about anything that was a floor model including the Cot One.

Meanwhile my two Helinox Chairs were conspiring to make me notice there was a Helinox Table One. ( I had a couple of gift cards gnawing at my wallet and they KNEW that). Its quite spacious for eating..matches the Helinox chair height well.. and no you can't cook on it unless you are supremely confident and cover the table with foil ( the fabric is very taut)

I am confident that my wallet is safe from Cot One.. the Exped Synmat I have is fine for now..

But due to the conspiracy between the table and two chairs I now have less of a wallet and a newly furnished dining room.

Funny yc, thanks for the perspective.

I've never gone "cot" yet, but could see giving it a try for car camping - before I'd ever use an air bed.

Still - with 6 contacts with floor, does it risk damaging tent floor at all? Any experience with that?

Slept on one of these (mesh version, not plastic) over the last 4 nights...$5 is a hell of a lot less than $300...and 4 times higher off the ground...lol

Don't think it would work very well in my hammock.

quote BWPaddler: "

Still - with 6 contacts with floor, does it risk damaging tent floor at all? Any experience with that?"

I'd worry about that too.. But Bean's doesn't allow overnight test sleeping in their tents as afar as I know.