Cot inside tent vs tent cot

[fishchase]

For summer camping I've been wondering which would be more comfortable and need opinions. A cot inside a separate tent or a tentcot with the tent built on top of the cot? Thanks for your input.

[Hirsch]

I know proponents for both. To me nothing beats a good air mattress. It is also the easiest to pack for kayaks and canoes.

[bowgarguide]

I like the cot best for a few reasons
I hate air mattresses ,nothing like bumping bottom at 2 oclock in the morning.
Air circulates under a cot where an air mattress insulates
I think the cots are cooler in the summer.
I like a regular tent with a cot because it gets you up window level for better air circulation.
I have a cot tent and tents.
Ron
Winter and cold weather is a different set up

[milret]

I have a Tent Cot and it is great as far as base camping at a park. On a River trip, forget it, too big.
For overnighters on the River it is an air mattress in a 2 person tent. On my last trip I brought along a cot and it is now in permanent storage in the attic. End of my 2 cents worth.

[rodloos]

I have a Tent Cot also and really like it for truck-camping, it won't fit in my 'yak . Note also that there is a Cot Tent, which it sounds like you described, where the tent is designed to be placed on top of the cot. The tent cot has it all built together -- very quick and easy to setup/take-down, if you have room to take it.

And of course Bowgarguide likes his cot inside his tent, 'cause he has to have room for his coffee pot next to the cot - he fires it up before he rolls out of bed in the morning.

Man I'm in the mood to go camping again, but sure don't like the heat and drought .

[Hirsch]

Ready for October!

[texan4ut]

I like a cot in my tent for the same reason already mentioned gets you up where the windows are so you get a breeze if there is one plus I can put my clothes bag and camp box under my cot giving me more tent floor space. it is easier to change clothes sitting on a cot too. Now for river camping from the yak I use a sleep pad

[Hirsch]

I will say of the two dozen canoe/kayak campers I know only two who have used cots a second time.

[fishchase]

I would use it mostly for camping in a park. Im wondering which would keep you cooler in this heat regardless of portability. I will start there and then think about a float/camping trip. What are some good camping floats to think about for the future?

[rodloos]

I would use it mostly for camping in a park. Im wondering which would keep you cooler in this heat regardless of portability. I will start there and then think about a float/camping trip. What are some good camping floats to think about for the future?

If you want to try to keep cool, you may think about getting a battery-operated fan. Several of us have bought something like the O2cool from walmart, it lasts quite awhile on a set of batteries and really makes a difference to keep the air moving a bit in the tent on a hot summer night.

[Hirsch]

x2

[bowgarguide]

Most of the folks that I camp with pretty regular use the cots
And it does give more room in a tent and I like to be comfortable .
There are a couple more reasons and uses for them, on my last trip we were fishing all night ,didnt even set a tent up ,just put up the cot and crashed ,I am up off the ground so a unwanted visitor isnt likely to come calling, we use it as a table and on a hot day set it under some trees sure is a good place to take a nap.
My boats are bigger than most so it isnt a problem hauling it.
Ron

[fishchase]

Bowgarguide, I have thought about using a cot and no tent at all. Maybe just a canopy would work unless mosquitos were bad. With no tent at all you would get the full benefit of the breeze. Im thinking mostly about camping in state parks such as Mustang Island or Colorado Bend. Sometimes I cant make trips to fish because I dont have the extra money for a hotel. I figure I can make more trips if I save money on a room by camping.

[Hirsch]

I agree cots work well in state parks and cars/trucks do the hauling. I sometimes haul mine out for deer camp because they work well there with foam pads. Very few kayaks have room for one. That is the realm of the canoe and hybrid. Even then few choose that option.

[bowgarguide]

Fishchase
I also have a tent that goes on top of the cot,you can see it in this thread about half way down the page.

http://www.texaskayakfisherman.com/foru ... ger+cooler" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is very small and does well in bad weather has a lot of ventilation also.
Ron

[fishchase]

Thanks for the link to the pics of your set up? Anybody else have pics of their set ups they can share too?

[bowgarguide]

Fishchase
Your question started me thinking about what I could camp with at a minimum and still cover my comforts .
Here is what I came up with for summer camping.
military style cot. gives me storage under the cot
gets me off the ground and gives me better air circulation

Next a mosquito bar net ,weighs just a few ounces ,
keeps unwanted critters out.
good air circulation.

a few tent peg , para cord and a ten by ten cheap plastic tarp
Use it for shade or drape over the cot and mosquito net in foul weather .
With those three things a man should be pretty comfortable in just about any summer weather.
Ron

[fishchase]

Those are some great suggestions. Where do you get the mosquito net?

[bowgarguide]

Army navy stores should have them ,cabellas bass pro
Type in mosquito bar and you will come up with a bunch of hits.
Ron

[texan4ut]

I would use it mostly for camping in a park. Im wondering which would keep you cooler in this heat regardless of portability. I will start there and then think about a float/camping trip. What are some good camping floats to think about for the future?

If you want to try to keep cool, you may think about getting a battery-operated fan. Several of us have bought something like the O2cool from walmart, it lasts quite awhile on a set of batteries and really makes a difference to keep the air moving a bit in the tent on a hot summer night.

I bought a O2cool fan from Walmart, then rigged a deer feeder battery to run it. There is a plug in on the side that says 12vdc which is for an ac adapter. I bought a plug to fit from Radio Shack wired it and put two clips that clip to the battery. The weight of the deer feeder battery keeps the fan from from flipping over. I don't have any other batteries in it. The deer feeder battery powers it for a long time.

[Cruisin_Cuda]

I would use it mostly for camping in a park. Im wondering which would keep you cooler in this heat regardless of portability. I will start there and then think about a float/camping trip. What are some good camping floats to think about for the future?

If you want to try to keep cool, you may think about getting a battery-operated fan. Several of us have bought something like the O2cool from walmart, it lasts quite awhile on a set of batteries and really makes a difference to keep the air moving a bit in the tent on a hot summer night.

I bought a O2cool fan from Walmart, then rigged a deer feeder battery to run it. There is a plug in on the side that says 12vdc which is for an ac adapter. I bought a plug to fit from Radio Shack wired it and put two clips that clip to the battery. The weight of the deer feeder battery keeps the fan from from flipping over. I don't have any other batteries in it. The deer feeder battery powers it for a long time.

very nice! I like that better than carrying around 8 d cells with 8 more as backup set! It shouldn't be hard to power two fans either by buying two plugs and splicing them together before you hit the battery. Yall know i like my fans

[milret]

Here we go again, another Fan Club.

[rodloos]

Here we go again, another Fan Club.

LOL, good one John! If I were to go camping this week, I'd need a portable a/c instead of a fan though. Maybe just an air mattress and sleep floating on the water would keep me cool .

[Troutless]

I use a tent cot because I don't fish freshwater over nighters. And my fishing is usually surf fishing and I move locations to locate fish and they take down real quick. And I don't usually stay but one night.
Now with that said, I would like to do a overnighter on the Brazos River in the Winter when the Big Cats are biting and don't have to worry about mosquitoes. and a tent cot would be out of the question for transporting reasons.

[jsuber]

I have both, and if its just me i bring the tent cot. If there is a crew then I bring both and I use my tent cot as a snoritorium to protect the innocent.