BWCA To cot or not? Boundary Waters Winter Camping and Activities
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Winter Camping and Activities
      To cot or not?     

Author

Text

03/03/2019 04:20PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Any not-so-obvious pros/cons to using a cot in my hot tent I might be over looking? Mainly I am worried about getting wet sleeping on the floor, and it seems like the cot would keep me a bit warmer and give me another 12 square feet of storage space....

 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next
turkish621
  
03/03/2019 08:56PM  
just got back from 3 nights in a hot tent, regret leaving the cots at home. It was a constant battle dealing with moisture on the floor and keeping things dry.
Gadfly
distinguished member (462)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/04/2019 08:14AM  
We used a couple cots on one of our first trips. Too much weight, too bulky and not as comfortable as a pad. If you do decide you use a cot you may want to use a pad with it as your bodyweight will compress your bag reducing its ability to insulate. We use a tarp in our sleeping area never had issues with moisture.
03/04/2019 10:07AM  
Thanks guys! I was planning to use a pad on the cot, as I have frozen on a cot with no pad previously. For now, we will likely be hot tenting at a drive in site, so the weight and bulk shouldn't be a problem just yet. Later on when we graduate to a full blown hike in site, that may be more of a factor.

I appreciate the feedback!
Minnesotian
distinguished member(2309)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/04/2019 02:43PM  

I find cots to be colder. All that cold air under you, even in a hot tent, that you have no way of heating.

I throw down a tarp, then some closed cell foam, inflatable pad, and then the sleeping bag. There is also a strict rule of no walking on the tarp with snowboots. Thus we all pack moccasins or slippers. That keeps the tarp area fairly dry.
03/04/2019 03:26PM  
Yup cots are actually colder. Air convection heat loss, so if you use one you still need insulation like a closed cell pad underneath you.

butthead
Gadfly
distinguished member (462)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/05/2019 08:15AM  
Minnesotian: "
I find cots to be colder. All that cold air under you, even in a hot tent, that you have no way of heating.


I throw down a tarp, then some closed cell foam, inflatable pad, and then the sleeping bag. There is also a strict rule of no walking on the tarp with snowboots. Thus we all pack moccasins or slippers. That keeps the tarp area fairly dry. "


We follow this same rule. During the day we lean our pads up in the back of the tent, hang our bags and kind of fold back our tarp a little to give us a little more room. This helps things dry from any moisture that may have accumulated during the night.
03/05/2019 08:21AM  
A cot is standard practice for my winter camping. Of course you need an insulated mattress or pad with a cot, just as you would on the ground. I like being able to store gear under the cot out of the way.
03/05/2019 03:39PM  
In my experience, cots are a pain to sit on during the day. They take up a lot of space, although you can store lots of gear under them. They are heavy to haul in on a toboggan, and take up a lot of space there too.

In my tent, I use a synthetic roofing underlayment which is very light, anti-slip, and waterproof. Thin cheap wool blankets on top, then my Exped which allows me to use my sleeping bag as a quilt in temps down to -35.

I found an Exped chair kit on Sierra Trading post for $35. Very comfortable to sit on and to sleep on.
03/05/2019 07:25PM  
Soledad: "...cots are a pain to sit on during the day. ..."


that's what the camp chair is for!
 
Reply    Reply with Quote    Print Top Bottom Previous Next