Sometimes hiking can take several days and you will change camping sites as often as once per day. In those cases you will need to keep your backpack light and your luggage as little as possible. In order to sleep comfortably, though, you will need something to put beneath you during the nights. For most, this is a sleeping pad, a sleeve, or an inflatable mattress. For others, a lightweight camping cot is the way to go. Still, you need to keep weight at a minimum.
If you are a camper who loves to just set up a camp at a lovely spot and spend a few days there while enjoying the surrounding nature, you might want that little bit of extra comfort a great camping cot can provide you. In those cases, cots like the Chinook 29250 are one of the most comfortable solutions to your problem and will give your body a very sturdy and comfortable place to rest and sleep.
Our Verdict: If you need more comfort and support than a traditional camping cot can provide, then your search is over. But with added comfort comes a heavier weight, making the cot unsuitable for campers who travel from campsite to campsite on foot. If you’re looking for a cot that can provide the type of insulation you need during the colder months of the year, then this model is a great choice and one that will keep you snug and dry during the rainy season.
Read on to learn more about this massive camping cot by Chinook.
Product Overview And Features
Chinook produces some of the best camping and hiking gear on the market, ranging from hiking backpacks and tents, to cookware and camping cots. They tend to go above and beyond when it comes to ease of use, functionality, and convenience, which is why their products usually earn a high user rating.
Their latest camping cot easily blows competing models out of the water thanks to it’s simple and fast folding design and pillow top sleeping surface that will keep you warm and comfortable during your next outdoor adventure.
Just like with the REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3, the 29250 is what we call the “Cadillac” of all camping cots. They both have thick padding and a rigid nylon sleeping surface to enhance your sleeping comfort. Furthermore, there is a pillow which by camping standards is something insane to have and everybody will look at you with great envy at the camping site.
Construction And Dimensions
Even though this cot isn’t the definition of “portable” nor “elegant”, it still is one of the most comfortable camping cots we’ve ever tried here. It measures 33 inches in width and over six and a half feet in length. You can imagine that those dimensions can fit pretty much everything and everyone. Apart from being the biggest in sleeping surface dimensions, it also has one of the highest capacities on our list of over 370 pounds.
This camping cot has a trick up its sleeve, which is one of its most unique features. It can be adjusted to become a chair so that you can use it as a sunbed during those summer days at the beach.
The legs are adjustable meaning you can be on a very uneven surface and still have a flat sleeping area. Be careful, though, as the area of the cot where your feet stand doesn’t have a structural leg beneath it, which means that it can trip if you sit on it.
Under the cot there is a height adjustment knob which is used to adjust the leg’s height. In its tallest position the cot has the whooping 20 inches of ground clearance. This allows for tons of storage space below it.
The frame is made out of aluminum (a more rigid version) which is why this cot is considered very tough in terms of durability. As we stated, this thing weighs a “bit” more than the others on this list and therefore we can safely say that you won’t be taking it when hiking, but campers who don’t mind the space it takes or its weight will enjoy its comfort. Actually, it doesn’t even take that much space when folded but it still weighs far too much to be carried around on your back.
Now, about its weatherproof capabilities, it isn’t exactly waterproof since it is quite thick. The sleeping surface is made out of a nylon material which doesn’t get wet but due to that thickness it can hold water on top of it especially if your clothes have been wet or there is moisture in the tent in general.
If you want to know how to waterproof your tent and avoid moisture buildup inside it, check out this article on the topic.
Comfort Redefined
The pillow on this cot along with the plush mesh fabric make the whole experience almost home bed-like. The sleeping surface supports your back amazingly well and resembles a firm mattress. There are contours on it as well which help with upper and lower back support.
One potential downside is that due to the thickness of it, this camping cot isn’t ideal for summer since it is really warm. It is super great for early spring, late autumn, or winter but we tested it in the summer and it can get you sweaty if you don’t have proper ventilation in your tent or are dressed heavily.
We found it really unique that a camping cot brings that much comfort to your overall camping experience. If you lay on it and close your eyes and ignore the mosquito sounds, you can almost imagine you’re at home laying on your bed with your favorite pillow beneath your head. That on its own is a huge selling point, baring everything else this cot has to offer.
Setting It Up
As you can imagine, this isn’t the easiest cot to set up, due to its dimensions. Well, you are wrong. Despite its size, it is a breeze to deploy it. Packing it up is also super easy but despite that it will still take a considerable amount in your car’s trunk.
The manufacturer did a great job of including well-written detailed instructions that will guide you through the process. You’ll find that breaking the cot down and setting it up gets easier and easier each time you do it.
Performance
When you’re camping out for weeks at a time, you tend to miss many of the comforts of home, especially your bed. While this Chinook model isn’t quite as comfortable as that feather top mattress you have at home, it’s the next best thing. The plush pillow top surface offers just the right amount of firmness, so you won’t sink in and provides a supportive surface that’s perfect for people who suffer from chronic back pain or those in need of more lumbar support than a traditional mesh camping cot can provide. It’s a good choice if you’re planning on setting up camp permanently, but considering its weight this is definitely not a cot that would be considered highly portable.
The thickly padded sleeping surface also impacts the cot’s breathability and can make it uncomfortable to use in hotter climates. However, if you’re in need of a comfortable, warm, well-insulated cot to take on your next camping or hunting trip during the fall or winter months, then Chinook has got you covered.
Considering how large this cot is when it’s unfolded, we recommend measuring your tent before you hit that buy now button in order to determine if your tent can accommodate this massive camping cot.
Now, let’s summarize its main pros and cons
Advantages
- One of the most comfortable camping cots
- Priced really well for what it has to offer
- Has a built-in pillow
- Great upper and lower back support
- Durable nylon
- Super strong aluminum frame
- Height can be adjusted
- Insanely big ground clearance
Disadvantages
- It is quite bulky and heavy
- It is on the firm side (even though that is a good thing in our opinion)
- Assembly instructions can be confusing
- Too big for most one-person tents
- Isn’t ideal for the summer camping season
Camping Picks.com Product Rating:
If you want to bring along some of the comforts of home on your next camping adventure, then bring along the 29250. It may not be the lightest model on the market, but it’s definitely one of the most comfortable and easy to use.
The Chinook 29250 really redefines what people consider comfort when out camping. It isn’t your typical camping cot which has as little to it as possible to save weight but it also isn’t targeted at those people. Its prime group of interest are campers who have enough trunk space to carry it around and who prefer comfort over compactness. Nothing better than being out in the wild and waking up from your comfortable bed-like camping cot to be honest with you. If you are willing to take the few downsides that come with this model, you got yourself a great bargain. We gave this cot a four and a half out of five stars rating.
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