BYER OF MAINEAllagash Plus, Cot, 76" L X 30" W X 8" H, Lightweight Cot, Extra Wide, Camping Cots Adult, Holds up to 250lbs, Single, Portable Camping Cot

I am thrilled with the purchase of these cots. They are exactly what I wanted. I researched low profile cots for several weeks prior to purchasing two of these cots. We are involved in cub scouts and we camp a lot as a family. We already own two other cots, but they are very heavy and cumbersome.In my quest for the perfect cot, I needed something that was lightweight, compact, easy to set up, and had at least a 30-in. width. (There are more compact, lightweight cots on the market, but they cost a lot more money and they are very narrow in width which I think would be pretty uncomfortable.)Our cots arrived on Monday morning. I came home during my lunch break and set them up. The first cot setup was very frustrating and it took about 25 minutes of wrangling the thing before getting all of the legs in. However, the second cot was put up in less than 5 minutes. There is a little bit of a learning curve with these, but once you understand what you are doing the set up goes very fast.The fabric is thick and well stitched. The cots appear to be durable and very well made. They should last a long time. My eight-year-old son and I slept on these cots in the living room for three nights to help loosen the fabric up. I disassembled and reassembled both of these cots three times in three days. Each time it got faster and easier. Just for the fun of it, on Thursday evening I timed myself with a stop watch. It took approximately 1 minute and 31 seconds to set up, and 1 minute and 30 seconds to take it down and pack it up.I am a single mother with a chronic illness. I have low muscle tone, yet I was able to set up these cots with very little trouble once I figured out what I was doing. You have to work smarter not harder. I put these together standing up with the cot on its side. I put a leg in the opposite hole across from me. Then I use my body weight, a little muscle and my thumb to push and guide the other end of the leg until it pops into its proper place in the second hole. The first leg is usually the most difficult and requires the most patience, strength and guidance.There is a Youtube video titled “Base Camp Cot” by Leslie Hunt. She is reviewing the Mountain Trails Camp Cot which is also sold on Amazon. This video was very helpful to me in setting up my own cot and I use the same method for getting my legs into the holes as she does. I considered making my own Youtube video setting up these cots, but why reinvent the wheel when someone else has already done the work? Ms. Hunt’s video is very easy to understand. The Mountain Trails Camp Cot is similar to the Byer of Maine Allagash Plus Cot in the way the legs are installed. (The side rails on the Allagash cots are already installed so you can disregard that part of her video.)I chose this cot over the Mountain Trails Camp Cot for a few reasons. 1.) The side rails are already installed which makes set up easier and faster. 2.) The weight capacity is 250 lbs. for this cot and it seems more rugged. 3.) It has a double-reinforced center panel.I took a chance on ordering this cot because of the mixed reviews. Many people complained of the double-reinforced center panel. However, my son and I find this cot to be very comfortable. We sleep on our sides, belly and back. We move a lot in our sleep. Neither one of us has noticed the center panel. I weigh 215 lbs. and I come nowhere near bottoming out in this cot. The fabric is comfortable and it conforms to our bodies to relieve any pressure points. The cots are stable.I’m so glad that I purchased two of these Byer of Maine Allagash Plus Cots. I highly recommend setting these cots up prior to your camping trip and sleeping in them to relax the fabric. I anticipate getting a lot of use out of these and I would not hesitate to recommend them to other women, family or friends (including people with illnesses or disabilities who are able to stand up for a short period of time and have use of all four extremities.) (NOTE: I do think that children will have a difficult time setting these up if they do not have the height or weight to maneuver the legs into place – especially in the beginning when the fabric is still new and tight.)I will link the Youtube video titled “Base Camp Cot” by Leslie Hunt down in the comments.

I received my cot last night and put it together and tried sleeping in it for the night, and I had a great night's sleep! I do use a pad on my cot, but I love the way the cot let's you sink in just a bit and reduces pressure on your hips and shoulders!A lot of reviews comment on how difficult it was for them to get the legs in to set up the cot, but I didn't really have much of an issue. Yes, you have to use a little bit of strength, but if you with smarter, not harder, it's not bad at all. I don't work out or anything, and I was worried that I was going to have trouble with the way some of the reviews talk about it, but I found this to be much quicker and easier to set up than even the Teton cots that have that little guide lever to basically do the work for you.My cot did come missing a leg and the rubber grip. I kind of get the feeling my cot might have been sold and returned, which could contribute to why I found it to be pretty easy to get the legs in -- it might've already been used and the fabric might be a bit pre-broken in. But I contacted Byer of Maine and they're sending the replacement parts for the missing pieces, and I honestly kind of appreciate the cot already being broken in because it's made it a bit easier to set up and I'm sure comfort than a brand new cot that still needs to be broken in! Lol Apart from the missing pieces, there's no damage to the cot that I can see.My technique for getting the legs in was to lay the cot on the floor. I sat with my butt outside the cot, and my legs going over the cot so my feet where on the the pole opposite me so I could use my legs to push the fabric taught. I put the pole into the hole closest to me and pushed against the opposite pole with my feet while pulling on the leg to get the tension to get it in the opposite hole. You have to use a bit of strength, since there's no mechanical assists to get the needed tension, but nothing too crazy; I promise you if I can do it, you can do it!

I just got this, so this is a preliminary review. I haven't slept on it.I got it together in perhaps 5 minutes. Not bragging, just saying there are tricks. I an average or modestly-strong 60 y.o. man, but I broke a few ribs just over a week ago so I can't really lean into things.There is a yellow gripper included, a little rubber piece, that slides over the leg and allows you to grip it better. I thought it would make most sense starting from the middle, but I switched to the end quickly. I got the first leg in while I was on one knee, the 2 beams resting on the floor/my knee respectively. After you get the first one in, the rest are easier.The major tricks are: put the gripper as close as you can to the end of the leg to give yourself maximum leverage: i.e. leave perhaps 3/4" sticking out of the gripper, just enough to insert in the beam. Set yourself up so that much of the force you are exerting is being counteracted by the floor, not your grip on the beam. That part becomes much simpler for legs 2-4, b/c I stood up and pushed straight down into the floor. For some reason the last leg was the hardest, but not one of them took more than 20 seconds.People who think the legs should be more flexible: the design of this relies on the leg strength for rigidity of the sleeping surface. If the legs were more flexible, the cot would be more floppy. I'm not sure I like how floppy it is already. But like I said, I haven't slept on it yet: I think an air mattress will probably make it fine. I like how light it is: I have another cot with a little side-table attached to it, and I really like it... nice and stiff surface, folds up/down in seconds... but it weighs a lot and takes 2-3 x more room when folded.I'm pretty much new to cots, and find myself wondering why it took me so long. I'll try to update this review after I get some practical experience sleeping on this.

Went camping and needed a better alternative to an air mattress. Every cot I found was so narrow but this one was wider than the rest which gave us just enough room for me and my two dogs to fit rather comfortably. Felt sturdy, was quick and easy to set up (though you do need strong arms), and gave us much more space in our small tent which was great. I definitely recommend this cot for anyone looking for a reasonable amount of space.

Sorry, but I don't see what the issue is with putting this thing together. After a number of reviews I expected it to be a pain but I experienced no difficulties at all. I'm using it in tandem with a Klymit mattress and it is super comfortable. The only disappointment is not being able to get a cover to come with it.