Cot beds and other basecamp options

[cams]

Does anyone have any experience using cots for sleeping?

I had one when I was a younger and although being an absolute PITA to put together I think it was quite comfy.

My Wife and I are looking to get new mattresses. Something for basecamping, so weight isn't a big issue, but still want to be able to take on a plane in check-in. We have a couple of the big "4wd" mats and don't find them all that comfortable either. They don't hold the air very well and the foam isn't dense enough to do much after a few hours either. Not that these are an option for flights anyway.

I very much like the look of the Helinox Cot One. Reviews are glowing compared to the Thermarest ones. http://www.helinox.com.au/helinox-cot-one.php

My main worry is what sort of temps you could take it down to? On one hand you aren't on the ground itself, but like a hammock there is no insulation underneath. I guess rolling out a piece of closed cell foam on top would be ok, but would probably push the size over what could be taken on a plane.

Thermarest make a solar insulating sheet to add to their cots that they reackon takes it into 3-season territory. Any thoughts on that?

The other options are the usuals like the Downmat or Synmat 9. Any others?

thanks

[Moondog55]

TBH I need something a lot higher off the ground these days and those are not friendly to anything other than car based camping.
You need a pad on top plus an underquilt if the temperatures are in the negatives but if there is clearance under the cot fabric then the trapped air becomes part of the dead air insulation, not so easy when ground clearance is only 150mm or so
I'm still using an old army cot but working on repairing the one that broke on Cecile at Mt Franklin,

[phan_TOM]

for that kind of weight / cost it might be worth considering something like the exped megamat or thermarest dreamtime. Pack size is getting up there, especially with the exped, but you can get coupling kits to join two mats together which is cool, and you are pretty much guaranteed warmth, comfort and durability (5 year warranty on the exped).

I agree the 4wd mats are pretty crap, I actually don't think I've ever met an inflatable car camping sized mat that was much chop though. We still use a 10cm foam mattress that folds up when we go car camping. No bouncing, no deflation etc the only drawback is pack size, around 200x70x10cm

[cams]

Thanks Guys

TBH I need something a lot higher off the ground these days and those are not friendly to anything other than car based camping.
You need a pad on top plus an underquilt if the temperatures are in the negatives but if there is clearance under the cot fabric then the trapped air becomes part of the dead air insulation, not so easy when ground clearance is only 150mm or so
I'm still using an old army cot but working on repairing the one that broke on Cecile at Mt Franklin,

Yeah. That's what I'm thinking too temperature wise. You can get a version of the Helinox with extra stands to get it further off the ground. More weight though. You're right, these are definitely car camping options. hmmm I'd love a cot for purely local car camping where I could add closed cell foam on top. But at their price we need to double up in functionality. One main use is a trip to Tassie next month. Just car camping, but needs to fit in luggage.

for that kind of weight / cost it might be worth considering something like the exped megamat or thermarest dreamtime. Pack size is getting up there, especially with the exped, but you can get coupling kits to join two mats together which is cool, and you are pretty much guaranteed warmth, comfort and durability (5 year warranty on the exped).

I agree the 4wd mats are pretty crap, I actually don't think I've ever met an inflatable car camping sized mat that was much chop though. We still use a 10cm foam mattress that folds up when we go car camping. No bouncing, no deflation etc the only drawback is pack size, around 200x700x10cm

haha. Yeah, seeing someone set up camp with a big normal mattress like that is what spurred us to try the 4wd mats after using big double height air beds for a few years. These were always leaking and cold. Yeah, I found the synmat 12 just before. Might be a good option. Similar thickness to the megamat, but compresses down a lot more. However two of these won't fit in our Scarp 2...

Actually, I'm not sure if the Helinox cot's will either.

[Moondog55]

Base camping really needs a bigger tent, cots need tents with steep walls; the higher off the ground the cot the taller the tent needs to be

[cams]

Yeah. We have a big *&%$#! turbo tent for local car camping. I'm just trying to double up usability as much as possible for flying interstate or overseas where we may still only be car camping, but with lightweight gear. Maybe something like a synmat 9 is the biggest I can go. Then save up to try a cot at a later date.

[Moondog55]

With the modern X-leg cots it isn't the weight so much as the packed bulk. As they get longer and wider for maximum comfort they also get higher off the ground which I consider the real bonus these days.
What tent would you use for LW car camping?
Cecile just authorised the purchase of a cheap Geo-dome and the difference in weight and bulk between the 4P and the 6P is a lot
The new tent is half the packed size and weight and still big enough for 2 XL cots. 2400* 2400 Vs 3000*3000