Good sleep is essential whether you’re in the comfort of your home or out camping in the wild. Sure, camping is one of the best ways to escape from civilization and enjoy the best things nature has to offer. But that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice the quality of your sleep.

Sleeping cots can guarantee a good night’s sleep away from home. They offer several advantages over other outdoor sleeping options such as air mattresses, hammocks, and sleeping bags. No wonder they’re so popular among dedicated campers, hunters, and nature enthusiasts.

What Are the Best Environments for Sleeping Cots?

Sleeping cots can be lifesaving in a variety of settings which means good value for money. Here are a couple of environments where you should consider these cots.

• Camping: Little can go wrong when you choose a sleeping cot for camping. Cots offer a great platform for sleeping better and cooler especially during warm weather. This can give you a great camping experience when other outdoor enthusiasts are struggling from night sweats and other forms of discomfort 

• Military Base Camps: Soldiers in military base camps rely on sleeping cots for rest after a hard day of training. The easy-to-setup and easy-to-fold properties of these cots make them the go-to sleeping platform on many military bases.

• Research Trips: Fancy a research trip to the middle of nowhere? Sleeping cots can offer you a reliable system for a deserved rest after a hard day of work. No wonder it is such a big hit with scientists.
• Spare Bed: Who says sleeping cots are for the outdoors only? Many people use their cots as a spare bed at home. The fact that they’re easy to fold up means easy storage for those who live in small apartments with tight space.

Sleeping on a Cot Instead of a Bed

Is it good to sleep on a cot full-time? The answer is yes. Ditching a traditional bed in favor of a sleeping cot can be a real alternative. This can seem more attractive for those with limited space at home but sleeping cots can also be a solid option if you’ve been bitten by the RV lifestyle.

However, make sure to choose a cot that is durable, spacious, and comfortable. Note that the majority of full-time cot sleepers prefer models that feature cushions for more comfort.

Sure, folding-cot-with-mattress style models might be a bit more expensive than regular camping cots. But the extra comfort more than makes up for the additional costs.

Benefits of Sleeping On A Cot

There are several reasons to choose sleeping cots over other bed platforms. If you spend a lot of time in the wild then you probably only discovered these cots after experiencing rough sleeping on other alternatives.

Shall we take a look at a few of the unique benefits of camping cots?

1. Easy to Get In and Out 

Sleeping cots are easy to get in and out of thanks to their elevated setup. This is unlike air mattresses and sleeping bags which are laid firmly on the ground.

Many health conditions can make it hard for you to get in and out of bed once in a while and that is perfectly normal. However, pregnant women and those with bad knees need some sort of elevation to lie down and get up from their beds.

Hence, sleeping cots can be beneficial if you find yourself in the wild with a heavy pregnancy or old knees. Also, these cots are perfect for People with Dystonia, which is a chronic inability to get out of bed.

I recommend that you check out the article we wrote on the benefits of sleeping on the floor during pregnancy.

2. Protection From Critters and Crawling Creatures

Sleeping on the ground in the thick forest can be dangerous for your health in a variety of ways. It can expose you to critters and crawling insect bites and resultant skin infections. It can also disturb your sleep and deny you the ability to recharge your batteries after a hard day of work.

More critically, lying down on the floor puts you at the mercy of poisonous snakes, scorpions, and other potentially dangerous animals. This is why the elevation sleeping cots provide is so important.

In some situations, it can even be the difference between life and death.

3. Under-bed Storage

Whether you’re sleeping in a camping tent or wooden cabin, storage space can be quite limited. Often, finding a spot to set up an air mattress or sleeping bag can be difficult.

The good news is that sleeping cots offer under bed storage for storing all sorts of personal effects ranging from camping gear to other items. This allows you to kill two birds with one stone in the form of a great sleeping platform that takes little space.

Also, it gives you the freedom to set up camp in the wild with as many belongings as you need. Thus, these cots eliminate the need for larger camping tents which save you money.

4. Keeps You Cool

Camping and other outdoor activities are more popular in the summer due to the favorable weather. Unfortunately, the heat can get excessive during the night leading to sweating and other forms of discomfort.

Sleeping on a cot gives you a great night even when temperatures skyrocket. Remember, high temperatures are synonymous with summer nights due to the grounds that stay warm after sunset. This is why many people complain of unbearable heat when they sleep on air mattresses and sleeping bags.

Sleeping cots give you an escape route from the heat. Since these cots are elevated from the ground, your body traps the air circulating to keep you cool.

5. Folds Up Quick

The need to inflate and deflate air mattresses and other inflatable sleeping platforms can be an inconvenience especially when you’re in a hurry. The good news is that you get to avoid all that with a sleeping cot.

Putting it into storage is as easy as folding it up. When the time comes for you to use it again, you simply unfold it which takes less than a minute.

In situations where space is extremely tight, you can always fold up your sleeping cot in the morning when you wake up and unfold at night just before bed.

6. Affordable

With the level of flexibility offered by camping cots, many first-time buyers begin their research with huge price tag expectations. However, even the best cots from the most reputable brands come with price tags no more than air mattresses.

This makes sleeping cots an attractive option for those with tight budgets. Whether you’re on the move or need an affordable sleeping platform, you should consider buying a cot.

7. Durability

One of the drawbacks of airbeds and sleeping mats is their limited structural integrity. They tend to deteriorate much quicker which means many heavy users have no option than to shop for a new model after every few months.

Sleeping cots are more durable due to their aluminum frames and quality sleeping platforms which give you the best bang for your buck. From military bases to science expeditions, sleeping cots can survive some of the harshest climates.

We found this great sleeping affordable sleeping cot made from top-quality galvanized steel for all-weather use on Amazon. Unlike other models, it supports up to 600 pounds of weight and easy to fold and unfold.

Drawbacks of Sleeping on a Cot

Like all things in life, sleeping cots have their drawbacks compared to other outdoor sleeping systems. Let’s dive into the potential disadvantages of choosing camping cots whether at home or in an outdoor environment.

Bulky to Carry

Sleeping cots can be quite bulky to carry, unlike sleeping mats and pads. This makes them impractical for backpacking. If you intend to go camping without a car, you may have to look for a simpler sleeping platform.

The bulky nature of sleeping cots makes them quite heavy to carry. This means you can only travel with them when going car camping. However, if you practice minimalist living, the cumbersome nature of cots may not be suitable for you.

Chilly During Cold Weather

One of the benefits of sleeping on a cot is protection from excess heat in hot weather. However, this same property can come back to bite you when temperatures nosedive. If you’ve ever spent time in the wild on a cold night, you’ll realize how chilly these cots can get.

The only option may be to snuggle up in a couple of thick blankets to stay warm.

Limited Room for Multiple People

Cots are usually built for single people. This makes it impractical to sleep more than one person at the same time.

Under some circumstances, you may be able to put in 2 or 3 kids at the same time but that’s about it. What if you want a sleeping cot for you and your significant other? You may have to look for a 2-person camping cot.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for memorable nights in the wild, sleeping cots can be the solution. Unlike the majority of sleeping platforms, these cots are elevated from the ground. The elevation can range anywhere from 4-22 inches, giving you the freedom to choose your preferred height.

These cots are the way to go if you want protection from snakes, scorpions, insects, and other creatures that crawl on the ground.

Now that you know the advantages of these cots, you should have a more memorable experience the next thing you go camping.