Every once in awhile, a product come along that is worth writing and telling others about. The OversizeTent Cot by Kamp-Rite - Tent Cot by Kamp-Rite - is just such a product. I had been eyeing this innovative tent for a couple of years and when my son and I decided to go camping in the Adirondacks a couple of weeks ago, I decided to go ahead and make the purchase. We camped for two rainy nights and I was very impressed with the quality of construction, ease of set-up, use, and comfort. So much so that I decided to tell my fellow FJers about this fantastic way to camp. Here's my review...
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I purchased the Oversize Tent Cot by Kamp-Rite for $169 from Bass Pro Shop in Auburn, NY. I later noted that TRDParts4U, a Forum supporting vendor, recently had them in stock for the same price - http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/fjcruiseroffroad-com/48704-kamprite-tent-cots-stock.html - the Tent Cot came in a nice tote.
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When folded, the 34"L X 34"W 8"D tent will just fit flat in the back of the FJ without the passenger seats folded down if the tent is centered. If there is nothing in the door cargo net, the door will close just fine without trouble.
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The Oversize Tent Cot weighs only 24 lbs and is easy to carry with the tote. I on the other hand, weigh a bit more as you can tell. I was a nervous about how such a light piece of equipment would hold up, but the manufacturer lists the weight capacity as 350 lbs, so I was somewhat assured that it could more then handle the job.
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In addition to the tote, there are only four pieces to deal with - The main body of the tent, two folding flexible tent rods, and the rain fly (not shown here). The tote has an extra large opening and it is easy to pull the tent out as well as put it back in.
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Set-up is fairly easy and similar to setting up a tri-fold reclining chair. You just unfold the tent and flip out the supporting legs to pop the tent up. A practiced person could easily unpack and have this tent ready to sleep in under 30 seconds.
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At each end of the tent are two straps that clip to the supports to hold the accordian-like tent up and keep the supports from collapsing. You simply turn the tent over on its side a bit to snap the clips on.
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Here's a close-up of a strap and how it clips onto the support.
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Here's a viev of the underneath side of the tent and the two straps. Note the built in foam sleeping pad that makes for hassle-free comfortable camping.
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Next, flip the tent right-side-up and slide the two crossing tent rods through the sleeves on the top. The ends of the rods fit into sturdy holes in the upper tent supports.
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In all but torrential down-pour conditons or very cold weather, the tent is now ready for sleeping!
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This tent is roomy! The interior dimensions are 90"L X 32"W X 40"H. I'm average height, and had nearly 2' of extra length. There are also two handy storage pouches for eyewear, keys, valuables, etc., hanging from the ceiling at end. As you can see, there are nice openings on all sides making getting into and out of the tent very easy as well as enabling flexibility for "climate control". Note the lack of uncomfortable bars underneath the cot, which makes for a comfortable sleeping surface!
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All openings have two zippered flaps - an inner mosquito netting and a rain door (each with small openings sealed with velcro for passing smaller items in and out of the tent without unzipping the larger openings. I like being able to control the privacy/views to the outside.
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Because of the angle of the ends, on nice bug-free nights, you can even lie on your back and stare at the stars!
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I found the Oversize Tent Cot to be very roomy and comfortable which is saying something for a person of my size. It was very easy to get into and out of. One early morning, my dog, a 70-lb German Shorthair Pointer crawled into the tent with me and surprisingly, he was able to curl up at the foot-end without cramping my leg room. Those who camp with dogs and allow them in their beds might find this to be noteworthy. My dog loved the tent - he crawled into it several times on his own when I wasnt' looking!
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The tent also came with a heavy duty rain fly which is easily pulled over to cover the entire tent.
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The rain fly only has a zippered door on one side, but does have covered ventilation at the two ends. In my opinion, with the built in foam sleeping pad and the rain fly, this tent is suitable for four-season camping.
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Another feature worth noting is that one of the folds locks in an upright position in order to use the tent as a lounge chair if desired.
Overall, I am extremely impressed with this tent and it exceeds my expectations for quality and design. The fabric of both the tent and the rain fly is very thick and the zippers are incredibly high quality. It was very sturdy in my two-night Adirondack camping excursion and not once did I feel like I was overly straining the tent despite my bulk. The interior is spacious - I am able to sit up with no problem to dress or arrange items. I have a very bulky oversized sleeping bag and I wanted to see if I could keep it in the tent while it was folded up and stored in the tote. Although it did increase the thickness, it was doable and if desired, you could keep it that way indefinitely.
My first use of the tent was in two nights of rain. During the first night with moderate bouts of medium rain, I had no problems. The second night was a long heavy rain for about four hours and without the rain fly, I did get a drip at a seam in the very end. It did not soak me, but I did have to re-center my position to keep from being uncomfortable. I have no doubt that with the rain fly installed, one could withstand the heaviest rain with no leaks.
I recommend the Oversize Tent Cot by Kamp-Rite for anybody who wishes to have a quick and comfortable camping solution for stop-n-go excursions or overnight fishing or hunting trips in all weather. It fits nicely in the back of the FJ and you can't beat the ease of set-up. To me, it is perfect for offroading.
FYI, there is also a double Tent Cot for couples. I would personally shy away from the original Tent Cot - not simply because of the smaller size, but because there are only two support legs in the middle making it unstable and the tent prone to tip over on the ends.
I hope that this review was useful to you. I'll provide future updates on this thread if I make additional useful observations. :cheers:
I purchased the Oversize Tent Cot by Kamp-Rite for $169 from Bass Pro Shop in Auburn, NY. I later noted that TRDParts4U, a Forum supporting vendor, recently had them in stock for the same price - http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/forums/fjcruiseroffroad-com/48704-kamprite-tent-cots-stock.html - the Tent Cot came in a nice tote.
When folded, the 34"L X 34"W 8"D tent will just fit flat in the back of the FJ without the passenger seats folded down if the tent is centered. If there is nothing in the door cargo net, the door will close just fine without trouble.
The Oversize Tent Cot weighs only 24 lbs and is easy to carry with the tote. I on the other hand, weigh a bit more as you can tell. I was a nervous about how such a light piece of equipment would hold up, but the manufacturer lists the weight capacity as 350 lbs, so I was somewhat assured that it could more then handle the job.
In addition to the tote, there are only four pieces to deal with - The main body of the tent, two folding flexible tent rods, and the rain fly (not shown here). The tote has an extra large opening and it is easy to pull the tent out as well as put it back in.
Set-up is fairly easy and similar to setting up a tri-fold reclining chair. You just unfold the tent and flip out the supporting legs to pop the tent up. A practiced person could easily unpack and have this tent ready to sleep in under 30 seconds.
At each end of the tent are two straps that clip to the supports to hold the accordian-like tent up and keep the supports from collapsing. You simply turn the tent over on its side a bit to snap the clips on.
Here's a close-up of a strap and how it clips onto the support.
Here's a viev of the underneath side of the tent and the two straps. Note the built in foam sleeping pad that makes for hassle-free comfortable camping.
Next, flip the tent right-side-up and slide the two crossing tent rods through the sleeves on the top. The ends of the rods fit into sturdy holes in the upper tent supports.
In all but torrential down-pour conditons or very cold weather, the tent is now ready for sleeping!
This tent is roomy! The interior dimensions are 90"L X 32"W X 40"H. I'm average height, and had nearly 2' of extra length. There are also two handy storage pouches for eyewear, keys, valuables, etc., hanging from the ceiling at end. As you can see, there are nice openings on all sides making getting into and out of the tent very easy as well as enabling flexibility for "climate control". Note the lack of uncomfortable bars underneath the cot, which makes for a comfortable sleeping surface!
All openings have two zippered flaps - an inner mosquito netting and a rain door (each with small openings sealed with velcro for passing smaller items in and out of the tent without unzipping the larger openings. I like being able to control the privacy/views to the outside.
Because of the angle of the ends, on nice bug-free nights, you can even lie on your back and stare at the stars!
I found the Oversize Tent Cot to be very roomy and comfortable which is saying something for a person of my size. It was very easy to get into and out of. One early morning, my dog, a 70-lb German Shorthair Pointer crawled into the tent with me and surprisingly, he was able to curl up at the foot-end without cramping my leg room. Those who camp with dogs and allow them in their beds might find this to be noteworthy. My dog loved the tent - he crawled into it several times on his own when I wasnt' looking!
The tent also came with a heavy duty rain fly which is easily pulled over to cover the entire tent.
The rain fly only has a zippered door on one side, but does have covered ventilation at the two ends. In my opinion, with the built in foam sleeping pad and the rain fly, this tent is suitable for four-season camping.
Another feature worth noting is that one of the folds locks in an upright position in order to use the tent as a lounge chair if desired.
Overall, I am extremely impressed with this tent and it exceeds my expectations for quality and design. The fabric of both the tent and the rain fly is very thick and the zippers are incredibly high quality. It was very sturdy in my two-night Adirondack camping excursion and not once did I feel like I was overly straining the tent despite my bulk. The interior is spacious - I am able to sit up with no problem to dress or arrange items. I have a very bulky oversized sleeping bag and I wanted to see if I could keep it in the tent while it was folded up and stored in the tote. Although it did increase the thickness, it was doable and if desired, you could keep it that way indefinitely.
My first use of the tent was in two nights of rain. During the first night with moderate bouts of medium rain, I had no problems. The second night was a long heavy rain for about four hours and without the rain fly, I did get a drip at a seam in the very end. It did not soak me, but I did have to re-center my position to keep from being uncomfortable. I have no doubt that with the rain fly installed, one could withstand the heaviest rain with no leaks.
I recommend the Oversize Tent Cot by Kamp-Rite for anybody who wishes to have a quick and comfortable camping solution for stop-n-go excursions or overnight fishing or hunting trips in all weather. It fits nicely in the back of the FJ and you can't beat the ease of set-up. To me, it is perfect for offroading.
FYI, there is also a double Tent Cot for couples. I would personally shy away from the original Tent Cot - not simply because of the smaller size, but because there are only two support legs in the middle making it unstable and the tent prone to tip over on the ends.
I hope that this review was useful to you. I'll provide future updates on this thread if I make additional useful observations. :cheers:
