DAMN! I was in the Army for 4 years and none of us ever knew how to get that last bar in. Not even the older Joe's who has been in for a decade knew how to do it. We all just laid that last bar on top and called it a day. This looks so damn easy to do and none of us ever thought to use leverage from the actual cot. My life is literally made complete now.
Oh my gosh. This has been a frustration to me for nearly a year. I have just been leaving that last bar off my cot when camping, but then I get a saggy cot. Figured there had to be an answer so finally got the idea to come to youtube and here you are! I now have a nice tight cot thanks to you, and am going to have a great night's sleep! Thanks so much for taking the time to video it~!
Wow. Thank you so much. I'm a civilian contractor engineer and I had set one of these up for the first time. Thanks again for the trick, I didn't even think about it like that.
The moment you stood it up, my eyes bulged out of my head, and I think my liquified brain leaked out of my ears. It's so obvious but never came to myself, or ANY of my camping buddies' minds. Thanks!
Thank you. I was doing 2 things wrong, 1 grommet to grommet, you put metal to grommet, and not knowing to use weight to stretch the canvas. Awesome video.
Put a little water on the sleeping part. Put your feet on the x support frame and pull. It goes right on. No need to stand it up and put all that effort.
Thanks a million! This is a life saver. I've always used a prybar of sorts. I still will if I'm setting up on soggy/muddy ground. This is perfect for dry setups.
such a great video! i saw couple of videos to get the last piece of rod inside the hole and kept trying for 2 hours but the rod wouldn't budge The other videos said to use a screw driver to provide leverage but it didn't help. your idea of turning the cot to use the feet as a lever for such a great idea. i did it and my cot was all assembled. great instructions and video, thank you!
I think of my self as a pretty stout gal, but even with your method, I had to admit the cot won the battle. But I won the war, because I did get the bars hooked under the ends. (Had to do that on one end regardless because the nipples were broken off.) I don't take no shit from no cot. Maybe after I use it a while, it will stretch out enough I can give this a try again. (As it is now, you can bounce a quarter off it, so I don't have to worry about sag.) A friend was throwing it away, so I got it for free. Just needs some stitching in a few places where the threads are raveling out.
hi i struggled for a hour, sweat and blood to try and put the last bar in then i thought i see if there is a knack on youtube and guess what here it is, many many thanks for this information it has made it so simple to fit ABT The Mad Trapper
I bought a new one from ebay and my end bar went on with a little force after stretching the canvas some. Guess I just got lucky. Thanks for the video, very informative.
I know this is old. THANK YOU so much!!!! I have been fighting this for half an hour. I f I could give you 100 thumbs up. I would do so!!! I have the exact cot. Exact issue.
I accidentally found an even easier way while cleaning the cot. All you have to do is mist the fabric and I'll loosen a lot. Once wet, even my 10 year son can put on the last bar.
the method is fine and good if you have the room to be throwing your cot up in the air. but in a crowded tent or shelter your liable to get your ass handed to you if you slap another Marine in the head with your flailing cot. just use your weapon barrel to pry the last notch in to place. thats why they gave it to you. by the way, that plastic extender on the other side is in case your cot fabric has gotten loose and you need to get it tightened more.
Seems like a bad design, but simple so less to go wrong is good. This method doesn’t look too difficult. I tried to put one of those together when I was younger just to see how it opened, but I didn’t need it at the time so I gave up. This is a good trick. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I always just assumed the cot was designed as a selection guide so that people who could fit the 2nd bar without breaking something could be earmarked for specialist and/or officer training. Everyone else would be cast to the grunts. I was infantry.... so I never saw one properly assembled.
Thanks for the tips. I just bought three army style cots. Only one has one of the spreader sticks. I'm just going to make some. I paid $20 for the three cots.
I seen someone complaining about there cots ! I think these cots are some ot the best ever ! That fella crying ought to just sleep on the ground :) You can normally buy these off of eBay for about 50 bucks a piece ! I have about 6 ! I love these cots !
Thank you, I was checking how to set one of this bed I had from a former US base in Germany. Now it is ready and working so I can ship it to Ukraine via people rescue association
All those years of high school and finally a practical use of using leverage, lol. I can't understand why they don't have these instructions included with the cot, would make things 1,000x.easier
before we put the sidebars in make sure the smaller holes facing downward so that it can hold up the mosquito net stickpoles, and use a strong stick or metal pipe to ply up the second sidebar is sooo much easier without standing upward cot bed...that's how i do it!
Carlo Tai this is just an average army surplus one man cot. US surplus shops are common in the south USA. I’m sorry that I didn’t get to you first post more quickly. Good Journey Richie.
I believe that it is a cotton canvas material. This is just a plain army surplus sleeping cot. It could be from the 70s or 80s as far as I know. Thank you for watching.
Thanks for the video its helped me pick one out online and will aid it putting it together once i get it. Mine is coming from an army surplus store with it being authentic but the canvas material is replaces with a nylon one. I dont know the differences between the two materials how much better or worse it will be from the real G.I. cots. I guess the army wont sell there stuff to the public directly they have to be hand me downs?
@@liame3900 Nylon is more durable and when treated can be flame retardant. I would assume that's the reason for the switch. Then again, I'm sure the real reason for the switch though is someone lobbied for the contract.
@@koopatroopa187 i bought one of these along time ago now over a year atleast. It was an army surplus store but wasnt quite an official cot. It sucked and wasnt what i wanted. I gave it away to someone. Wasnt tuat at all. Too short. Etc
Muhammad Firdaus Mohammad Ramli Yes. This a traditional us army cot.( bed) The design is still wildly use by US manufacturing. Pre 1980’s the covering was a cotton or cotton blend. Now, probably it more common to see a nylon weather resistant material. The mechanics are the same. Using the leverage of the frame in an upright position and the strength of your thighs ( along with your body weight) for the last connection does the trick. Don’t forget to pre-stretch fabric by bouncing your body weight. I’m hoping you find this worth your time.
Sorry, I sometimes have to bounce my bottom to stretch out the fabric a little more. maybe moisten the fabric a little the first time after it has been in storage for a long time.
