The Kakadu BlockOut Cot Tent 1P combines the elevated comfort of a cot with the protection of a tent, all while packing into a 40-inch bag. After nine months of real-world testing in temperatures from 30 to 90 degrees, we evaluate whether this Australian-designed shelter delivers on its promise of quick setup, compact storage, and comfortable solo camping.
We’ve always been huge fans of the Kamp-Rite Tent Cot, which blended the simplicity and comfort of a cot with the shelter of a tent, plus it set up in just seconds.
While it was our go-to shelter for solo travel for many years, the major drawback was that when it was folded, it had a rather large form factor that was somewhat unwieldy for anything but a full-size SUV or pickup. It’s this large packing size, not the concept or actual product, that had us searching for alternatives.
Imagine our excitement when we were attending Overland Expo West in 2023 and came across the Kakadu BlockOut Cot Tent. It was out first experience with the Kakadu brand, which recently launched a full product line in the U.S.
Kakadu USA, an arm of Australian company, Kakadu, is named after one of the world’s oldest, most remote, diverse and dangerous national parks. It’s where the company says they play and where they develop their performance-driven overlanding products.
The familiar form factor of the BlockOut Cot Tent immediately caught our eye and we had lots of questions. Upon initial inspection, it looked to offer the same cot-like sleeping comfort and support we were looking for, the raised sleeping platform, and it appeared to be very sturdy.
Beyond that we appreciated the raised roof for sit-up headroom on one side and the fact that it was essentially a summer shelter, with a full mesh roof and sides to help keep the no-see-um bugs out while still being able to stargaze.
To enhance its role as a shelter, a blackout cover adds sun, wind, and rain protection, while making it easy to resist early wakeup calls from the rising sun by keeping the interior dark. The “door” on the tall side of the cover can be extended out on provided poles to form an awning.
While all of these features were great, we wanted to know how compact it was when stowed. To our surprise, the BlockOut Cot Tent folds up and easily fits inside a 40-inch-long oversized nylon bag, which easily stores in our Jeep, solving the single biggest issue we had with our old cot shelter.
Over the past nine months, we have put the BlockOut Cot Tent through the paces, carrying it with us on multiple adventures, where it quickly endeared itself to us as one of our favorite solo shelters.
With over 20 nights of camping under our belt in weather as cool as 30 degrees, and as high as 90 degrees, we think we have a pretty good idea of what the Kakadu Cot Tent brings to the table.
We would call the Kakadu more of a three-season shelter. Below about 38 degrees, it sleeps on the cold side and the condensation from your breath will cause ice to build up between the blackout fly and the mesh on cold nights.
We’ve found that it holds up well in winds of up to 50mph (with us in it) and that it is decently waterproof for anything up to a moderate rain. The cover blocks up to 95-percent of light and it does a great job of reducing heat inside the tent, making it nice for an afternoon nap, especially with a breeze blowing.
The internal size of the cot comes in at 79 x 31 inches and when paired with our prized Exped MegaMat 10 regular wide sleeping pad, which fits perfectly, it forms one of the most supportive and comfortable nights of sleep we’ve ever had. Even for six-foot-tall sleepers, there is still space to keep a small bag or shoes down by your feet.
We also found that using a sleeping quilt, like the Hoverquilt by Aeronaut Outdoors, is perfect for sleeping comfort and allows us the freedom to move around without the restriction of a sleeping bag in the same space.
Setup takes all of about 30 seconds to a minute and we can have it packed away in well under five minutes, which is perfect for when traveling with a group, and you don’t want to be the last one ready to head out for the day. When stowed, the bag easily fits with the rest of our gear, or across the back seat, and weighs in at just 30 pounds.
With lots of shelter options on the market, we have a current favorite go-to when space is at a premium and for those solo trips that require a new campsite every night. With the Kakadu BlockOut Cot Tent, you get a quality three-season shelter that is easy to pack, quick to set up, and comfortable to sleep in. Hard to ask for anything more than that.
Sources
Aeronaut Outdoor: aeronautoutdoor.com
BioLite Energy: bioliteenergy.com
Exped: exped.com
Kakadu USA: www.kakaduusa.com
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This article originally appeared in OVR Issue 10. For more informative articles like this, consider subscribing to OVR Magazine in print or digital versions here. You can also find the print edition of OVR at your local newsstand by using our Magazine Finder.
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