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I was asked to post about this specifically, and kept forgetting to take a photo of it on my bike. Today, I finally remembered.
I really like our Timeout Camper, but it's not very practical for short trips, especially when my wife doesn't come. Last year, I went on the Stuffed Turkey Ride (3 days, two nights), and dragged my Timeout. I enjoyed the comfort, but didn't like setup time for such a short time trip, or the gas mileage; especially when the group started getting over 80mph!
I started looking for an alternative when I'm by myself, so I can still be off the ground and out of the weather (especially if it rains), but not tie myself to a trailer. I ran across this, and it looked like it fit the bill.
1-Person Instant Tent Cot
This is from the website, and gives you an idea of the setup:
I took a picture of it (by itself) on the bike to give an idea of the fit. It extends about 2" or so on each side of the saddlebags, so it's a pretty easy "haul". Fortunately, it fits nicely underneath the "lift up" Rivco armrests I have; if you have other brand armrests, it might interfere.
It really does only take a couple of minutes to set up the basic unit. Getting the rainfly on it brings total setup to about 3 or 4 minutes. Take down so far has been a little longer, but still pretty quick. I'm sure even that will improve as I get more used to it.
I've used it twice myself, and loading it this way gives me plenty of room to stack on a couple of sleeping bags and other gear. It's great for those times when my wife isn't going with me, and I don't want the hassle of a trailer. We even took it with us on the family reunion campout for our grand daughter. I don't think there was a full hour the whole time we were there that the cot was empty. All the various kids took turns playing in it.
Ozark Trail is Walmart's "house brand", so the quality may not be the highest. I've read reviews that complain about the durability, so I can't say for sure how well it will hold up long term; but I'm no lightweight (about 285), and it's felt pretty solid to me so far. The zipper placement for the openings is a just a little awkward, but not unbearable.
I got mine on sale for just a little less than the new lower price. Even at $90, it's a pretty good deal.
I really like our Timeout Camper, but it's not very practical for short trips, especially when my wife doesn't come. Last year, I went on the Stuffed Turkey Ride (3 days, two nights), and dragged my Timeout. I enjoyed the comfort, but didn't like setup time for such a short time trip, or the gas mileage; especially when the group started getting over 80mph!
I started looking for an alternative when I'm by myself, so I can still be off the ground and out of the weather (especially if it rains), but not tie myself to a trailer. I ran across this, and it looked like it fit the bill.
1-Person Instant Tent Cot
This is from the website, and gives you an idea of the setup:
I took a picture of it (by itself) on the bike to give an idea of the fit. It extends about 2" or so on each side of the saddlebags, so it's a pretty easy "haul". Fortunately, it fits nicely underneath the "lift up" Rivco armrests I have; if you have other brand armrests, it might interfere.
It really does only take a couple of minutes to set up the basic unit. Getting the rainfly on it brings total setup to about 3 or 4 minutes. Take down so far has been a little longer, but still pretty quick. I'm sure even that will improve as I get more used to it.
I've used it twice myself, and loading it this way gives me plenty of room to stack on a couple of sleeping bags and other gear. It's great for those times when my wife isn't going with me, and I don't want the hassle of a trailer. We even took it with us on the family reunion campout for our grand daughter. I don't think there was a full hour the whole time we were there that the cot was empty. All the various kids took turns playing in it.
Ozark Trail is Walmart's "house brand", so the quality may not be the highest. I've read reviews that complain about the durability, so I can't say for sure how well it will hold up long term; but I'm no lightweight (about 285), and it's felt pretty solid to me so far. The zipper placement for the openings is a just a little awkward, but not unbearable.
I got mine on sale for just a little less than the new lower price. Even at $90, it's a pretty good deal.
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