| Author |
Message Text |
|
Gadfly
|
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.
|
|
bobbernumber3
|
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.
|
|
Gadfly
|
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.
|
|
bumabu
|
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!
|
|
bumabu
|
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....
|
|
Soledad
|
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.
|
|
bobbernumber3
|
Soledad: "...cots are a pain to sit on during the day. ..."
that's what the camp chair is for!
|
|
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.
|
|
turkish621
|
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.
|
|
butthead
|
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
|