Public Service Bed Tent Review

[SheepDogRain-Jar]

The tent flooring would be nice for peace of mind during a rainstorm. Although, instead of sleeping on bare metal, what I used to do when I had one of these tents on my Colorado was buy those interlocking children play mats. Fits perfectly as it's adjustable via interlocking and adds a good bit of comfort with a thick blanket on top and/or sleeping bags as well. Also, those individual sleeping bag mats run like 50$+. Whereas, I can cover the whole truck floor with this and its a fraction of the cost. Bonus comfort: Bedrug + play mat + thick blanket. Children play mat - amazon

Dondonbabyraptor:
Great idea! This past weekend my wife had a tag sale with our neighbors and the wife of our neighborhood garage-man-cave-guy was selling 16 sqft of colored children's play foam squares. My wife grabbed them for her side of a new shed ("she-shed"??) we are building. I already have the Lowe's version on my side since I often stand for long periods (trying to read instructions on how widgets go together, and swear at engineers and translators!). I have since "procured" them to place in the bed. Awesome idea, lightweight, she can use then after we camp, she will not feel the pebble under the SIX INCH INSULATED BLOW UP MATTRESS. ("It's a journey not a destination, it's a journey...."). Thanks for the idea, great minds think alike....

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[dondonbabyraptor]

Dondonbabyraptor:
Great idea! This past weekend my wife had a tag sale with our neighbors and the wife of our neighborhood garage-man-cave-guy was selling 16 sqft of colored children's play foam squares. My wife grabbed them for her side of a new shed ("she-shed"??) we are building. I already have the Lowe's version on my side since I often stand for long periods (trying to read instructions on how widgets go together, and swear at engineers and translators!). I have since "procured" them to place in the bed. Awesome idea, lightweight, she can use then after we camp, she will not feel the pebble under the SIX INCH INSULATED BLOW UP MATTRESS. ("It's a journey not a destination, it's a journey...."). Thanks for the idea, great minds think alike....

Haha, funny coincidence that you picked some up at a garage sale recently! The world has its way of coming around. Hope the “she-shed” comes out nicely

I definitely understand you on those darn manuals/instructions. I’m probably less mechanically inclined than you even.

I think you definitely found your princess and the pea, 6 inches of mattress ? great minds do think alike ? and I love the quote on the mindfulness of the journey.

 

[rausa64]

I've used the tent. Works fine. We bought a couple coleman cots from Amazon that are padded. The wheel well does not obstruct the legs. It does make for some tricky maneuvering to the zipper flap undone and then the long step down.

 

[TomC]

I gotta ask. “Doctoral student” in what field?

 

[SheepDogRain-Jar]

I've used the tent. Works fine. We bought a couple coleman cots from Amazon that are padded. The wheel well does not obstruct the legs. It does make for some tricky maneuvering to the zipper flap undone and then the long step down.

I agree in the long step. I added an old plastic step/tool box that I always carried to get our kayaks on top of the roof of my 4 Escapes (waiting for the Ranger to come out). Not so bad now, and use an old yoga mat on the tailgate to lessen the pain on the knees.

 

[SheepDogRain-Jar]

I gotta ask. “Doctoral student” in what field?

Exercise Science (Human Movement & Nutrition tracks). I am a little behind with COVID as my master’s institute paused all f-t-f data collection; plus they closed down the A.T. last year. My thesis is Nutrition & the long-distance hiker: if food weight is such a dynamic variable, how can you ensure you are getting your RDA? I was suppose to follow a cohort of 10 hikers from GA to ME, looking at blood values, body composition and try to determine what kind of diet/what kind of food to lessen the caloric deficit all hikers experience. This is supposed to provide data for a book on the same subject, which will refill the coffers of my retirement funds I used to pay for lab costs, body comp computers, travel costs, etc. But the school shut me down, and will open on July 1. Too late to start the cohort, most of my volunteers started in Feb-Mar this year and will end in Sep-Oct. The VA is paying for this and also has strict rules. So common core doctoral classes till next spring. Hope I explained this in a clear, concise manner. I can already see my thesis advisor’s eye twitching. It is good to mess with these young guys (he is 47!).

 

[SheepDogRain-Jar]

???

I thought you were breaking my b*lls. This blog can go sideways sometimes and the comments can get “nasty”. I see it at my vet meetings over a $50 donation to a kid’s program. I just wonder if getting cranky is part of the male aging process. Seriously I was just kidding thinking you were messing with me.

 

[myothercarizahearse]

Nice tent, but here's my real takeaway from this review.

you notice the extra ventilation and I notice the extra bed tie downs... jealous


great review, thanks

 

[SheepDogRain-Jar]

Haha, funny coincidence that you picked some up at a garage sale recently! The world has its way of coming around. Hope the “she-shed” comes out nicely

I definitely understand you on those darn manuals/instructions. I’m probably less mechanically inclined than you even.

I think you definitely found your princess and the pea, 6 inches of mattress ? great minds do think alike ? and I love the quote on the mindfulness of the journey.

DonDon;
The hard part of the whole mattress snafu is she wants me to pack it into backcountry. So I bought a top of the line Big Agnes lightweight insulated mattress that is too loud at night (bc of the reflective material). She also doesn’t understand why I ask her to look over the edge of cliffs and vistas we find…..?

 

[BigWuWu]

I have this tent I can't remember exactly how but I ended up clipping those carbines on the orange straps to the tailgate latches. It works perfectly almost like it was made to do that. Instructions on those straps were super unclear.

 

[SheepDogRain-Jar]

Just as an update: My wife, K9 and I went camping the week b4 the holiday and had the opportunity to use it both in the heat/humidity of CT; and during downpours that lasted HOURS!
The tent does not vent and it was raining inside (humidity) as much as outside! Condensation inside the tent got things wet too.
I have since purchased 2 different fan/light combos (one charge-able via USB the other runs on 4 C-size batteries). Almost immediately noticed battery powered version stronger, but this may be the ONLY device in America that still runs on Cs.
I am supporting 2 thru-hikers currently in the WV/VA vic, so I will tell you how it works, in dryer heat.
BTW, my K9 (Tux) hated to sleep in the cab in the heat and TStorms. He flew out the cab and dove into the lake, when I opened the door. He wouldn’t get out of the water either even when I poured his food and Momma spiked it with bacon juice! Not approved by GSD’s I guess?!
We will see which fan he likes. I almost think of buying a small window fan for a house and plug it in the DC plug in the back of the console. If nothing else it will blow his constant hair falling out to stay on one side of the cab. Perhaps passenger side?! ?

 

[NC_LFX4]

@SheepDogRain-Jar sorry to revive this thread. I too bought by bed tent through Experticity. I REALLY tried to like it, I just couldn’t get past the fitment issues I kept running into. Like you, I also am a bit of a backpacking/outdoors gearhead…but the workmanship of my Nemo and Big Agnes tents just make this feel like a cheap knock off you’d find in the bazaar on Disney Drive. Every attempt to strap this down ended with constant readjustment of tension alternating from side to side until I was finally able to “stretch” it to fit. We ended up just tossing it in my outdoor gear closet in its stuff sack and got an A.R.E. shell that we’re outfitting for our adventures with our pups while on leave.

Side note, if anyone is local to central NC and interested in buying one of these tents, PM me and we can work out a price. Only been installed a couple of times and actually used once.

 

[SheepDogRain-Jar]

@SheepDogRain-Jar sorry to revive this thread. I too bought by bed tent through Experticity. I REALLY tried to like it, I just couldn’t get past the fitment issues I kept running into. Like you, I also am a bit of a backpacking/outdoors gearhead…but the workmanship of my Nemo and Big Agnes tents just make this feel like a cheap knock off you’d find in the bazaar on Disney Drive. Every attempt to strap this down ended with constant readjustment of tension alternating from side to side until I was finally able to “stretch” it to fit. We ended up just tossing it in my outdoor gear closet in its stuff sack and got an A.R.E. shell that we’re outfitting for our adventures with our pups while on leave.

Side note, if anyone is local to central NC and interested in buying one of these tents, PM me and we can work out a price. Only been installed a couple of times and actually used once.

Cory,
I know, I know. I am actually using it this weekend and I see issues again. A RTT is in my future too, probably iKamper. You can't compare this tent with Big Agnes tho; different uses. I think truck tenting is when weather is good in established campgrounds, etc. BA is designed for the environment on your western border that dumped 6 inches of snow on my BA Copper Spur 2P negating my thru-hike of the A.T. Of course it was gone by noon!
I also tried to fit my BA & Nemo tents into the bed of the truck, but the side doors made ingress/egress difficult and if I bought a one-door, like the fly creek it cost a lot more than this tent.
This is the last weekend this year we will use it. I'm planning to purchase a RTT this winter and already looking at the the rack for the bed since I've moved on from roll-bars (just wish Uncle Joe was as quick to send me incentive checks as Uncle Donald was....).
I was also trying to get ExpertVoice to carry the 11060 version of the RightGear mattress (for 5' beds). They only carry the 8' bed version and RightGear doesn't sell from their company. I ended up buying a Chinese-AMZN one and Mama was complaining (again!) this morning.
Thanks for the note, I have to agree with you and thanks for being civil. I seldom get on Ranger5G bc the way conversations go down the toilet. I hope I don't get so angry when I get old(er).....!
Cheers

 

[SheepDogRain-Jar]

Cory,
I know, I know. I am actually using it this weekend and I see issues again. A RTT is in my future too, probably iKamper. You can't compare this tent with Big Agnes tho; different uses. I think truck tenting is when weather is good in established campgrounds, etc. BA is designed for the environment on your western border that dumped 6 inches of snow on my BA Copper Spur 2P negating my thru-hike of the A.T. Of course it was gone by noon!
I also tried to fit my BA & Nemo tents into the bed of the truck, but the side doors made ingress/egress difficult and if I bought a one-door, like the fly creek it cost a lot more than this tent.
This is the last weekend this year we will use it. I'm planning to purchase a RTT this winter and already looking at the the rack for the bed since I've moved on from roll-bars (just wish Uncle Joe was as quick to send me incentive checks as Uncle Donald was....).
I was also trying to get ExpertVoice to carry the 11060 version of the RightGear mattress (for 5' beds). They only carry the 8' bed version and RightGear doesn't sell from their company. I ended up buying a Chinese-AMZN one and Mama was complaining (again!) this morning.
Thanks for the note, I have to agree with you and thanks for being civil. I seldom get on Ranger5G bc the way conversations go down the toilet. I hope I don't get so angry when I get old(er).....!
Cheers

Oh and one more thing........"I'm coming Tux, get your leash!"....... NO VENTILATION WHEN RAINING. The top-of-the-tent vents, covered by the rain fly made us more wet (and clammy) then if we were sleeping in the rain! Poor design there..... Later, someone nudging me for a hike.....!

 

[DrPep]

Exercise Science (Human Movement & Nutrition tracks). I am a little behind with COVID as my master’s institute paused all f-t-f data collection; plus they closed down the A.T. last year. My thesis is Nutrition & the long-distance hiker: if food weight is such a dynamic variable, how can you ensure you are getting your RDA? I was suppose to follow a cohort of 10 hikers from GA to ME, looking at blood values, body composition and try to determine what kind of diet/what kind of food to lessen the caloric deficit all hikers experience. This is supposed to provide data for a book on the same subject, which will refill the coffers of my retirement funds I used to pay for lab costs, body comp computers, travel costs, etc. But the school shut me down, and will open on July 1. Too late to start the cohort, most of my volunteers started in Feb-Mar this year and will end in Sep-Oct. The VA is paying for this and also has strict rules. So common core doctoral classes till next spring. Hope I explained this in a clear, concise manner. I can already see my thesis advisor’s eye twitching. It is good to mess with these young guys (he is 47!).

Good luck! I also had to shut down some projects due to COVID. But then I repurposed some funding and existing data collection procedures to determine the impact of COVID on a range of variables. That might be harder in your case, as my subjects are children who - ideally - do not walk to other states. Also helps that I run my own department so no advisor to negotiate with. Everything becomes easier once you have the 'Dr.'!

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