How To Repair Camping Cots — The Best Guide

You need a camping cot that perfectly fits inside your tent — to catch quality Zs in the campground. Cots are the finest sleeping tools for campers, given their unmatched compactness, portability, flexibility, and protection from the ground. They fold to give you space in the day and unfolds into a large sleeping surface at night.

While in use, your camping cot can develop a bit of a problem that will need fixing, though this is a rare happening with quality models. The legs may break or fold, and the fabric cover may as well tear.

Either way, there’s always a way out of this. Let’s take a look at some of the few but essential camping cot repair tricks to have at your fingertips below.

Stitching A Small Tear On The Sling Fabric

A camping cot’s sling fabric bears all your weight, and it may tear. The rarest cause of such a tear can be weight because each fabric is accompanied by its weight capacity (why exceed this?).

However, accidents are unprecedented, and even a needle may find its way through the material. When this happens, patching is needed. But, the patching should only be done when the tear is small and before it gets any more significant.

To patch your sling fabric, you’ll need another very thick fabric of a larger size than the rip (preferably an inch all around), a waxed sewing thread, and a sewing awl.

The cot must be disassembled first of all. Then, remove the fabric cover so that it is well set for sewing. Clean the torn area and its surroundings. Trim any loose threads on the rip and leave to dry.

Prepare two very thick fabric patches and sew on both the inside and outside parts — sew very closely to one another. You can then apply seam grip all around the patch to add strength.

Fixing A Bend

Bends may occur on the cot’s legs, and if they’re not severe, a simple push can return them to normal. If the cot’s bent leg is fragile, or the bend is severe, replacement is the best course of action.

Replacing The Sling Fabric

The tear on your cot’s fabric cover may be severe. The fabric may have started wearing out as well. You can do nothing but a replacement in such cases.

If you do not have an extra cover, the only solution is owning a spare air mattress to help you sleep instead. Replacing this fabric isn’t anything complicated. You’ll disassemble the cot, remove the old one, and add the new one.

Replacing The Legs

To replace the legs of your camping bed, you require a few special skills. Therefore, I’ll recommend that you find a specialist for this. Otherwise, you can return the whole cot for warranty work, if its warranty period is still in play.

Replacing The Foot Caps

Foot caps are meant to protect your tent’s floor from damage. They reduce pressure inserted on your floor by distributing your weight evenly.

In their absence (or upon their destruction), your nylon fabric floor may also be damaged. Replacing them is all about finding the right size for your cot’s feet.

Also, rubber caps are more preferable because of their grip. If your camping bed has u-shaped legs, however, caps aren’t a requirement.

Better Be Safe Than Sorry

Most fixes are replacements, which require that you either use too much cash on spare parts or the repairers. Luckily, you can take the following precautions and save a great deal of money.

Don’t Sit On The Side Rails!

Instead, sit on the sling fabric. Otherwise, your weight will be concentrated on a few legs, which may lead to the destruction of your tent’s floor.

If you have to sit on the side rails, make sure that you are sitting between two legs so that your weight is distributed to more legs.

Avoid Using It With A Small Tear On The Fabric

Always check your sling fabric for any rips, regularly. If you realize any small tear, mend it immediately. Sleeping or sitting on the fabric with a small tear will enlarge the rip to the extent that you can’t sew but replace it.

A more massive rip will also rob you of comfort while sleeping. It may keep letting your legs or hands fall off, which isn’t healthy.

Lubricate Squeaky Joints

This is a care tip for every other tool with joints. Lubrication does not only reduce the noise produced but also ensures that the joints live longer and that the machine is more efficient in its operation.

Here, I’ll recommend that you use a Teflon spray lubricant. Before spraying, remove the cot from the tent. Also, remove the sling fabric from the bed. Then, move away from your tent, preferably downwind.

Lastly, do the spraying (downwind from the tent) and leave it to dry for some time.

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Lubricate Fabric That Rub On The Rails

The outer vinyl coating of your cot’s fabric can rub against its frame to make an uncomfortable sound while you turn and toss on the bed. Lubrication is a perfect solution for this, too.

Find a suitable lubricant for this joint (from the seller) or use the Teflon spray lubricant again. While doing this, you must separate the fabric from the camping bed.

Wash It Monthly

Cleaning your cot is mandatory if you want a long life’s service. You are required to clean both the fabric and the frame.

While cleaning, you got to use the right soap or detergent. Some detergents will attract rodents that maybe at up parts of your cot, so you have to use the right ones.

Also, make sure that you don’t scrub the fabric too hard to destroy it.

Always Fold It While Not In Use

When you leave your cot “open” while not in use, you’re exposing it to damages. Its surface ar a remains large; thus, it may easily be damaged by fire, a knife, you, and many other things.

Folding and keeping it in the right corner hides it away from destruction.

The Bottom Line

Camping cots rarely have repair tools. Most of their damages require replacements or repairs that won’t last long. Preventing their damage saves you the most. I hope this article is going to help you have a happy camping adventure — best of luck, pals!