Handmade in the USA, the Go-Kot was designed by scoutmasters in 1978 in order to provide better cots for their scouts.
The Go-Kot is compact. When packed in its 28 x 8 x 3 inch carrying bag, the Go-Kot takes up less room in a trunk or cargo compartment than the typical camping cot.
The Go-Kot is rugged. It is constructed of heavy-duty nylon fabric, an aircraft-grade aluminum frame, and spring-steel legs.
The Go-Kot is easy to assemble and disassemble. It takes about a minute to take it out of the carrying bag and set up. It takes about another minute to take it down and stow it back in the bag.
Best of all, the Go-Kot is comfortable. I was able to sleep in it without any of the joint pain that so often accompanies sleeping on cots, air mattresses, or foam pads, not to mention sleeping on the ground.
The Go-Kot cost $249 at the time of this writing at go-kot.com . That is significantly more than the cost of cots made in China by prison labor using substandard materials. But if you want an American-made cot that you can hand down to your grandchildren rather than replacing every few years, the Go-Kot might be what you are looking for.
Background
With the passing of the years, the ground has become progressively harder. Many people are concerned about global warming. I find global hardening to be a much more serious issue, deserving greater attention. As a part of my ongoing efforts to address this serious issue, I contacted Go-Kot to see if they could provide me with a sample of one of their cots for testing and evaluation. They were kind enough to agree. Not long afterward, a box appeared on my porch via UPS Ground. It was sent from Go-Kot, 32769 US Highway 231, Ashville, AL 35953-6029. The shipping label proudly proclaims that Go-Kot is “America’s Finest Camping Cot.”
First Impressions
The shipping box measured 30.5 x 8 x 3.25 inches. It contained the cot in its carrying bag, a package of glides/pads for the feet of the cot, a Go-Kot decal, and a packing list. The packing list indicated that the cot is regular size. Regular size is 74 x 27 x 8 inches when fully assembled, and weighs 9 pounds in its carry bag. The cot is also available in long size. The Long size is 84 x 27 x 8 inches and weighs 10 pounds in its carry bag. Both sizes have a 350-pound capacity.
At 9 pounds and 10 pounds, the Go-Kot can be heavy for some applications. I am happy to report that a Go-Kot Lite is under development. I hope to have the opportunity to review the Go-Kot Lite when it is ready.
The packing list also indicated that the cot is tan in color. Go-Kots are also available in blue, black, green, peacock, navy blue, multicam, or OD green.
The cot arrived packed in the convenient and attractive carrying bag. There is an adjustable shoulder strap on the carrying bag. The carrying bag is made of the same heavy-duty nylon as the cot. There is a cloth label sewn on the flap of the carrying bag that indicates that Go-Kots have been made in the USA since 1978.
Inside the carrying bag there are two cards. One invites customers to share their photos on Go-Kot’s social media pages and gives an overview of Go-Kot history. As mentioned above, Go-Kots were originally designed by scoutmasters who sought to provide better cots for their scouts. The company was purchased by some Air Force veterans when the original owner was ready to retire. The cots have been used by wildland firefighters and military special operations units. The company also partners with homeless shelters, veterans’ groups, and international missionaries.
The second card tells how to assemble the cot in three easy steps and how to disassemble and store it in two. I recommend that Go-Kot add this information to the cloth label sewn on the flap of the carrying bag. A card is quickly lost, but simple assembly and disassembly instructions sewn on the flap of the carrying bag can help new users of the cot for decades to come.
Assembly and Disassembly
I removed the parts of the Go-Kot from the carrying bag and installed two glides/pads on each of the legs. I then assembled the cot following the simple directions on the card:
1. Remove your Go-Kot from the carrying bag, un-scroll, and un-fold the first section only.
2. Remove the spring steel legs from the carrying bag and insert the legs into the first section. Always insert each leg into the hole closest to you first.
3. Un-fold the other end section and insert the legs into this section, followed by the middle section.
I found assembly to be very simple and straightforward, if not quite intuitive. For some reason, I would have preferred to insert each leg into the far hole first. Go-Kot was, of course, correct that it worked best to begin in the hole closest to me. This pushed the cot toward me as I was inserting the leg into the hole farthest from me. As a result, I did not need to try to insert the leg while trying to keep the cot from slipping away from me at the same time.
Disassembly was equally easy:
1. To refold your Go-Kot, simply reverse these steps.
2. When returning your Go-Kot to the carrying bag, place the spring steel legs into the bag first.
Quality
Go-Kot asked if it would be okay if I tested a factory-second. They indicated that a factory-second would be functionally the same as a cot that had passed quality control, but that it would have some cosmetic blemishes that made it unsuitable for sale. I readily agreed.
It is a good thing that I don’t work for quality control at Go-Kot. I have not been able to find any cosmetic blemishes that would make the sample I received unsuitable for sale. The quality control standards at Go-Kot must be extremely high.
Testing
For my first test, I set the Go-Kot up in the living room and spent the night on it.
Assembly was easy, and I slept well. I woke up in the morning without any of the joint pain that so often accompanies sleeping on a bad mattress or in an unfamiliar bed.
Not long afterward, our three grandchildren came to stay with us for a week while their parents went away to celebrate their anniversary. My wife, “Kari”, and I were a little nervous as we anticipated the visit. “Cicero”, “Earnest”, and “Ginger” are seven, six, and four years old, respectively. They are also full of energy and a bit of mischief. We weren’t sure that we would be able to keep up.
The first night after their parents left, I set up the Go-Kot in the loft of our log home so that I could be closer to where the grandkids were sleeping if they needed anything during the night. I fell into an exhausted sleep at 8 pm soon after the kids went to bed, and slept soundly until 6 the following morning. It is not often that I am able to sleep for more than eight hours at a time. A busy day and a comfortable cot provided me with an unusually good night’s sleep.
Camping Cot History
The existence of camping cots can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt. King Tutankhamun who reigned in Egypt in the 14th century before Christ had a folding cot included among the grave goods in his tomb.
Camping did not develop into a widespread recreational activity until late in the 19th century. Prior to that time, camping and its associated equipment would have been associated primarily with military campaigns. And it was primarily the commanders who had the luxury of a camping cot. The common soldiers usually slept on the ground (unless they were lucky enough to commandeer the bed of a local civilian that some officer had not already appropriated).
George Washington used a camping cot during the Revolutionary war. Napoleon Bonaparte also used a camping cot during his various campaigns.
The Go-Kot is lighter, more compact, and I suspect also more comfortable than the camping cots utilized by these historic VIPs. It is nice that common people like us can now enjoy luxuries that once were only available to a select few.
Conclusions
The Go-Kot is a compact, rugged, easily assembled, easily disassembled, and comfortable camp cot. I like it better than any other camp cot that I have ever slept in. It is made in the USA. I highly recommend it.
Disclaimer
Go-Kot provided me with a sample of their regular-size camping cot for testing and evaluation. I tried not to allow their kindness to interfere with my objectivity in this review, and I believe that I have succeeded. I did not receive any other financial or other inducement to mention any vendor, product, or service in this article.
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