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Small Cabin Forum / Off Topic / Tent-Cot Camping
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 29 Dec 2020 20:22 - Edited by: gcrank1
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Ive done everything from rolling up on the ground wrapped in my jacket to crawling in/out of a low 'mountain tent' in the rain to traditional canvas tents, pop-up campers and a home made RV from an alum. bodied potato chip step van.
My fav camper has been our current Aliner, now 11yrs old, that the top and sides can be up and ready to step into in 30sec. It makes a mighty nice tiny cabin, if you will. Btw, it goes down only a little bit slower. And it backs up very sweet.
But, towing, finding a proper site, etc. is a bit much for a few of my solo adventures so a couple years ago I became aware of the 'tent-cot', a full size, hd, cot with an attached top 'tent'. I bought a Kamp-Rite Oversize model on Amazon. The thing folds up by thirds, is heavy so yer not gonna backpack this puppy, and it has been a treat.
With the center set of legs down and the two ends folded in it fits into the back of my suv between the wheel wells. This means I can slide stuff under as well as put on top; ie, all my gear and set up fit comfortably in the back of the suv with room to spare (and would in a mini-van too).
My camp has been as simple as a suitable site with the tent-cot set along the side or the rear of the car. This is fine if not rainy or sunny hot.
If a rain/sun fly is likely needed I strap a long Tamarac pole on the off side of the suv to tie a fly on, stretch it out to a couple of poles and I have a living space to the side with access to gear through the door. The tent-cot sets up parallel at the pole side of the fly with fly still over. I can set up my chair, table cook kit, etc. between and Im good.
The oversize tent-cot is not a 'double', it is more roomy side to side and long than the old army cots thus leaving room for 'stuff' inside with me. The way the door on each side, centered, are done you can just sit down, butt into the hatch and turn/swing yourself easily in. Getting out is the reverse with the advantage that once your feet are on the ground you basically just stand up/out of it.
This is far beyond a Spartan bivy camp (got one of those too), in fact, mighty civilized and sooo beats putting up a ground tent and filling it up with gear. And at my age sleeping on the ground, even with a good mat, is ok if sleeping. The getting down and up again is the big problem.....
If in a more public setting this camp creates conversations, most people dont know tent-cots exist it seems.
I can also take one of my smaller solar panels and my old jump-start pack (which also charges off the cig-lighter onboard) and be pretty well off-grid well equiped.
I still dont find much online about folks using these, even a couple years on for me. Thought maybe someone else here might have given one a go or may find it interesting.

ICC
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# Posted: 30 Dec 2020 00:13 - Edited by: ICC
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I have seen them at Cabela's, but never seen one in action. Happy to hear you like yours.

I got tired of tents and the like many years ago when it seemed that every time I'd go 4-wheeling and camping in CO, it would rain most of the time. So for many years I slept in the back of my pickup or in the Cherokee XJ I had for years. Then I bought a Bluebird RV being sold off as insurance salvage. Lots of work and twenty years later I still have it and still also sleep in the capped box in my Tacoma when I leave the BB at home.

Nobadays
Member
# Posted: 30 Dec 2020 08:54
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Like ICC I have seen them, they look functional especially if you rig a tarp over the area as you do...l otherwise right out into the elements.

We traveled A LOT and lived in our VW Westfalia... one time for nearly a year as we explored Mexico and Central America. Sold that in the early 2000' when we went overseas to work. When we came back in 2012 we bought a used Class B.... a Pleasure-Way RV, just love it! We do a lot of backpacking (or did before we bought a cabin!.... Will do more this coming year) so we tow our Geo Tracker to one end of a long trail section (we have section hiked the AZ trail and are halfway through the CO trail) then camp in the RV at the other end, get up in the morning and walk back to the Tracker.... sometimes it's a day sometimes it's 4 or 5.

On the trail we sleep in our 3 person Big Agnes Fly Creek tent. Big enough for comfort when waiting out weather but still only weighs in at 3.5 pounds... split that up between us and only carrying 1.5# for my wife and 2# for me. Love the tent, 3 season but we took it on the O-Circuit in Patagonia. Made it 5 of the 8 days before the notoriously strong winds down there flattened the tent at 3AM and busted a pole! Partly my fault as I pitched in an open meadow rather than backing up into the trees! Repaired the pole and away we go!

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