Ultralite cot for under $30

On everyone of my camp outs, I always carry a big, heavy cot. I would sleep on a pad, but you can feel the rocks under the the tent. An self-inflating mattress seems pretty good too but in my experience, they deflate. So in my search for a reliable,portable, and lightweight cot, i found this: http://www.luxurylite.com/cotindex.html . It's the perfect cot! BUT,with all good must come evil and that evil is the price tag.I thought I going to have to break open the piggy back (again) for this :( I didn't want to break the piggy bank (again) but i REALLY want that cot so, I do what i usually do- make it myself! It's quite simple. you see, you lay on the cot and the poles underneath stretch the fabric so you stay aloft! (What a marvelous invention!) 

Some notes:
I am around 100 pounds and I am an inch off the ground. if you are over 130 pounds, you may have to buy the actually cot.
This is not for those who toss and turn at night. sorry :(
I wouldn't use on a weeklong campout right after you finish making it. I suggest you try it for nap in your living room then a camp out. If you think its ready, take it wherever you want!

I am not responsible for any injuries that happen due to this cot.

If you trust your crafting skills, then proceed and good luck! :) 

Step 1: Materials

Material needed:

Fabric that doesn't stretch and is strong. i used tarp cause it was around :P you can use rip-stop fabric or the bottom of old tents for those who recycle.

8 to 10 3/8 inch diameter tent poles. mine are 25 5/8 inch long.

2 feet of 4  inch pvc

2 seven feet collapsable tent poles. its going to be longer than bed. that is fine.

3 feet of flat, thin wooden molding. mine is 1/4 inch thick. i suggest the same if home-depot has it

Tools:
drill
dremel
knife
saw
sewing machine
gorilla glue


I got my 3/8 inch diameter tent poles from 2 repair kits. they come in a pack of 4 and you have to cut them in half yourself. usually the stretch cord is provided. 

Comments

[pamela4454]

Can this be made wider and higher so it is close to the same height as a bed and as wide as a twin bed? We have big people in our family and If I could make it fit at least a 200 lb. person that would be great. but it needs to be wide as well as long. 24 inches isn't good enough because we toss and turn. Even the ones you buy are not wide enough

[tseay]

Pamela,
To increase the strength of the legs cut a larger section and increase the diameter of the PVC, because there will be more deflection (sag) on the cot. The pole strength and size are pretty much fixed, but addition legs will increase the strength of the cot over all. Good luck

[spylock]

This is a nice one,great job.

[slackpat]

The original cot is about 3 pounds, what was the weight of your final cot?

[kingsmanname]

I really like this, for the longest time I've looked for portable cots and I think this may be the answer I've been lookin for, Thanks!!!

[Isurvival]

Thanks for sharing-I've seen the design on the internet, but it was very expensive, and also hard to get (from Hungary)...anyway, great instructables!

[zazenergy]

Awesome! This is a great Instructable. Welcome to the community :)