I have seen these one person tents that are long body size with a stretcher/cot attached keeping the sleeper off the ground.  Have any solo's or others used these at all and what are they like please. 

They are not like a tent proper (dome etc) but more like a swag tent.

Thanks
Vic

The Cape Yorker boys trialled them last year, and were very impressed.  If you Google tent-cots, and click on the Kamp Rite site, you'll get info on them.
Type in www.capeyorker.com.au
Click on the Cape Yorker Forums site,and find the right thread.
Cheers,
xina.




-- Edited by xina on Monday 15th of June 2009 05:12:20 PM

Thanks for the site Xina, another one I have added to my favorites, there are getting to be so many good ones now it is hard to keep up with them all.

Many thanks,
vic

-- Edited by Vic41 on Monday 15th of June 2009 10:04:49 PM

I have one (I call it a meat-safe) and it is brilliant for those one-night stops. The only problem I found was that the tightness of the base can be a little uncomfortable so I use a self-inflatable mattress, you know those ones about an inch thick.. This also removes the problem I found of the cold seeping up from underneath. Haven't tried it in the tropics yet, but with all the flaps open, it should be OK.

Thanks Mike,

I think I have seen those mattresses you speak of in the camping stores. Didn't help the tightness, but when camping out in the Army (before the blow up mattress) we used to put a couple of blankets on top of the stretcher that helped keep the cold from coming up from underneath too. No ends on the one man poncho type tents though to keep the cold out, I used to wear a balaclava, head was covered in frost come morning. Socks kept the feet warm.

vic

Ps:  Here is the link Xina gave me showing a pic of the stretcher cots I was talking about which I assume are similar to the one you have (Thanks Xina);

http://yakabout.com.au/home/content/view/204/42/ 

-- Edited by Vic41 on Monday 15th of June 2009 10:40:57 PM

No they weren't the best Cupie, I suppose they at least kept you off the ground (if they didn't deflate) in places where the water ran under your hutchie, even though you might have dug a little gutter around your so called "tent" on the uphill side, it always seem to get in somehow.  Hmmmm........long time ago now.

Reason I started this thread was we (wife and I) were thinking of getting something like that or a two man dome tent so if we store the van and want to explore some 4WD places we have something to camp with if we stay overnight somewhere.

I am pretty sure I have see a twin version of the Swag Tent & Cot in a camping store once as well.

Vic

-- Edited by Vic41 on Friday 19th of June 2009 11:42:54 PM

I have a camp stretcher with the tent on top, and I use an exercise mattress or one of those backpacker condensed foam matresses to keep the cold out from the bottom. I haven't used mine on a cold night, but was considering putting a poly tarp over the top to keep the cold from dropping too. I would think a good sleeping bag and pillow inside, sleeping in trackies and a jumper, or pj's would be enough for anywhere except the snow and worst frost country. Cheers Chris

Thanks for the feedback Chris. Regarding the polytarp, I think the warmth from your breath and body would cause condensation under the tarp (or a groundsheet) on cold nights and you could end up with wet bedding......but you could try it and see. I have some vague memories of something like that happening to me once, Vic

The camp stretcher is totally covered in, with large zipped vents on all sides. I just think a tarp fly-over supported with tent poles would stop the cold dropping onto the camp bed. There would be space between the tarp and the bed so I can't see why condensation would form on the underside of the fly, and with the vents, or some of them, slightly open would create enough air circulation to stop condensation. Nothing would be sealed in totally. If my breath created that much warmth I shouldn't be sleeping alone. I'd much rather be sharing that warm breath. Cheers Chris

Sorry Chris.......I misread your comment, I thought you meant put a tarp over and on top of your bedding (I slept in the open once with a tarp over my bedding and woke up soaked! It all comes back to me now! Ha ha). Vic

Tie a rope tween two trees and drape a sheet of something like a tarp over it with an airspace tween you and it, you sleep under, in whatever is your choice, the accumalated moisture falls to the edge and leaves you dry, (or however many of you) Did it a long time ago, way before these commercial swags of canvas,used an old army blanket with a coupla sacks sewn to it

Have done that before too, with a groundsheet over a rope and using small leafy branches under an old army blanket to act as a mattress and keep you up off the deck. Vic

Just come back from a few days in the national Park. Slept in a 'Tent cot' in the tropics and as stated afore in the post must have a mattress. The self inflating ones are good as they can be taken out, deflated put back in and then the cot folded, saves space. At the next site fold out and unplug the mattress to inflat. All nice warm and comfy