Customer Reviews

Slumberjack Big Cot

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

When I first used this cot it seemed excellent. The frame is very sturdy and the cot was comfortable. If I had written a review at that point I would have given it 5 stars. But the second trip I took the cover burst like a balloon. Really, I could feel it give a little, and by the time I could get off it there was a 4 foot long rip. It was then I started looking closely at the material of the cover - it is some rubberized material with a few threads in it - not a real canvas. And it has zero rip-stop capability. I tried to sew it but it was like trying to sew a balloon - it just doesn't work. The Slumberjack people say they will give me a new cover, but they never seem to have one in stock to send (for 4 months?). Only get this cot if you plan on using it once! My previous cot lasted 8 years.

Update Oct. 2009: The Slumberjack folks were bought out by another company which may explain the difficulty getting a new cover during the crossover. With the new owners I was sent the promised cover [actually, they sent me 2 covers.] Used it one month long trip with no problem yet. We will see how it lasts next year.

We have had our Slumberjack Big Cots for about 3 years now, and we love them. They are sturdy, comfortable, easy to transport and virtually indestructible. (Believe me, we have tried other brands, which self-destructed at the first try. Not the Slumberjacks! They are still going, and going, and going!)

These cots are excellent for short or long camping events. For short camping events, the cot, a sleeping bag and your pillow will ensure a good night sleep.

For lengthy ones (such as Pennsic) you can always add an inflatable mattress on top, along with a foam pad to avoid the cold air underneath, sheets, blankets and your pillow. It's like being at the Holiday Inn.

Plus having the extra storage space underneath is rather nice.

This cot is the king of all cots. I highly recommend it.

As a heavy guy, I wanted to get a cot that would fit into my tent, support my weight comfortably, and help keep my non-waterproof gear off the floor. This cot fills the bill very well. I found it quite comfortable using just a sleeping bag as a pad. The under-cot storage is roomy enough to hold a week's worth of clothes and towels. The only downside is that it takes some strength to stretch the top to slip the end-rails onto the pins at the top & bottom.

I've only ever owned one cot before. It was a cheap folding cot that didn't weigh much, but also wasn't very sturdy and had a very small sleeping area. This Slumberjack cot is very sturdy, packs small, and has a surprisingly large sleeping area. It's very firm, so you'll need a mattress, inflatable pad, or thick sleeping bag to provide back support, but this is a fantastic cot when you need an extra place to sleep. It packs very small and can be carried on your back in the bag that is provided, however this cot is made of metal so it is rather heavy. I wouldn't recommend trying to hike with this on your back, but for a mobile home, camper, cabin, RV, or campsite, this thing is really wonderful! It can also be very handy if you have unexpected overnight guests (in-laws, for instance).

We bought two of these at a sporting goods store last summer. We have used them 3 times now and are very pleased with them. Two of the three uses were when we went visiting relatives and there was a bed shortage. No problem! We just tossed these in the back of the van before we left home and had a great place to sleep at the relatives. We were so pleased with these that we bought two more from Amazon before Christmas. They are quite sturdy. We noticed that the two we bought from Amazon were a little heavier than the ones from the sporting goods store. That made no difference to us but it was an observation we made. The straps were also a little shorter. That was a minor inconvenience and didn't affect the functionality whatsoever. We plan to get some velcro and make some longer straps.

One reviewer said they smelled bad. The four we have purchased have had no such odor. We highly recommend these cots.

This cot is very sturdy and worked great! My only complaint, is that the first time I used it I did not bring a sleeping pad. It was very cold (Under 25 degrees) and all the cool air came up from the bottom of the cot. My second trip I used a pad and in the same temps found it worked great! I weigh about 230 and found the cot was very sturdy and supported me with ease.

I bought this cot to sleep on when I visited family this past holiday. (Tired of crashing on the floor). I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this cot. I had it set up in a matter of a couple of minutes, tear down was just as quick. The storage compartment was extremely convenient too.

I slept on it for 8 nights straight and had no problems with comfort. A few days I had a pad, the rest I didn't. The fabric gives just enough to allow for comfort, and bounces back for the next night.

I don't understand the "smell" others experienced, there was none on mine. The only thing I did notice was the fabric was a little noisy from stretching if you move around, but I'm also a big guy.

I highly recommend buying this cot out of all the others on Amazon.

Just got this cot yesterday, and I have mixed feelings about it. The length and width are great, but I have serious concerns about the construction. Anyone who has slept on a military issue cot of this style (I slept on one in Iraq for 11 months) knows they are built like rocks. But this cot wobbles forward and backward in a very disconcerting way. The brackets on the joints are undersized, and I think that is what leads to the instability. Secondly, the connectors for the endpoles are of a style (kinda like a dovetail joint) that is very likely to break during normal use (assembly and disassembly in particular). Army cots have a much better ball and socket type joint between the side and end poles. Lastly, this sucker is HEAVY. I'm talking like four or five times what it should weigh. Which makes me boggle even more at the wobbliness of it.

Overall, I think the poles are well constructed, but the joints are weak. Maybe a redesign is in order. But if you're careful not to put any forward/backward stress on the cot, I think it ought to hold out for a while. I'm 6' tall, so I've always hated the old 75" army cots for being too short for me (head and heals hit the end poles), but I'm going to return the slumberjack and get one of the issue cots instead. Proof that there is a reason that the army buys what it buys.

If I had gone to a store to purchase my cots, I'd have opted for a tiny bit smaller. These are massive. But! they are exactly as described. Plus, totally comfortable.

The cover (the thing you sleep on - not the bag) is like a rubber membrane and not a canvas or woven cloth. It doesn't have any strength and won't take any abuse without ripping. It might be OK for a spare bed in the house, but don't even think of taking it camping because it can't stand up to real wear. Even hauling it around in the car will probably damage it beyond use. I called the company to complain, they said I could get a new cover if they had one, but they don't have them and haven't had them for a year. So don't expect any customer support from Slumberjack. My recommendation is get a cot that advertises a cover with ripstop nylon or canvas. Don't buy this cot if you plan on using it.