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  • #1

    Cot in tent?

    Hello Everyone!

    I was out and about today and stopped at a couple of garage sales along the way.

    I stumbled upon an almost new genuine US military surplus army cot in great shape for $30. I couldn't pass it up.

    Do any of you use cots in your tent? I have a Eureka Timberline 4 tent but don't think I want to be using a cot in the tent. I'm mostly thinking about the legs of the cot poking down in the floor of the tent.

    Any thoughts or comments will be greatly appreciated!

    Have a Great Day!
    Tags: None
  • #2
    You could set it up on strips of plywood to spread the weight.
    Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

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    • #3
      How about tennis balls on the bottom of the legs? I've seen people do this with chairs to keep them from scratching the floor.
      May you always have love to share,
      Health to spare      ,
      And friends that care.

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      • #4
        Santiep, I have one of those from Iraq, it's aluminum-framed and has a nylon cover, I got it off Ebay for $20 with local pickup. I like it for extra guests or lounging under my covered patio. That said, it's intended us by the military is in heated enclosures. The US military uses ThermaRest sleeping pads in tents and unheated enclosures. For tents, I'd never take cots, primarily because they represent at best a poor night's sleep and worst an invitation for a case of hypothermia (most hypothermia occurs at temperatures between 30 and 50-degrees F). Like hollow air mattresses, cots create a heat-sink effect because of the empty space underneath where there is uninsulated air. Due to the laws of thermodynamics, this air will cool or heat up until it becomes equilibrated with the surrounding air, water, or solid objects. That means you'll be burning calories to compensate for the continuing cold air under you. An open-cell self-inflating sleeping pad insulates you from the surrounding ground and air by insulating the air space underneath, almost stopping the heat exchange as equilibration proceeds.
        “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
        ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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        • #5
          Re: Cot in tent?

          I use pieces if carpet under the legs of my cot. I switched from a cot to a hammock for summer camping. Cooler weather camping should be done with a closed cell foam pad placed directly between you and the ground.

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          • #6
            Re: Cot in tent?

            There are a couple of issues that are greatly debated on this site. Cots in tents, air matress vs the whole hypothermia thing, and whether or not to drain the ice out of your cooler.
            Here is my take on your question. You need to cover up the feet on your cot. I have used tennis balls on mine. It worked out well, but it is something else to pack and take with you. I slept on my cot in the living room and just couldn't get warm. This was with the same blankets I used on my bed. I put a sleep pad underneath me and slept fine afterwards.

            Now some will say they "just have to laught when they see a cot with a sleeping pad on it". But it is your choice on what you personally want to do. I no longer use my cots and just place the sleeping mats on ground for a couple of reasons. 1) even though I have tennis balls, I don't want to risk tearing up the floor of my tent. 2) Cot's are just another thing to pack and take up space in the truck. I can get the same sleep by placing my Alps self inflating sleep pad on the ground. Plus I lash my two sleep pads together and use 2 sleeping bags zipped together for me and my young daughter.

            So the choice is yours. You will need something to put on the feet of your cot and you will need something between you and your cot to avid the "heat sink issue" tplife described.

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            • #7
              Re: Cot in tent?

              Adding insulation to the top of the cot won't stop it from being a heat sink, warmth will still transfer from your body out to the cold air, just slightly slower. The only way to prevent the heat sink is to place a barrier of cellular material from the bottom of the cot to the ground. It's not an issue of debate or opinion, these are LAWS of science that are unchanging and proven. Buy a sleeping pad and keep your cot at home or for the summer.
              “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
              ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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              • #8
                Re: Cot in tent?

                What is the difference between putting a sleep pad on a cot or placing a pad on the cold ground? I understand that the air will always be moving and never equalize to your body temperature. But on the same token, even if you have a top of the line sleep pad, the ground your sleep pad is on will never equalize to your body temp. If your sleep pad will insulate you from the cold ground, it will insulate from the air under a cot just the same.

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                • #9
                  Re: Cot in tent?

                  If you have a large enough tent, cots should be only used for keeping gear or clothing off the floor of the tent, not sleeping on.
                  Sleeping should be done on the floor of the tent, so you do not get sick, and stay alive so you can light another campfire .....

                  Ride the Rails,
                  Trainman
                  Ride the Rails,
                  Trainman

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                  • #10
                    Re: Cot in tent?

                    I am thinking the same way as Shawnbebout.If a sleep pad will protect you from the ground coldness then why wouldn't the same apply as to laying it on a cot or air mattress bed?I am new to cold camping and I do have 2 camp-out trips experience.On my last trip I did feel the cold from my air mattress bed(temps in the lower 30's)but that was with nothing under the mattress or on top of it.I wasn't freezing to death or anything but I could feel the coldness.I have yet to find any good information on people that cold camp with a air mattress so I am left with trying out different things to see what will or might work for me.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Cot in tent?

                      A pad on top of the cot doesn't remove the empty air space underneath (or the hollow tubes of an air mattress). The air will absorb heat in an effort to reach equilibrium, that heat will be coming from you right through the pad to the bottom of the cot - you only slow the effect slightly. You need a solid barrier between you and this transfer effect. Placing a pad underneather your bag insulates you from the air as its cellular interior prevents the constant heat transfer. Take some time to understand the laws of thermodynamics and heat transfer. There is a reason niether the Boy Scouts nor the military use air mattresses or cots in unheated enclosures. It is the risk of hypothermia, and most cases occur between 30 and 50-degrees F. Don't trust your safety to somebody's opinions, rely on hard science and have a better camping experience. I guarantee you warmer sleeping and colder beer!
                      “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
                      ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Cot in tent?

                        Too much trouble! Love my Big Agnes system and Spirit his blanket and coat!

                        Ara and Spirit

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                        • #13
                          Re: Cot in tent?

                          Originally posted by tplife View Post
                          A pad on top of the cot doesn't remove the empty air space underneath (or the hollow tubes of an air mattress). The air will absorb heat in an effort to reach equilibrium, that heat will be coming from you right through the pad to the bottom of the cot - you only slow the effect slightly. You need a solid barrier between you and this transfer effect. Placing a pad underneather your bag insulates you from the air as its cellular interior prevents the constant heat transfer. Take some time to understand the laws of thermodynamics and heat transfer. There is a reason niether the Boy Scouts nor the military use air mattresses or cots in unheated enclosures. It is the risk of hypothermia, and most cases occur between 30 and 50-degrees F. Don't trust your safety to somebody's opinions, rely on hard science and have a better camping experience. I guarantee you warmer sleeping and colder beer!
                          This time I used something under and over my air mattress and it worked for me,I didn't feel any cold at all from the air mattress and I stayed warm all night(temps in the low to mid 30's) .I don't know what exactly worked but this is what I did.I placed down a 1 inch exercise pad then a cheap Walmart solar blanket,I laid my air mattress on top then put another solar blanket and a fitted sheet on top of air mattress.I then put down an old comforter and fleece blanket followed by my normal sleep wear and other blankets.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Cot in tent?

                            Well, that's a bit much effort for me, but it does sound awfully cozy! I'm glad you found something that works for you.
                            Total nights sleeping outdoors in 2013: 28

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                            • #15
                              Re: Cot in tent?

                              I have experienced (personal REAL WORLD experience, NOT hoary dusty theory) no problems in camping in the low twenties, using a simple closed cell foam pad under the air mattress. A good sleeping bag keeps me plenty warm. NOT a problem. I don't like sleeping cold - so I don't do it.
                              Longtime Motorcycle Camper. Getting away from it all on two wheels! :cool:

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