cots/ beds etc

[sammy-the-sam]

hi all,

As I am getting on a bit now, i`m nearly 22 you know...ahem.. I have found the ground is becoming A) too far down and B) too hard, so I have been looking at camping cots.
I did have in mind the Luxury LIte, has anybody tried these?

Could anybody suggest a similar product at a slightly less eye watering cost, i realise that the cheaper products will probably add weight, but there ya go.

thanks.

sam

[LondonBikeCommuter]

What's a cot???? Gotta link?

[lisap]

I travelled with somebody who had the luxurylite and he loved it. I had a go to see if it was really as comfortable as he said it was and was pleasantly surprised. I liked it so much I picked one up at REI but it didn't fit into the single tent I was using on that trip, it does however fit perfectly into my Approach which is a much better shape.

I have to agree they are expensive but the ground no longer agrees with my lower back and pelvis and if I am going to spend 6 weeks in a tent then I may as well be comfortable

[BeeKeeper]

http://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html

Can't see it working in a light weight tent without cutting holes in the groundsheet. You could have a closed cell mat underneath it but it all gets bulky.

I'm 62 and always suffer for the first night or two then after the spine has broken and reset things are fine. Wine aids the process as does an Exped down mattress - I think the warmth helps.

[ipswichcycler]

Get an exped synmat 7UL. Very comfy. Very small pack size and light weight.

[andrew_s]

I agree that an insulated air bed is the way to go - downmat, synmat, neoair or whatever. You're still on the ground, but comfort is very good.

The trouble with a camp bed is that you'll need a tougher groundsheet or additional grounsheet protector (possibly inside as well as outside), which is extra weight, you'll not be able to use the lighter one man tents once you account for losing 10-15cm of headroom, and you'll still need to carry a mat for the insulation. Putting the bed under the groudsheet will stop the legs wearing holes, but you may still have problems dragging the groundsheet across bed corners when you put weight on an off-bed section of groundsheet, and you may get problems with the legs sinking into softish ground.

[edit]
There was a Luxurylite on the Thermarest stand at the Backpackinglight.co.uk mini-show last weekend - it seems a lot to carry to get an extra 3 inches further from the ground than you would be on a Downmat or whatever.