A sleeping cot may be an appealing option for your upcoming camping trip. A cot does have some appeal to the tent camper. A cot gets you off the ground and if your a person who likes to sleep above the ground than a cot can be a good choice. If you are camping on crown land finding even ground can be a challenge. You may find a spot that is relatively level but it may be difficult to find a spot that is even. There may be dips and rocks and roots and holes. Even if you put down boughs under your tent, these boughs will slowly compress and you can still end up getting an uncomfortable sleep. A cot on the other hand raises you above uneven ground and can be leveled easily by putting wood or other objects under the legs, or in the case of snow, making some legs lower in the snow than others.
If you are bringing a cot camping, you will most certainly be adding weight to your gear. If you are doing backpacking or other types of camping that require a light load, it makes sense not to bring a cot. If you are going canoe camping, or winter camping using sleds, than bringing a cot may be worth it for you. If you are cold camping though, it is important to consider the effect that temperature will have on you while sleeping on a cot.
Is it warmer to sleep on the ground or on a cot? Air temperature changes more wildly than ground temperature. In winter camping the air temperature at night is often much colder than the ground. If the ground is covered in a layer of snow than it most certainly is warmer to sleep on than being suspended in negative air temperatures on a cot. This situation may change if the air temperature is well above zero. You will be warmer sleeping on a cot than on snow. During summer the ground temperature is often cooler than the air temperature so sleeping on a cot will be warmer. Whether you are sleeping on a cot or sleeping on the ground it is very important to sleep on top of a good thermal air mattress. A thermal air mattress creates loft where warm air from your body can be trapped below you.
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How To Stay Warm On A Cot
Air temperatures in winter camping will often fall well below zero. If you are suspended in the air on a cot than all of this cold air is below you. A down sleeping bag is effective in keeping you warm due to its excellent lofting properties. As long as your down bag can stay “fluffy” than it will have excellent insulating properties. Where your body compresses the sleeping bag than its capacity to insulate you from the cold air underneath is greatly reduced. You will get very cold on a cot unless you are able to add additional loft underneath you while you sleep.
An effective way to add loft below you is with the use of a thermal air mattress. A thermal air mattress is a mattress that is not only filled with air but also has insulative foam inside of it. The amount of foam inside the mattress determines its insulative properties. You want to choose a thicker air mattress for cold weather camping. Some campers will double their air mattress below them. This adds an additional buffer to the cold air below the cot.
In order to make your sleeping experience on a cot even warmer, you can lay down a wool blanket, use a sleeping bag insert (a bag that is thin and made to to be used as an insert) or use another sleeping bag as an insert. Laying down a sleeping bag made with man made fibers may insulate better than down since man made fibers may compress less under your weight.
If you can heat the air in some way so that it becomes warmer than that will help you become warmer while sleeping on a cot. You may be able to use a wood stove such as in a hot tent, a buddy heater, or a candle. These methods can be dangerous since some involve using a flame, or using a system that can create harmful carbon monoxide fumes. It is true that these systems are generally relatively safe to use however caution is in order. If using some of these methods while sleeping than purchasing a carbon monoxide alarm is a necessity and making sure combustible materials are well away from the heat source. I personally would avoid using any of these methods on a regular basis. I would only employ one of these methods in an emergency situation due to primarily the risk of fire.
How To Stay Warm While Sleeping On The Ground
It is important to use a thermal air mattress to keep warm while sleeping on the ground. While the ground is often times warmer than the surrounding air temperature, sleeping directly on the ground without the use of a mattress will quickly drain your body of warmth. Sleeping on damp vs dry ground can also have an impact on how warm you will feel. Sleeping on dry ground is always a better choice than sleeping on damp ground.
Winter Camping
Sleeping on the ground using a thermal air mattress is typically warmer than being suspended on a cot with the same thermal air mattress in cold weather camping. This is because the surface temperature on the ground while being effected by air temperature, changes less drastically than air. Snow for example can be warmed or cooled gradually based on the air temperatures of the day or night. During winter camping ground temperatures are often warmer and more constant than the negative air temperatures. Sleeping on snow using a thermal air mattress is one of the warmest surfaces available in winter. Even if the snow melts below you the ground will not get colder than 0 Degrees Celsius. As the snow gradually melts it will mold to the shape of your body. This will create more loft throughout your air mattress greatly reducing cold air from seeping into the areas of the mattress that have been compressed by your bodies pressure points.
Fall and Spring Camping.
Fall and spring can see a variance in surface ground and air temperatures. In fall the air temperature in many areas begins to cool and so the surface ground will often times be warmer at night. This will of course not be the case if you go camping during a warm spell, in this case the ground may be cooler to sleep on than being suspended in air.
In the spring the reverse is often the case. The ground can take longer to warm than the surrounding air. So sleeping on the ground can be colder than sleeping on a cot.
Summer Camping
During the summer months the reverse is the case. The ground surface temperature is often cooler than the surrounding air. This depends on many factors though such as the humidity of the ground, if the ground was exposed to direct sun during the day, and what the material of the ground is. At the very least, keeping warm during the summer months is not really a concern in many areas of North America.
Conclusion
The use of a cot while tent camping be a luxury that you can enjoy. It keeps you off the ground, it can provide additional seating during hot tent winter camping, and you can sleep on a level place above uneven ground. That being said sleeping on a cot can be unpleasant in cold temperatures unless you are well prepared.