Helinox cot advice

[pieter.oneill]

Hey all, im after some opinons and advice. I like to go camping on the gs currenty just have a sleepkng bag, self inflating mat and this cheap air thing that always goes down and rolls me all over the place im the night haha. Anyway this year i fancy aomething better read up on the cots like oex lite and helinox cot one convertable, now im all for buying quality but there has to be a limit the helinox is (on offer lol) at £260 at the moment where as other cheaper brands are £70-100. The Helinox does seem the easiest to set up and use but man thats a cost so just looking for alternatives or advice before i pull the trigger. Im thinking ideal set up would be cot, some kind of decent mat im not a fan of air beds and then i got my sleeping bag. Any advice most appreciated i tend to sleep on my side had my right hip replaced few years back and find current set up does agrivate it a bit. Pictures poated for reference cheers all.

 

[Wapping]

Why not:

A. Consider trying a decent quality airbed, rather than your poor quality one.

B. Seeing if there’s secondhand Helinox camp bed that might be available via the forum. One in very good condition, at say 66% of retail (ie. 1/3 off) might well be better value than one of the knockoff copies. You’ve suffered enough with cheap or poor quality airbed.

 

[pieter.oneill]

Yeah, my air bed is not really a bed more of a mat that goea inbetween but even when i have slept on a proper air bed ive always found them uncomfortable. Ive kept my eye out for a helinox cot on ebay not many come up one did last week and it was like £30 cheaper then a new one i spose at least they hold there value well. Im open to looking into newer or better air matresses if.people have some real life experiance of other makes. Happy to spend i just dont want to spend x and find that y is half the price and 95% the same

 

[Santa-2512]

I looked at them before , and at the way cheaper camp beds from big superstores

My findings based on a generic higher one like this

Lightweight Aluminum Heavy Duty Single Folding Bed Fishing Camping Travel Guest | eBay UK

Heavy Duty Outdoor Folding Camping Bed Portable Sleeping Cot + Carry Bag UK. COMFORT: Cot Size is Optimal for Most People, Your Arms Can Stay in the Bed Without Crowded Feeling. 6 Anti-skid Feet Make the Bed Stable Without Wobbling.

www.ebay.co.uk

Hxx Length assembled 211cm
Generic Length assembled 191cm

Hxx Width assembled 66.5cm
Generic Width assembled 62cm

Hxx Height assembled 38cm
Generic Height assembled 42cm

Hxx Length packed 59cm
Generic Length packed 191cm

Hxx Width packed 18cm
Generic Width packed 20.5cm

Hxx Height packed 18cm
Generic Height packed 10cm



Hxx Weight 3302g (packed) 7.27lb
Generic Weight 5400g (packed) 11.9lb

So other than the pack size and weight they are pretty similar

Findings in use

So i took a gamble on one of the generic ones from Tesco it was end of season clearance so £15

First impressions wide and heavy

Initial assembly was fun, super stiff fabric needed a bit of oomph to stretch into position

Assembled - super stable and rock solid



I have a low cot - not Hxx

A generic cheaper copy

The low type clip together bed, got used once,

the only way i could use it without collapsing, was to roll onto , and off it , and hope i was in the right position

as trying to shuffle up or down just made it collapse



Camping

They take up a lot of real estate !

I have a Kyham biker plus tend which is a big tent,

But the one to take into account is the inner tent, that's where your cot is going to go

The Khyam inner is 220cm long by 180cm wide

But its not a cube, it gradually curves from bottom to top !

In real world use the generic at a supposed 191cm touches both ends of the inner tent , i tried turning it to fit diagonally, but its a faf

now I just let it touch the ends of the inner tent . it's not as if its every day, it two or three camping trips every year

Comfort

Once the fabric stretches, the creaking stops as comfortable as a normal bed,

with the advantage that if you want to shuffle up or down the bed, the legs aren't going to topple like dominoes ( a fault on the cheaper ones )

Being the slightly taller unit, your literally feet on the floor and stand up , no rolling onto the floor and then shuffling up


Set up

Take out of bag,

Unfold two legs

Open bed

Feed end tubes through each end

Clip into longitudinal tubes

Done

On bike

On a GS with vario panniers in the unexpanded setting the overhang side to side is about 10cm - so 5cm per side

Still not wider than your bars

 

[Udders]

I bet you’d have a fantastic nights sleep on an Exped MegaMat 10 ( or whatever the newer version is ).
It’s a down filled airbed 10cm deep. Superbly warm and comfy.
I’m a BFC and also a side sleeper but have no issues whatsoever on mine. It transformed my sleeping in a tent.
This one is 15cm deep. Look at the specs on temperature, size etc…..

Megamat Max

Exped Megamat Max in Burgundy | Discover max comfort with the mega Megamat Max basecamp mat from Exped — the most comfortable way to get a good night’s rest in the great outdoors. Ships from the UK with WildBounds.

wildbounds.com

I’ve tried a couple of different cots in the past but find that they roll you into the middle and slightly squash your shoulders together if you end up on your back.
Each to their own at the end of the day but I’ll always go for a very good quality airbed. Definitely NOT a cheap one.

 

[pieter.oneill]

I looked at them before , and at the way cheaper camp beds from big superstores

My findings based on a generic higher one like this

Lightweight Aluminum Heavy Duty Single Folding Bed Fishing Camping Travel Guest | eBay UK

Heavy Duty Outdoor Folding Camping Bed Portable Sleeping Cot + Carry Bag UK. COMFORT: Cot Size is Optimal for Most People, Your Arms Can Stay in the Bed Without Crowded Feeling. 6 Anti-skid Feet Make the Bed Stable Without Wobbling.

www.ebay.co.uk

Hxx Length assembled 211cm
Generic Length assembled 191cm

Hxx Width assembled 66.5cm
Generic Width assembled 62cm

Hxx Height assembled 38cm
Generic Height assembled 42cm

Hxx Length packed 59cm
Generic Length packed 191cm

Hxx Width packed 18cm
Generic Width packed 20.5cm

Hxx Height packed 18cm
Generic Height packed 10cm



Hxx Weight 3302g (packed) 7.27lb
Generic Weight 5400g (packed) 11.9lb

So other than the pack size and weight they are pretty similar

Findings in use

So i took a gamble on one of the generic ones from Tesco it was end of season clearance so £15

First impressions wide and heavy

Initial assembly was fun, super stiff fabric needed a bit of oomph to stretch into position

Assembled - super stable and rock solid



I have a low cot - not Hxx

A generic cheaper copy

The low type clip together bed, got used once,

the only way i could use it without collapsing, was to roll onto , and off it , and hope i was in the right position

as trying to shuffle up or down just made it collapse



Camping

They take up a lot of real estate !

I have a Kyham biker plus tend which is a big tent,

But the one to take into account is the inner tent, that's where your cot is going to go

The Khyam inner is 220cm long by 180cm wide

But its not a cube, it gradually curves from bottom to top !

In real world use the generic at a supposed 191cm touches both ends of the inner tent , i tried turning it to fit diagonally, but its a faf

now I just let it touch the ends of the inner tent . it's not as if its every day, it two or three camping trips every year

Comfort

Once the fabric stretches, the creaking stops as comfortable as a normal bed,

with the advantage that if you want to shuffle up or down the bed, the legs aren't going to topple like dominoes ( a fault on the cheaper ones )

Being the slightly taller unit, your literally feet on the floor and stand up , no rolling onto the floor and then shuffling up


Set up

Take out of bag,

Unfold two legs

Open bed

Feed end tubes through each end

Clip into longitudinal tubes

Done

On bike

On a GS with vario panniers in the unexpanded setting the overhang side to side is about 10cm - so 5cm per side

Still not wider than your bars

Thats a serious detalied reply most appteciated, we have one of thosr standard beds in out camping trailer there pretty good to.be fair i might take it out and have a luck but im ptetty sure its massive packed up, i try look.fot backpacking gear space saving is as imporyant as weight on the old girl haha. Good to know about the roll on and off issue that doea sound like a ball ache.

 

[pieter.oneill]

I bet you’d have a fantastic nights sleep on an Exped MegaMat 10 ( or whatever the newer version is ).
It’s a down filled airbed 10cm deep. Superbly warm and comfy.
I’m a BFC and also a side sleeper but have no issues whatsoever on mine. It transformed my sleeping in a tent.
This one is 15cm deep. Look at the specs on temperature, size etc…..

Megamat Max

Exped Megamat Max in Burgundy | Discover max comfort with the mega Megamat Max basecamp mat from Exped — the most comfortable way to get a good night’s rest in the great outdoors. Ships from the UK with WildBounds.

wildbounds.com

I’ve tried a couple of different cots in the past but find that they roll you into the middle and slightly squash your shoulders together if you end up on your back.
Each to their own at the end of the day but I’ll always go for a very good quality airbed. Definitely NOT a cheap one.

Yeah this looks the part, looks better then my bed at home, i think im always dubious about air beds as i worry about them going down or being ripped but for that price id imagine its ptetty durable ill have a read as 15cm deep is something that would make a difference on the side

 

[ymfb]

I use a Cot one & exped air mattress as a combo, nice and comfortable

 

[Udders]

Yeah this looks the part, looks better then my bed at home, i think im always dubious about air beds as i worry about them going down or being ripped but for that price id imagine its ptetty durable ill have a read as 15cm deep is something that would make a difference on the side

I’ve had my MegaMat 10 for about 6 years now. Never punctured or gone down overnight. It’s fantastically insulated and warm.
The newer 15cm version looks even better.
Just take note of the pack size though! They only roll up lengthwise so stay full width. Ok if you can put it on a top box or across the rear seat / panniers. Well worth the extra hassle though.

I’ve said it before but one of the best things you can take camping with you is a stiff bristled hand brush. Give the small area you’re going to pitch your tent on a quick brush to get rid of any unseen sharp sticks or pointy stones to avoid the possibility of the bottom of your tent getting holed. It can also save your sleeping mat from getting punctured.

 

[pieter.oneill]

I’ve had my MegaMat 10 for about 6 years now. Never punctured or gone down overnight. It’s fantastically insulated and warm.
The newer 15cm version looks even better.
Just take note of the pack size though! They only roll up lengthwise so stay full width. Ok if you can put it on a top box or across the rear seat / panniers. Well worth the extra hassle though.

I’ve said it before but one of the best things you can take camping with you is a stiff bristled hand brush. Give the small area you’re going to pitch your tent on a quick brush to get rid of any unseen sharp sticks or pointy stones to avoid the possibility of the bottom of your tent getting holed. It can also save your sleeping mat from getting punctured.

So you just uae straight on the floor no cot then i take it? 15cm pretty thick to be fair going to look a bit more into that especially if they have a lobg warrenty. I tend to put my tent and roll matt on the back seat however i am planning on taking my daughter with me this summer on a couple little trips, ill do some measuring, aporeciate all the different advice from all

 

[snelly]

Hey all, im after some opinons and advice. I like to go camping on the gs currenty just have a sleepkng bag, self inflating mat and this cheap air thing that always goes down and rolls me all over the place im the night haha. Anyway this year i fancy aomething better read up on the cots like oex lite and helinox cot one convertable, now im all for buying quality but there has to be a limit the helinox is (on offer lol) at £260 at the moment where as other cheaper brands are £70-100. The Helinox does seem the easiest to set up and use but man thats a cost so just looking for alternatives or advice before i pull the trigger. Im thinking ideal set up would be cot, some kind of decent mat im not a fan of air beds and then i got my sleeping bag. Any advice most appreciated i tend to sleep on my side had my right hip replaced few years back and find current set up does agrivate it a bit. Pictures poated for reference cheers all.

I use a Chinkynox snide cot; and i've had it for few years now with no problems; i put my Thermarest on top just for that extra bit of comfort;(side sleeper)
This was our set up for a fortnight at the TT in 2022; you can see the Clip to beds; they have abroad and a couple of rallies over here aswell. The chairs are snides also and had a fair bit of hammer.

 

[pieter.oneill]

I use a Chinkynox snide cot; and i've had it for few years now with no problems; i put my Thermarest on top just for that extra bit of comfort;(side sleeper)
This was our set up for a fortnight at the TT in 2022; you can see the Clip to beds; they have abroad and a couple of rallies over here aswell. The chairs are snides also and had a fair bit of hammer.

I got one of those fold out vango i believe chairs, its awesome sometimes i fall asleep in that....usually helped along by a few beers haha. yeah thats the set up i was leaning to at the start, cot bed with a decent pad, like 40mm or so the one i have is about 15mm just doesn't really do much, saying that i been using it on the floor. These mega mats that have been suggested i watched some reviews they seem like the best choice, however you have to sacrifice quite a bit of room on the bike for them and they are a good whack, i only go away few times a year camping so have to balance out comfort with not going over the top. Ill spend a little time looking and ill come back with what set up i go for

 

[Udders]

Yep, straight on the tent floor.
It all depends on how much you value a good nights sleep as to how much you want to spend. A crappy nights sleep can ruin your time away if you’re constantly knackered.
Try to get the 10cm MegaMat if the 15cm one is too bulky when packed. I have the 10cm and sleep great on it.
I have mine strapped across where the passenger seat would be because I’m always solo. I have also strapped it to my top box rack when I have a roll top bag behind me.
Because I’m a BFC I’ve been put off cot type beds because I’m worried about the bed feet poking holes through my expensive tent floor. Plus they’re uncomfortable and restrictive.

 

[Wapping]

I’ve been put off cot type beds because I’m worried about the bed feet poking holes through my expensive tent floor

If this is a concern, use the very cheap plastic side stand pucks, as used to stop a motorcycle’s side stand sinking into a muddy field or into melting tarmac.

 

[Paul Young]

I went through all this a few years ago, wanting to be up off the floor but not too high that I touched the tent walls. The feet not putting holes in the floor was also important. Aliexpress was a fantastic resource with a cot and mattress costing under £50.
The cot was the same as this one, but I got a 2m version and paid around £40 including shipping:

Campingzelt, Klappbett, ultraleicht, 180 cm, Einzelzeltbett, tragbarer Rahmen aus Legierung - AliExpress 18

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

The mattress was like this:

Outdoor-Camping aufblasbare Matratze Schlaf unterlage mit Kissen ultraleichte Luft matte in Inflator Pumpe Wandern gebaut - AliExpress 18

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

a.aliexpress.com

They’ve both been very good on the trips I’ve done, including Sid’s and around France last year.
Hope that’s helpful…

 

[boatman]

I am an old bones Pensioner Bike Camper ,, Exped Down mat 7 insulated sleeping Mat works for me , ( weeks at a time )

 

[Fluffmeister]

I’ve got a Megamat 10 and can get it packed nicely in my camping dry bag. What I do is get the air out, then fold it down the centre which makes it half the width, then roll it tight after “sucking” the remaining air out with my Flextail pump.

You’d be amazed how small you can actually get it. When I get home and unpacked, I store it with the plugs out and very loosely rolled and tucked into its original carrier.

It is superbly comfortable, and supportive. I’ve had no leaks or let downs in 6 years of ownership.

It is still a large pack size, but it’s acceptable using the technique above, and it can go in my Motech 350 dry bag along with my Helinox chair, camping quilt and pillows.