A Simple Homemade Camping Cot

I demonstrate how to make an extremely compact light weight camping cot. here you will find the dimensions as well as types of material recommended. Also demonstrated is how to set up and use the cot. Hope you enjoy and find it useful.

[@carol-anntrudell9990]

I need to go to bed, but can't quit watching these video's. They seem like easy solutions the way you demonstrate them. God bless you and family once again.

[@patches22]

Great idea. You make everything so clear to see and understand.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Patches Tucker Thank you Patches. Glad the videos are helpful for you.

[@marcvalade94]

Hello! I congratulate you for your genius, your authenticity and your generosity. You are great folks you your wife and your dog! I think the same of your other videos, I'm just going to claim it here!

[@joekirby4707]

Great idea. If the canvas tears just resew it. Better quality than store bought.

[@lonmatheny8303]

Hi Lonnie, I incorporated the camp cot and the camp chair into a one piece unit made from rip stop nylon. Then I sewed velcro tabs along one side of it to facilitate a canvas cover being attached to protect my sleeping bag from sparks and embers. One light weight piece for to jobs. Thanks for the idea!

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

+Lon Matheny That sounds like an awesome idea

[@lastdaysguitar]

In the few days I have started watching your channel it has rapidly become one of my favorites, this is a great idea Lonnie. Maybe just a slight bit more woodwork to do once you hit the campsite, but it seems well worth it, as this is a LOT easier solution to transport over long distances, a cot with a blanket & tarp (for rain protection) looks to be lighter and more comfortable than schlepping a tent & poles and using a sleeping bag on the hard ground of the tent floor. As long as you have some mosquito netting handy for over the exposed areas of the cot on the warm months and get a reasonably sized fire near the tarp (but not TOO big a fire, lol) on the cool months this potentially seems a better way to camp. Alternately if you have some smooth enough base logs and are careful, this idea could even be used INSIDE a tent on cooler months to conserve heat. Thanks again for another great bush craft technique sir!

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

lastdaysguitar You are welcome. I am glad you are enjoying our channel. Thank you. It is surprising how comfortable the cot is.

[@ItsNotColdEnough]

Just woke up to find my sub box flooded with your videos. Time for a marathon watch, thank you, good sir.

[@bobswoodlandadventures5722]

Very nice idea. I watched this video a while ago. I will be making one of these soon. I just watched another video on a camp cot from BlindOwl Outdoors. These are such a great idea and project. Great video.

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

This was really cool! Thanks for sharing.

[@virginiacopeland108]

We just finished our camping cots and plan on using them this week in the Cascades. Thanks for your help, Lonnie. Clark & Virginia

[@MrJohnMainwaring]

Its always the simple ideas that are best, I also commented and enjoyed your tent tarp video. Thanks again for the info as I am planning to get back to back packing some this summer.

[@DefMunkyYT]

Reminds me of the old surplus army cots we used when I was in the Boy Scouts. Canvas middle with wood supports you run through the sides and affix "X" shaped legs at either end. Fortunately yours looks MUCH more comfortable due to more room! lol I also like the idea that if you have a camp you use a lot, you can just leave your supports for next time and replace them as needed.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

***** Well I can't vouch for your "scout" cots for sure since I have never tried them, but I can say that this DIY cot is very comfortable compared to sleeping on the ground.

[@scottstauffer4094]

I'd gladly haul the extra weight from canvas if it meant the comfort over sleeping on the ground. I've seen your prior ideas through boreal bushcraft Canada but this one is by far the best. not only do i sub, I want to be you when I grow up😀

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the sub. Hope you find many many videos here that will interest you.

[@joybickerstaff194]

Hi ya Lonnie! The double sided basting tape sounds like a good idea and a way to manage the material, thank u for ur advice on the painters drop cloth, what u said made sense, thank u on that, it saves me from wasting my x on it. Thank u lots

[@butterballjitsucampcraft7394]

I finally pulled the trigger on making this . I've only watched your vid a bizillion times. Lol I'm using rip stop nylon. Thanks for this great vid Lonny

[@paparomesoutdoors711]

Really enjoyed that thank you

[@oldtimerlee8820]

May be a reload, but not for me. Enjoyed watching for 1st time around. Like the concept. Looks more comfortable that the folding cots we use when car-tent camping. Thin foam pad over wire mesh.

[@jonnyboat2]

I think I remember this from another video. If I remember to, and have the time and energy, I want to try making this out of nylon, but a little different. A one piece, cot with heat reflector/sidewall and awning/roof all one piece of nylon. I’d try to make the bed part like a sleeve. Kind of like a drum sander belt with one stitched seam stitched where the sidewall turns up at its base.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Yes I did an updated video on making one of these. Make An Ultralight Camp Cot kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXQi3hso552rZo

[@thomasnugent7602]

Lonnie, Thank you very much for the information. Seems like a really good idea !

[@fieldagent59]

This is simply brilliant ...think I am going to try a 6 x 6 canvas tarp with grommets, fold it in half and connect the grommets with zip ties or lashes..creating a tube shape, then run the poles in the tube stretching the tube out tight with the end pieces...

[@Merter407]

fieldagent59 - Did it work?

[@joybickerstaff194]

Hi ya Lonnie! That cot does look comfy and looks simple, I don’t know how u come up with these cool ideas but I love them. Now on to see how u do the whence. Thank u Lonnie

[@bigfatpear]

i'm gonna make me one of those.great video.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

You may enjoy seeing my more recent video on this subject as well. Make An Ultralight Camp Cot kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXQi3hso552rZo

[@iliveoutside]

Another very useful and practical video, thank you

[@garygerow4822]

Great stuff as always , blessings and thanks for sharing .

[@marcusmckenzie3686]

Great video Lonnie. I'm going to make a couple of those.

[@nanookyful]

Great idea! Thanx for posting the vid!

[@Patriotalliance]

Another great video. Subscribed.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Thanks Patriot for the kind words and a big welcome to our channel. Glad to have you

[@daltonvickers7977]

simple, easy idea. I have to try it

[@tuckerdave1]

That's cool , you said you would like one out of nylon , will that stretch more than the canvas ? Are you talking about the nylon from like a tent , I have a old tent that is ripped ,I like to make one if you think that will work . Thanks again .

[@oldtimerlee8820]

Second time around watching this one, coming here from the link on EconoChallenge When you mentioned hammocks, got me to thinking. (Usually dangerous, BTW.) With a more length, it could become dual duty. Both a DIY hammock & a cot. When used as a cot, excess material would be gathered at ends, to maintain a smooth sleeping surface. Couple of different ways to DIY hammock, depending on whether ends are simply tied or designed to incorporate 2 poles for a flat sleeping surface. Naturally, it will weigh more. How much depends on the fabric used. However, weight difference may be offset with flexibility dual function could provide. -- Use as cot, when wood & time are available. Use as hammock when wood &/or time to construct is limited. Just some thoughts this morn, for what ever it's worth.

[@MarshRat]

I've been thinking the same about making a DIY hammock that can double as a cot. I'm going to try using two pieces of 1.9 ripstop material to form a tube approximately 9ft long and 5ft wide. The 9ft length would be about right for a gathered-end hammock and could be folded at both ends to shorten for use as a cot.

[@MrOldclunker]

Just a tad short and I am only 5'5" tall. I would use a 72 inch piece of material and it would give your feet a bit of room in case you use a pillow of some sort.

[@Catwomanmn]

I like it! Thanks for giving the dimensions. Did you just use a standard drop cloth for painting? Those are fairly cheap and come in varying sizes. Nice video.

[@1fanger]

Good concept Lonnie, thanks

[@annseliger164]

Awesome 🤩

[@trynsurviven2440]

Can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about making one of these.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

You might be interested in one of my recent videos where i made one of these out of nylon. Make An Ultralight Camp Cot kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXQi3hso552rZo

[@victormartin6608]

WELL DONE SIR

[@vliegendehollander55]

This is 5 years ago, and I saw you make your new one also. But I still think your dog is thinking make your own bed, I even not fit on it and in the mean time I watch some lovely whit butts from some deer...(smile)

[@cillaloves2fish688]

Cool idea! I'll hv to pull out the sewing machine!

[@badbobby11]

This is amazing! Thankyou!

[@Steve-uq7np]

Nice...the best thing is, the frame doesn’t need cordage....

[@grandmasstories3418]

Wow! You look tons better with your beard trimmed!

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

That was a few years ago. Things have changed since then. A few more sags and wrinkles here and there now days. :O)

[@grandmasstories3418]

@@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival Sure, like all of us. But I'm pretty sure you would again look tons better with your beard that size again. It looks like a well maintained garden 🙂...

[@Daynaleo1]

Keeping it real. Thanks Lonnie

[@MegaXcal]

Loved it, thx DavidC

[@jeremyhicks6367]

Thanks for sharing! :)

[@maxboonkittypoison]

Yep its just an awesome thing to have :)

[@sarahpitt6566]

Thank you so much!

[@wildwesthunt17]

cool

[@joybickerstaff194]

Hi ya Lonnie! I came across this video again, I’d seen ur new version of this made with nylon. I sat here just looking at the picture thinking of the pro’s and con’s on both, as u said canvas is heavy, hard to dry and gets moldy, but as I saw u slide the logs threw the sleeves, I see the pro n canvas, it can take the roughness of the log, oppose to nylon which is lite, drys easy, no mold, but I’m thinking nylon not as tough and logs would have to be as smooth as a baby’s butt. Am I correct in my thoughts??? Painters drop cloth came to mind, it would be heavier than nylon, but lighter than canvas, would dry better “I think” and could handle rougher logs than nylon. I’m trying to be logical on this, I have no sowing machine, a seamstress would cost a lot, I’ll need to sow by hand. Watching ur video making the nylon cot, it would not make a flat crease, I see it to be cumbersome to sow by hand oppose to having a machine, two hands to work it and foot to sow it. What’s ur thoughts on a painters drop cloth. Thank u

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

I don't think I would personally use painters drop cloth for a cot. It may work fine but it is a looser weave and so would not be as resistant to rips/tears etc. I would rather get the real canvas so that I have that margin of safety. I have not used a nylon material much yet in a cot so I can not speak authoritatively on the subject. It is my guess however based on using similar weight nylon in several chairs and in the several weeks that we used econochallenge's "Amazing Wilderness Camp Cot" moose hunting season of 2017, that the nylon will do fine as long as care is taken to make sure the poles inserted into the cot sides are free of sharp stobs. This nylon cot cost me a total of $10 US dollars counting buying a new spool of heavy duty polyester thread. I ended up not needing the thread as I still had plenty from past projects so without the thread, the cot cost me 8 dollars and 23 cents US. The reason I got it so cheap is that Joann Fabrics here in the USA often has huge off coupons available. We used to get a monthly snail mailing coupon book and it almost always has 40% off coupon on one normal priced item. Well we have not received the mailing for a long time now so I have been going to joann dot com on my smart phone while in the store and they will scan the coupon bar code on the phone to get the % off. Well now they want you to download the joann fabrics app in order to do that. I did download the app and they had a 50% off coupon that i used for the material. So I went through the line with just the material and Connie went through the line with the thread. Had I gone through the line with both items they would have used the 50% off coupon for the thread. Anyway I got the nylon for half price. $10 for an awesomely comfortable cot is a great bargain even if I had to make it myself. This is almost a beginner level easy type project also. Someone commented in the nylon cot video about some double sided basting tape for use in seams and hems. It sounds like an awesome idea and one that would make the nylon seams EASY to sew and should render a much neater seam than what i was able to produce doing my way. Whatever you decide, good luck. Wish you luck.

[@codyharless4635]

I made one like this out of the canvas for civil war reenacting

[@theword4501]

Is that a wooly mammoth behind you?

[@BigDaddy-jo8ig]

A buddy were can i buy one of them for a big person i love that thing

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

I did a more recent video on how to make one of these using nylon material. I do not make these for sale but "Jeep" at EconoChallenge commercially makes a similar one though his is narrower. Make An Ultralight Camp Cot kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGXQi3hso552rZo "Jeep's" camp cot video playlist kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5DNknivq6xgo9U

[@BigDaddy-jo8ig]

Thanks alot man

[@lindaerwin8114]

Lmao...for a min it looked like you where squatting with a dog on your shoulder

[@flyingcat2054]

An outfitter would charge you a fortune for that cot!

[@tazman8271]

nice vid

[@urflofit2010]

We have cot-tage

[@deepstate8474]

Looks like your out camping yet I hear a trucks backup alarm.

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Yes and Yes. we are out camping but are not too far off of the highway in this location.

[@wildwesthunt17]

klass

[@ExpertSurviveTips]

Hi Lonnie

[@BudgetGunsandGearReviews]

OK. WHEW! The tiny beard kinda freaked me out until I saw how old this video is!

[@jrallen5417]

What is your dog looking at?

[@Far-North-Bushcraft-Survival]

Probably a squirrel. :o)

[@glenn2831]

Ha-ha.

[@laptopdragon]

that only took 3 minutes...easy.

[@jormasteelhail948]

Ahhh where's your beard?!