Base camping question Beds/stretchers ?

[Moondog55]

I notice a big difference when using the old army cot to the larger taller polyester X-legged stretcher
The army cot seems colder than the other even with the same pad/mattress in place
I'm wondering if there is an "Optimum" height above ground and what other people have experienced
This feeling is without the wind-skirt around the cot/stretcher and with the pad and folded woollen blanket on top
Not an idle question when you are going to be sleeping on one for 3 months or so
For my winter base camp I intend to make a fitted skirt to enclose the sides of the bigger stretcher and use some spare house insulation under it as well

[Franco]

You know how folk dig a trench in a snow cave so that the coldest air can sink into it ?
I think that under a cot maybe it is something like that , so I am guessing that home insulation will be good enough to stop that cold air getting there.

[flyfisher]

On numerous 4wd camping trips, my wife and I use the taller type of camp beds. With a ccf mat on them they are very comfy and warm,

We have a couple of huge Darche 900 sleeping bags which are great for base camping.

Unfortunately, due to a bad heart, my wife can't come walking with me. So this is our way of going bush together.

FF

[Moondog55]

How tall? I have thought that having a taller cot to make getting out of bed such a struggle would be great, the army cot being only 150mm high and the other is only 350 off the ground

[flyfisher]

Ours are about 400-450mm high.one is a Mont, not sure of the other, Oztrail I think. I'll check after.

FF

[lorrainey100]

I don't use a stretcher for car camping but a luxurious mattress with an R rating of 9 which is good to place right on top of the snow. Sooooooo comfortable, better than my mattress at home. I've slept on it below 0 degrees C and it was warm and comfortable with my Enlightened Equipment quilt on top.

http://www.blackwolf.com.au/product/Meg ... ategory/26

[Moondog55]

l100 that was OK when I was 30, not so much now
450 off the ground sounds OK to me, the small difference in height would make getting out of bed in the early AM easier

[sambar358]

For camping in the winter I use a Oztent King Goanna stretcher....seriously comfy with a large self-inflating mat on top and nice and wide/long as well for big blokes. We get temps down to -12C and huge frosts and I find that being off the ground a bit certainly gives a warmer nights sleep in those temps. This is big-tent type base camping or sometimes just under a large tarp with the Fairydown Everest bag on top of the stretcher and a wool LS thermal top and beanie. Always sleep as snug as a bug......and the added advantage is that you can sit on the side of the stretcher in the morning and put your boots on ! Got mine from Snowys Camping in Adelaide....a great store to deal with IMO. Cheers

s358

http://www.snowys.com.au/Sleeping-Gear/ ... =22&id=974

[stry]

s358 - Have you had that stretcher long enough to offer an opinion on how saggy the fabric gets ?

I have given up on finding a commercial offering with a good quality top. Current military spec is the go, but near impossible to find here, and cost a motza to get from O/S.

Obviously, I too am a firm believer in getting off the ground if possible. Not practicable when walking, but the only way go if moisture problems are to be avoided, particularly for stops of more than one night.

[Moondog55]

On sale too and me with no cash for a few weeks yet
@S358 Yes that is why I want one and thanx for the link

[sambar358]

stry.....probably did 20 nights in the stretcher this winter and no fabric sagging evident or any issues at all. The build seems to be of a very good quality.....nice padded/quilted top and heavy-weight fabric all round. Good solid frame and easy to put-up although not quite as easy to get back into the bag....but do-able. Once the stretcher is set-up and the 2 end braces fitted the bed is quite firm with little or no give in it and I doubt if there'll be any sag of the fabric over time. Of all the stretchers I looked at this one was the stand-out IMO and as soon as I saw one set-up & tried it out it was certainly the one for me. Cheers

s358

[Moondog55]

I'll take that as a recommendation then S358 and put it on my wish list

[stry]

Thanks s358.

Us little blokes could probably get by with the standard Goanna. The blurb reads as if the standard and King are identical apart from size.

Seems like I wouldn't be spinning the wheel to try one. Base/truck camping is sooo much nicer when sleeping off the ground.

[paul_gee]

For camping in the winter I use a Oztent King Goanna stretcher....seriously comfy with a large self-inflating mat on top and nice and wide/long as well for big blokes. We get temps down to -12C and huge frosts and I find that being off the ground a bit certainly gives a warmer nights sleep in those temps. This is big-tent type base camping or sometimes just under a large tarp with the Fairydown Everest bag on top of the stretcher and a wool LS thermal top and beanie. Always sleep as snug as a bug......and the added advantage is that you can sit on the side of the stretcher in the morning and put your boots on ! Got mine from Snowys Camping in Adelaide....a great store to deal with IMO. Cheers

s358

http://www.snowys.com.au/Sleeping-Gear/ ... =22&id=974

Thanks for the plug! We hear that again and again with this stretcher. I was just about to buy a Megamat myself, but it makes me wonder...

[Travis22]

My wife and i have been using the Oztent Goanna stretchers for approx 6-7years and they are still like new. They would have a couple hundred nights on them easy. The only thing to note is because they are so well made and sturdy they are very heavy. There is a knack to packing them back in their bags but believe it or not, our bags are still completely functional and the zips are still going strong too however our bags are getting a little torn at the ends from rubbing through.

We didnt buy the King Goanna because it is too tall to fit inside a canvas touring tent as the tapered walls mean while the stretch fits at ground level it doesnt fit at the setup height.

Travis.

[Moondog55]

Well things being as they are I couldn't afford a new stretcher so I repaired the old one
The local aluminium place had 25mm square tube at $5- a meter so I got one of those and used a short section from an old crutch to reinforce the centre and shoved an old 7071 ski stock shaft the full length of the tube
I'm hoping it will last most of the season
A pair of the King Goanna is on the shopping list tho
I have lost the foot caps tho so I just sent Paul Gee a message hoping he has them as spare parts
Next job will be an underquilt and draught skirt

[Moondog55]

In many ways the X-leg cot is much easier to play with
I think I have the UQ and windskirt mainly figured out and using scraps and stuff I had in the stash and scavenged or Op-Shopped over the last year

[Moondog55]

A trick some of you may not know
The downfall of the cheaper open cell PU mattresses is that the soak up water like the sponges they are, cheap cot pads often come tho with a cotton cover. It is a quick and easy job to take off the cotton cover, slip a plastic bag over each end and stick some tape on the overlap to keep the plastic bags in place and then slip the cotton cover back on.
This is what I've just done with mine as the cover needed a wash and I had to take it off to do so