Cots-are they worth the extra pack weight

[Snowey79]

Question for all- been debating on adding a lite weight cot to my sleep system. the Helinox is one I have been looking at. question is are they worth the extra pack weight? opinions on any other brands everyone has been using.

 

[NJDiverDan]

I love my helinox cot. As for worth the weight... that is a more personal question. I have the XL and I think it weighs just over 3 lbs. It's a pretty hefty weight penalty for ounce counters, but I am not one of those. The comfort difference is night and day for me. Biggest is that you do not need to try to find the perfectly flat spot for your sleeping pad. One spot I was camped in this year had a hump in the middle that would have been right in the middle of my back. The cot straddled it perfectly (with a stick under one foot) and made for a flat / level place to sleep.

I will sometimes skip using it if I think I will only be in the spot for 1 night, as it takes a few minutes to set up and take down in the morning, but if I am staying for more than a day I will bring it. I equate similarly to my stove. I don't go through the trouble of setting that up if I am going to be mobile and camping in a different spot each night.

Take all this as my opinion. I am a gear junky, but I find I can hunt harder each day if I get a better nights sleep and I sleep better on the cot than just my pad alone.

-dan

 

[Kay9Cop]

I've found on hunts in colder weather they keep you colder because they allow the cold air to circulate underneath you; whereas when sleeping on the ground your body heat will warm up the ground somewhat. The only time I would bring a cot was in warmer weather where I wanted air circulation below me or in a tent where there is a stove and I would want to get higher up in the temperature zone.

So, to answer your question: For me they aren't worth their weight the majority of the time.

 

[NJDiverDan]

I will add another plus on the cot, but agree with Kay9Cop, that you need a good pad under you due to the air circulation.

The plus is when you are setting up in the snow. That first night the ground is still pretty wet and it is nice to be up above that. I use a ground cloth under my cot which keeps it dry, and find that the space under the cot, on the ground cloth is perfect for storing my clothes, headlamp, etc during the night.

 

[huntsman22]

I'll take the helinox weight penalty for the comfort....

 

[AK Troutbum]

I also have the Helinox cot, weighs 44 oz., and I would say, yes it is worth the wt. in many, but not all, situations/hunts. I bought it a couple years ago after being on a mountain hunt and getting over 5” of rain over the course of 6 days. In one 24 hour period, over 3” fell and there was absolutely no place to get out of the water. Needless to say, I had water running through my shelter/tent and wished I would have had some sort of a cot to keep me up out of it. Since buying the cot I have used it on several mountain hunts but I tend to leave it at base camp if I think that the hunt is going to be particular grueling. I also concur with what has been said above regarding the use of a pad, pads are a must!

 

[nrh6.7]

Looks like your heeler is willing to fight over that cot!

 

[Snowey79]

I known what my dog's vote is for sure

 

[mrbillbrown]

Added a Luxurylite cot to my set up and have really liked it so far. From summer kayak fishing/camping trips to hunting trips it’s a nice bonus for me. I use my Xtherm on top of it and haven’t been cold yet. Would I pack it on a sheep hunt? Heck no. But about everywhere else I’d happily throw it in the pack.


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[bcash]

Not a hunter here but slept on plenty of terrain, both with a cot and without. Now have moved into backpacking with family and kids. Cots are awesome if you can accept some shortcomings. There are always trade offs. I like a large study cot when weight doesn't matter. I tried the lighter weight offerings and have found a common issue, if you slide up and down when sleeping, move a lot, or have a kid decide to run and jump on you, sometimes the vertical movement will pop out some of the legs. I found that irritating and have put our last 2 lower end cots for sale. I hate mine due to the leg issue, but my GF didn't have that problem. She did pity me and got a super nice helinox cot that has 8 inch or higher legs. It is not really heavy, it is just an awkward size with its length. We set it up and although amazing and sturdy, I have found that I just prefer to take a large wide exped mat and have called it a day. She also does the same. They can be bulky as well, but the weight savings balances out when compared to a cot and a smaller mat.