Selfinflatable baby and toddler cots

Zuma wrote (see)

Hi John,

The reason for the self collapsing cots was too short poles. There were poles being used from dividable  bicycle flags (dual use) however the divided poles were too short for the designed bed. The weight made the sidewalls fall down and pulling the head/foot ends too eachother. Ifv the poles have an exact length this doesn't happen.

Furthermore there aren't any pattern's available. However I did draw two designs and PDF-ed them.

The adjustable straps you can forget them, I just added them in case there was another kind of collapsing thing in the design. But it seems there isn't as long as the poles are long enough

   

Sure thing Trev,

I do not know much about new light weight inflatables, I only know the Neo Air and the (not so light) exped mats. These designs can ofcourse be used with such mats as well but is more intended for the standard self inflatables. If such tubed mats as Neo Air and Exped indeed get punctured or deflated you have no construction anymore

A standard self inflatable keeps it form when punctured or deflated, not that sturdy though so you'll lie actualy on the ground but sturdy enough to keep the form of the cot (as long as you use light weight poles).  

But I even bet these constructions even work with 10mm  to 18mm, in two or three parts cut-up, closed cell foam mats

Standard self inflatables don't get that quickly punctured if you only watch carefully were you place your tent (otherwise you could get a punctured tentfloor as well) and don't use it as picknick pad on the bare floor. 

If you are really afraid of punctures some additional poles to keep the head and or footend upright can be added as well.

Thanks Zuma for starting this thread off our earlier tangent in the sleeping bag liner thread.

I'm not too worried about puncture. I've only owned one thermarest - the equivalent of a prolite 3/4 length from '97 - and it punctured in the first year of use. I had the repair glue with me and a bit of that took care of the hole (didn't even need a patch). It hasn't leaked since; though it's long past self inflating and I'll replace it when I next feel motivated!

Not only that, my daughter is pretty small for her age and still weighs less than 9kg. Even punctured, a self-inflating mat should keep her off the ground until I can sort a repair.

I'm going to give some thought to the design. There are plenty of so-called lightweight travel cots out there that tip 3kg! Even the best ones I've seen -Littlelife Arc 2 seeming to be a good one - are around 2.25kg, cost upwards of £50 and I've no way of telling if she'd like to sleep in it!

I'm going to give some thought to design options and see if I can come up with something stable, safe, light & not too costly! Zuma's pattern has given me plenty to thing about.

With some lightweight fabrics and alu tentpoles parts for the needed poles you sure will keep below the 2kg including the thermarest. The usage of velcro instead of dividable zips saves weight too. A 183cm standard thermarest weighs about 700 gramms, therefore I believe you can stay below 1,5 kg's

You could even save some weight on fabric by making a smart sleeve for the thermarest (look at thermarest sleeves to transfer them to a seat, there are also big holes of missing fabric i the sleeve to save weight).  

For my three sided design, not really a potentional full cot but functional to keep kids on the mat, one even can argue less fabric is used and that poles in the sides aren't really needed. About the poles not needed I'm not sure cause it's a theoretical idea. You always can make one with pole sleeves and leaving the poles at out to try... 

Not quite!

The inventor mum.

Her product.

Pros and cons review of cot.

And here too.

British standards for products.

Thanks Trev! Pretty soon to 'gamble' will take on a meaning like to 'google'...

Still, that cot is 4kg!!! Not exactly a brilliant solution IMO. And, no doubt, sweaty & prone to puncture if used on a summer camping excursion. Plus it seems to leak overnight... but then so does my daughter

Trevor D Gamble wrote (see)

Surely someone somewhere already makes one of these things!

Trevor D Gamble wrote (see)

Not quite!

The inventor mum.

Her product.

I wrote in that earlier thread that the four sided cot is also commercial available (gamble   on 'Tatteljee'). But it's easy to make one self, so indeed that four sided design I put on the net isn't mine, I just 'copied' the pattern to put it on the net.

The three sided semi-cot thermarest convertor sleeve is most surely not commercially produced, to my knowlegde.

That plastic inflatable thing you gambled on the net has no insulation factor at all. Not suited for camping you still have to add an extra mat to it. 

Trevor D Gamble wrote (see)

One overriding factor in the design seems to me that all materials used must be non-toxic!

That figures, but we 're discussing do it your self. So the materials you use is your own choice. However commercial available outdoor fabrics are also non-toxic as far as I know. Otherwise some manufactureres might have a problem....

Here is the

Old thread about baby cot

It's actualy a thread on sleeping bag liners but we somehow got off-topic and dwelled on making yourself a baby cot.