Should I repair my camping cot? This question comes up all the time.
I wish I could sit here today and tell you that every one of the camping cots up on this website will last a lifetime. They won't. However they should last a very long time with proper care. Lots of the materials used such has high strength steel and aluminum, along with heavy duty canvass or nylon really won't "break", though you might find over time that your cot has less than steller performance over time.
There could be a wide variety of reasons for this to happen...
- Incorrect assembly
- Too much weight on the cot
- Not deploying the cot on a flat surface
- Rips in the fabric from not being careful
- Damage while in transit
Any one of these could lead to your cot being damaged to the point where you might have the thought of: Should I repair my camping cot? I'm not talking about having to use some duck tape here or there, or fashioning a clip to keep things together. Those things are a given!
But my answer is almost assuredly no, at least in 95% of the situations, that you should not try to have your camping cot repaired. It's just not worth it unless you have a very lightweight, high dollar, camping cot for backpacking, where just buying a replacement would be too much money. You can find very high quality camping cots these days, comfortable for car camping or perhaps a short backcountry camping session for not a lot of money. There is almost no way that reparing your cot would cost less than just buying a new one.
Here are my best camping cots for the money if you find yourself in this situation and need a replacement that won't break the bank.
Alps Mountaineering Lightweight cot
Coleman Trailhead II Cot
MARCHWAY Ultralight Folding Camping Cot