Why Cots Are Better Than Hammocks

According to the National Park Service 5 national parks have bison.

They are:

• Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
• Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
• Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
• Badlands National Park, South Dakota
• Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

And if you want to see bison at a national park, those are your best bets but make sure to keep your distance.

If you are staying at a national or state park, you are likely going to go camping.

If you are not staying in an RV or a lodge, then you are likely making a decision on how to sleep.

Most people don’t like sleeping on the ground, which is why hammocks are popular.

But I hate hammocks. I don’t like trying to find the trees, the time it takes to hang them, and I hate getting out of them because I often end up falling.

That’s why I prefer cots.

I know, they’re not as lightweight, and you would never take them backpacking.

But if I’m car camping, then I don’t need to worry about the weight. I just have to have space in my truck.

And modern cots pack down much smaller so that they don’t take up as much room as the cot I slept on in my house in the 1980s.

Yeah, I didn’t have a bed for a couple of years, I slept on a cot but that’s a story for another day.

I currently use a Teton cot. It’s long enough to accommodate my 6’4” body and wide enough that I can flop around on it.

Plus I got the sleeping pad for it so it’s very comfortable to sleep on. And I got some pouches to store my pocket contents at night.

With my tarp shelter to keep me dry, it’s really become, my favorite way to camp even if my friend Scott teases me that I hate tents so I instead build my own when I camp.

And finally, if you are wondering how to sleep better in bear territory, then check out my course.