Although I love sleeping in the outdoors, I am the first to admit that I usually find it somewhat painful on the body. Ohio based entrepreneur Kristen Alvarez feels the same way, so decided to do something about it. Made from two lightweight materials, the NYX camping cot folds up into your backpack, offering hope for a more comfortable night’s sleep in the backcountry.
Most of us carry the usual Therm-a-Rest or closed cell foam pad as our means to comfortable sleeping outdoors. Hammocks are growing in popularity as a more comfortable sleeping option, but require two fixed connection points along with good weather. The NYX camping cot, the first product for new company Terra Strenua, promises you a more comfortable night’s sleep on any terrain.
Most camping cots are very bulky and weigh at least 10 pounds or more, not very practical to carry on a backpacking trip. In comparison, the NYX camping cot currently weighs 2.5 lbs, but Kristin and design director Zac Nelson are working on bringing that weight down even further.
The NYX camping cot uses a carbon fiber support system with self-leveling springs that can support up to 350 pounds and enable to you to sleep level over uneven terrain. The bed of the cot is made from lightweight and strong cuben fiber material, used frequently in ultralight tents and backpacks .
The NYX camping cot is 75″ long, 25″ wide, and sits 5″ off the ground, leaving you plenty of head room inside of your tent. The NYX camping cot quickly converts into a chair, serving a multi-purpose use around camp. The entire system looks pretty easy to setup and take down, packing small enough to stuff inside or attach to the outside of your pack.
Kristen is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the initial production. For $200 you can get a NYX camping cot which will eventually retail for around $250-$300.
The Terra Strenua NYX camping cot appears very similar to the LuxuryLite Ultralight Camping Cot ($220) that has been popular for years amongst the Cabela’s set. The LuxuryLite cot weighs 2 lbs 12 oz, just a few ounces heavier than the proposed NYX weight.
