Customer Reviews

Kamp-Rite Oversize Tent Cot

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm 6'-1, 205 pounds and 63 years. Took it to my deer lease for a tryout.
My inflated air mattress went in easily from either end flap. The tent is well ventilated, and it's easy to control the ventilation with the four flaps over the mesh openings. The double zippers on the mesh and the covering flaps are convenient. There is plenty of room for storage of personal items [clothing, shoes, toiletry kit, etc.] at the head and the foot, plus the convenient overhead pockets for watches, lights, billfold, keys. Easy to set up by laying it on its side while unfolding the leg supports and securing the straps. Hardest part [requiring some strength] is getting the shock-cord poles arched in place to create the domed top. But having the dome is very worthwhile, as you can sit up with full headroom while changing clothing or whatever. It's a well designed product with more room than expected. Slept like a baby!

I bought this tent cot because I usually have to set up the "field kitchen" as well as my personal tent. I'm often tired out after all that is done. The tent /cot is a short cut that saves me time. I also purchased the rainfly in case it rains. Setup is easy, as well as tear down. The only negatives is that it is a bit heavy, and takes up a lot of space in the back of the pickup truck. When the rain fly is on it becomes very airtight and does not breath very well. Quite a bit of moisture build up during the night. I opened the inner zipers to help with this. Overall though it works very well.

I was deciding between the Double and the Oversized for my girlfriend and I. I went with the Oversized because of what I read about the bar that exist in the middle of the two cots in Double and I figured it would make it uncomfortable to sleep if you like to snuggle with your significant other. I'm so glad I went with this because it is roomy enough for the both of us. I'm 5'6" and 165 pounds, average size. She's the same height but only 120 pounds. For those of you who are wrestling with this decision like I was, as long as you are of average size or less than this is the perfect choice for you and your partner. The Double may be too large to fit into your car, but this one fits mine no problem, and I have a small car (Honda Fit).

The tent is very easy to set up and there's plenty of ventilation. I'm very happy about the purchase and this is now my favorite tent for car camping or spending a day at the beach, as it is easy to turn it into a bed or a lounge chair. Nothing on the tent seems flimsy. I've read the reviews about the clips being easily broken but I've not found that to be a problem.

We slept in it last night in the backyard to try it out and it was great. The only thing we added was a thermal rest mattress (oversized) to sleep on in the cot.

I needed to buy a tent and I did do a bit of research and even went out to REI to check out tents. I didn't know that you needed so many other things after buying a tent. You need to buy the footprint, have stakes to secure the tent, and a cot if you want to sleep above the ground. Well, I saw this tent advertised on Amazon and I was amazed wow this tent combines several things. No need for a cot, footprint, or stakes. All I needed was a sleeping bag and some padding. You really can't tell how big the inside of the tent is until you lay down inside it. It was better than my expectations. My buddy bought this tent as well and he told me that he can fit inside the tent with his wife. I used this Tent Cot the other day while camping on the shore of a lake and it was great. This fits inside the trunk of an 05 Honda Accord Coupe and it is about 6 inches thick. The best thing about this tent is that it took me less than 2 mins to set it up by myself. This tent also allows you to be able to place this on a wider variation of terrain thanks to it being about a foot above the ground.

The ventilation is not good with all the entry/exit points zipped up. You might want to let some air inside the tent as the consendation from your breathing will cause moisture buildup inside the tent. I first thought the moisture was morning dew until I touched the outside of the tent and found out it was dry. The tent has 4 points of entry/exit and they all have a zip up screen mesh to prevent the insects from going in. The tent comes with a carry bag and a rain fly. You should air out the tent prior to use. The tent inside has enough room to sit up without your head hitting the top (I'm 5'8"). With my feet towards the end of the tent, I can't touch the other end with my arms extended straight above my head while laying down inside. There is a tie at the top middle of the tent allowing you to secure a light. There are two storage sleves (one on both ends)at the inside top of the tent alowing you to put items like your cellphone, keys, or wallet. I was sleeping inside the tent with a duffle bag parallel to my lower legs and I still had room. I didn't like the built in 3/8 inch padding and my cheap $6 Walmart half inch padding was no better than a cardboard box. I will buy the REI 3.5 inch padding to save my back next time I use this.

The price of this tent was 179.99 last week (price I paid), but I just noticed that they dropped the price to $167.50. Amazon will credit you the difference in price within 30 days of your purchase btw. This price is even lower than from the manufacturer and you sure can't beat the free shipping or no sales tax. Other retailers will charge you up to $40 just for shipping.

It is a great tent! You will get a lot of compliments on camp grounds for your tent is unique. It is very comfortable when sleeping (I got the oversize, only good for one person I would say) and you can even sit down inside. The problems you may encounter... First, is size of the tent. Measure you car trunk or best if you put it on the roof of your car. It consumes a lot of space; I would recommend that you should have at least a pick-up truck or a mini van. Second, it will take an arm and a leg to bend them poles to make an ark for the roof; especially the first time you use it (I had to ask two people for help, I wasted a lot of energy on it). Lastly..., It rain on and off for 2 days when we went camping.. I'm glad that I had also purchased the rain fly or I will be soaking. Make sure you have a sleeping bag for it really gets damp inside. I Hope this helps!

This review is for the Oversize Tent Cot from Kamp Rite.

Before I get into the details, I'd like to mention that the Tent Cot I purchased from Amazon included the rain fly and the carying case. Amazon made it look like these were accessories to the basic tent. They do NOT need to be purchased separately.

The tent is well made. All of the fabric fit snugly over the frame. The seams and zippers were sewed very nicely. The zippers themselves are of a very high quality, and operate smoothly and easily. The fiberglass rods keep the top nicely elevated so it is possible to sit up inside the tent. This alone is enough reason to get the oversized instead of the standard. There is a tie at the peak to hang a small fan or flashlight, but nothing heavy. A pouch is mounted conveniently at each end above the windows. This is the perfect placement for the things you take to bed like a watch or small clock, and is easy to reach to retrieve eye glasses when you can't see.

The floor of the tent is made of some kind of foam, but don't expect it to be squishy in any way. It is about as soft as the ground would be in a regular tent. I guess this is better than a canvas bottom, which would be even harder when stretched out. Still if you want to be comfortable, you will need an air mattress.

Even the oversized tent cot is too small for a twin sized air mattress. I was able to find an inflatable swimming pool float that works nicely as an air mattress.

There are no stakes included with the tent. Don't take this to mean that you don't need any. The tent will blow away if you don't stake it down with at least a stake at two opposite corners.

With the rain fly in place, there is very little ventilation. To improve the ventilation, instead of tying the rain fly to the legs it helps to drive some stakes about a foot away from the legs, and use some string to tie the fly there. This allows air to come up the sides and in through the door screens, but will still keep the rain out.
Even with the rain fly tied to stakes, the tent is still pretty warm.

Driving stakes does increase the setup time, but it is still pretty quick, maybe as long as to set up a small tent on the ground, but being up off the ground when the rain washes downhill is definitely much better no matter how much time it takes.

The oversized tent cot is heavy enough that you won't want to carry it deep into the woods. (The standard is not that much lighter, but perhaps enough that it would be the only reason to go with the standard size.) The carrying case is more of a cover to keep the tent from unfolding while you load and unload it. I don't know why it has handles, because they are entirely too awkward to use for carrying.

Don't expect to be playing cards and eating meals in this tent. Even though you can sit up in it, it is small. It is mostly a place to sleep out of the rain and away from the bugs. All your food and gear will need to remain in your car, so don't plan on using this tent for any really primitive camping.

I haven't used the tent as a lounge, and I don't intend to. It seems like it would be more trouble than hanging a hammock between two trees. I doubt it would be nearly as comfortable.

After camping for many years in a regular tent, I am very happy to switch to the tent cot.

As much as I like Cabelas products, I've got to say that the Kamp-Rite Tent cot has theirs beat times ten. I have both and when I bought the Kamp-Rite tent cot, I quit using my perfectly functional Cabelas one. The first time I used the Kamp-Rite was when I borrowed it from a friend. (My Cabelas brand was too heavy and bulky to bring.) I set up the borrowed tent cot in the dark the first time, I set it up as easily as if it were my tenth time! It took about a minute. I've used it dozens of times. I use a self inflating pad with it. When it's cold out, it's shocking how much heat stays in, especially with the rain fly on. In the summer, the mosquito net works great. It's long enough to store things at your head or feet too. I don't write many reviews,but this is one of the greatest things that I've seen in camping equipment.

To my surprise it was larger than I thought (the pics do it no justice) and just as roomy inside. I've wanted this item for a long time but was skeptical about its function so I bit the bullet and got one. Very happy and glad that I did as I am an annual "Black Friday" camper / shopper and needed a suitable & portable product to meet my needs. This item is also suitable for "short-term" camping trips not having to bring along larger tents and accessories.

The over-size Tent-Cot is generous in length and width (I'm 5'8" 235lbs) to fit a full length / width sleeping bag and 2 pillows with extra room for a med size duffle bag inside as well. The 3/8" thick attached pad is ok but for more comfort I suggest an air mattress of some kind. Standard twin air mattresses will NOT fit inside the tent area but smaller swimming pool types do ok. I haven't decided if I need / want the attachable accessory bag yet but for $19.99 how can you go wrong.

The over-sized rain-fly cover (included in my box w/ a Tent-Cot carry case) is a greatly appreciated addition to ward off the elements in over moderate to extreme weather conditions otherwise without the rain-fly cover the Tent-Cot material is fine by itself. Note: air flow inside the Tent-Cot with the rain-fly attached is greatly reduced and condensation from breathing will build up on the interior of the tent (also depending on the climate) so I leave at least 1 end of the tent's outer cover flap partially open with the screen panel closed to vent out the interior of the tent.

The shock corded poles included to elevate the top of the tent requires a little muscle when attaching to the tent frame clips but with practice gets easier with repeated use. In windy areas / situations it is best to "stake" and tie down the Tent-Cot at its legs so it doesn't blow over or away.

While it is still somewhat large in dimensions and weight (25+lbs) when folded and in its carrying case, the fact that this item can be converted into a chaise lounge and chair from tent mode only adds to its versatility and value. I would recommend this item to a friend.

Easy to setup and breakdown. You need additional padding to make it more comfortable. But it's lots of fun. Mine came with the rain fly but that's not mentioned anywhere, so don't buy it separately.

I love this thing. It is easy to set up and take down, as well as comfortable; does need a mat or air mattress. My tent organizer just fits in the end of it with lots of room to spare, and it fits in the trunk of my Toyota Echo. It is heavy, so I bought a luggage cart with a wide platform at the bottom to haul it around on. Sure beats putting up a tent and all that goes with it.