5
3
I first posted this review on Amazon.com, but I thought it deserved a repost. Additionally, Amazon's listing is now condensed for *all* Slumberjack Cots, rather than specifically for the Big XL cot.
This review is for you, Big XL cot.
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December 12, 2006:
I just bought the Slumberjack cot and assembled it (fairly easy, even without instructions -- see the item picture). It's pretty damn heavy, but also highly compact when folded down. If you're not really tall (I'm 5'8") it can be a very minor difficulty in getting in and out, but that can't really be helped much, though as another reviewer pointed out, it will be harder the shorter you are.
You *will* need a mattress/sleeping-bag+comforter for this, as the midsection of the cot was not thoroughly thought out to prevent back strain, but with adequate cushioning, it feels fine after a good night's sleep. (I just woke up from using it)
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December 10th, *2007*:
Well, one year later, the verdict is still the same: An excellent choice if you need to buy a cot and want one that lasts, is sturdy, and big enough to be comfortable. Since last year I've slept in this thing countless times, probably around 20 nights in total on my road-trips. With proper cushioning -- combined with its large area -- it's extremely comfortable.
It is true that assembly and disassembly tend to be somewhat awkward with heavy parts, but asides from that it is relatively fast to assemble* and disassemble, the time consuming part being assembling and disassembling whatever bedding you brought with you.
Previous reviews mentioned an awkward smell that the cot supposedly has -- I never experienced this, though perhaps when I first purchased it a very tiny odor could've been present, it was masked by my bedding and has since completely disappeared.
*As it turned out, I've been assembling it almost correctly -- I never figured out how to properly connect the cross-struts so I simply took a short cut and let them rest below the long bars. This apparently has had no effect on the sleeping quality over the year, however this is perhaps the reason why the mid-section was not very comfortable. Regardless, I would most definitely buy this cot again.
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August 30th, 2010
Wow, it's been this long. Well, let me just say that the cot still works great. There was an issue with rain and water getting in and soaking in on it (my fault)... but this was solved with some chemical sprays (mostly a heavy dosage of lysol and febreeze) and the odors and whatever was probably growing on it have since vanished.
In the meanwhile, in lieu of having an actual bed, this thing has been serving as my sleeping device every night for over the past two months and it still works great and is pretty comfortable (with you know, bedding underneath).
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November 22nd, 2010
Aside from what's been said before, lets just say that depending on the gross weight of individuals and the weight distribution, you can actually have more than one person sitting on it at one time. I don't have extra seating in my room, so I tried to make a makeshift sofa-thing out of this. Two people can easily sit on this and watch movies for hours, many many times, without causing the thing to break or otherwise fail! I assume this extends to sleeping, though I'm not sure I'd bet on 'more involved activities'.
And yes, I've been sleeping on this darn thing for almost five months straight now. I don't have back pains or any other problems... though on the rare occasion I get to try a 'real bed' I do realize what I'm missing. I can say however, as with all my previous updates, this is pretty darn comfortable with the proper setup. You just can't sprawl yourself out and roll around or really stretch.
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August 2nd, *2011*
Alright, this will be the final update. I've slept on that damn thing for a year and a month straight; no obvious back problems, no sleeping disorders, whatever. I've since moved on to a real bed (thank god), and I don't ever plan on using the cot again unless I need it -- probably for any future guests rather than myself, or when road-tripping.
I think this product has been properly and completely tested for it's reliability, sturdiness, 'comfort', and longevity. I've had this thing for almost 5 years, so good job, Slumberjack!
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5/5 -- for it's reliability, sturdiness, and 'relative comfort' (you need cushions)!
