So what the hell, you've already spent thousand of dollars (or not) on camping gear including a sleeping bag, air mattress, foam pad, air pad, etc. Why in the world would I spend an additional however-many dollars on some fabric and metal just to keep me off the ground? Great question, here's why.
- It's way more comfortable than just sleeping on the ground. The ground is not inherently comfortable. I've listed some of the supports above that do help, but the ground is generally hard, and may contain rocks or other impediments to getting comfortable and sleeping well. Plus, the ground is COLD, which may be a benefit for summer camping, but at all other times it sucks.
- You most likely sleep in a bed that is some distance off the ground. So why would you think that wouldn't be the case for camping?
- Snakes will have a harder time biting you since you'll be raised off the ground.
- Your dog will have a much harder time jumping or laying on you and waking you up from your restful sleep.
- If you have a bad back, or are prone to back fatigue (like me). Then there is no other way to fly and the camping cot will give you some support, without the aches and pains associated with sleeping on the ground.
- For those people not used to camping, having the cot and being elevated can be reassuring. Helpful for kids/significant others.
- If you're a side sleeper, then you basically need a camping cot or air mattress. I could say the same for pretty much anybody over the age of 35 as well.
Just so people think that I'm not being totally one sided here. There are a couple disadvantages, but they are situational in my mind and I have answers to my own questions. Ha!
- Camping cots are bulky, making them hard to backpack with. Generally I agree with this statement. However, there are a handful of backpacking camping cots that are lightweight (down to 3 lbs) and not bulky. Most camping cots are not great for a long hiking trip, agreed, but you can overcome this with a quality backpacking style cot.
- Camping cots require a lot of setup time. Partially true, but most set up in almost no time. I'm not sure in what situation camping where you wouldn't have a spare few minutes to set one up. Trust me, your tent will take much longer to set up than most camping cots.
- Camping cots are too large and fill up my tent. Okay, well sure, if you have a small tent and you put a normal sized camping cot in there...then yes...it'll fill it up. Just be reasonable and take measurements. Maybe buy a bigger tent? Or a smaller camping cot. Let's use our critical thinking.
Getting a good nights rest is really important in order to fully enjoy the great outdoors, and camping cots are one key way that you can make your camping experience better. Please see the full guide for (nearly) all the camping cot options on the market today.