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Byer of Maine’s Trilite Cot: A Lightweight Backpacking Camping Cot?

• A high-density Ripstop fabric, aluminum frame and steel legs are durable.
• Lightweight and easy to transport and store.
• Made by a reputable company with decades of experience in the field.
• Comes with a carrying case.
• Easy to use.

• The heat-treated spring steel legs require some force to get them in and out of the frame.
• A bit narrow for some kinds of sleepers.
• Relatively higher price tag as compared to other lightweight camping cots.

The Trilite Cot from Byer of Maine is a lightweight camping bed aimed at delivering the best value for your money. It features a set of strong, durable yet lightweight materials, all fused together in an ingenious design.

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Which Type of Cot is This?

In our review of the best camping cots, we categorized the Trilite Cot as a lightweight, collapsible camping cot that has a minimal setup process. At only 7.5 pounds, it is safe to consider the Trilite Cot lightweight, portable and possibly a backpacking cot.

The assembly process involves unfolding the tri-fold frame and jamming in the steel legs into the frame. The bars and the fabric are already attached, so the assembly takes way less time than other camping cots in the same category.

Design and Build of the Cot

The cot has a wide sleeping surface that measures 74 inches long by 25 inches wide, which is well raised from the ground by 8 inches. Durability, functionality, strength and featheriness are at the center-stage of the overall design of this cot.

This is evident in the choice of materials used to make the cot’s frame, legs, and sleeping surface. The frame is made of lightweight, durable aluminum while the legs are made of heat-treated spring steel.

On the other hand, the sleeping deck is made of a high-density ripstop polyester fabric with a 600 denier rating, ideal for maximum longevity and comfort. As extras, you will have two straps at your disposal to secure a sleeping pad atop the fabric cover and an organizer pouch to hold your small items.

In a well-crafted design, these components bring the cot’s load capacity to a whopping 250 pounds, which is quite a big deal for such a lightweight camping bed. Additionally, the cot’s length and lack of end poles ensure support of individuals of heights slightly over six feet.

You will also notice that there are no middle bars running across the sleeping deck, which means a whole lot of difference in terms of comfort during your sleep.

Portability of the Cot

As if its feathery weight of 7.5 pounds isn’t impressive already, the Trilite cot further integrates extra features to make it highly portable. A stuff sack with a padded shoulder strap is included to make hauling a child’s play.

Setups and Teardowns

Inserting the legs into the frame will be perhaps your biggest challenge when setting up the Trilite Cot, a process that would otherwise be straightforward. The frame comes preinstalled with the side poles so all you have to do is unfold the frame and insert the legs.

Place the frame upside down to have the leg holes facing up then place the end of one of the legs into the hole. To insert the other end of the leg, pull the leg towards you and direct it into the hole using a “thumb up” holding technique.

The steel legs can be quite rigid and difficult to get into the holes especially the last leg. A rubber grip can be a nice workaround on the matter. Just be cautious not to hurt yourself in the process.

Best Applicable Use

Fairly versatile in terms of usage, the TriLite cot can be used as a temporary bed for overnight guests or more appropriately for camping. It is lightweight, portable and easily packs into a small compact size.

Though not the lightest of the portable cots, you can still dare to backpack the TriLite Cot. But perhaps a more practical option would be to bikepack it or take it for a car-camping trip.

Compare With Other Lightweight Camping Cots

Conclusion

The TriLite cot performed quite spectacularly on a number of scales we use to evaluate the different camping cots. Particularly, is is lightweight, easy to assemble and carry around. You can confidently pick one for camping, hiking, biking and for other outdoor activities, or pick another one from our selection of lightweight collapsible cots tabled above.