Cots in Tents

[coloradowalt]

For those folks that use cots in your tents, what do you put under the legs to keep them from punching a hole (or stretching) in the floor?

Looking at cots it seems that most of them have post type legs. The Therm-a-Rest LuxuryLite Mesh Cots have "rounded" legs (and a 3 digit number on their sticker) that still look like they might stretch the floor under them.

I like the idea of having space under the cot to store items.

[NV Camper]

Re: Cots in Tents

I use cots and don't put anything underneath. My current tent is a Coleman 10 person tent bought at Costco about 4 years ago...no wear or tear on the floors at this time.

[MacGyver]

Re: Cots in Tents

what do you put under the legs to keep them from punching a hole (or stretching) in the floor?

I've seen little booties online that you can buy for cots but I think they look pretty thin and definitely cost more than 6-inch squares of carpet turned upside down. I guess if you, for some strange reason, move your cot a lot, the booties would make sense because they stay attached to the legs. Me? I set it up and it stays where it is. If I did happen to move it, I guess I would have to deal with the Herculean task of moving six 6-inch squares of carpet, too.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Cots in Tents

So far I've only used cots for extra guests in my sleeping tent. I do worry about my tent floor but that's been since day one as it's thinner than I think is necessary. So my solution is to cover the entire floor with a foldable plastic rug which has several advantages. The floor gets less dirty(I only sweep it at the start and end of a multi weeks' trip); gives adequate padding for the cot whether the silly leg cups fall off or not.OK this is not completely accurate.. I also use cots to lounge in front of the fire pit , playing board games and reading stories until the lil ones fall asleep. Sometimes, we cover them with blankets and leave em there until we retire, other times we carry the sleep drugged bodies and cots into the kitchen tent that often has no floor. Digressing in the name of fond memories and anticipation of more to come .

Errr but back to cot ends......hows about covering them with quilted or felted fabric and duct taping the ends?

[Mike]

Re: Cots in Tents

Old timers used empty soup cans. Some would put bug dope in the cans to keep bugs from crawling up the cot legs to the camper

That was more important back in the days of tents without floors

I remember Boy Scout camp back in the 1960s. We had war surplus from WWI and WWII including canvas tents with no floors and old cots with cotton tick mattresses. They were so musty and bug infested that campers were better off without them

[James.]

Re: Cots in Tents

I have never used a cot but why not just use the felt pads made for the bottom of chairs. They have felt on one side and sticky tape on the other. Can be gotten at Home Depot or Lowe's.

[05Kingquad700]

Re: Cots in Tents

Tennis balls with holes or slits cut in them for the feet.

[coloradowalt]

Re: Cots in Tents

I like both the tennis ball idea as well as a floor covering inside the tent. I can pick up one of those cheap indoor/outdoor rugs from HD or Lowes.

[genewiseman]

Re: Cots in Tents

We have a local floor covering store here where you can go and they will give you old carpet that they took out of homes. It don't take a real nice piece of carpet for camping. Heck, I used some of it in my truck.

[terasec]

Re: Cots in Tents

carpet scraps sounds like it could work,
little need to buy new,
if you look around eventually will come across someone redoing their floors with rolls of carpet scraps near the trash,
i have picked some up and cut it to size as a liner in my SUV,

[Diveralan]

Re: Cots in Tents

I use the carpet samples that you can get to compare the different colors of carpet. I went to Home Depot and got 6 of them, they are about 3 inch square. I think I paid 5 cents each. They work well and will fit inside the cot bag.

[jmc1172]

Re: Cots in Tents

I don't use anything. I have worried about this though but my tent has square legs so I figure it's only going to rip or tear if I drag it over the bottom of the tent so I just try not to drag it.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Cots in Tents

I don't use anything. I have worried about this though but my tent has square legs so I figure it's only going to rip or tear if I drag it over the bottom of the tent so I just try not to drag it.

Do you mean your cot has square legs?:D

[James.]

Re: Cots in Tents

I don't use anything. I have worried about this though but my tent has square legs so I figure it's only going to rip or tear if I drag it over the bottom of the tent so I just try not to drag it.

You sir, have the coolest tent ever.

[James.]

Re: Cots in Tents

Holy Carp, it exists!


I give you the Wombat Tentbed.

http://www.tentbed.de/e/home2.htm