Helinox Lite Cot Offers a Good Nights Sleep Outdoors

After a summer of use in a variety of camping spots, I can tell you that I don’t plan on camping without the Helinox Lite Cot again.

Helinox Lite Cot Size

Let’s talk specs. The bed surface of the Big Agnes Helinox Lite Cot is rip-stop polyester with sleeves on either side.  It’s slightly over six feet long and just about two feet wide.

The side poles are shock-corded aluminum.  The legs are also shock-corded with the attached feet sturdy plastic. The shock-cords keep all your pieces and parts together as they should be.  At just 2 pounds 8 ounces the Helinox Cot Lite is the lightest cot currently on the market.  And it folds up to a diminutive 21” x 5” x 5”.  It is small and light.

It gets better. Setting up and breaking down this cot is EASY. The sturdy shock-cords make the side poles practically self-assembling. The side sleeves are ample enough to make inserting the poles very smooth.  A small pull tab secures the poles into the sleeve. The legs and their feet also open quickly into shape. Once open, snapping a foot onto the side pole, applying some bodyweight to flex the leg, and directing the second foot to the opposite side of the cot takes about 30 seconds a leg. Seriously. The first time I set this up it took a minute to sort out how to flex the legs and direct the foot to the pole at the same time.  A couple of legs later, the system was set. It takes 3-4 minutes to go from packed to set up. Packing it up in the morning- reverse all that.  Just as easy and quick.

Cot Comfort

Sleeping on this cot is dreamy. I have mostly used this for river camping so there have been a variety of surfaces- sand, gravel, grassy dirt, pine needles, and cones, etc. No matter what the ground surface, I am slumbering above it all happily and securely suspended.

I have slept on it with just a bag.  It’s comfortable though slightly slippery between the polyester surface and the polyester bag.  I have also slept on it with a standard Therm-Rest pad and bag.  On a really hot night- Therm-a-Rest and cotton sheet. This combination produces the best night’s sleep I usually get in the summer.  Of course, it could also be the sound of the river a few feet away.

It will fit into many tents but it does take up more room than just a pad.  I have a North Face 2 person tent that I use it in solo.  I also have a 3 person Big Agnes that I use it in with my husband and dog. So far, I have not had any problems with the feet tearing the tent floor though I wouldn’t count on that!

Overall impression

Get one. I have checked out a few other models and believe that the Helinox Cot Lite is the best available right now. The Big Agnes Helinox Lite Cost ($249) is absolutely worth it.

A good night sleep is worth a LOT.

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