Outside Edge Camp Cot -
26" X 75" X 16"
ReadinessHub.com Silver
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Review Scale:
Worst
Best
Terrible - Poor -
Mediocre - Average -
Good - Great -
Excellent - Outstanding
Whether you're going camping or just need an
extra bed for a guest, having a solid, warm and comfortable place to
sleep is paramount.
Cots are important for readiness in several
respects. First, they fold up into relatively compact
sizes. Second, if you are sleeping in a house without power (and
without heat), or in a tent during extreme cold, it keeps you off the
ground. A lot of body-heat is lost when sleeping on a cold
surface. ANY cot or hammock that gets you at least 1 foot off of
the ground is helpful in cold situations.
Coupled with a pillow and a sleeping bag, a
thick blanket or a bed-roll, a cot can be quite comfortable.
Indeed when the other options are only the floor or the earth.
Cost:
Great
I purchased this at a local Sporting Goods
chain for $49.99. Considering it comes with a carry-case and
shoulder-strap is a plus. It was marked down from $59.99, but
since this store literally opened a week before, I have a feeling it
was just a sort of price-slashing gimmick to sell it.
Either way, the cost is more than acceptable.
Construction:
Excellent
This cot would have received an Outstanding, were it not for a few
minor flaws.
First, while the stitching of the main
sleeping material was double-stitched and strong, there were more than
a few extra-long threads that could have been snagged and pulled
loose. Since the threads were nylon, this problem was easily
fixed by flipping the cot upside-down and melting the threads down with
a lighter.
Second, there was a minor tear in the "leg"
portion of the sleeping material. It was no bigger than a
pepper-corn, but anyone knows with tension, it would rip. Clear
Nail-Polish or equivalent glue would be sufficient in sealing the
tear. In my case, I used fletching glue for arrows. It
worked like a charm.
Other than those minor issues, the steel legs
were sturdy, and the aluminum frame held true when I slept in it.
The feet have rubber-pads and all of the metal hardware is coated in a
weatherproof white paint.
The joints and rivets are used with good
steel, as other cots I've seen used aluminum ones which are more prone
to popping out.
Overall, the flaws I encountered can be easily
corrected, and this is a good, sturdy lightweight cot (at just over
15lbs), for general use.
Features:
Great
The
features on this item are essentially the same as listed in
Construction. Aircraft Aluminum Frame, Steel Legs and Rivets,
Ballistic Nylon bed and carry case with shoulder-strap.
Function:
Great
The cot came in it's taken-down form.
The end-rods that make up the frame are kept with the rest of the cot
via velcro strabs.
When pulled from its carry-case, the whole cot
comes out in one piece. Then you unfascen the velcro retention
straps and remove the end-frame peices for when they are needed.
Then the "W" shaped frame is unfolded flat,
with the legs on either end swinging from top to around bottom.
Then the cot is spread open across the middle, reveiling the overall
general dimensions of it.
To finish off, one of the end-frame rods is
placed in the end of the bed and placed over two hard-plastic dowel
ends. The other end-frame rod is inserted on the other side of
the bed, and is pulled in the opposite direction. This stretches
the bed out, making it taught and firm. Then, using a bit of
tension with your own feet against the legs of the cot, it's a
push-pull technique to fit the other end-frame rod into it's place of
rest.
When all is said and done, it's a single,
sturdy place of rest.
Overall:
Great
There are a LOT of different cots that use this design (based on the
original U.S. military version). While this review is geared
towards the actual brand-name listed on the front (Outside Edge), if
you can find an equivalently designed cot, with similar features and
overall quality for a good price, buy it.
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