Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I recently got back from a two week road trip with this tent cot, having traveled the length and breadth of California. I've also taken it on a number of shorter camping trips, and it's performed well every time. It's quick to go up and come down, and I particularly appreciate that it doesn't matter whether the ground is muddy since the only parts touching the ground are the feet. It's also nice that you're not squatting or crawling around on the ground like in a regular tent. It definitely has condensation issues- only time I haven't had condensation was on a summer trip. It has held up well to bad weather though, and I've never had any rain get inside. It weathered a hailstorm-turned-snowstorm in the Sierra Nevada without any difficulty (the rainfly was crusted with snow and ice but it was dry inside), and it's been in countless rainstorms. It did have some issues with the severe wind in Death Valley, and I ended up taking it down around 11 PM because I was concerned that it was going to come down on me. Especially after hearing the screams echoing through the campground and the cries of "ours is coming down too!" after one particularly massive gust. So the wind was pretty extreme and I don't blame the tent cot. Aside from the tremendous gusts of wind there was also a wild lightning storm and RAIN (yes, actual rain coming down hard), so I was just as happy to bug out to the car, especially given that the area is prone to flash-flooding. The easy take-down is a real advantage in conditions like that- I had it down and packed away in the car in a couple of minutes. I have owned this tent almost a year and haven't had any issues with durability. It is tricky to get the velcro part of the tent lined up just right on the cot so that the tent isn't straining against the door zippers when you are inside, so I am always worried about the zippers and mesh on the front, though nothing has ripped yet. I have it positioned reasonably well now, and just leave the tent attached to the cot. I also slept on the cot in my apartment for a while after my air mattress sprang a leak, and the cot seems very well made. Unlike the non-compact version (which I also have and actually slightly prefer), it fits well inside my small sedan, so that I was able to easily fit this tent along with a big cooler and two weeks worth of food and other supplies for my trip. I prefer the non-compact version because of the extra doors, and because the walls are more upright and give the illusion of a larger space inside, even though the compact version is actually taller and slightly wider. Again, because the velcro never seems to line up perfectly on the compact version, there is some deformity of the walls when you are inside- the back bows toward the front, reducing your interior space, and the door zippers always seem to be under strain. But on the other hand, once the velcro is attached, this tent is a less awkward to put up than the non-compact version (which has hooks underneath you need to attach), and it fits into a relatively packed car so it's my choice for longer solo trips as well as trips with other people. In summary, this tent cot has its flaws, but it has performed well on many outings, and I anticipate using it frequently in the future. I've done traditional tent camping, and I greatly prefer the off-the-ground experience of the tent cot, despite the added bulk of the cot. Additionally, the ease of set-up and break-down make it a good choice for a road trip where you are setting up camp in a new location every night. Update: I just used this cot on a three week cross-country road trip, and it is definitely a keeper. I can get it out of the bag and fully set up in under five minutes, and it breaks back down just as quickly. Unlike a regular tent, you don't have to worry about getting mud or dirt off the bottom when you pack up. It's also very nice to be up off the ground in rattlesnake country. I went through some bad weather including thunderstorms with strong winds and it held up fine, although during one particularly bad storm I was bracing the tent from the inside with my leg, just to be on the safe side. I spoke to other people the next day and none of the tent campers got much sleep because of how extreme the wind was. I do wish that Kamp-Rite hadn't removed the extra mesh and door from the compact tent cot (apparently it used to have two doors plus larger mesh windows on the sides), because the cot can get very hot in the desert even when it's windy because of the limited ventilation.