My helpful mother, my little sister, and my not-so-little, but younger, brother will be staying with us in southern California from March 10th – April 1st for the arrival of our first child, Athena. The anticipation builds daily as I think about spending quality time with my family. This will be their first visit to California and I’d like to show them why it is my Paradise. The beaches, the sun, the sand, the adventures… the list is endless. At 38 weeks pregnant (when they arrive), though, it’s going to be difficult to show them around or to truly enjoy the surrounding, and forget about where they are all going to sleep in our two-bedroom condo! I’m trying to be realistic about what we can do together to enjoy the outdoors yet keep my ever-growing belly comfortable and secure. I’ve decided that beach camping is the perfect fit! It’s close to the hospital, requires very little effort on my part, and is fun for everyone. To make my camping experience a little more comfortable, I’ll be using the TETON Sports Outfitter XXL Cot. It’s a huge cot that fits well in our tent and will easily double as a bed for my brother, among other guests, during his 3 week stay. The large size makes it great for “pregnant”  camping and since its easily stored in the closet, it’s a wonderful fit for single guests like my brother. I couldn’t be more impressed with the TETON Sports Outfitter XXL Cot. 

The cot measures in at 85″ long, 40″ wide, and 19″ high, which is bigger than a standard twin bed! Size does equal weight and it weighs in a 26 lbs, but our camping ventures will be limited to close-to-car setup and I’m sure my husband will happily move the cot into the tent. He’ll need the practice lifting heavy objects since I’ve yet to see a new parent with less than a stroller, a baby carrier, a diaper bag, and a baby; that has to be more than 26lbs!

The cot is built just as rugged as it is oversized, touting a 600 pound weight capacity with patented steel leg construction. Even better, setup and breakdown is quick and hassle-free so we won’t spend hours fussing with the cot each evening.

Last night, we practiced assembling the cot in the living room to make sure it was a good match for our needs. We folded out the frame, inserted the 2 aluminum cross bars, and both ends of the cot, and snapped them on to pull the canvas tight. It was easier than putting together an Ikea table, and that’s saying something. Disassembling the cot was just as easy and it packed away nicely in its carrying bag. Unlike most other camping products, the carrying bag is not an impossibly tight squeeze. Minus the carrying/lifting, I could use and assemble the cot myself even in the later stages of pregnancy where everything from tying my shoes to putting on my pants is more difficult.

Laying on the cot was comfortable and I had plenty of room to re-position myself. It’s long enough for the tall members of my family, including my 16-year-old brother who is 6’3″. Even he will not have to worry about his feet hanging off one end or his pillow falling off the other.  My sister and I can even use it to play cards on since I can guarantee that will be a large part of our evening. It’s tall enough that all of my gear, including my hospital bag, can slide underneath and at the back of our 8 person tent, no one will need to hurdle over me in the middle of the night. Luckily, there are doors on both sides of our tent for my evening bathroom breaks.

Our camping ventures will be limited when our baby girl first arrives but the cot will make an excellent guest bed for the overflowing family that will want to be part of Athena’s life. We stored it in the extra closet last night and it takes up less than half the space of a roll away bed (It folds down to 42 x 12 x 7 inches). Sure, it may take up more space than an air mattress, but the choice is obvious. After all, air mattresses usually leave guests lying on the floor before the night is over.

The TETON Sports Outfitter XXL Cot is flawless for camping and for house guests when you have limited space. Forget blowing up air mattresses or storing roll away beds. This cot is the camping and guest bed solution.

You can like TENTON’s Facebook page for a qualified giveaway entry; TETON holds monthly drawings where they give away free TETON Sports products. You can also “Purchase Here”.