Earth Products Jamboree Military Style Folding Cot with Free Side Storage Bag System and Pillow (Green)

After reading other reviewers complain about the crossbars being hard to install I left the box in the entry way until my college son could come home & help. I also noticed some mentioned the smell so my curiosity got the better of me & I decided to open the box 'just to let it air out'. Surprise! No smell other than a brief 'new' smell as I pulled it out which quickly dissipated. I thought I'd stretch it out till he came. Well, folks, that is all there is to installation - just stectch it out & snap on the cross bars which were, well - a snap. :-) I'm turning 60 with weak wrists from overuse & this was was easy! Final test, being 'mature' with periodic back aches I laid on it expecting to need to quickly roll to my side before my back started to hurt. Oh no, this baby is back-friendly (& plenty stable to turn over if you want to). This is coming from a massage therapist with many years experience. Now I want another one for guests. Tonight though, I'm sleeping under the stars, days before the college son ever gets home. :-) Ahhh...6/19/12: Uh-hum. After trying the cot a few nights, I will add this: The 1st night I tried it with a sheet only & was able to fall asleep but was aware of the bars around all 4 sides. The 2nd night I folded the therafoam padding from my larger bed in half on it and tried it again. Again I slept well but was still aware of the rectangle of metal bars around it. *Perhaps this is typical of all cots*, dunno, but it was easy to set up & take down & the side pouches would be super handy on a camping trip. Just dont expect it to feel like your bed at home. And why does Earth sell the same cot for almost the same price under 2 separate listings, only one hides the price-up under shipping costs & throws in a $1 pillow (most will prefer their own pillow)? Lastly I did notice some material sag in the hip area of the fabric after the 1st night even though I'm no where near 200 lbs. I tightened the Velcro both before & after the first night but it didn't seem to change that. I'd recommend centering your hip area over the center strap of fabric which is heavier to get more longevity out of the product. Happy camping! :-)6/29/12 UPDATE: I bought the Earth Jamboree Cot 1st, then the Texsport. The Texsport is a far better cot & around $20 less! This one has bells & whistles of the side hanging pocket and pillow but what we care about is a good night's sleep. The Texsport is tight & quiet. The Military one creaks. Other than the Velcro pockets, they're pretty much the same except the Texsport is a lot tighter & more comfortable. Wish I'd bought the Texsport 1st, then I would've looked no further.

I bought this so that I'd have a place to sleep while my house guest used my bed. I didn't buy an accompanying cot mattress.First, the pros. The cot is extremely sturdy. Although you do get some creaking noises when you sit down, the cot doesn't shake or buckle at all when sitting or lying on top of it. Taking down the cot and putting it into the canvas bag are relatively easy. The canvas material on the cot itself is strong. Even though I didn't need the travel pillow or the attaching bags for camping supplies, I think they're a great addition. The cot is extremely roomy and I had no trouble turning in my sleep or sitting cross-legged on it. And, for the first few hours of lying on it, it was comfortable.The only two cons are that my arm was seriously hurting by the morning and that it's hard to assemble. I like that I didn't have to screw or tighten anything, that it just folds open and closed, but the difficult part was attaching the bars at either end. The bars have two holes on either side. They slide through a pocket in the canvas at each end and then fit onto the cot. The cot has two little plastic nubs that go into the holes. This keeps the canvas taut and the frame more secure. They were SO difficult for me to slap on, though. I kept smacking and snacking the bar into place and they just wouldn't work. I finally had to ask my partner to get them on for me and even he had some problems. In the morning when I took down the cot, I also had trouble getting the bars off the frame.This cot is really well made and you get a lot for the price. Assembly couldn't be any easier, except for those darn bars. And if you buy a cot mattress, I bet it'd be really comfortable. Even without the mattress, it wasn't so bad. It's much better for the back than sleeping on the floor or ground.

I weigh in at 275 pounds. I researchased buying a high quality camping cot that would be super sturdy and good size. I am disabled and getting in and out of it was a high priority for the decision to purchase. It set up pretty easily.... looks great with all of the gear on it. Sat down in the middle..hard for me to get out of due to my spine being fused. OK, I can deal with it. Walked around it admiring all the crap I would not be able to reach while in it but I wanted to sleep on anyway. OK, sat near the end..slid my butt with my legs dangling over the side to do my maneuver to sort of rolling into it. Did not even have the honor to start as within a very scary 2 seconds....the whole end caved in. ALL the metal braces and a couple of rivet heads bent so badly it literally caved and buckled in so fast I could not get an expletive out fast enough. Hit my Service dog on the way down. Took quite a time and effort to get out. Mind you all this within seconds.Product a time bomb for any person over 250lbs. Easy to set up, looks like a Prize but really is a dressed up painted pig of a product. If I had a witness I wouid sue for damages and pain after it fell