International Back Manage consentDetails Cookies International Important margin product informationCFDs and forex (FX) are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage 68% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider You should consider whether you understand how CFDs or any of our other products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money COT Report: Dollar-selling persists; Crude length trimmed ahead of OPEC output hikeCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Non-commercial IMM forex futures positions versus the dollar in week to 29 April 2025Commodities: During the reporting week ending 29 April, commodity markets faced another challenging period marked by mixed performance both within and across sectors. This volatility often led to position changes that didn’t necessarily align with the direction of individual commodity prices. The Bloomberg Commodity Index recorded a marginal loss overall, with weakness in energy, precious metals, and grains partially offset by strength in industrial metals, livestock, and, notably, soft commodities. On the positioning front, selling pressure was concentrated in Brent crude, natural gas, gold, corn, wheat, and sugar. Meanwhile, buying interest emerged in WTI crude, silver, platinum, copper, coffee, and cotton. Ahead of the weekend announcement, managed money long positions in crude oil declined by 15,700 contracts to 226,500—well below the five-year average of 426,000 and the one-year average of 272,000. This suggests that choppy price action, the loss of momentum, and continued macro-driven selling are weighing on speculative interest. COMEX gold futures suffered a second consecutive weekly loss, continuing their correction from the all-time high of USD 3,500 reached last month. This weakness triggered a sixth straight weekly reduction in the net long held by managed money accounts, which fell to a 14-month low of just 116,000 contracts, a 55% from last September, when gold traded around USD 2,650. However, despite the consistent selling pressure by Western speculative investors, gold has managed to stage a resilient performance overall. To understand this, one must look eastward—particularly at China’s role in driving demand. Chinese investors have in recent months become a dominant force in the market, primarily through local gold-backed ETFs, which have already exceeded their total 2024 inflows. Persistent domestic demand—driven largely by retail investors—reflects growing economic concerns within China and uncertainties surrounding long-term U.S.–China relations. Last week’s dip in prices to around USD 3,200 occurred during the Chinese Labour Day holiday (through May 5), a period in which ETF inflows temporarily paused. As the Chinese market reopens on May 6, investor response will provide a crucial short-term signal for gold’s next move. SoftsWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the ICE Exchange Europe for Brent crude oil and gas oil They are released every Friday after the U.S close with data from the week ending the previous Tuesday They break down the open interest in futures markets into different groups of users depending on the asset class Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User Swap dealers, Managed Money and other Financials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and other Forex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The main reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of speculators such as hedge funds and trend-following CTA's are: Do note that this group tends to anticipate, accelerate and amplify price changes that have been set in motion by fundamentals this strategy often sees this group of traders buy into strength and sell into weakness meaning that they are often found holding the biggest long near the peak of a cycle or the biggest short position ahead of a through in the market Earnings season tracker: Surprising strength—but the storm isn't over yet All eyes on Asian FX as renminbi firms Market Quick Take - 5 May 2025 Thank you, Warren Buffett: The end of an era Key Stories from the past week: Stocks climb on trade war optimism Big Tech earnings: AI powers growth, but tariffs and turbulence loom Apple earnings: beats forecasts, but China and tariff risks loom large Saxo Bank A/S (Headquarters) Philip Heymans Alle 15 2900 Hellerup Denmark including but not limited to the potential to lose your entire invested amount Information on our international website (as selected from the globe drop-down) can be accessed worldwide and relates to Saxo Bank A/S as the parent company of the Saxo Bank Group Any mention of the Saxo Bank Group refers to the overall organisation including subsidiaries and branches under Saxo Bank A/S Client agreements are made with the relevant Saxo entity based on your country of residence and are governed by the applicable laws of that entity's jurisdiction Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC A transformative new gift from Mizzou alumnus Cot Fox will fuel cancer research expand human-animal health innovation and help reimagine the university’s Veterinary Health Center By Deidra Ashley heavinj@missouri.eduPhoto by Karen Clifford a 1971 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and longtime supporter of Mizzou has deepened his legacy with a new commitment to the College of Veterinary Medicine — bringing his total giving to more than $10 million This latest gift will advance translational oncology research support the renovation of the Veterinary Health Center and expand the innovative work of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction Kay, ensure that we can continue to build momentum and make a meaningful difference — not just today but for years to come,” University of Missouri President Mun Choi said “They are tremendous examples of alumni excellence. Their dedication and sustained support move this university forward and we are deeply grateful for their incredible commitment to Mizzou.” The Foxes’ connection to the College of Veterinary Medicine began years ago when the family’s beloved dog was treated for cancer at the Veterinary Health Center veterinarians used Samarium — a cancer-fighting drug developed through groundbreaking research at the college That same research would later make the drug available for use in human medicine — a development that became deeply personal when Kay Fox’s father received Samarium during his own cancer treatment The Foxes made their first major gift to the college in 2013 — a $5 million investment that established the Cot and Kay Fox Family Oncology Research Laboratory expanded clinical care for animals battling cancer and reflected their shared commitment to advancing both veterinary and human medicine through translational research Cot Fox’s renewed commitment will amplify those efforts and support the college’s bold vision — including the renovation and modernization of the health center a facility that serves more than 30,000 patients per year and acts as a centerpiece of the college’s hands-on veterinary education “Cot’s generosity reflects a belief in the future of veterinary medicine and the role it plays in improving lives,” College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Srinand Sreevatsan said “The Veterinary Health Center represents the heart of our college — where students gain hands-on experience where we deliver critical care to animal patients and where our researchers drive discoveries that benefit both animal and human health This gift brings us closer to reimagining the Veterinary Health Center to better serve our students our research mission and the people of Missouri.” MU College of Veterinary Medicine Pavel Bosovik is the founder and CEO of 27North an expedition vehicle manufacturing company in Springfield Allen and Melissa Niedermann met in an entomology lab in 1998 and now two of their children attend Mizzou as legacies – one even inherited their love of entomology Learn the best tips and tricks for writing about your memorable moments at Mizzou Stay up-to-date with the latest news by subscribing to the Show Me Mizzou newsletter MU is an equal opportunity employer © 2025 — Curators of the University of Missouri. All rights reserved. DMCA and other copyright information. Privacy policy Chain of thought (CoT) is a prompt engineering technique that enhances the output of large language models (LLMs) particularly for complex tasks involving multistep reasoning It facilitates problem-solving by guiding the model through a step-by-step reasoning process by using a coherent series of logical steps Prompt engineering is used in artificial intelligence to refine inputs (prompts) to get the most accurate model outputs. In this study, the concept of chain of thought prompting is introduced which elicits reasoning in LLMs.1 The paper argues that prompting models to generate intermediate reasoning steps significantly boosts their ability to accurately solve multistep problems like arithmetic Researchers were inspired by the LLMs’ ability to “think out loud” in natural language CoT prompting is considered an emergent ability or an ability that appears as model size or complexity scales up Large LLMs tend to perform better because they’ve learned more nuanced reasoning patterns from training on massive datasets However, increasing model size is not the only way to improve problem-solving accuracy across a variety of benchmarks. Advances in instruction tuning have enabled smaller models to perform CoT reasoning are fine-tuned by using specialized training datasets composed of instructional prompts and exemplars for CoT tasks An exemplar is a prompt example that the model uses as the Chain of thought prompting simulates human-like reasoning processes by breaking down elaborate problems into manageable, intermediate steps that sequentially lead to a conclusive answer.2 This step-by-step problem-solving structure aims to help ensure that the reasoning process is clear the model output is typically a direct response to the provided input the AI would generate a simple and direct response if asked to explain why the sky is blue using CoT prompting the AI would first define what "blue" means (a primary color) The AI would then deduce that the sky appears blue due to the absorption of other colors by the atmosphere This response demonstrates the AI's ability to construct a logical argument To construct a prompt, a user typically appends an instruction to the end of their prompt. Users commonly add an instruction to their prompt such as “describe your reasoning steps” or “explain your answer step-by-step."  In essence, this prompting technique asks the LLM to not only generate a result but also detail the series of intermediate steps that led to that answer.3 Prompt chaining is another popular method used in gen AI applications to improve reliability by using multiple prompts that build on each other sequentially to break down complex tasks Techniques such as prompt chaining and CoT guide the model to reason through a problem step-by-step rather than jumping to an answer that merely sounds correct This method can also be helpful for observability and debugging as it encourages the model to be more transparent in its reasoning The main difference between these methods is that prompt chaining sequences multiple prompts to break down tasks step-by-step while CoT prompting elicits the model’s reasoning process within a single prompt Chain of thought (CoT) prompting can significantly aid in solving polynomial equations by guiding an LLM to follow a series of logical steps, breaking down the problem-solving process.5 Let's examine how CoT prompting can tackle a polynomial equation. Consider the example of solving a quadratic equation Input prompt: Solve the quadratic equation: x2 - 5x + 6 = 0 When we give this prompt to IBM watsonx.ai® chat we can see the following conversation between human question and AI assistance’s reply To generate this type of output, the CoT fundamentals work as illustrated in the following image. The final answer of the chain of thought will be "The solutions to the equation x2 − 5x + 6 = 0 are x = 3 and x = 2" Chain of thought (CoT) prompting has evolved into various innovative variants, each tailored to address specific challenges and enhance the model's reasoning capabilities in unique ways. These adaptations not only extend the applicability of CoT across different domains but also refine the model's problem-solving process.6 when addressing the question "What is the capital of a country that borders France and has a red and white flag?" a model that uses zero-shot CoT would draw on its embedded geographic and flag knowledge to deduce steps leading to Switzerland as the answer despite not being explicitly trained on such queries Automatic chain of thought (auto-CoT) aims to minimize the manual effort in crafting prompts by automating the generation and selection of effective reasoning paths. This variant enhances the scalability and accessibility of CoT prompting for a broader range of tasks and users.8, 9 to solve a math problem like "If you buy 5 apples and already have 3 an auto-CoT system could automatically generate intermediate steps Those steps might include "Start with 3 apples" and "Add 5 apples to the existing 3," culminating in "Total apples = 8," streamlining the reasoning process without human intervention Multimodal chain of thought extends the CoT framework to incorporate inputs from various modalities, such as text and images, enabling the model to process and integrate diverse types of information for complex reasoning tasks.10 when presented with a picture of a crowded beach scene and asked "Is this beach likely to be popular in summer?" a model employing multimodal CoT can analyze visual cues weather conditions and more along with its textual understanding of seasonal popularity help the model reason out a detailed response These variants of chain of thought prompting not only showcase the flexibility and adaptability of the CoT approach but also hint at the vast potential for future developments in AI reasoning and problem-solving capabilities product leaders and more as they cut through the AI noise to bring you the latest in AI news and insights These strides have not only propelled CoT into the forefront of complex problem-solving but also underscored its utility across a spectrum of applications integrating the specified terms to paint a comprehensive picture of CoT's progress Innovations in prompt engineering have significantly enhanced models' comprehension and interaction with the original prompt, leading to more nuanced and contextually aligned reasoning paths. This development has been critical in refining CoT's effectiveness.12 The integration into symbolic reasoning tasks and logical reasoning tasks has improved models' capacity for abstract thinking and deduction, marking a significant leap in tackling logic-based challenges with CoT.13 symbolic reasoning is solving mathematical equations the problem is broken down into its constituent parts (addition and numbers) and the model deduces the correct answer based on its learned knowledge and inference rules involves drawing conclusions from premises or assumptions and a penguin is a bird." The model would then determine that a penguin can fly based on the provided information The integration of CoT prompting into symbolic reasoning and logical reasoning tasks has allowed LLMs to demonstrate improved abstract thinking and deduction capabilities enabling them to tackle more complex and diverse problems Advances enabling smaller models to effectively engage in CoT reasoning have democratized access to sophisticated reasoning capabilities. The focus on self-consistency within CoT helps ensure the logical soundness of generated paths, enhancing the reliability of conclusions drawn by models.15 with its ability to decompose complex problems into understandable reasoning steps has found applications across a wide array of fields These use cases not only demonstrate CoT's versatility but also its potential to transform how systems approach problem-solving and decision-making tasks In the following section we explore several prominent use cases where CoT has been effectively applied Integrating CoT within chatbots and leveraging state-of-the-art NLP techniques has transformed conversational AI enabling chatbots to conduct more complex interactions that require a deeper level of understanding and problem-solving proficiency These advancements collectively signify a leap forward in the capabilities of CoT and the significance of the integration of chatbots and CoT models highlighting their potential to revolutionize AI-driven decision-making and problem-solving processes By combining the conversational abilities of chatbots with the advanced reasoning capabilities of CoT models we can create more sophisticated and effective AI systems capable of handling a broader range of tasks and applications Furthermore, the integration of various applications and CoT models can enhance the overall user experience by enabling AI systems to better understand and respond to user needs and preferences. By integrating natural language processing (NLP) techniques into CoT models we can enable chatbots to understand and respond to user inputs in a more human-like manner intuitive and effective conversational experiences Advanced chatbots use CoT to better understand and address customer queries By breaking down a customer's problem into smaller chatbots can provide more accurate and helpful responses improving customer satisfaction and reducing the need for human intervention Researchers employ CoT to structure their thought process in solving complex scientific problems This structured approach can accelerate the discovery process and enable the formulation of novel hypotheses CoT aids in generating structured outlines or summaries by logically organizing thoughts and information enhancing the coherence and quality of written content CoT is instrumental in educational technology platforms aiding in the generation of step-by-step explanations for complex problems This ability is particularly valuable in subjects such as mathematics and science where understanding the process is as crucial as the final answer CoT-based systems can guide students through problem-solving procedures enhancing their comprehension and retention CoT is crucial for elucidating the reasoning behind AI-driven decisions especially in scenarios requiring ethical considerations CoT helps ensure that AI decisions align with ethical standards and societal norms These use cases underscore the transformative potential of CoT across diverse sectors offering a glimpse into its capacity to redefine problem-solving and decision-making processes further embedding this methodology in the fabric of technological and societal advancements Chain of thought prompting signifies a leap forward in AI's capability to undertake complex reasoning tasks By elucidating intermediate reasoning steps CoT not only amplifies LLMs' problem-solving acumen but also enhances transparency and interpretability ongoing explorations into CoT variants and applications continue to extend AI models' reasoning capacities heralding future enhancements in AI's cognitive functionalities Learn how to choose the right approach in preparing datasets and employing foundation models Learn how CEOs can balance the value generative AI can create against the investment it demands and the risks it introduces Learn fundamental concepts and build your skills with hands-on labs Want to get a better return on your AI investments Learn how scaling gen AI in key areas drives change by helping your best minds build and deliver innovative new solutions Support your next project with some of our most commonly used capabilities Get started and learn more about the supported models that IBM provides Uncover the benefits of AI platforms that enable foundation model customization through technology to help you easily operationalize the genAI lifecycle We surveyed 2,000 organizations about their AI initiatives to discover what's working performant and trusted AI models tailored for business and optimized to scale your AI applications Learn how to select the most suitable AI foundation model for your use case Dive into the 3 critical elements of a strong AI strategy: creating a competitive edge scaling AI across the business and advancing trustworthy AI foundation models and machine learning capabilities with IBM watsonx.ai a next-generation enterprise studio for AI builders Build AI applications in a fraction of the time with a fraction of the data Put AI to work in your business with IBM's industry-leading AI expertise and portfolio of solutions at your side Reinvent critical workflows and operations by adding AI to maximize experiences real-time decision-making and business value Get one-stop access to capabilities that span the AI development lifecycle Produce powerful AI solutions with user-friendly interfaces workflows and access to industry-standard APIs and SDKs [1] Wei, Jason, Xuezhi Wang, Dale Schuurmans, Maarten Bosma, Fei Xia, Ed Chi, Quoc V. Le, and Denny Zhou. "Chain-of-thought prompting elicits reasoning in large language models." Advances in neural information processing systems 35 (2022): 24824-24837. https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.10200 [2] Boshi Wang, S. M. (2022). Towards Understanding Chain-of-Thought Prompting: An Empirical Study of What Matters. 2717-2739, https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2212.10001 [3] Lightman, Hunter, Vineet Kosaraju, Yuri Burda, Harrison Edwards, Bowen Baker, Teddy Lee, Jan Leike, John Schulman, Ilya Sutskever, and Karl Cobbe. "Let's verify step by step." In The Twelfth International Conference on Learning Representations. 2023. https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.20050  Chain of Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models 36th Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS 2022) A Survey of Chain of Thought Reasoning: Advances [7] Omar Shaikh, H. Z. (2022, December). On Second Thought, Let’s Not Think Step by Step! Bias and Toxicity in Zero-Shot Reasoning. ArXiv, abs/2212.08061. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2212.08061 [8] Zhuosheng Zhang, A. Z. (2022). Automatic Chain of Thought Prompting in Large Language Models. ArXiv, abs/2210.03493. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2210.03493 [9]  Kashun Shum, S. D. (2023). Automatic Prompt Augmentation and Selection with Chain-of-Thought from Labeled Data. ArXiv, abs/2302.12822. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2302.12822 [10]  Zhuosheng Zhang, A. Z. (2023). Multimodal Chain-of-Thought Reasoning in Language Models. ArXiv, abs/2302.00923. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2302.00923 CPM-2: Large-scale Cost-effective Pre-trained Language Models [12] Yao, Z. L. (2023). Beyond Chain-of-Thought, Effective Graph-of-Thought Reasoning in Large Language Models. ArXiv, abs/2305.16582. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2305.16582 Advances in neural information processing systems assessing self-supervised learning for law and the casehold dataset of 53,000+ legal holdings In Proceedings of the eighteenth international conference on artificial intelligence and law  Recipes for building an open-domain chatbot Nathan Eddy works as an independent filmmaker and journalist based in Berlin He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism Chain-of-thought prompting is emerging as a powerful technique for improving the accuracy and logical consistency of large language models CoT is designed to prevent LLMs from generating “coherent nonsense” or AI hallucinations.  it enables the model to stay on task by explaining its way through a problem which often results in more accurate outcomes,” says Rowan Curran But it also has broader implications for enterprises enabling models to tackle more intricate problems while offering users greater confidence in their outputs “It’s a technique with significant potential for logical complexity and enterprise adoption,” Curran adds. And the more organizations use AI for critical decision-making the more CoT prompting will grow in importance by enhancing the trustworthiness of AI-driven systems LEARN MORE: Demystify AI adoption in your enterprise. CoT is a prompt engineering technique that helps a large language model think through an answer step by step It’s a way of seeing more of the brain mechanics behind the scenes This process also improves the probability that the output will be factual This method not only improves the model’s performance on complex logic-driven tasks but also reveals the reasoning behind its conclusions Even if the explanations do not fully align with the underlying token generation mechanics Curran says they provide valuable insight into the model’s decision-making process DISCOVER: The power of AI and data-driven decision-making. CoT prompting works by asking the model to produce intermediate steps instead of jumping to a final answer, explains Jennifer Marsman, a principal engineer in generative AI at Microsoft “This approach breaks down complex problems and allows the model to reason one step at a time,” she says The focused attention on one step of the problem and the repetition of key pieces of data help to reduce errors because there are fewer gaps in logic Unlike traditional one-shot prompting methods — where a model is tasked with solving a query in a single step — chain-of-thought prompting encourages the model to “show its work” by reasoning through the problem step by step The model essentially displays individual thought components which together gradually add up to the right answer.  RELATED: Can AI agents ease workloads for enterprises? Users can guide a model to use CoT by providing “few-shot” examples that showcase the behavior For example, in a chatbot scenario that accepts questions and gives answers the user could provide a series of question-and-answer pairs along with the final question you don’t just answer the question but talk through how you arrived at that conclusion in a reasoning chain,” Marsman says you can also use zero-shot CoT prompting.” there isn’t a single chain-of-thought prompting technique that’s universally applied across entire applications or tech stacks most implementations adapt and customize these techniques to fit specific needs “Many setups incorporate a combination of methods,” says Curran this involves a single-shot learning step paired with chain-of-thought or explainability-focused elements in the prompting itself.” These adjustments ensure the approach fits the context while encouraging reasoning and clarity in the model’s responses This allows developers to tailor prompting techniques depending on the logical complexity and requirements of the task at hand a user can give the model specific instructions such as asking it to think through a problem step-by-step “This explicit instruction in your prompt can guide the model to follow a similar reasoning process to arrive at an accurate answer,” Marsman says Automatic CoT prompting is a technique that generates a set of question-and-answer pairs the answers include the reasoning chain of thought and serve as few-shot examples in the prompt “This technique allows the model to automatically generate CoT guidance and reduces the need for humans to manually craft the few-shot examples,” Marsman says While the model-generated reasoning chains can sometimes contain errors increasing the diversity of the few-shot examples can offset this problem CoT and few-shot prompting are not opposites; in fact a user provides examples in the prompt to guide the model’s responses “These don’t have to be examples that are visible to the end user but they can be included in the prompt to guide the model to respond in a similar style,” Marsman says This can be achieved either by explicitly instructing it to do so (zero-shot) or by including examples of responses where each step is discussed and worked through (few-shot) Both techniques tell the model to generate a response following a set thought process A major benefit of chain-of-thought prompting compared with standard prompting is that the model can generate better responses to problems that require processing multiple steps CoT also increases the chances that the final answer will be correct because it instructs a model to break down the problem into smaller “If I include some few-shot examples that demonstrate chain-of-thought thinking I am showing the model how to break the problem down and address the various pieces of it one at a time,” Marsman says And when an LLM tackles a big question in digestible bites and hallucinations are less likely to occur EXPLORE: What is asymmetric information and how does it impact decision-making? CoT prompting is particularly helpful with reasoning tasks such as math word problems coding challenges and complex logical questions.  “CoT can be applied in tasks that require step-by-step reasoning generating summaries or synthesizing information from multiple sources,” she says In an enterprise context, CoT prompting is often combined with other methods such as single-shot or few-shot learning or plan-and-solve reasoning, or approaches involving external data sources “These blended strategies enhance model performance in diverse applications such as assembling data from multiple systems summarizing documents or generating detailed responses for end users,” Rowan adds UP NEXT: The top IT influencers worth a follow in 2025. New research from CDW reveals insights from AI experts and IT leaders Visit Some Of Our Other Technology Websites: Tap into practical IT advice from CDW experts Beethoven’s opera Fidelio—currently playing at Lyric Opera—was originally named Leonore and was the composer’s preferred title—sensibly so since it reflects the opera’s courageous heroine Beethoven’s title was changed to differentiate it from two other successful operas setting the exact same story: one in French by Pierre Gaveaux and one in Italian by Ferdinando Paër Chicago Opera Theater presented the centuries-belated American premiere of Paër’s Leonora Tuesday night at the Studebaker Theater which received performances in many European countries ossia L’amore coniugale (Leonora or Conjugal Love) premiered in 1804 The narrative is almost identical to that of Fidelio Leonora disguises herself as “Fedele” to rescue her husband Florestano held captive by his enemy Pizzarro who plans on assassinating him There are two main departures from Fidelio Whereas Beethoven wrote soaring music for the jailed prisoners Also the role of Marcellina is more prominent here with Rocco’s daughter—who is in love with Fedele—making an extended appearance in Florestan’s prison cell in Act II as her repeated entreaties to Fedele/Leonora only serve to delay the opera’s denouement.) The principal differences between Leonora and Fidelio are that of genre and musical style which well capsulizes an opera where the emphasis is on comedy as much as drama And while Beethoven bridged opera seria tradition with a more boldly dramatic Paër’s breezy music feels more of the late 18th century.  In the lighter first act Leonora often sounds like Mozart without the tunes Add Paër’s emphasis on high-flying brilliance and one senses the showier bel canto arias on the horizon from Bellini and Donizetti Paër’s music for Leonora is smartly scored and unfailingly engaging The second act has the best music with expressive arias for Leonora and Florestan and genuine musical drama building tension to the climactic quartet when an armed Leonora confronts Pizzarro to save her husband (“Stand back or you’re dead!” Leonora warns in a prophetic bit of early 19th century film-noir dialog.) The less dramatic style of the music means that Leonora can get by with lighter voices than Beethoven requires And for the most part COT’s cast served up the necessary vocal brilliance very well Vanessa Becerra was most impressive in the demanding title role Looking convincingly androgynous in her “Fedele” disguise the young soprano acted credibly as Leonora throughout the often-absurd plot twists She tackled the dizzying coloratura flights with security and panache in both her arias and the numerous ensembles the captive Florestano doesn’t appear until after intermission in Act II Edgardo Rocha proved worth the wait and showed himself the real thing—singing his recitative and opening aria with a gleaming tenor with juice and Italianate squillo Rocha showed some insecurity in the highest tessitura challenges but this was undeniably a great performance with heroic vocalism and natural Much of the comedy in Leonora comes in the boosted role of Marcellina daughter of the jailer Rocco who is smitten with Fedele Keely Futterer proved only fitfully successful in this assignment; the soprano gave an energetic performance but was vocally shallow of tone with piercing top notes and short on the requisite coquettish charm Joo Won Kang overdid the bluster in the early going but contributed a big baritone to his arias and the many ensembles Don Pizzarro is a tenor role here and Matthew Pearce provided credible nasty in a forcefully sung portrayal of the villainous governor Pizzarro can only sit and stew silently during the prolonged final ensemble.)  Alex Soare brought a likable stage presence and ample bass to Giachino Kameron Alston displayed a plangent tenor in the deus ex machina role of the minister Cameron Anderson’s glaringly bright set for Act I seemed unnecessarily stark and ironical yet contrasted effectively with the dark minimalism of Florstan’s cell for Act II The stage direction by COT general director Lawrence Edelson was capably handled if a bit cliched at times in the would-be comedy of the first act Presiding over all was Dame Jane Glover in the pit One rarely gets to hear Music of the Baroque’s music director in such unfamiliar repertoire as this drawing out the details and slender charms of Paër’s score while keeping the proceedings on the move not only between singers and orchestra but in keeping vocal lines distinct in the many ensembles that abound in Leonora —trios The COT orchestra’s strings sounded dry-toned at times and horn playing was fitfully ragged opening night But under Glover the winds brought out Paër’s lively writing and concertmaster Isabella Lippi provided a graceful obbligato violin solo in Florestan’s aria Leonora will be repeated 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Studebaker Theater. cot.org Posted in Performances Posted Oct 02, 2024 at 12:48 pm by Matt S I thought this was an exquisite gem of a show The set design was gorgeous and really brought out the Zone of Interest themes (complacency in the face of oppression/injustice/terror) the director and set designer were going for I disagree with the characterization of Keely Futterer and Joo Won Kang’s performances Both had fantastic voices and emotive stage presences Marcellina’s second act appearances were particularly hilarious Kang also created a remarkable emotional development arc of someone who profits from being engaged in an unjust system to aiding the oppressed The Studebaker was also an ideal venue for a beautiful chamber opera like this Simply a gorgeous evening that also explores the individual/human scale of urgent contemporary societal issues XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Please Register or Sign in to view this content Quantum Commodity Intelligence is a premium paid subscription service for professionals in the oil Quantum Carbon service subscribers have access to: Get in touch with us for subscription information on all Quantum platforms — Gadsden Regional Medical Center is providing a new source of comfort for mothers who experience the tragedy of stillbirths The hospital has introduced the "cuddle cot," a device designed to give grieving parents more time with their stillborn babies "This has been a game changer," said Wendy Howard, the department director of women's and children's services at Gadsden Regional. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 21,000 babies are stillborn each year in the United States Howard explained that mothers often endure a whirlwind of emotions mothers have only a few minutes with their stillborn child before the natural processes of death begin "You're going to have some of those physical things happen that happen to the normal body," Howard said It’s at the perfect temp so that they keep their color keep their features—all those delicate things that families want to see and remember," Howard said The technology, more commonly used in the United Kingdom, is gradually being adopted by hospitals across the United States. Gadsden Regional acquired the cuddle cot through a donation from Ashlie's Embrace a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting parents dealing with infant loss the chief nursing officer at Gadsden Regional Medical Center emphasized the importance of this technology "There is nothing more heartbreaking than a mom to have to go through nine months or several months of being pregnant and then that sudden separation," she said "The opportunity to see the tiny toes and you never get that opportunity back." 2025 6:30 AM EDTMen’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services.  If you buy something via one of our links But there's also a ton of outdoor gear for camping including this comfy and strong compact cot that's well over half off but sometimes you can’t beat a simple cot to get a good night’s rest with an overall rating of 4.4 stars from almost 100 happy customers with them praising its “perfect size and weight“ and the fact that it is “easy to set up.” Camping cots have come a long way from the days of cramped and uncomfortable canvas and wooden rigs aviation-grade square tubing that is stronger and more durable than round tubing plus it helps keep the cot fabric from shifting while sleeping breathable mesh bed surface is 28 inches wide for extra comfort so your sides don’t dig into the frame and it's tight enough to prevent you from sinking when lying down The tubing is also attached to itself with a shock cord to make assembly much easier Happy shoppers found it to be “very comfortable.” One customer said "It was the first time I slept very well in a tent—no more buying inflatable mattresses.” Another fan said “The top is wider than most and it is so taut that there was never any sagging The side rails were never a bother like some other cots.” “The small form factor and durability make it a highly satisfying and effective product—I weigh just over 290lbs and it supported me perfectly.” Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing. By Adam Bible is the gear editor at Men's Journal He's an expert at testing and evaluating all kinds of essential gear from knives and boots to espresso machines and vacuums.  The best camping cots have trouble-free setups and are noticeably comfortable to sleep on The cot is a breeze to set up and is long enough to comfortably fit campers over six feet tall It’s a little too big to carry long distances thick materials mold comfortably to your body and are sure to last The folded cot weighs just under 20 pounds it's thick and sturdy so it works great for car campers who don't have to carry it far The heavy weight makes it impractical for some trips The cot is extremely lightweight at just 2.13 pounds It takes some extra strength to unfold the cot the first few times and the carrying bag makes it even easier to transport There's a learning curve for setting it up and breaking it down The cot is so comfortable and easy to set up that house guests could sleep on it The setup is incredibly intuitive and simple so make sure you're checking your tent capacity before camping with this cot The frame and canvas material feel exceptionally sturdy and durable Keep in mind that it's on the larger side if you need to carry it far Anne Taylor is an updates writer at Travel + Leisure where she keeps articles fresh and up to date As an avid traveler who has been to 26 countries she is always testing new products to make her trips even better She has a bachelor’s degree in news media and has been a writer and editor for over seven years Our expert team has spent countless nights trying out the best camping cots on the hunt for the perfect backcountry bed for any night outdoors From summer nights stargazing to frigid alpine evenings at elk camp we’ve put each of these 15 cots through an extensive testing process in which we scored them on comfort we’ve found the best options for everyone and purpose before making your final decision Editor’s Note: We updated this guide on March 10, 2025, to add the Helinox Cot One Convertible a low-slung option with a unique lever system for a consistently perfect set-up With a built-in plush pad, strong frame, and a super-easy set-up, the REI Co-op Wonderland Comfort Cot ($199) easily landed at the head of the pack as our best overall camping cot This cot is nigh-identical to our previous top pick — the REI Kingdom Cot 3 — with only the name and an added carry strap being the difference none other could match the comfort that this cot brought and it’s even adjustable — sitting atop a springy platform that utilizes an adjustable shock cord so you can dial in your preferred level of cushioning After an easy fold-out setup (comes fully assembled) The steel and aluminum legs are capped at the base with round discs that tilt to match the slope of the ground and are safe to put on a tent floor without risk of tearing and the springy base absorbs weight without making you feel like you’re bouncing around Weight does gather in the center of this pad which makes it ideal if you like rolling from side to side reported some trouble with the built-in cradling this pad was plenty large enough for a tall friend it’s not ideal for any type of pack-in camping It’s so comfortable that we wouldn’t hesitate to use it as an extra bed in a hotel room or cabin The packed-down size is a bit large (33” x 32”) so it may not be the best option if you’re low on space and you might consider the REI Co-op Campwell — a full-sized cot that packs more compactly we’d recommend making room for the Wonderland Comfort cot It could even make an excellent spare room bed for guests Reasonably priced, the Mountain Summit Gear Horizon Cot ($100) is simple to set up and plenty comfortable for sleeping under the stars This cot is designed for all-season car camping and its sleek carrying case helps with ease of transportation from vehicle to site the Horizon Cot is pretty simple to put together thanks to its collapsible base frame that simply expands once placed on the ground The only challenging part we found about this cot was getting the ends of the poles into fabric corners this step got significantly easier as the fabric stretched out Comfort is a standout feature on the Horizon this cot is both durable and just flexible enough that it doesn’t sag too much once in use The sleeping platform can fit a sleeping pad and bag for added comfort and warmth if needed The cot’s durability makes it a reliable companion for multiday camping trips where resilience against wearing and tearing is paramount The base frame’s puck legs help it stay flat on the ground without digging into your tent’s fabric it easily disassembles into its carrying case that has an attached strap for simple haulage this cot was perfect for our petite tester’s size but it may be too narrow for users who desire more surface area when they sleep may be better suited for folks wanting that extra wiggle room so as long as you don’t typically toss and turn too much in your slumber this cot would probably be just fine for you If you’re on the hunt for an uncomplicated cot that is well-suited for car camping look no further than the Mountain Summit Gear Horizon Cot you get a comfortable sleeping solution that has straightforward assembly and impressive packability If you want the roomiest cot available, the Teton Sports Outfitter XXL Camp Cot ($180) is the best bang for your buck With a whopping 81 inches from head to toe you could easily fit the average sasquatch in it for a good night’s sleep that’s a good 35% more sleeping real estate we also found it’s great for larger folks or people who toss and turn in their sleep as well as the bulky hunter-types we typically find ourselves bunking with at elk camps Smaller couples who are fond of cuddling will also appreciate the roomy platform it provides The S-leg design is the first we’ve seen of its kind The unique shape of these steel legs provides sturdiness and support the brushed canvas is comfortable if you want to plop down on it for a midday nap which we’ve only otherwise experienced on Cabela’s Big Outdoorsman Cot Many sleeping cots are notorious for how hard it is to pull the last corner of canvas over the frame but the integrated lever uses added leverage to make it easy for one person to set it up and break it down All that king-sized comfort does come with its downsides Those considering the XXL Camp Cot should also take a serious look at the Klymit Cedar Mesa Cot which has a similarly plus-size sleeping platform and a more compact packed size thanks to its collapsible frame You’ll need to shell out $70 more for the privilege In our opinion, the choice to go with the XXL Camp Cot comes down to width and length. The extra 6 inches of headspace and 10 whole inches of room to toss and turn mean this cot lands somewhere between a full-sized and queen-sized mattress. It also pairs with Teton’s XXL Camp Pad a 2.5-inch-thick closed-cell foam sleeping pad that makes this cot feel even more like your bed at home Most of the cots you’ll see on the market are mainly for car camping, as their weight and packed size make them impractical for hike-in spots or backpacking. The Helinox Lite Cot ($300) is an exception to this rule and it opens up the opportunity to inject a little luxury into your next short backpacking trip and packing smaller than the size of a closed-cell foam pad this cot can easily fit in a backpack or be strapped to the outside With the above-ground benefits of 5 inches and a lightweight design it provides more comfort per ounce than almost any other sleeping system on the market The DAC aluminum frame will hold up to 265 pounds which is on the lower end for camping cots but should still accommodate most any hiker The polyester material is taut and reliable Compared to other ‘packable’ camping cots that are inflatable we’re far more sold on the minimal frame design of the Lite Cot as the dead air space of inflatable cots is tough to warm up and balancing another sleeping pad on top can get a bit wobbly One warning: it is very hard to set up inside a small tent as you need to use serious finger muscles to get the four leg extensions on the Helinox One Max Convertible adds 8 inches of length and 3 inches of width one of the best features of the Lite Cot is its versatility yet you can still sit upright without hitting the ceiling we came to appreciate this cot most as the ideal cowboy camping platform where it provides a small buffer between you and the ground When it comes to camping cots, it’s pretty hard to beat the ease and convenience of fold-out models. However, most folding cots tend to fold into larger flat shapes that are more cumbersome than collapsible models. This is where the REI Co-op Campwell Cot ($100) really takes the cake as it is a fold-out option that collapses into a bag similar to that of a camp chair the Campwell Cot is perfect for those wanting a simple sleeping solution that isn’t complicated or too bulky once packed away The carrying case even has a sling on it so you can throw it over your shoulder while you move gear into camp start by folding it out from the carrying case Once the legs are pushed up into the right position tighten each suspension strap located at the four corners legs of this cot We think this cot would be perfect for slumber during summer months as the fabric is thinner than most of the others listed we opted to use a sleeping pad with this to help insulate and keep us warm so keep that in mind if you’re on the lookout for something stiffer With no need for hassling with poles or putting in the extra elbow grease the quick assembly of the Campwell Cot means you can get to your adventures even faster we recommend setting this cot up in your tent as it doesn’t retain its shape once picked up This cot’s height sits at a whopping 18 inches making it perfect for storing bags and other gear underneath while at camp Higher profile options like this and the Teton Sports Outfitter XXL Camp Cot make getting in and out of bed easier but lower profile options like the Helinox Lite Cot are better suited for tent camping especially if you’re backpacking and need to keep things lightweight the Campwell Cot from REI Co-op truly impressed us during the cot testing process We can’t help but give it praise for its effortless setup New to the camping cot scene, Klymit really brought it all with the Cedar Mesa Cot ($250) this cot in its regular Large size measures almost 6.5 feet This spacious cot is perfect to throw in your tent or by the bonfire for some cowboy camping action The Cedar Mesa Cot took less than 10 minutes to put together the first time Assembly is decently simple due to Klymit’s patent-pending Easy Lock technology found on the crossbars After mounting the side poles and legs to the crossbars simply push down on each mechanism to lock it into place This ensures the frame of the cot is secure without any unexpected wiggles or topples Even though assembly was overall quite easy one of our testers did struggle to fully place the side poles into the corner fabric seams This step required some bracing using the ground and a little elbow grease the cot was easy to maneuver and carry around camp It even disassembled and neatly packed into its included briefcase-size carrying bag the 300D polyester ripstop PU-backed fabric stretches just the right amount once you’re lying on top of it Despite being elevated several inches off the ground our tester stayed warm on it while camping on a crisp Colorado mountain pass during the summer This cot was also a dark-horse surprise with the hunters among us and when Editorial Director Sean McCoy used it recently for a 14-day elk hunt in Colorado Everyone agreed it was one of the best cots they’d ever slept on.” The overall compact packed size sealed the deal for McCoy who hailed it as the best trade-off in comfort to carried-size in cots today Hunters should also consider the Cabela’s Big Outdoorsman Cot a far cheaper but heavier and bulkier option a bit of a middle ground with more space to sleep on if you have a little more in your budget to spend on a cot or need something for your taller stature We put this cot into the hands of our perpetually moving climbing guide and van-dweller to give us the low-down on performance and she returned from a summer of van life a cot convert Already built out with a sleeping platform tester Katie Griffith subbed in the Trailgate and found that it ticked all of the boxes she’s after: easy set-up two of which are shorter at 7-10 inches for resting on your folded rear seats and a third set that extends into the rear footwells This adjustability means you can dial in the level of the platform There is also a third set of shorter legs that can be used to create a cot in a totally level vehicle The mattress comes in a 25-inch width or a 40-inch width so you can customize the cot to your sleeping and storage needs The recycled polyester cushion is much more comfortable than many camping pads but “full-time van lifers will likely want to invest in a more substantial mattress,” says Griffith much more comfortable than the non-existent padding you get on the FLATED Air-Deck an inflatable cot option designed more for truck beds We tested the Trailgate Cot in both sedans and a built-out van and found that while the sleeping platform is designed to be amenable to more compact vehicles it did just as well set up in the cargo area of our Ford Transit Connect Since the back legs only extend to a maximum of 10 inches the cot doesn’t offer much storage underneath A long-term road tripper with a truck or cargo van may want a more custom build-out to fit shelves or storage bins But for car campers looking for a convenient sleeping arrangement that works with multiple vehicle models The cots we’ve awarded above are solid options for just about any camper but they certainly aren’t the only options on the market Check out our list of cots that didn’t quite make the award cut but are still high-quality and just might be perfect for your next trip The Helinox Cot One Convertible ($350) is almost 2 pounds heavier than the brand’s Lite Cot But it makes up for the difference with a unique tensioning system This Helinox also has a trick up its sleeve: Depending on your needs this cot can be run at a low-to-the-ground 6.5-inch station or elevated up to a comfortable 15-inch height The levers tension and lock the legs into place with a single action This design difference makes the cot platform much tauter than the Lite Cot can manage Because you don’t need to muscle the legs in and out of place You’ll want to include a sleeping pad for optimum comfort we tried it on its own and it’s comfortable enough granted you have a warm enough sleeping bag The added cushioning of a sleeping pad (we used Exped’s Dura 3R) was well-appreciated The sleeping platform is a bit larger than other Helinox designs (2 inches longer and 2.5 inches wider than the Helinox Lite) which makes using modern-sized sleeping pads easier Even at the highest setting, it sits fairly low to the ground, so it isn’t a great choice for people who have trouble getting in and out of bed. That said, Helinox does offer additional legs ($100) to add on if you want to be situated higher off the ground That adds to the weight and bulk of your pack it might be the most comfortable sleeping experience you’ll have in a remote campsite If you’re planning on rucking the cot out with you (and don’t have space to bring a separate sleeping pad) But for building out a basecamp and providing your own padding The more rigid (and adjustable) Cot One Convertible makes better sense in our minds One of the most unique designs we’ve come across is the Disc-O-Bed ($380) This comes as a set of two full-size cots that can be configured in multiple ways You can get creative and arrange the set as two separate cots The camp beds sport an impressive 500-pound capacity per bed which means you can even cram two people per bed if you’re in a pinch and can easily handle adults climbing up to the top bunk so you’ll need a large dome tent to fit them The frames are sturdy enough to support the material without any crossbeams This eliminates the need for any sleeping pads or mats the overall construction has to be quite heavy and the combination weighs 72 pounds total (36 pounds per bag) so make sure your campsite isn’t far from the car we agreed that the ideal use for these cots is more likely a guest room or cabin situation Also of note are the accessories that are available for the Disc-O-Bed There’s even a mosquito pad and frame so you can sleep under the stars undisturbed Behold, truck bed campers: we have arrived. The FLATED Air-Deck ($549-699) is the end-all solution to adding a sturdy sleeping platform to the back of your rig without having to break out the miter saw Constructed using the same design and materials as inflatable stand-up paddleboards the Air-Deck is the lightweight sleeping cot your truck has been dreaming about Available in five different platform sizes the Air-Deck is sized to fit everything from a single-occupant to the beds of modern full-size trucks and provides a 4-inch-thick pad to set up camp atop as it is only a platform with two support struts) the Air-Deck inflates with the same high-pressure pumps used for SUPs and only tips the scales at a scant 25 pounds inflated There are some single camping cots in this guide that weigh more Best thought of as the best boxspring you’ve ever camped on, the Air-Deck will require the addition of your favorite camping mattress to truly luxe out we tossed on the Therm-a-Rest MondoKing 3D and the Hest Dually pads — all to great applause from our team The Mid-Size 6-Foot Bed version fit perfectly in our Senior Editor’s Toyota Tacoma and turned a Montana fishing trip into a stay in the pickup penthouse The real magic is in the drop-stitch construction which slings thousands of polyester threads in between the fabric sandwich and supports the high pressures needed to keep the platform rigid FLATED gives the decks a 500-pound weight rating we easily could stand three adults atop it without bowing some with shorter truck bed caps may need to adjust the mattress they use to end up with sufficient head space on our very first night with the Air-Deck we attempted to use the 6” thick Exped MegaMat 15 Max And while the included mesh pockets are stationed at handy locations we found in practice that they were a bit too snug to get much in and out of The FLATED Air-Deck is to the truck as the REI Co-op Trailgate Cot is to the sedan or hatchback and offers a camping cot-like platform that transformed our truck beds into palatial camping setups For those who want to avoid the hassle of creating their own sleeping platforms or just need the flexibility of instant installation and removal While full-sized cots dominate the market, there’s certainly room for cots that prioritize a small packed size and weight, and that’s exactly what the ALPS Mountaineering ReadyLite Cot ($300) is but springs to life when it’s time to bed down Lightweight cots like the ReadyLite are always a bit of an engineering marvel to construct and right off the bat we were impressed during our first use and turns a fold of fabric into a full-fledged cot in minutes Even more impressive was the weight this cot could support: a full 300 pounds The legs of the ReadyLite will take some muscle to get into place and the best way we found to do so is by resting one side of the cot on the ground and using body weight to bend the leg into place You’ll need a little real estate to get it done but the final tension was highly confidence-inspiring This difficulty is the main reason this cot finds itself below the fold as the Helinox Lite Cot is a bit easier to assemble (if only just) the ReadyLite is on the shorter side of the spectrum when it comes to camping cots but the only reason we would consider going with a taller cot is that it makes tossing on boots in the morning easier This beast of a cot from Cabela’s, the Big Outdoorsman Cot ($130) could literally fit a grizzly bear from Alaska a 6’9” person weighing up to 600 pounds can use this burly cot so you could even cuddle close with that special someone or sprawl out like a starfish 450-denier polyester top is thick and very supportive Set-up is eased by the built-in tension lever arm which helps snap the top and bottom crossbars in place The tradeoff is that it is as heavy as a child this mammoth bed is not fun to carry from your car to the campsite although it does come with a large carrying bag but is even better suited for a small cabin or yurt If the Teton Outfitter XXL Camp Cot is a bit too rich for your blood the Big Outdoorsman Cot from Cabela’s offers a more affordable option with much of the same appeal The Coleman Trailhead II Cot ($55) is spacious enough to fit sleepers over 6 feet tall and keeps all sleepers over a foot off the ground The attached side pockets add a great touch of organization—holding your glasses The rails are slightly elevated to add security and prevent sleepers from rolling off and it has a frame sturdy enough to withstand you and your tent mates fighting over who gets to sleep in it This cot’s steel X-shaped frame and double stitching add durability giving you years of use before breaking down It folds up and stores in the included carry case from the house to the car is definitely the furthest it will travel as there’s no way you’ll want to carry this bad boy in your backpack The biggest dig we’ve found with the Trailhead II is the assembly We’ve had reports that the end braces are difficult to attach to the frame making it likely that you’ll have to use some leverage to attach the second brace you’ve got one comfortable cot that won’t put too much of a hurting on your wallet The King Camp Folding Cot ($85) was the simplest and quickest setup in our testing This cot literally opens itself as you pull it out of the bag and it only requires a bit of pressure to lock the legs into place The sleeping platform is a mere 15 inches off the floor and the head area is slightly raised upward but we came to appreciate the angle as it mimics a pillow with its soft cotton pad for extra comfort There’s a bonus with the attached side pockets at arm level for storing your phone The stability of this cot is unmatched with 10 points of contact with the floor; we never felt it shimmy at all The cot can certainly fit an average adult of just over 6 feet and up to 265 pounds it is light enough to throw in the car with your camp chairs this Folding Cot from King Camp is perfect for tents The ComfortSmart Cot from Coleman ($125) provides the most comfort you can get per dollar spent The thick foam sleeping pad acts as a mattress for bed-like cushioning The coil suspension system imitates a box spring as well giving you a closer approximation to your bed at home and the simple folding design means you can set it up in minutes The length will fit sleepers up to 6’6″ tall and can hold up to 275 pounds so it can handle everyone from the average NFL tight end to kids We love the simplicity and comfort — you’re basically getting a portable bed with this cot One thing to consider with ComfortSmart is its huge packed size as it’s built for camping right next to your car It folds down into a quarter of its full length which gives it a square profile that is very cumbersome to carry It takes up a lot of space in the car as well If you’re not traveling in an SUV or wagon it’s going to take over a lot of real estate in your trunk Jumping into a camping cot can be a quick one-and-done way to greatly elevate your camping sleep experience but they certainly aren’t all built the same or meant for the same kinds of trips but be a pain to figure out when you’re trying to get camp set up before sundown That’s why we’ve put hours into understanding the best out there all the way down to the nitty-gritty of fabric differences This collective list of cot recommendations has been curated for a wide range of users over the course of almost three years our expert writers have slept innumerable nights in the desert and apartments to narrow down what we think are the shining stars of the camping cot market we created a testing regimen focused on the comfort Each cot was tested both indoors and out for a minimum of five nights (and often much longer) before we rendered any type of conclusion on them To get a true understanding of how easy a cot is to assemble we tasked ourselves with setting them up without instructions and timed our efforts across a handful of testers A similar timed test was completed for tear-down (and the sometimes difficult task of getting the cot back into its carrying sack) our testers scored the quality of their slumber and noted any specific highlight or issue they ran into throughout the night we rotated out cots to ensure our impressions were spot-on Our camping cot testing also extended to the finer details: We bust out the measuring tapes to prove the manufacturer’s claims about packed sizes and sleeping platform areas weight entire cots to get an idea of how much muscle you’ll need to employ to hoof them from the car to the campsite and measure the deflection from a 15-pound kettlebell when placed in the middle of the cot — in order to replicate the weight of an elbow or hip but with camping cots being so great these days it’s more often than not that our recommendations can come down to a handful of ounces or a difficult stuff sack The GearJunkie team includes a broad spectrum of outdoor enthusiasts From hunters and anglers to overlanders and rock climbers there is one characteristic that we all have in common: a multitude of nights spent sleeping outside we’ve tried just about every sleep system for camping Lead camping cot tester Meghan LaHatte is no stranger to the camping scene and has lived in rural Colorado for the past 6 years Meghan knows the importance of a good night’s rest under the stars before those action-packed days Her most recent camping cot testing occurred during camping trips in Colorado’s late summer and fall and involved the aforementioned testing process and camping during 50- she even set them up in her living room over a 5-week period in which she slept on them for further inspection.  The question of camping cots versus sleeping pads depends on how you plan to travel Consider how you plan to use your sleeping system and look at the options below For those looking to bring comfort on their backpacking excursions without sacrificing precious pack space or their back muscles Cots made with lighter materials like nylon and foldable aluminum poles tend to weigh less and fold into a compact shape backpackers should seek out products weighing in at 5 pounds or less Anything heavier will likely weigh you down on those multi-mile treks or take up crucial space in your rucksack.  With the ability to pack down to about the size of a loaf of bread both of these cots are designed to be thrown in or strapped to a backpack you’ll be glad you spent the extra dollars on a good night’s rest when you’re a few days into that adventure and feeling tired.  Who said proper car camping can’t be luxurious Those looking for a long-term solution to their car camping setup at the desert crag or that scenic cross-country road trip should be sure to seek out a cot designed to slide easily into the tailgate sleek cots are engineered to fit easily in your vehicle These designs are well-suited for folks who are on the move or not looking to spend the extra cash on a tent.  Designed for most cars, the REI Co-op Trailgate Vehicle Sleeping Platform is a fantastic option for classic car camping this cushioned cot is a cozy option if you’d rather stargaze under the sunroof than in the open air If you’ve got a truck, be sure to snag the FLATED Air-Deck which is specifically designed for pickups Either of these options will ensure that you are well-rested for the following day’s climb or mountain bike ride If you’re the kind of person who wants to feel like they’re sleeping on a cloud — even while in the middle of the woods — be sure to check out some of the cushier options listed in this guide These comfort-designed products are bulkier in size but made to feel as close to a traditional mattress as possible These cots can even be used as extra beds when hosting guests in your home when there isn’t enough sleeping space.  We get it — when Friday afternoon rolls around This is why if you’re someone who values a cot that is easily packed and assembled for those shorter trips you should be getting the most bang for your buck you’ll want a quick setup so you can get straight to the trailhead We suggest snagging a fold-out cot that packs into a bag and assembles in just seconds These cots are not only super comfortable and user-friendly but also budget-conscious options for those who don’t want to completely break the bank so these products are better suited for car camping weekend trips You really can’t beat the ease of setup and a fantastic night’s sleep while camping They also help to prevent the cold ground from chilling you as you catch those zzz’s They also provide a much larger sleeping space This makes it less likely that you’ll roll off of it in the middle of the night and they’re much bulkier than sleeping pads This makes the majority of them less than ideal for portable use For people who only sleep a short distance from their cars Since they won’t be hauling their cots far the added weight and bulk aren’t as much of an issue comfort and ease of setup are generally the biggest concerns Because camping cots are generally a closer approximation to the average bed they are usually more comfortable than sleeping pads Sleeping pads are much lighter and more compressible than cots They are also generally softer than cots that don’t have integrated cushioning they do require you to sleep on the ground This exposes you to the ground’s hardness and can let cold transfer from the ground into your sleeping bag Because backpackers have to carry all of their gear with them while they hike weight and packed size are huge considerations Many backpackers are willing to sacrifice the added comfort of a camping cot for lighter and more packable sleeping pads Many pads are also designed to add some of the amenities that cots provide Insulated pads are built for cold-weather camping The insulation within the pad absorbs some of the cold coming from the ground preventing it from sapping heat from your sleeping bag Inflatable sleeping pads keep you off the ground and allow you to sleep on a cushion These are softer than non-cushioned camping cots but are usually louder as the lightweight material can make a crunching sound when you move on it The most common description is that it’s like sleeping on a bag of chips Intrigued by sleeping pads? Check out GearJunkie’s full gear guide to learn more If luxury is the goal and weight isn’t an option a camping cot plus a sleeping pad is the way to go A camping cot paired with a foam sleeping pad provides the best of both worlds The cot will elevate you off the ground and give you a bigger space to sleep on while the pad adds a good amount of softness It’s similar to the function of the box springs and mattress of your bed at home Any piece of gear is useless if you can’t set it up The bed of a cot is generally composed of a material that is stretched tight over a frame that supports your body Pulling the material tight enough to support your weight requires a good amount of tension Many people find it challenging to pull the last section of material over the frame often requiring help from another person to pull with enough strength we’ve found that the smaller a cot packs down and there are more parts that have to be secured to create and maintain tension there are often snap-together or folding sections that can pinch your fingers if you’re not careful We’ve even had a tester make the mistake of trying to assemble a backpacking cot with his down sleeping bag lying on top of it he snapped two pieces together over the sleeping bag material The result was clouds of fine down puffing out and filling the air in the tent every time the bag moved which led to a late-night search for duct tape (and a lot of swearing) As is often the case when it comes to gear there is always a tradeoff when it comes to how easy a camping cot is to set up Smaller cots require more pieces to be broken down but they usually require one or two steps to set up Some cots are engineered with state-of-the-art technologies that make them easier to assemble especially for people needing more accessible designs and applications These technologies include easy-lock mechanisms Larger camp cots with plenty of space and padding are universally more comfortable they’re all but impossible to pack with you on a long hike or backpacking trip Although smaller camp cots are a lot more mobile they lack the frills and creature comforts of a larger cot Below are a few ways you can consider your first or next camping cot in terms of comfort Some cots require you to pair your sleeping pad with them for optimal use while others even have integrated pads attached to the cot itself Adding a sleeping pad to your camping cot setup can help increase the warmth and comfort of your setup — especially if you are used to sleeping on your pad alone anyway.  it is easy to forget about the height from the ground when shopping around for a camping cot or lumps as you normally would sleeping on the tent floor The airflow under your cot even helps regulate body temperature by keeping you cool when it’s warm and protecting you from the frosty ground during the winter keep in mind that a shorter cot would be better suited for camping in a car whereas a taller one can work best inside a taller dome-style tent you’re going to want to go with a cot that is lightweight and packs down to a manageable size From this list, we’d consider the Coleman Airbed Twin Cot among the most comfortable camp cots on the market due to its extra cushiony application Camping cots without attached sleeping pads are great for fully customizing your sleeping setup so you don’t get too frigid or toasty while trying to catch those Zs. What we love about the ALPS Mountaineering ReadyLite Cot is the option to insert a sleeping pad into the platform making for a secure fit that will keep your body plenty insulated without slipping out from under you.  Whatever you decide when considering warmth in a camping cot it’s always wise to bring extra sleeping bags but there’s not much you can do if you haven’t brought the correct provisions to stay cozy you’ll want to first ensure that the cot is big enough for you to sleep on without resting on the frame Most cots are long enough to fit people as tall as 6 feet and run just over 2 feet wide If you’re on the taller or wider side, many cots such as the Klymit Cedar Mesa Cot offer XL or XXL versions These cots are generally longer and wider to accommodate larger people During testing while elk hunting in the highlands of Colorado tester Sean McCoy brought along the Cedar Mesa for 14 days straight and the extra space garnered rave reviews from even the largest 6-foot On this list, the Teton Sports Outfitter XXL Camp Cot offers a whopping 81 inches from head to toe If you’re not sure whether a cot will fit you The specs page will show the cot’s dimensions so you’ll be able to see whether it’s a good fit for you Most cots don’t have cushioning — the sleeping area is a piece of material like polyester fabric stretched tight to provide support Many campers find these cots to be too firm so they’ll add a sleeping pad of some kind to provide cushioning You’re also liable to save some money going the all-in-one route, as well. A solid budget-friendly sleeping mattress like the REI Co-op Camp Dreamer XL is still $179 so paying the $199 for the Wonderland Comfort Cot makes a lot of sense in our books Most of the camping cots are designed for car camping where pack size and weight are less of an issue Camping cots tend to be on the larger side weighing anywhere from 12 pounds on the lower end to around 30 pounds on the higher end and design factor into the weight of a camping cot Camping cot frames made with materials like steel will be heavier than those made of aluminum Cot fabrics like canvas and polyester tend to add on weight compared to lighter nylon and mesh Consider where you’ll be using your camping cot and how the overall design may affect your ability to carry it to your campsite or backpack with it through the wilderness.  Speaking of packing, some of these cots are better suited to just be tossed in a car rather than packed in a backpack or duffel. The Coleman ComfortSmart Cot folds flat but not small enough to fit easily in any sort of luggage but it could definitely use some straps so it could be worn like a backpack the Mountain Summit Gear Horizon Cot is a fold-out option that’s super easy to carry when packed due to its sling-style carrying case a cot that our elk-fanatic tester called “one of the best cots he’s ever slept on.” and fits superbly in our backpacks without taking up too much real estate the main thing to consider is how much space you have available in your mode of transportation and whether you’ll have enough room for your cots and the rest of your gear Just make sure you have enough room in your car for it People who camp in spots that require a short hike from the car have additional considerations make sure that your camping cot is light enough to carry to the site ensure that the cot isn’t too bulky to carry alongside the other necessary gear Look for a camping cot that is stowed in a bag preferably one with handles or a shoulder strap You’ll be thankful for details like this when it’s time to hike your gear from your car to the campsite The Klymit Cedar Mesa Cot is a superb choice if you’re looking for a camping cot that’s light enough to carry without getting winded The included handled carrying case made setting up camp super easy and convenient without too many trips hauling gear from the car The Mountain Summit Gear Horizon Cot has an included sling bag that is roughly the same size as a champ chair This made carrying it into the campsite a breeze while keeping our hands free for other gear allowing for far fewer trips to the car.  camping cots are not very compatible with backpacking Cots are heavy and bulky — two words that backpackers avoid at all costs If backpacking is your primary style of camping, and you absolutely must sleep on a cot, consider one of the lightweight cots we profile above. The Helinox Lite Cot or ALPS Mountaineering ReadyLite cots are light enough to take into the backcountry but are still comfortable enough to sleep on if you occasionally go car camping or pack animal can be made all the more livable with the addition of a few cots to your wall tent and that’s even before the real work starts If you’re going light and rucking into your basecamp many of the backpacking-style cots will make the grade moving up to the comfort of a more well-rounded cot is well worth the weight a platform that collapses down impressively for the extra large sleeping space it provides Durability varies widely with camping cots We’ve found that there’s a proportional relationship between weight and durability with this type of gear Heavy car camping cots are made up of sturdy frames composed of steel or steel alloys These heavier metals give the cot an exceptionally durable build and whatever other vigorous activities a bed might face Lighter cots have frames that are built with aluminum or some other lightweight material The lighter weight is great for trekking it into the woods Lightweight cot frames are sturdy enough to support campers’ weight while they sleep but must be treated with more respect we’ve found that these lighter-weight cots are best eased into when it’s time for bed When getting ready to snuggle into your lightweight cot Our lead tester made the hilarious mistake of sitting on the head end of one cot and quite literally somersaulted backward If you’re camping next to your car and weight is no issue, you can opt for a heavier cot and rough it up a bit. On this list, the Coleman Trailhead II Cot is supremely durable, but it weighs a hefty 21 pounds. If a lighter, more packable cot like the King Camp Folding Cot better suits you make sure that you’re more careful with it than you’d be with a 30-pound behemoth If you want to elevate your camping experience and maximize the functionality of your cot consider the accessories that come included or as add-ons for an extra price Really want to go all out with the accessories? Consider the customizable bunk bed style Disc-O-Bed You can order this puppy with extra fabric cabinets and sleeping pads that heighten camping to an extra level of luxury.  The camping cots that we profile here represent an accurate sampling of the prices you’ll see when shopping for a cot They vary in price from $45 to $80 for simple but cots can reach $300 and above at the higher end weigh the features you need against how much money you have to spend If you want a simple cot to keep you off the ground when you sleep next to your car start with the lowest-end cot and think about what you’d like to add to it A simple car camping cot consists of a folding frame with material stretched over it and should cost somewhere south of $100 They often will sport steel or aluminum frames with plastic hinges being common on lower-end models The REI Co-op Wonderland Comfort Cot ($199) has been our top pick for three years running and it lands smack-dab in the middle of the price range for cots it offers up everything we think a cot sleeper is looking for Looking for a cot that is light and easy to carry into a walk-in campsite Or a specialty-use option to add a sleeping platform to your vehicle These options will cost a little bit more because of the lightweight materials and design that go into the construction These generally cost north of $300 and above with add-ons like rainflies or integrated tents such as how firm or soft you prefer your sleeping space as well as whether you sleep on your back or side Because they closely mimic the feel of sleeping in your bed at home cots are an extremely comfortable option for car camping most camping cots can easily be thrown in your tent traditional camping cots are too heavy and bulky for backpacking There are a few ultralight “backpacking cots,” but many backpackers choose sleeping pads because they are lighter and more packable A good full-size air mattress is the closest you can get to sleeping on your bed at home and they usually require an external power source to fully inflate They are also difficult to clean after a camping trip If your camping trip had some unexpected moisture or your mud-covered pup hopped up on your camping cot for some snuggles, you’ll probably want to take careful measures to give it a good cleanup once home.  Before attempting to wash your camping cot, be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions first as there could be some guidelines or restrictions pertaining to your cot’s materials. If you’ve only got some small stains or dirt on your cot, we recommend spot cleaning prior to doing a full-on wash down. This can be accomplished by putting some mild dish soap on a cloth and lightly dabbing the material before applying some water.  If spot cleaning won’t quite do the job, check to see if your cot’s fabric materials are machine or hand washable. Be sure to avoid using any harsh detergents, bleach, or high heat. When drying be sure to hang dry your cot out of any direct sunlight that could potentially cause the fabric to fade or damage the finishes.  For cleaning the metal legs and hinges, we recommend wiping them down with a damp cloth and promptly drying them with a towel to avoid any rusting or long-term damage to the mechanisms.  Keeping your camping cot clean and stored in a dry place will ensure its longevity for many camping trips to come. Make the most of your home away from home by choosing the best camping tent for your adventure. We found the top car camping and family camping tents for every budget and use. From packable sleeping pads to ultracomfortable air beds, we tested and found the best camping mattresses and sleeping pads to fit every adventure and budget. COT: Continued gold selling points to consolidation; USD weakness drives JPY long to a fresh recordCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Non-commercial IMM forex futures positions versus the dollar in week to 22 April 2025Commodities: In commodities, the latest reporting week to 22 April covered a period where markets continued to recover from the market meltdown that followed Trump’s early April ‘Liberation Day’ speech. The Bloomberg Commodity Index traded up 1.6% on the week, primarily led by gains across precious and industrial metals, as well as softs and livestock, while the energy sector saw strong gains in crude and fuel products being offset by another big loss in natural gas. In crude oil, a 67,000 contract increase in the combined Brent and WTI net long to 242k contracts was primarily driven by short covering from macro-focused funds reducing recession-related trades, while it will probably take a break above key technical resistance for the gross long to start rebuilding—in Brent above USD 69, and WTI above USD 65. The agriculture sector saw net buying, supported by demand for soybeans, wheat, cotton, and the three livestock contracts, not least live cattle, which trades near an all-time high. In grains, funds have now held a net short in the CBOT wheat contract for a record 147 weeks, since June 2022, while the Kansas short rose to near the 2019 record at 57k contracts. Commodities: Producer/Merchant/Processor/User, Swap dealers, Managed Money and other Financials: Dealer/Intermediary; Asset Manager/Institutional; Leveraged Funds and other Forex: A broad breakdown between commercial and non-commercial (speculators) The main reasons why we focus primarily on the behavior of speculators, such as hedge funds and trend-following CTA's are: Do note that this group tends to anticipate, accelerate, and amplify price changes that have been set in motion by fundamentals. Being followers of momentum, this strategy often sees this group of traders buy into strength and sell into weakness, meaning that they are often found holding the biggest long near the peak of a cycle or the biggest short position ahead of a through in the market. Bears hang in at key levels as Palantir rides the retail whirlwind Market Quick Take - 6 May 2025 Palantir’s blowout quarter: Buy the dip or brace for a reset? Weekly market recap & what's ahead - 5 May 2025 COT Report: Dollar-selling persists; Crude length trimmed ahead of OPEC output hike The REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3 Whether it was in my own bed or interspersed among rocks and twigs camping I seem to have more trouble sleeping with each passing year my love for camping has never wavered – I have simply gotten more particular about my sleep set up As a child, I could toss my sleeping bag directly on the dirt and I was good to go. As a teen and throughout my twenties, I became a big fan of sleeping pads and camping air mattresses But now that I’m approaching my mid-thirties Read on to learn about my experience sleeping (quite well) on the Kingdom Cot The REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3 is not small it’s one of the largest camping cots I’ve ever seen and even though it folds down It’s definitely a cot to be used exclusively for car camping trips where you’re setting up camp close to your vehicle Getting the Kingdom Cot set up is easy peasy: You simply unfold it the Kingdom Cot has cushioning built-in and looks almost like a portable bed or futon I was excited to hit the campground and see if it was as comfortable as it looked Even when fully packed, the Kingdom Cot is on the large side I want a camping cot that is going to last for years to come powder-coated aluminum/steel frame that is incredibly durable and can support up to 300 pounds which help ensure it is secure and that your weight is evenly distributed The Kingdom Cot has oversized feet which I found was helpful when the ground was slightly uneven I still recommend doing your best to find a flat surface but the large feet accommodate bumpy terrain so they also work well in the tent and won’t snag or tear the material My favorite feature of the Kingdom Cot is the built-in padding The top of the cot is fully padded and feels like a quilt material against the skin The Kingdom Cot helps provide the most comfortable camping sleep you’ll ever have Another unique feature of the Kingdom Cot is that you can adjust the head angle you can lay the cot out completely flat for sleeping or you can have part of the cot raised up so that your head is propped up for reading Measuring 6 feet 10 inches long by 31.5 inches wide, the Kingdom Cot is seriously spacious I’m 5 feet 7 inches and found that I had plenty of room to spread out and roll around I tend to toss and turn throughout the night The cot also sits well over a foot off the ground so it’s easy to climb in and out of for middle-of-the-night bathroom trips I plan on using it as a guest bed at my house so it will serve well as a guest bed in my office where I currently have a desk but no actual bed Thanks to its size, the Kingdom Cot takes up a fair amount of trunk space You’ll also need a large tent to accommodate the Kingdom Cot although most camping cots take up a fair amount of space in a tent due to their verticality so it’s fairly easy to stack things on top of it in the car I think it’s well worth it for trips close to home but for road trips when I have lots of gear you must make sure you have the legs securely locked into place before using the cot but some users complained that the cot collapsed on them when they got up during the night If you have everything set up correctly it should be a non-issue The Kingdom Cot is significantly more comfortable than any other camping cot The REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3 features a powder-coated steel frame the Kingdom Cot is the most comfortable camping cot I have ever slept on and I plan on using it for car camping trips for years to come Editor’s Note: Don’t miss the rest of our picks in the Best Camping Cots guide. And if you need to complete your kit, check out our guide to the Best Car Camping Gear. For more gear reviews and features on The Inertia, click here. Family Handyman's Editorial Process Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more. If you tell an avid outdoors person that you enjoy camping they’re likely to ask you (among a barrage of other questions) “What’s your sleep system?” We campers are deeply familiar with the value of a good sleep setup because no matter what type of camping you’re doing—car camping or tent camping—good sleep is vital to enjoying the next day’s adventures which is a popular option for drive-in campsites I’m ready to share my experience with this cot and explain why it’s not the right sleep system for me specifically Shop at REI The REI Kingdom Cot is a sleeping cot for camping as it’s plush and curved with (for me a 5-foot-6-inch woman) plenty of room to twist and turn and even let my pup sleep alongside me The aluminum and steel frame folds and is topped with a foam mattress upholstered in a water-resistant All of the above is precisely why REI Kingdom Cot is so popular among car campers and simultaneously disregarded completely by backpackers and solo tent campers let’s dig into its features to see if it’s the right buy for you Here’s an in-depth look at the most notable features of the REI Kingdom Cot Unless you are a wizard who scores a perfectly flat campground every trip you know how uncomfortable it can be to sleep on uneven ground One of the best features of the Kingdom Cot is the adjustability of the legs and swiveling feet so you can set up a stable sleeping platform in almost any situation which makes for a frustrating setup process especially if you’re on uneven ground one pair of legs would collapse while I tried to unfold the other pair of legs The legs also don’t lock in the folded position so they might extend while you’re transporting it This is the one major design flaw I found with the Kingdom Cot and I really hope REI fixes this with the next iteration because it’s such a nice cot The REI Kingdom Cot features a frame made of aluminum and steel tubing which is completely necessary due to the size of the cot (it measures 82 inches long by 31.5 inches wide by 14 inches tall) measuring 33 inches long by 32 inches wide by 8.5 inches tall This thing is comfortable—and that’s a vast understatement The Kingdom Cot 3 is easily the most comfortable camping cot I’ve used due equally in part to the plushness of the foam pad and the large platform I’m a fairly average-sized human with an athletic build and I couldn’t believe how roomy this cot felt My 60-pound dog can easily snuggle up next to me and there’s still room for me to adjust I’m able to fully extend my arms above my head and still be fully on the platform Taller and larger people won’t have the same experience but customer reviews indicate that individuals up to 6 feet 4 inches can sleep comfortably on the Kingdom Cot This cot can support a maximum weight of 300 pounds which is quite high compared to other camping cots It would be nice to see that number inch up a bit for a cot this size but it’s understandable because cots aren’t known to support a lot of weight Another noteworthy feature of the REI Kingdom Cot is its upholstery water-resistant polyester that couldn’t be easier to brush off which I would know because my dog would not stop pawing at it with her razor talons While durable is what you need for camping, it does mean that the fabric isn’t soft. It’s a little scratchy against bare skin, so I definitely recommend placing a sheet, quilt or down blanket on it. You can also sleep in your sleeping bag on top of the cot I received the REI Kingdom Cot at my home so you just have to unfold it to set it up which I was able to do on my own in just a few minutes I decided to set up the cot in my backyard for a test run I quickly realized that I couldn’t lug it from my foyer to my yard in the assembled position so I folded it back up and toted it outside but doable for one person for a short distance which is my go-to whether I’m with my partner or just my dog I immediately knew the cot wouldn’t fit It most definitely does not fit into a two-person tent I went to the garage and pulled out an old not-often-used six-person tent to see how the cot would fit there you could set up three of these cots in a six-person tent I think it would be such a fun experience for a group camping trip I lounged around on the cot for several hours that day enjoyed a glass of wine and took a short snooze with my dog I decided to sleep on the cot inside to get the full experience—for the story Real-life people are reviewing the REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3; the results are mixed the most recent reviews are mostly positive says it’s “so comfy I feel guilty.” She continues “It’s big and it’s a bear to pack but it’s the comfiest cot I’ve slept on The adjusting headrest is great for lounging and the whole cot is easy to set up/adjust.” “Just received the Kingdom Cot 3 and have one regret I regret not ordering sooner,” shares another five-star reviewer “This is the most comfortable and stable cot I’ve used I am prior service and remember the narrow standard-issue cot insulated fabric that seems to work well in a variety of climates I especially like the option of elevating the head and torso portion The head of the cot contains additional padding that acts like a pillow Most of the negative callouts are in line with what I mentioned in this review: The cot is heavy and it’s frustrating that the legs don’t lock out Older reviews from several years ago are largely negative but based on my experience with the cot and more recent customer reviews it seems like REI addressed most of the previous customer concerns The ComfortSmart cot also supports up to 300 pounds and individuals up to 6 feet 6 inches It features a steel frame with pop-out legs driven by springs it’s ideal for people who drive into their campsites because it’s rather bulky even when folded This Coleman cot comes with a foam pad upholstered in water-resistant nylon which you place onto the trampoline-like nylon platform It’s substantially cheaper than the REI cot which makes it a smart option for value shoppers The REI Kingdom cot is on the expensive side but I believe the price is right for individuals who prioritize comfort over space and weight The REI Kingdom Cot is ideal for drive-in campsites comfortable sleep system that’ll work great for individuals who pack their gear in the car and tent camp at an easily accessible site You’ll need a minimum of a three-person tent to fit this cot The Kingdom Cot isn’t the right fit for people concerned with weight and space so backpackers and solo tent campers should skip this one if you’re not short on space and you can accept the heavier weight you won’t regret buying the REI Kingdom Cot 3 Like all sleep systems, some camp cots are comfortable, and some are not. Generally, though, they’re more comfortable than a sleeping pad or just a sleeping bag since you’re elevated off the ground. The REI Kingdom Cot 3 features a tri-fold design. You simply unfold the two flaps, extend the legs and voilà, you have a cot fit for a king or queen. I personally think cots are the best camping sleep system for side sleepers since they elevate you. This means your hips and shoulders won’t dig into the ground, which can happen to side sleepers even when they use a sleeping pad. Our shopping team consists of dedicated writers, editors and shopping experts who are serious about finding the best deals and making smart purchases. Our contributors are experts and enthusiasts in their fields; the author of this piece is a full-time vanlifer who has spent many years tent camping, too. Plus, we actually test what we recommend, and if we don’t like it, we say that. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. We recommend our users to update the browser. COT report: Silver and copper stands out in week of continued energy weaknessCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Besides continued demand for GBP, which in the past six weeks has seen the net flip from a short to a 29k long, the main driver once again was strong demand for euros, which saw the net flip back to a net long for the first time since October. In the past four weeks alone, speculators bought 77.5k contracts or EUR 9.7 billion. The JPY long, meanwhile, held steady at a record high at 134k contracts or USD 11.4 billion equivalent, while the MXN long reached a three-month high. Metals: Gold remained steady before surging to $3,000 per ounce at week’s end, with minimal hedge fund activity seen during the reporting week. Silver (+2.4%) and copper (+4.6%) gains contributed to increased net longs in both. Grains: Corn’s 4.2% rally coincided with net selling as hedge funds cut bullish bets, fearing China’s counter tariffs would hurt exports. The soybean short position shrank, while wheat remained under pressure despite rotation between Chicago and Kansas contracts. Softs: Sugar’s volatility challenged hedge funds, with a 20% rally through February followed by a sharp correction and rebound. Overall, these sharp and sudden price swings saw the net long position fall 47% in a week when sugar gained 3%. SoftsWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S All trading and investing comes with risk, including but not limited to the potential to lose your entire invested amount. Information on our international website (as selected from the globe drop-down) can be accessed worldwide and relates to Saxo Bank A/S as the parent company of the Saxo Bank Group. Any mention of the Saxo Bank Group refers to the overall organisation, including subsidiaries and branches under Saxo Bank A/S. Client agreements are made with the relevant Saxo entity based on your country of residence and are governed by the applicable laws of that entity's jurisdiction. Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the US and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC. COT Reports show hedge funds racing to cash post-Liberation DayCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Speculators turned aggressive net sellers of the greenback, offloading USD 5.3 billion across major currency futures tracked by the CFTC, flipping the aggregate net position against eight IMM-tracked currencies from a modest USD 0.9 billion long to a USD 4.4 billion short—the largest bearish positioning on the dollar in six months. The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) fell by 1.3% during the period, led by sharp gains in the euro, Japanese yen, and Swiss franc— the latter two currencies often favored during times of uncertainty. In JPY, the net long positioning jumped to an all-time high of 147,000 contracts (USD 12.7 billion equivalent), while speculators added USD 1.1 billion in euro longs and a notable USD 1.9 billion in Swiss franc longs. Non-commercial IMM forex futures positions versus the dollar in week to 8 April 2025Commodities: The bulk of the pain was inflicted on the pro-cyclical energy sector, with crude oil taking a double hit from recession fears hurting demand and a surprise production increase from OPEC+. The crude oil net long tumbled 192k contracts to a four-month low, the bulk of which was a record 162.3k contract reduction in Brent. The agriculture sector was mixed, with selling of soybeans, coffee, and cattle being partly offset by demand for wheat and especially corn, two key crop contracts both benefiting from robust export demand as the dollar weakens. SoftsWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S COT Report: Commodity buying extends to fourth week, driven by crude, gas, and goldCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Ahead of Trump’s inauguration, the biggest short position had been held in CAD; however, with no tariffs being imposed on day one, the net short position saw a 10% reduction to 151k contracts, or USD 10.5 billion equivalent. The JPY short was cut in half as the JPY rallied 1.5% ahead of Friday’s expected rate hike. Mexico, in Trump’s cross-hairs, saw continued selling of the peso flip the position to a small net short for the first time in 22 months. Buying interest across the agriculture sector remained generally healthy, with the exception of sugar, where the net short jumped to an April 2020 high at 51.7k contracts. In demand was corn, which helped lift the net long to a May 2022 high at 312k contracts, while record high prices in live and feeder cattle gave already very elevated long positions an additional boost. Softs: A mixed week saw the net short in sugar explode higher to an April 2020 high while strong gains in cocoa and coffee only attracted a relatively small amount of buying amid elevated volatility keeping speculators at bay.What is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S COT report: Broad demand for metals in week that saw USD position flip to a net shortCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Major longs against the USD are currently held in JPY and EUR, while the bulk of the short positions are in CAD, CHF, and AUD. SoftsWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio emergency crews evacuated at least 1,400 residents from dozens of Pasadena-area nursing homes and assisted living facilities as the Eaton Fire threatened the region The mass evacuation of care-dependent residents created immediate health risks for this fragile population and stretched public health officials' coordination capabilities to their limits The dramatic scenes expose a critical challenge for nursing homes: Evacuating residents means not just getting them to safety without medical complications but ensuring their 24-hour medical care and supervision continues wherever they land more than 35 facilities had been evacuated according to the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Social Services While some evacuees found placement in nearby care facilities and hotels hundreds were transported to public evacuation shelters When nursing home evacuees began arriving at Pasadena Civic Center Tuesday evening medical professionals assisting them told LAist there was a shortage of essential supplies including gloves and incontinence products such as absorbent pads a professor at USC's Keck School of Medicine and local expert on geriatric care who was working at the site Many evacuees were still wearing ash-covered hospital gowns and some had no shoes or socks Mosqueda said there was a shortage of cots — which were initially given to evacuees on a first-come-first-served basis a vice president of ombudsman services at the nonprofit Wise & Healthy Aging showed up at the Pasadena Civic Center Tuesday night to assist and told LAist she saw similar problems “You had nursing home residents at risk for developing pressure ulcers because they were left sitting upright,” said Tate who oversees the ombudsman program for long-term care facilities across all of L.A Tate said some residents at risk for falls were dropped off by ambulances and left in hallways unattended Pasadena officials operating the evacuation center at the Pasadena Civic Center told LAist the site is not equipped to provide care to the evacuees from nursing homes and assisted living facilities but a lack of available beds in long-term care facilities throughout L.A “It was never intended to be a medical shelter where we provide medical care to those that are being evacuated but some unique conditions arose which required us to pivot,” said Manuel Carmona acting director for the Pasadena Public Health Department there were no resources available to provide the medical care that these individuals needed.” Northwest Pasadena is home to a high concentration of long-term care facilities which contributed to the logistical challenges more resources and staff had arrived at the Pasadena Civic Center and many residents had been transferred elsewhere But a visit by an LAist reporter found scores of seniors still facing uncoordinated care We saw private EMTs continue to drop off displaced residents on gurneys often without facility representatives accompanying them Many required specialized medical attention Nurses from Pasadena's Public Health Department and volunteers stepped in to assess various health needs triage resources and attempt to coordinate care or relocation Carmona said the city’s public health nurses went above and beyond to provide support to a population that should never have been taken to a public evacuation shelter "We cared for them as best as possible with the resources available,” Carmona said The medical staff assigned to the evacuation center are equipped to address public health issues but not to provide the intensive physical or mental care Mosqueda and Tate praised the work of Pasadena’s public health team but at the same time questioned if agencies could have better coordinated care for vulnerable seniors “We’re grateful that Pasadena Public Health stepped in to provide whatever public assistance they could,” Mosqueda said all evacuees from nursing homes in the Pasadena area had been transferred to appropriate medical facilities County's Department of Social Services was working to transfer remaining assisted living facility residents according to Pasadena’s Department of Public Health State and federal laws require all residential facilities for older adults to have written plans for evacuation Carmona said those laws require nursing homes to identify facilities where they would transport their patients in the event of an evacuation “With limited bed availability throughout the region they were not able to transfer to the designated facilities which required them to redirect to the Pasadena evacuation shelter,” he said Advocates for nursing home residents said the disordered evacuation process shows the need for more system-wide emergency planning among L.A advocates have been screaming from the rooftops that most of the facilities’ emergency plans are ‘We’re just going to call 911 and 911 is going to take care of it,’” said Tate with Wise and Healthy Aging “We’ve raised the alarm with the county for years that there needs to be a more robust plan.” Nursing homes and assisted living facilities evacuated (as of 4 p.m Brighton Care Center (1836 N Fair Oaks Ave. Camellia Gardens Care Center (1920 N Fair Oaks Ave. CA 91103): 67 residents evacuated to Golden Legacy CA 91104): Four residents evacuated to Brown House sister facility Golden Rose Care Center (1899 N Raymond Ave. CA 91103): 71 residents evacuated to Golden Legacy Monte Nido Residential Care Center (514 Live Oak Cir Dr. CA 91302): 5 residents evacuated to Monte Nido Vista Montrose Springs SNF and Wellness Center (2635 Honolulu Ave. CA 91020): 138 residents evacuated to various facilities Pasadena Care Center (1640 N Fair Oaks Ave. CA 91103): 60 residents evacuated to Greenfield Care Center Pasadena Grove Health Center (1470 N Fair Oaks Ave. CA 91103): 58 residents evacuated to multiple facilities Pasadena Park Healthcare and Wellness Center (2585 E Washington Blvd. CA 91107): 94 residents evacuated to multiple facilities CA 91001): Four residents evacuated to Pinnacle Health Maydee Pinnacle Health Santa Anita (2135 Santa Anita Ave. 91001): Three residents evacuated to Pinnacle Health Maydee CA 91107): Five residents evacuated to Wynn House CA 91103): 70 residents evacuated to multiple locations Two Palms Care Center (2637 E Washington Blvd. Villa Esperanza Wynn House (2116 E Villa St. CA 91107): Three residents evacuated to Brown House sister facility Pasadena 91104): Five residents evacuated to Pasadena Civic Center Alexander’s House Incorporated (1791 Navarro Ave. Pasadena 91103): Five residents evacuated to private residence Pasadena 91103): 70 residents evacuated to Pasadena Civic Center 91106): 14 residents evacuated to Glendora Motel 91107: Four residents evacuated to private residence Easter Seals Southern California Eastlyn Residence (1299 Eastlyn Pl. 91104): Four residents evacuated to private residence Easter Seals Southern California Orange Grove (1657 E Orange Grove Blvd. 91104): Six residents evacuated to Sheraton Fairplex Suites & Conference Center in Pomona 91103): Four residents evacuated to Hilton San Gabriel 91103): 15 residents evacuated to Abria Del Cielo assisted living facility in San Bernardino JML Board & Care (191 East Washington Blvd. 91103): Four residents evacuated to private residence 91024): 100 residents evacuated to Sheraton Hotel Ontario 91103): Four residents evacuated to Worldmark Indio 91103): Six residents evacuated to Bancroft House New Beginnings Atchinson (403 Atchison St. 91104): Six residents evacuated to Fairfield Inn Buena Park Pasadena Adult Living Center (1415 N Garfield Ave. 91104): 130 residents evacuated to Pasadena Convention Center Pasadena Highlands (1575 E Washington Blvd. CA 91104): 240 residents evacuated to Pasadena Civic Center and other locations 91103): 90 residents evacuated to Cedars Assisted Living Northridge 91010): 45 residents evacuated to Westminster Gardens retirement community in Duarte Santa Barbara Guest Home (735 Santa Barbara 91101): Six residents evacuated to Providence Christian College either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content were startled in the early hours one morning after hearing a voice coming from their baby's cot Thankfully, it was more innocent than it sounded, and Khloi Jayne posted the aftermath of what she found on TikTok The viral video shows eight-month-old Arlo Anfield covered in chocolate—the culprit The parents woke up at 5:30 a.m to hear two-year-old Amora-Mae asking her little brother More From Newsweek Vault: Online Banks vs. Traditional Banks: Learn the Differences "I jumped up to see what was going on and he was covered in chocolate We instantly started laughing because of how happy he was," Khloi Jayne told Newsweek The mom started recording as she loves to document "every little thing" her children do so they will have plenty of footage to watch when they're older More From Newsweek Vault: Rates Are Still High for These High-Yield Savings Accounts Although they found Arlo Anfield's state hilarious the couple had to explain to their two-year-old that she can't give her brother food without her mom or dad there "Then we wiped him down and took the chocolate off him He wasn't very happy until he was put in the bath and then he was all smiley again," the mom said was captioned: "Welcome to motherhood" by Khloi Jayne More From Newsweek Vault: Best Savings Accounts for Kids and Teens The clip also garnered hundreds of comments from other social media users some of whom were parents who shared their experiences with one of their children taking charge of their youngest sibling One mom shared that her three-year-old daughter is "obsessed" with her four-month-old baby brother. When the family were eating breakfast the mom turned away for a few moments and "boom she had given him a small piece of pancake and the baby brother was even smiling." She also added how fast she had to react to get the food out of her baby's mouth Khloi Jayne replied in the comments: "It's like you gain super speed isn't it." Another commented that Arlo Anfield looked like Bruce from "Matilda" in the scene where he was forced to eat chocolate cake by Miss Trunchbull Khloi Jayne told Newsweek that she has just started baby-led weaning with Arlo Anfield all thanks to his older sister feeding him chocolate," she added Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures you want to share Send them to life@newsweek.com with some extra details Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all COT report: Ongoing USD selling amid mixed week for commoditiesCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Energy: Crude oil saw net buying for a third week, lifting the net across the three major contracts (ICE and CME WTI, as well as ICE Brent) to 329k contracts, primarily driven by a second week of Brent buying. Elsewhere, the natural gas long continued to deflate following a recent drop back to USD 4 per MMBtu, while the diesel contracts in London and New York saw short covering. SoftsWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S The world’s leading publication for data science _If you’re not a member but want to read this article, see this friend link here._ Chain Of Thought (CoT) has been around for quite some time and is technically a type of advanced prompt engineering is typically an effort to force large language models to reason After OpenAI’s preview of their model o1 was released this September No one completely knows how o1 works (except for OpenAI what kind of data it has been fine-tuned with or if there are several models working together But we do know they are employing some type of step-by-step reasoning There has been quite a lot of open research around this that you might want to dig into I will go through what’s out there so you know what you can use Naturally I will test the different techniques to see how and if we can achieve any real improvements if you’re keen to do something technical I’ll help you build a system that looks at a model’s internal confidence levels to produce an answer There have been many papers released in the last two years and I’ve gathered quite a lot of the ones I have found here. The reasoning techniques they talk about you’ll see in the image below Most of the work comes directly from DeepMind or Princeton Kudos to them for open sourcing so much work and the latest papers have explored Three of Thoughts with Monte Carlo Search and CoT without prompting For this piece we’ll go through simple Chain of Thought (CoT) and Three of Thoughts (ToT) with Monte Carlo Tree Search We will also use our own set of data to get an understanding of the improvements we can achieve as we employ some of these reasoning techniques To understand how we can improve the results of LLMs we first need to establish some kind of baseline score HellaSwag (commonsense reasoning) and so on you should be aware that some of these datasets are rather outdated and may be a bit contaminated Hugging Face introduced a new LLM Leaderboard now in December that evaluates based on newer datasets and you can clearly see that most models have much lower scores than they did for the original datasets It’s worth doing some research here to understand how you should think in terms of model evaluation and on what grounds you and your organization should evaluate Having an internal private dataset to test may not be the worst idea I dragged out about 350 questions from various datasets alongside a few popular questions I found online to evaluate up to 11 different models I needed to know what these datasets looked like as well as the answers that were generated from the LLMs I built my own scripts to loop through the questions and then evaluate the LLMs with a 0 or a 1 for each question alongside popular questions such as ‘How many r’s are in Strawberry,’ but we have no way of knowing if they have been contaminated by these questions we can clearly see that the larger models perform better What will be interesting to see is if we can improve these scores by applying methods that make the model reason and ‘think’ before answering Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting was introduced by the paper ‘Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Models’ in 2022 by the Brain Team at DeepMind the idea of CoT has been with us for quite some time was research on how to force models to reason on a problem by activating the model’s inherent reasoning capabilities using prompting strategies people were simply prompting in the correct way by asking the model to ‘think step by step,’ either through zero-shot (providing no examples) or few-shot (providing a few examples) approaches You can do this for various models today such as Claude or others by simply adding ‘Let’s think step by step’ at the end of a prompt DeepMind reported that they could verifiably see that there was a significant improvement using CoT techniques by prompting correctly many papers have built on these techniques branching out into paths that are becoming more and more advanced There are many people within the Prompt Engineering community that experiment with CoT-style techniques I have gathered most of the repositories I’ve found here so it’s easy to find One that stood out not too long ago was Benjamin Klieger who built a prompt-style application eliciting chain of thought thinking with the use of Groq and Llama 3.1 70b by breaking down the thinking process further You’ll find his application here The idea is to ask the LLM to break down its thinking into chains where it continues to think until it feels confident about the answer The system would then continue to generate LLM calls for each part of the chain rather than have the entire thinking process in one response See an example of applying this to Grok-Beta with the question ‘How many R’s are in Strawberry?’ giving it a title and decides whether it needs another ‘thought’ and should continue or if it has reached the final answer This is still a form of CoT-style technique as it is linear but it is slightly more advanced than simply asking a model to ‘think step by step.’ I used some of his code to build a script to loop through the base questions for some of the LLMs I tested to see how much improvement it would actually elicit with such a system I adapted the script for Claude and Grok to evaluate this strategy on them too You’ll see the percentage improvements below Llama 3.1 70B saw the best improvement in the first three categories Grok did worse on popular questions (and so did Haiku) The Putnam dataset is advanced mathematics so imagine my surprise when Claude Sonnet 3.5 was able to do better than o1-preview at 68.75% with these CoT chains compared with o1-preview at 63% In total Sonnet had an 81% improvement for advanced maths with the use of CoT and it was only to get an idea of what they did well in and whether we could improve the scores It tells us nothing concrete without testing it on a much larger dataset I also observed that smaller models can produce worse results if they start to overanalyze on an easy problem This was evident with Grok-Beta and Haiku on the popular ‘easier’ questions non-mathematical problems may not reap the same benefits of CoT We also have to remember that we can push a model to perform within its abilities I want to mention fine-tuning before moving on One of the very interesting areas has been the work into trying to fine-tune smaller models on CoT datasets to increase their accuracy to that of models 1–2x larger I haven’t found a significant improvement from the base model that I felt warranted a proper analysis You’ll see the open source models I found below You’ll see the CoT datasets I found that have also been open sourced below That is not to say that fine-tuning for CoT won’t work there just needs to be better models built that are well documented If you are keen to try fine-tuning on your own I’m sure there is more out there as well What we’ve talked about are Chain of Thought techniques but there are other ways to optimize a language model’s output accuracy without prompting This involves those sampler settings that we mostly ignore when making a call to an LLM – parameters like temperature and do_sample – which can play a role in controlling the behavior of the outputs we don’t always have access to all these settings for a commercial API In technical terms temperature means we can scale the logits when we set it as high and thus increase the chance that a low probability token will get picked This may seem confusing if you are new to LLMs but it’s not as complicated as it sounds You can see my scribbles below on how the probability increases for tokens as we scale up temperature Let’s say the token "mat" has the highest initial logit at the start but as we increase the temperature we see that it starts to scale down decreasing the probability The opposite happens for an inital logit that has a lower number It means that a model will more likely chose a word that feel less "safe" if the temperature is high which not all commercial APIs may have access to you can restrict or expand the token pool depending on the number you set A low score will restrict the pool to tokens with a high probability score and vice versa – a low score means just the high probability tokens will be in the pool of candidates A high top_p combined with a high temperature would then create more innovative and creative outputs The do_sample parameter decides whether the model uses sampling at all to generate the next token This setting you rarely have the ability to set via a commercial model through an API the model samples from the pool of candidates and has more freedom (this is the default behavior in all APIs) it selects the highest probability token only (and completely ignores temperature or top_p) We can use the do_sample setting to force the model to produce more deterministic outputs the highest probability token at every stage It’s a strategy where the model selects the highest probability token at each step which may result in more accurate answers (if it has the inherent knowledge needed) I applied Greedy Decoding using do_sample to the model Llama 3 8b (instruct) to see if we could elicit an improvement in the base questions I did see some improvements in MMLU and Big-Bench but very little for advanced maths as commercial APIs won’t have access to do_sample to apply something similar without access to the model you could possibly set the temperature=0 to try to mimic this behavior why not always use greedy decoding if we do see small improvements If we disregard the need for some creativity in outputs you’ll also find that less capable LLMs can go into a loop of repetition for difficult problems such as saying ‘The color is blue blue blue blue,’ where ‘blue’ seems to be the highest probable token we’ve been looking at linear techniques where the model is producing outputs in one thread – or chain But it wasn’t long after the first CoT paper was introduced that another more advanced technique was introduced called Chain of Thought with Self-Consistency (CoT-SC) by DeepMind This technique creates several reasoning paths and uses some method to select the most consistent answer (or path) at the end They reported finding around a 1–8% improvement in arithmetic reasoning using this method Another method introduced just this year follows a bit of the same idea of using multiple paths but without using any prompting Remember the idea of Greedy Decoding that I talked about in the previous section except it’s not just about forcing the most probable token but also looking at the confidence scores of the entire responses the system first initiates a certain number k of initial top tokens and then generates paths from each of them it calculates the confidence scores by analyzing the probabilities (logits) of each token in the different paths The answer – or path – with the highest probability is returned This method is called Decoding CoT and was introduced by DeepMind The idea of this method is to look at the internal confidence of the model in the answers returned But what happens if it doesn’t have the inherent knowledge to answer the question this method would heavily depend on the model having the correct answer in the first place that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t test it there are people out there open sourcing different practical implementations it was easy for me to set up a system to test these methods and compare which did better with a smaller open source model Kudos to Codelion for open sourcing his implementation making it easy for me to replicate you can see we are clearly producing the best results with Decoding CoT compared to other methods such as Entropy or simply using greedy decoding for this specific model We’ll create an API that will use this Decoding CoT system in the technical section so you can see how it works but the research has advanced much further than using simple CoT for reasoning within more high-stakes domains I won’t go into all these strategies now but I do want to mention Three of Thoughts (ToT) especially in combination with Monte Carlo search ToT was introduced at the end of 2023 by Princeton University and DeepMind but generally builds on the previous method of tree-based reasoning Three of Thoughts (ToT) is a bit different than Chain of Thought with Self-Consistency (CoT-SC) Where instead of generating multiple paths and evaluating them only after they have been generated ToT evaluates thoughts dynamically as they progress Think of this as 4 different people coming together to solve a problem they propose their ideas and collectively evaluate which ones seem most promising If one person’s reasoning appears flawed so the others continue working through their solutions the person who has been reasoning correctly will be able to offer you their answer This allows the model to dynamically prune paths that seem lackluster how does the system decide which thread is right and wrong This is also why extensions like Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) come in to provide more unbiased evaluation mechanisms MCTS allows backpropagation which means it can revisit and refine earlier steps based on new information In the case of the 4 people solving a problem MCTS would allow for people to have less than ideal thoughts and still stay in the game for longer and backtrack to improve earlier decisions It introduces external metrics (rewards) instead of completely relying on the model Statistics like UCB (Upper Confidence Bound) uses those rewards to decide which ideas to explore further or revisit MCTS is a bit more complicated than simple ToT and should possibly be an article by itself why not always work with more advanced forms of Chain of Thought cost (and also the amount of thinking time) For the chains I applied to the different models I calculated the average amount of reasoning steps you’d be paying up to 8 times more on average for each question which did best on advanced mathematical questions you would be paying up to $15 per 500 questions but once you are using this system every day to generate answers for customer service or your team you would be looking at hundreds if not thousands per month it makes sense to use advanced reasoning methods Now there might be a case for fine-tuning for CoT essentially eradicating the need to produce multiple calls but I haven’t as of yet seen any open-source model that has done this well We want to increase the thinking time to allow the model enough time to reason effectively we also increase user frustration and costs In September of this year, a paper was released titled "To CoT or not to CoT?" that argued most improvements from applying CoT were mainly in mathematical and complex reasoning where simple questions give us limited improvements It should be noted though that all these strategies can be overkill for simple tasks This is why you may feel frustrated using OpenAI’s o1 for most questions where a simple answer usually does well enough But if you are building a system where you need to ensure the answer is correct then employing some form of CoT or decoding could be good It might be worth using one model to set up the first steps based on the question’s difficulty and then to analyze if it’s confident it can answer it in the first place Then have the model reason (via chains) and have another model at the end to rate the response Are there more frameworks than what I have introduced here but I’ve presented the ones I felt were interesting to understand This gives you an idea of how far we have come without the information being overwhelming Most AI engineers – are well versed in these frameworks but it’s a pity that this research isn’t reaching the general public as quickly Understanding how to implement CoT should be part of the basics when building LLM applications We’ll implement a Decoding CoT system using an open-source model The method of decoding CoT comes from the paper, "Chain-of-Thought Reasoning Without Prompting," released this year, and the implementation is grabbed from Codelion, found here I’ve added some functionality so the system checks for the level of difficulty to decide on the amount of paths (k) Since I went with Modal last time, this time we can use Beam, also a Serverless LLM serving platform. They offer 15 hours of free tier so this will be free. The script we’ll use for this you’ll find here If you’d rather use Colab to test, you can run this script here. The result should be an API endpoint that lets us ask a question and it will evaluate the difficulty and then perform Decoding CoT on the problem and return a response like below You’ll see the amount of requests to the LLM and how the question was classified by the system You’ll also notice that the system is quite slow as it is generating multiple answers to evaluate we see that it can’t quite answer the question correctly that a smaller model like this will only get us so far using a larger model is a bit more work as we need to store it somewhere We’ll start by gaining access to the model we’ll be using. To use the Llama 3 8b model, you’ll need to be granted access to it via Hugging Face This process is usually quite quick if you already have a Hugging Face account. If you don’t have one, you can create one for free and the navigate to the model card Once we are in the model card we might as well test the model for a question that we can use to test this new system as well This is a rather standard question to ask and I have used it in the evaluation earlier but the standard Llama 3 8b model has a hard time with this one After you’ve been granted access, navigate to ‘Settings‘ to get an access token Save this token somewhere as we will need to set it in Beam If you don’t have a Beam account, you will need to create one (unless you chose to use Colab directly) build your own system on a different platform Open up a new terminal and create a new directory Create a virtual environment (you need to have python installed for this) Make sure you set the HF_TOKEN we got earlier from Hugging Face You can serve it directly from here but let’s walk through the code for a bit If you’re uninterested you can skip this next part We have three python files in the root folder we have code from Beam that lets us download the weights of the model from Hugging Face (on start) and cache it via Volumes This means that the first time we run this Beam also lets us load the packages when the script is running remotely on Beam Here’s the start of app.py with my comments: We have defined an @endpoint with the resources we want for it (A100 GPU & 2 CPU cores) You’ll also see that we are loading the model on start We have a function that first calculates k based on complexity using get_k_value() which will perform the decoding chain of thought on our question and the tokenizer and make a first initial call to predict the k amount of next possible tokens with the highest logits The logits are the raw scores that the model assigns to each possible next token letting us know the model’s confidence score for each option These will serve as potential starting points for generating multiple answers where we only generated the next token if it had a high probability This will instead look at the sentences as a whole rather than just token by token by calculating a confidence score that reflects how certain the model is about the full answer After we have the path with the highest confidence score such as adding in the aggregate_answers bool when the model return several high confidence answers but we are not using that here Now that I have explained the code briefly Your first call will take quite a bit as it will be caching the model you can go to Volumes in the Beam.Cloud platform Once it is running you’ll see something like below You can boot up Postman or use use cURL (which means you run the call to the endpoint in a terminal window) The response should look like something below If you want to deploy the model you can simply run deploy I was just using this to test so I can close it down for now Hopefully this was educational and fun and you learned something If you want to look the results from the LLMs and the CoT techniques, you can look into this sheet and all other resources you can find in this repository Leave a comment and give me a few claps if it was helpful Step-by-step code guide to building a Convolutional Neural Network A deep dive on the meaning of understanding and how it applies to LLMs A beginner’s guide to forecast reconciliation Here’s how to use Autoencoders to detect signals with anomalies in a few lines of… An illustrated guide on essential machine learning concepts Derivation and practical examples of this powerful concept The world’s leading publication for data science a notable 1981 graduate of Mansfield University has reaffirmed his dedication to his alma mater by establishing a new scholarship fund aimed at supporting future students Crawford is a first-generation college student Faced with financial constraints and limited options he chose Mansfield for its personalized approach and supportive environment "Steven's unwavering commitment to CU-Mansfield and his recent scholarship fund are a testament to his dedication and leadership," said Bashar W "His support will have a profound impact on future generations of students helping them overcome financial barriers and achieve their educational goals We are deeply grateful for his continued investment in our university and our students." Despite working throughout his college years to supplement his student loans and receiving limited financial aid he graduated with a degree in political science His career trajectory is a testament to his perseverance and commitment Crawford quickly rose to prominent roles including secretary for legislative affairs and chief of staff under Gov one of Pennsylvania's largest and most respected lobbying firms Crawford has remained actively involved with Mansfield throughout his career As a long-serving member of the Mansfield University Council of Trustees and a passionate alumnus he has been instrumental in advocating for and supporting the university prompted by the creation of the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation reflects his deep commitment to ensuring educational opportunities for future students The scholarship fund established by Crawford will provide crucial support to students based on a combination of academic excellence "I want to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent talented students from completing their education," Crawford said "Education was a pivotal factor in my success and I believe in giving back to support those who face similar challenges." Crawford underscores the collective responsibility to support public education acknowledging the role of taxpayers and community members in his own educational journey and it is only right that I give back to help others succeed," he said College Football and Mansfield brought them together as students; Keeps them together as alumni ©2025 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania They have tested hundreds of products for our best animal friends We’ve also reviewed our picks and continue to stand by them And since there are hundreds of different beds to choose from finding the right one can be a head-spinning endeavor similar to those for people: “Are you a side-sleeper Do you prefer a warm dirt hole or a king-size human bed where you still manage to take up all the space?” Even if you already know your dog’s sleeping style the bed-shopping journey may still involve trial we’ve researched and tested dozens of great options for all types of picky pups if your dog just wants to sleep in the bed with you And it has one of the simplest covers to spot-clean of all the beds we tested Dogs who like to sleep curled up with their bodies pressed up against things will love this cuddler-style bed The pillowy bottom and raised bolsters make a cozy nest durable faux-suede cover can withstand normal digging—but as on our other top pick This is the one of most expensive of all the beds we tested but the ripstop-backed cover is designed to resist tears and punctures (or your money back) The two-layer foam mattress is comfortable and well constructed With more than two dozen colors and prints this simple lounger can appeal to a wide range of tastes The covers look great and clean up well under normal dirty-dog conditions you can stuff your old blankets and clothes into one of these duvet covers These 100% cotton canvas covers are durable and attractive and they come in a few dozen colors and patterns I’ve lived with cats for more than two decades and I currently have a 5-year-old rescue dog named Dave (who is spoiled beyond belief) For this guide, we scratched, stained, stripped, cleaned, and reassembled 24 different dog beds We interviewed veterinarians and animal behaviorists to learn about the sleep preferences of dogs and how they relate to the various dog-bed styles And we spoke with several dog-bed manufacturers to get insight into their research-and-development processes The current guide builds on research and testing by Kaitlyn Wells and Nick Guy There’s a dizzying number of dog-bed types and designs But every expert we spoke with said you should base your choice on your dog’s individual sleeping style Do they like to lean against things when they sleep Their regular sleep posture will point you toward a shape that will work best Some dog beds contain a polyester fiberfill while others are made from thick layers of various types of foam Several manufacturers claim that their beds are “orthopedic.” But that’s “a misused word for dogs,” said Dr a veterinarian and professor at Oklahoma State University “There is no such thing as orthopedic bedding If your dog has arthritis or other joint issues, most of the vets we spoke with agreed you should choose a bed that’s easy for your dog to get into and out of, that supports your dog’s joints, and that doesn’t create pressure points These are “points on the body where there's very little soft tissue coverage over bones,” such as the elbow or the hip a veterinarian and professor at University of California Davis But if your dog doesn’t have any health issues Fanucchi told us that when you’re choosing a dog bed big dogs who have a heavy fur coat and are used to cold weather might not like a thick warm cover may appreciate a bed that helps them retain body heat both of which also have generous return policies And while there’s no such thing as a truly chew-proof dog bed we tested a few models made with more-durable materials—and with even stronger warranties—for dogs who treat their beds like a tasty snack After considering 35 well-reviewed dog beds We evaluated each bed according to five key criteria: Then we used each tool to scratch every bed cover 50 times to see how it held up to digging and chewing We also yanked on and generally abused the zippers on each bed to see whether anything would break or get caught it mostly just covered them up with its own hyper-perfumey smell) Appearance after machine-washing: We spent a day in a laundromat machine-washing each bed cover (according to its instructions) three times after each wash we sent the cover through a low-heat drying cycle until it was fully dry reassembly): For each bed that required initial assembly we noted how difficult it was to put together compared with the other beds we tested We also evaluated the difficulty of putting a bed back together after machine-washing it he wasn’t the best barometer because he would happily sleep on just about anything I have a bad back and a high bar for comfort I weigh about the same as an average mastiff or Saint Bernard so I reclined on each bed for five to 10 minutes and how the cover material felt on my skin We also considered each bed’s attractiveness the water-resistance of any included mattress covers Its accessible design allows most dogs to get in and out this FurHaven model has a front opening that’s several inches lower than the other three sides (the exact height depends on which size you get) So this model is more accessible for puppies or for adult dogs who might have a hard time stepping over tall bolsters “If it hurts to lift up your leg and kind of flex all your joints a foam-industry nonprofit that tests for ozone depleters and common chemicals that may worsen indoor air quality and harm human health dried mud and fake vomit slid off the fibers and the mattress section’s white fake fur allowed us to easily see when it was clean and it didn’t mat or clump together like the material of some of the other furry beds we tested This FurHaven bed arrives compressed in three pieces: the mattress but it took the mattress foam a few days to fully expand Because the cover material is loose and floppy you need to hold it taut to keep it in place when zipping it closed which will help prolong the life of the bed But after more than a year of long-term testing this bed has held up well to Dave’s many abuses We’ll continue to keep an eye out for any durability issues and has a water-resistant bottom that keeps liquids from seeping through to the floor The cozy shape may appeal to a dog’s nesting instincts Cuddlers and other doughnut-shaped bolstered beds like this Majestic model “mimic that dirt hole that [dogs] used to have before they were inside homes so you see them curling up and sometimes even fluffing it up with their paws This shape works well for dogs who like to sleep curled up in a ball; this is another instinct held over from before dogs had access to indoor heating which helps them maintain their body temperature the Bagel Dog Bed can also accommodate other sleeping positions; on frosty nights Dave curled up with his back and shoulders against the bolsters he sprawled out with his head hanging off of the bolster It’s overstuffed to accommodate digging and settling The polyester-fiberfill insert and bolster are overstuffed in comparison with other doughnut-style beds This is because “within a couple of weeks after the nesting starts happening it goes down to the level it should be,” said Matthew Ziemnicki The polyfill is flexible enough for a dog to dig around in so they can prepare their sleep spot without damaging the insert the polyester faux-suede cover held up well to repeated swipes with the meat shredder and the garden claw; it didn’t pull or tear after 50 hard passes with each tool The meat shredder initially left some stripes but they turned out to be just variations in the direction of the suede and the lines vanished with the swipe of a hand The Majestic Pet Products Suede Bagel Dog Bed provides your pooch with a long-lasting place to sleep A dog bed at this price probably won’t last forever especially if you wash it regularly or your pup is tough on it But you should expect to get at least a couple of years out of it has been sleeping in her bagel bed for over a year and “it’s as plump and firm as when we got it,” said her person The cover may still show traces of dirt or discoloration But stains are largely dependent on which color you choose But when we looked at the bed under a flashlight we could still make out a faded spot where we had soaked it with Nature’s Miracle to bust up lingering odors this bed is annoying to take apart and reassemble one for the bolster and one for the mattress are located deep in the crevice between those two sections For “dogs that have osteoarthritis affecting their joints and they may not be able to get into a tight curl position,” Filliquist said Sizes: four (suede version)Colors: seven (suede version) Both beds earned high scores in nearly all of our tests Orvis’s regular-upholstery lounger is less expensive than the ToughChew version of the lounger Two types of foam make this bed feel great The dual layers of foam offered the best combination of softness and support in our tests the upper layer conformed to my body as well as to Dave’s while the 4-inch base kept us from sinking through to the floor The upper layer is a proprietary foam that “shares a lot of the same properties as memory foam … but it doesn’t hold heat the way memory foam will but I can say that the RecoveryZone beds were the most comfortable dog beds I tried All RecoveryZone dog-bed covers use a weave designed to camouflage fur and dirt but they did look better than many of the other beds we evaluated The ToughChew cover has an added ripstop-nylon layer adhered to the underside that is meant to resist chewing and punctures; Orvis backs this claim with its ToughChew Guarantee The standard fabric is still durable enough for regular use and both versions of the cover withstood our meat shredders and garden claws But if you have a particularly destructive dog the ToughChew fabric might be worth the additional expense Both the ToughChew and standard RecoveryZone covers have a strong which make the beds easy to move around (and dogs don’t have yet another thing to chew on) Each model comes with clear instructions for assembly though we found the directions especially helpful when putting together the couch bed: The mattress insert and three bolsters are labeled with a letter that matches a corresponding spot inside the cover The inserts are covered by water-resistant liners which kept the foam underneath pristine during our spill tests The company has a generous replacement policy Orvis protects all RecoveryZone beds with its storewide Great Catch Guarantee which covers at least one no-charge replacement if your dog damages the bed qualifying for two replacements and then a refund if those don’t hold up to your dog’s best (or worst) efforts Orvis’s RecoveryZone lounger is far more expensive than our other top picks the price rises to almost five times that of the FurHaven bed The couch versions are even more expensive It can be hard to know whether the bed is clean or dirty we had difficulty determining whether we had removed all of the dirt and vomit because the weave was almost too good at masking filth We recommend regular vacuuming and washing three (non-ToughChew)Colors: four (ToughChew) including limited-edition collaborations with a variety of designers and artists The Lay Lo bed arrives in three pieces—a vacuum-packed mattress and a leather handle cover—and it was one of the simplest beds to assemble of those we tested That also made it one of the easiest models to undress (and re-dress) when we washed the cover which might be a good option if your dog has frequent bathroom mishaps The three-sided zipper on the bottom of the bed opens like a book so accessing the mattress is easier than with most of the other beds we tested There is also a small pocket to tuck away the tempting which helps keep the bed from sliding across bare floors The cover isn’t as soft as those of our top picks The cover is not quite as plush as the material on other beds we tested The stretchy woven fabric did well in most of our durability tests with the exception of a small pull appearing after we worked it over with the meat shredders and it’s so small that it’s easy to overlook But it’s still an indicator that this bed may not be the best choice to expose to sharp puppy teeth Wirecutter editor Daniela Gorny’s 18-pound Chihuahua-poodle mix Mia loves this bed Daniela noticed “a few spots where it seems to be pilling probably from her claws getting caught." Tiny bits of dirt can get stuck in the weave it took a little extra work to get the mud and fake vomit out of the stretchy fabric since tiny bits were stuck in between the threads With some vigorous scrubbing using a toothbrush But we think the duvet system is a better choice since it helps reduce waste by allowing buyers to upcycle items that might otherwise end up in a landfill You can choose your own insert. You can stuff practically anything soft into the Molly Mutt cover: salvageable foam from a previous dog bed whose cover wore out, a pile of old clothes, or even a second-hand crib mattress and some clothing we’d been meaning to donate we had a fully functional dog bed (and more room in our closet) A bed filled with old clothes and blankets gets heavy The Molly Mutt Bed was harder to move around than similar-size beds filled with foam or polyfill since this bed doesn’t have a nonslip base the extra weight also stopped it from flying across the floor whenever Dave woke up with a sudden burst of energy Certain soaps can make some of the fabrics fade. The Molly Mutt duvet cover is strong and durable. But we saw a tiny bit of fading where we had used dish soap to spot-clean one of the organic cotton fabrics. Molly Mutt’s site has a list of detergent ingredients to avoid in order to prevent fading or discoloration which is not something everyone pays attention to (including us) It didn’t fade in the spots where we used only water and elbow grease The Molly Mutt Bed was also one of the models that took the longest to machine-dry slightly textured leather cover that will last longer than most fabrics; this may make it worth the steep price tag over time (the smallest size currently costs around $360) The cover doesn’t need to be machine-washed; in our tests both mud and “vomit” came right off with a paper towel and a wet sponge Nature’s Miracle neutralized a faint odor that lingered in the seams which may be irresistible to dogs who like to mouth on things yet it stood up to our clawing and shredding tests it might slide around bare floors if a dog jumps on or off of it consisting of roughly 3.5 inches of support layer topped by about 2 inches of cooling gel memory foam which helped make this bed one of the most comfortable we tried If your dog prefers plush or furry fabrics that keep them warm at night as long as you aren’t bothered by the high price or the use of animal products multilayered bed that’s designed for large and giant-breed dogs We’re usually skeptical of dog beds touted as orthopedic totaling 7 inches overall—more than in any other bed we tested This model is noticeably firmer than the other beds we tried The bed is made from CertiPUR-US–certified open-cell foam which is supposed to allow air to move through it to help with temperature regulation which is made of upholstery similar to microsuede initially showed distinct lines where we dragged our claw and meat shredders over it but those marks vanished when we rubbed a hand over the surface We could initially make out a darker shade where we had saturated it with Nature’s Miracle The optional waterproof liner was a pain to put on because it wasn’t entirely clear to us which side was up (we’re still not sure) But it prevented liquids from penetrating to the foam layer currently around $240 for the smallest size (which is still large enough for a golden retriever) but the company offers a 10-year warranty against the foam flattening but it has several features that make it a great option for anyone who travels a lot with their dog It’s made of a 900D nylon shell and a sherpa-fleece bed surface The medium and large sizes pack up into a tight portable roll that you can carry with a grab handle or shoulder strap but the small size is too little to fold up a zipper around three sides lets you open it like a book to reach a hangable insert with several zippered pouches—for organizing things that your dog may need on your trip Picture the dog version of a rollable garment bag The pillow area hides a mini blanket, which you can zip over your dog if they get chilly. And a clip-on shoulder strap, hidden in a pocket, can do double duty as a leash in a pinch but in our tests it still felt dense and cushy under the sherpa fleece top layer While the sherpa fleece withstood most of our violent attacks our sharp meat shredders carved up some of the soft material We also saw some discoloration from the mud and “vomit” left over after our spot-cleaning but that came out after the bed went one round in a washing machine but it makes a plasticky crumpling sound whenever a dog moves around on the bed It has tough fabrics and a thick aluminum frame—intended to stymie even the most determined chewers but it might be worth the investment to avoid continually sending damaged beds to the landfill The frame and three of Kuranda’s four available fabric types are guaranteed to resist damage for up to a year after purchase The only fabric not covered is the Outdoor Mesh which we tested along with the Heavy Duty Vinyl version The Outdoor Mesh version’s open weave allows air to pass through so it is a great option for dogs who run hot Some mud and fake puke got stuck in the fabric but most of the mess came out with a toothbrush and a strong jet of water from a hose The Heavy Duty Vinyl version was easier to clean than the Outdoor Mesh material—everything wiped right off its nonporous surface But it was also stiffer and less comfortable than the Outdoor Mesh model This Kuranda cot is the only dog bed we tested that requires tools (a wrench and a screwdriver) to put together So if you’re handy and want a cot that can resist harsh treatment from dogs and weather The central bed surface is a 75-denier polyester mesh surrounded by a rugged 300-denier polyester The mesh panel lets dirt and water pass through to the foam layers beneath Normally this kind of penetration might be something you’d want to avoid in a dog bed But the Dirtbag bed is designed to funnel most of the filth and moisture out by way of three rectangular drain-hole panels sitting on the thin front edge After leaving the bed outside in rain and dust storms for a week I stood it upright against the side of my deck so that the drain panels were facing the ground Then I hit it with the jet from the garden hose It was oddly satisfying to watch the water pour out of the bottom drains The bed was mostly dry after it sat for about two hours in direct sunlight water-resistant bottom surface still had some brown water-drop marks on it but they faded after a quick wipe with a wet shop towel It took a little more work to get the bottom to look fully clean The bed has three layers of foam on the interior that make it relatively comfortable for a thin And the foam didn’t retain water or smells in our testing (though we’ll keep an eye on this in our long-term experience with the bed) But it doesn’t fold up like the Timberdog RuffRest It’s also pricey for a bed you’ll mostly use outside but if you go camping a lot or take your dog on frequent outdoor adventures this bed can give your dog a bit of comfort without being a pain for you to clean The dog version assembles easily using the same Japanese joinery as its human counterpart but the dog bed frame is purely decorative—it doesn’t provide support or raise your pooch’s bed off the floor While we found the Thuma’s foam cushioning comfortable we found several unsightly pulls in the linen-weave cover material after only a few swipes of our meat shredders So if your dog has sharp claws or is a big digger is still an excellent outdoor bed (or an indoor option for dogs that run hot or prefer to be off the floor for their snoozing) but if your dog needs something cozy or cushiony Resembling a single layer of a sleeping bag and backyard hangs because it’s simple and portable But for a bed your dog will sleep in every night (or day) it’s not nearly as soft or supportive as our current picks overstuffed bolster bed with a removable center pillow but it only comes in one large size so it might be too big for little dogs or people with smaller homes and it was complicated to reassemble after washing if you’re a Costco member with a big dog and enough space The bed doesn’t have a skid-proof bottom and it’s very light so it moved around and nearly flipped over several times when our dog tester tried to burrow inside and the main foam insert was soft and supportive suede-like cover did well in our torture tests but it trapped fur and looked dirty after only a few days And where we’d soaked it with Nature’s Miracle even after we machine-washed it three times has a soft cover and a supportive slab of foam inside it didn’t hold up as well as our newer picks its poly-cotton twill cover held on to stains (The bed does come with a waterproof liner to protect the foam however.) The foam mattress felt great at first but it fully compressed under our weight after just a few minutes That squishiness and lack of support may make it hard for a dog with mobility issues to get in and out of this bed it didn’t clean up very well in our spill tests and it came out of the washing machine with a small stain flimsier inserts than the Majestic bagel-style bed and the fill moved around so much that it left empty spots where we could feel the floor beneath The zipper arrangement is more convenient than on the Majestic bed and it was a pain to clean up in our spot testing and while this bed is attractive and cozy-looking it’s not as durable or supportive as our picks This article was edited by Joshua Lyon and Harry Sawyers Eric Shannon, founder, Big Barker Helen Sullivan, communications counsel, CertiPUR-US Leticia Fanucchi, DVM, PhD, clinical assistant professor in the department of veterinary clinical sciences, Oklahoma State University Laurie Bergman, VMD, DACVB, veterinary behaviorist, Hickory Veterinary and Specialty Hospital Brandon Jorgensen, senior product designer, dog category, Orvis Tucker Kimball, PR/corporate communications, Orvis Matthew Ziemnicki, sales manager, Majestic Pet Products Barbro Filliquist, DVM, DACVS, associate professor in small animal orthopedic surgery, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Jaynie Gablehouse, director of product development, FurHaven Pet Products Molly Mundt and Art Simon, co-owners, Molly Mutt Drew Downie, co-founder, Lay Lo Leena Chitnis, founder and CEO, Timberdog Volunteers (and dogs), Friends with Four Paws rescue group Barb Lenahan, dog trainer, K9 Connection Dr. Danelle Capobianco, veterinarian, City Creatures Animal Hospital, in-person interview, July 6, 2017 What I CoverMy coverage area includes anything you might buy for your pet or for yourself to make caring for pets easier Using a few essentials cat and dog owners are likely to already own it’s easy to turn a pet bed from a dingy mess into a comfortable hideaway A couple has to negotiate whether or not to let their pooch sleep in bed with them After researching more than 60 cat beds and testing 13 we’ve picked seven different styles we think will impress even the pickiest feline companion Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice we’ll help you get it right (the first time) Bring the Adventure Home | 1871 Club Print Membership Now Only $35 - Delivered Right to Your Door, Subscribe Today SEE IT SEE IT SEE IT Even if you own a camping cot, there’s a good chance you—like most campers—have slept on the ground during one of your adventures. Some may even say that crawling into your sleeping bag and rolling around on a padded mat to get comfortable is a camping rite of passage when it comes to getting a good night’s rest Twisting and turning all night on cold hard ground is a great way to become fatigued The right cot can make all the difference in comfort and convenience and purpose—from extra-large comfort cots to ultralight and portable backpacking cots I looked at some of the most popular camping cots for all camping situations from backpacking to staying in a wall tent and everything in between Here are some of the best camping cots and what you need to consider before purchasing Best Overall: Helinox Cot One Convertible Best Lightweight: Helinox Lite Cot Best Heavy Duty: ALPS Mountaineering Ready Lite Cot Best Two-Person: Big Agnes Goosenest Double Decker Inflatable Cot Best Folding: Browning Titan Cot XP Most Comfortable: Byer of Maine Easy Cot Best for Dogs: Helinox Elevated Dog Cot Best Budget: ALPS Mountaineering Lightweight Cot I find myself in all sorts of tents and structures throughout the year when it was time to find the best cots available I took the time to find the best cots for nearly any camping situation to spare you from the restless nights I’ve been through I slept on camping cots from some of the most popular outdoor gear brands I based my selections on the following criteria: Durability: What type of fabric is it made of Packability: How small does it fold down for long trips Weight: Is it light enough for a remote backpacking trip Weight Capacity: Must have a good weight capacity to size ratio The Helinox Cot One Convertible I loved the quick setup and unique lever-locking leg system that provided an exceptionally secure fabric fit While the legs that come stock with the cot are pretty low to the ground making it feasible to bring this along on almost any camping trip and many older customers may prefer to avoid being so close to the ground to make it easier to get up and down This Helinox camping cot is my favorite of all the ones I tested This cot isn’t necessarily suitable for backpacking at just over 5 pounds The proprietary alloy frame helps keep the weight down while offering exceptional strength (weight capacity of 320 pounds) It is clear this cot is built to last and is among the more durable Helinox options available The only thing I didn’t like about this cot is that the lever lock technology can be difficult to detach Testing tip: Push down on the lever to release the side locks SEE IT When the elk are bugling deep in the backcountry, and all that separates you from the herd bull is the weight of your pack, having the best lightweight camping cot is vital. The Helinox Lite Cot weighs less than 3 pounds and folds down in a compact size to easily pack around It is a great option for backcountry hunters and hikers alike especially when a good night’s sleep is crucial for the day ahead When I know I’ll be hiking miles through rough terrain Hunting and hiking require you to be alert and aware which can be hard to do if you don’t sleep A good night’s rest makes all the difference for the next day and cots keep you off the ground and comfortable The Lite Cot is supported with a lightweight aluminum frame that provides a firm level of support and you truly have a luxury camping experience no matter where your adventure takes you SEE IT The ALPS Mountaineering Ready Lite Cot is one of our favorites because it is lightweight, highly portable, and sturdy enough to last for years. It is an excellent generalist cot made from 420D polyester ripstop fabric with a durable yet light aluminum frame. The highly durable material feels much sturdier than most lightweight cot options I’ve used. A unique two-layer top holds a sleeping pad giving me a more secure and comfortable night’s sleep I like how sturdy this ALPS camping cot feels while laying on it The carrying case is among the most convenient of any cots we tested making it easy to store in any camping gear setup Getting the cot set up is pretty straightforward but harder to assemble and disassemble than competitors like the Helinox this ALPS cot doesn’t take up much space or add much bulk including several backcountry fishing trips deep into the Everglades this cot folds down small enough to easily store it in my boat without taking up extra space and I am ready to go for an early morning of fishing SEE IT If your camping style calls for an adaptable and packable cot, the Big Agnes Goosenest Double Decker Inflatable Cot but the Goosenest Double Decker offers multiple configurations to maximize its usefulness in camp It comes with two inflatable cots with a built-in buckle system on each This allows you to secure them as a double-stacked cot for maximum comfort If you find yourself camping with multiple people you can attach the buckles side by side for a double-wide cot I find myself turning to this cot on long trips when I need a good night’s sleep and inflate it with the upcycle inflation pack for a well-cushioned sleep The inflation pack solves the problem of bringing a heavy pump in your pack and makes the setup faster the different air chambers disperse air evenly so rocks and uneven ground won’t affect your comfort SEE IT is an excellent option for family camping trips With over 7 feet of sleeping length and a 450-pound weight capacity It’s easy to set up and rugged enough to handle a pile of gear during the day and be ready for a night in camp or whatever I might have lying around on the cot and off the ground This keeps my gear clean and dry during the day when people are running around camp The large side pockets also come in handy to keep your phone and any tools accessible when you need them SEE IT There’s nothing worst than being tired only to realize you never set up your cot. Most cots have too many moving parts to quickly set up, especially in the dark. The Byer of Maine Easy Cot remove it from the package and fold each side out I find myself reaching for this cot when I need an extra bed for a friend staying the night and on any camping trip where I know the car will be nearby But the Easy Cot makes up for it with 600-denier fabric that gives you plenty of support making it the most comfortable and durable cot I tested and ensuring it will get its fair share of use SEE IT Sturdy fabric that’s hard for dogs to scratch If you bring your dog on all your adventures, you want them to be just as comfortable as you are in the tent. Dog beds  are too large to bring on long hikes, and the tent floor can get very cold. The Helinox Elevated Dog Cot keeps your dog off the ground while still being small enough that you can pack it on long hikes the dog cot features a rigid aluminum frame and a monofilament mesh that holds up well against dog nails and teeth My pup loves the Helinox dog camping cot as much as I do It weighs around 3 pounds which is light enough to bring without adding a lot of weight to your pack this cot keeps your dog elevated like a regular cot I recommend setting it up around the house first to acclimate them to a raised bed It’s a great option to bring wherever you bring your dog or even in the back of the car if we stop somewhere to relax SEE IT If you want to keep your cot purchase under $100, the ALPS Mountaineering Lightweight Cot but it packs down small enough to be suitable for basecamps or car camping ventures The convenient carrying case is similar to a standard camp chair in size and is equipped with a shoulder sling and the frame provides adequate tension for a comfortable night’s sleep The snug fit of the fabric increases the comfort factor of this ALPS cot My only complaint about this cot is that it can be challenging to put together The poles for the frame are all separate and can come apart easily when sliding them in and out of the sides I initially struggled setting this one up but got the hang of it after a few times the metal legs require a fair bit of compression to fit into the frame it was a bit more complicated than desired after setting it up for a few times it seems worth it Purchasing a cot is more of a personal decision than you might think A lightweight backpacking cot is perfect for campers hiking far from civilization while others might want a larger and more supportive cot for casual trips Understanding what features and performance you need on your adventures is the first step in finding the best camping cot and packability are major factors to consider when picking out a camping cot When buying a cot, you should think about where you’ll be putting it. If you own a low-profile camping tent you will want to avoid large comfort cots because they sit higher off the ground and won’t fit in the low ceiling a cot that can be used for camping and a guest around the house is ideal These larger comfort cots are perfect for keeping you higher off the floor and more comfortable Don’t forget to look at the size of the actual sleeping area Not all cots are created equally; some will give you plenty of space to move around whereas others leave you staring at the tent’s roof all night long Look for a cot with sturdy components; this means a rigid frame that can support your weight Frames are typically made of aluminum or steel they are much heavier and usually found on most comfort cots Lightweight backpacking cots feature aluminum frames that save weight and are detachable for easy storage in a pack strong nylon or canvas material is a go-to The best camping cot covering should be tight to provide a firm and supportive sleeping area while also withstanding years of abuse without ripping One of the most overlooked but critical factors of selecting a camping cot is the time it takes to set up The difference between a few minutes and a half hour might not seem too bad but when you are deep in the woods and ready for bed so you don’t need to drag an instruction booklet all over the place My ultralight cots typically feature two collapsible sidebars and cross bars that snap into place It’s easy enough that by just looking at the pieces This saves time and gets you ready for the next day’s adventures Modern camping cots are designed to be comfortable and supportive The new fabrics and support systems make them enjoyable to sleep in and keep the extra supplies you need to a minimum a sleeping pad on top can be used on any cot for a softer sleep but a sleeping pad is a great addition to any cot if you have the extra space and want a luxurious camping experience Q: Is sleeping on a cot warmer than sleeping on the ground Q: What is the most comfortable cot for camping The most comfortable cot for camping we tested is the Byer of Maine Easy Cot Its supportive frame and thick fabric made for the best night’s sleep large style cots with high legs and beefy frames like the Easy Cot are the most comfortable if you’re looking solely to enjoy your camping experience and wake up well rested look for bigger cots that have a large sleeping area For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase. © 2024 Field & Stream All rights reserved. COT report: Broad retreat sees WTI longs slump to 15-year low; Accelerated selling of USDCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Six weeks of accelerated greenback selling has now more than halved the gross USD long, but looking at the underlying components, the biggest, and only, bet against the dollar is the mentioned elevated JPY long, while the major positions supporting a stronger dollar remain against the CAD, EUR, and CHF. Softs and livestockWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S COT Report: Mixed week seen ahead of Trump's tariff offensiveCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy The dollar surged on the news, causing the Mexican peso to tumble by 3% and the Canadian dollar to hit its lowest level since 2003, while the euro approached parity. Eventually, all three currencies found some support, possibly due to speculation that the tariffs are part of Trump's negotiation tactics and could be short-lived. However, JP Morgan warns that if the tariffs are prolonged, they could push both Canada and Mexico onto a recessionary path. Commodities had a mixed reaction to the announcement. The stronger dollar generally weighed on prices, but the energy sector received a boost following a sudden price spike on 4.5 million barrels of daily crude imports from Canada and Mexico. US refiners in the Midwest, which rely on Canadian oil, may face higher feedstock costs due to the tariffs, potentially impacting the US farming heartland by driving up food costs through increased fuel and logistics expenses. Gold received a fresh safe-haven bid, but with the dollar rising simultaneously, the higher gold prices have mostly been observed across other gold crosses, where several fresh record highs have been recorded. Industrial metals and key crops are trading lower as we await a counter-response from China, the world's top consumer of industrial metals and largest importer of corn and soybeans. The table below shows plenty of year highs and lows, with the most notable being: The reporting week saw some nervousness start to creep in as Trump’s tariff threat gained some momentum and markets responded to the DeepSeek fallout across markets. Overall, the Bloomberg Commodity index fell 1.3 percent during the reporting period with losses being led by energy (-3.9%) and industrial metals (-3%), and only partly offset by strong gains across softs (+6.5%) and livestock (+5%). Precious metals traded mixed with a small gold gain being offset by silver weakness. From an individual perspective, demand was concentrated in Brent crude, natural gas, and as mentioned several agriculture commodities, while sellers focused on WTI crude, Gas oil, wheat and cotton. Softs and livestockWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S Camping cots make for a luxury camping experience One of the best parts about car camping is that weight is a non-issue. When you’re backpacking, you must be strategic about the size and weight of your gear, but car camping allows for a more luxurious setup The most important part of your camping gear is your sleep setup While sleeping on the ground can be a fun experience it often means restless nights and an achy back come sunrise Camping cots are a comfortable solution to avoid sleeping on the ground — they are as close as you can get to sleeping in your own bed when you’re away from home Editor’s Note: We’re testing more cots to update and expand this list with hopes of finding a high-quality budget camping cot If you’re in the market for a camping cot, you probably have two main priorities: Be up off the ground and sleep comfortably. The REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3 is hands down the most comfortable camping cot on our list it’s spacious even for folks on the tall side But the biggest selling point of the Kingdom Cot 3 is the plush padding with a quilted top The padding/quilt on the cot is soft and comfortable and the polyester fabric is water-resistant and quick-drying The back can be set into multiple positions so you can sit in a more upright position if you want to read or simply drink in the views The downside of this cot is that it’s big and bulky to carry and you’ll need a large tent if you hope to fit it inside If comfort is your top priority and you don’t want to have to pack a sleeping pad But if you’re in the market for something lightweight and packable we awarded the Kingdom Cot 3 the best overall cot because of its insane comfort and option to arrange the cot in multiple positions Check out our full review of the REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3 Helinox is all about making lightweight gear and the Helinox Cot One Max Convertible is no exception Although it isn’t the lightest of all of Helinox’s cots it’s a full-size cot and weighs just 6.38 pounds The Cot also packs down small into a convenient travel bag setting up the cot proved to be challenging There are four lightweight legs that attach to the bottom of the cot The first time we attempted to set it up the fabric of the cot sagged but then we flipped the legs and reattached them and it worked perfectly setting it up and tearing it down was a breeze The only downside of the length is that it barely fits in most tents The cot has the option to purchase a Max Leg conversion kit if you want the cot to sit higher off the ground If you’re tight on storage space or frequent campsites that require some walking, the Cot One is a good option. If you’re after a luxurious comfortable experience, then you may be better off with a cot like the REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3. The Snow Peak High Tension Cot is a heavy-duty cot that works well for car camping or for at-home use It’s incredibly sturdy and heavy duty and although Snow Peak doesn’t declare a maximum capacity we’d guess it can support upward of 300 pounds The canvas material doesn’t have a lot of give We found it was nice to place a sleeping pad on top of the cot for the ultimate comfort experience The most unique feature of the High Tension Cot is the legs They slide in and out for storage and the design creates tension relative to weight placement We found it a little tricky to get the legs into the canvas The cot packs down into a carrying bag for easy storage and transport then the High Tension cot isn’t for you if you want something insanely durable that’s going to last for years to come the High Tension cot fits the bill nicely It doesn’t pack down incredibly small or lightweight but it does sit a foot off the ground which is helpful for getting in and out of it If you’re looking for an ultra-lightweight cot, you’ll love the Helinox Lite Cot it’s light enough to take backpacking or on travels Setting it up is a bit intimidating at first There are a lot of different poles and pieces but once you get it figured out it becomes second nature The cot sits low to the ground but high enough that you’re not dragging At just over six feet it might not be long enough for everyone but worked well for our 5’7″ tester Made of ripstop nylon with an aluminum frame the Lite Cot gets the job done but we thought it was more comfortable if we threw a sleeping pad on top the cot easily packs down into a convenient travel bag If you’ve been looking for a cot that you take backpacking It’s also a good pick if you’re short on storage space or if you plan on traveling with it it’s not as comfy as other options but in terms of weight Some cots are a breeze to set up whereas others require some trial and error to get them up and running. Luckily, the REI Co-op Campwell Folding Cot is the former you simply pull it out of the bag and unfold it Everything quickly pops into place and you’re good to go The feet on the cot swivel to help with even weight distribution but be sure you have them firmly and securely planted to ensure you don’t collapse your cot on accident the Campwell cot was a deal and didn’t sacrifice quality and performance It’s comfortable enough (and even more comfortable if you put a sleeping pad on it) and sits high off the ground Our lead tester Rebecca Parsons has spent a large portion of her life camping She regularly goes on camping and backpacking trips and even spent five summers living in a tent while working at a summer camp she knows all too well the difference a comfortable sleep setup can make and packed them up to see how easy or difficult each was to set up and tear down and most importantly We tested these cots at home as well as at the campground we found that they make a great guest bed for visitors at home The biggest factor we considered when testing these camping cots was comfort but we also thought about how easy or difficult each cot was to set up and tear down and how difficult they were to get in and out of during middle-of-the-night bathroom calls Testing out some of the best camping cots in the industry but you’ll want to make sure you aren’t sacrificing any criteria that are important to you for an easy setup The REI Co-op Campwell Folding Cot was quick and easy to set up Camping cots are almost exclusively restricted to car camping, except maybe in the case of the Helinox Lite Cot camping equipment quickly adds up and depending on what type of car you have it can be nice to have something that packs down relatively small Some campgrounds allow you to park right at your spot but others require you to walk a bit to your site If walking is required it can also be nice to have a more compact cot or one that packs into a carrying case Check out the folded size for each of the cots if you’re curious about how small it packs down At 2 lbs 13 oz, the Helinox Lite Cot was the lightest and most compact camping cot we tested we also found that the lighter cots typically weren’t the most comfortable so you’ll have to weigh (pun intended) what’s the most important factor for you The Helinox Lite Cot was the only cot that we tested that was small enough to fit in a standard-sized four-person tent most of the cots on our list were around two feet with some being slightly wider and some a little shorter a wider cot is going to provide more room to spread out and roll around but that added width typically adds some weight to your setup The REI Co-op Kingdom Cot 3 was hands down the most comfortable of all the cots we tested thanks to the built-in cushion If you want to make your cot more comfortable it can be helpful to put a ground pad on top of the cot Having a stable platform to sleep on is important make sure you’re setting up your cot on an even This isn’t always a realistic option but do your best or wedge in sticks or rocks to make sure your cot is level and secure it’s important to make sure you have your cot properly set up and everything is securely locked into place You don’t want to get up in the middle of the night to relieve yourself only to have your cot collapse on you durability is an important factor to consider as your camping cot will spend a lot of time outside and in the elements It can also be helpful to have a camping cot that is treated with a durable water-repellant (DWR) finish to help prevent water damage To help extend the life of your camping cot store it out of direct sunlight whenever possible and sleep under a tent In order to truly determine how durable a cot is requires years of using that cot We’ve only had these cots for a few months so our determination of durability was based on the construction and feel of each As we continue to test these cots we will update this review with any notes making it more challenging to get in and out of bed you have the option to purchase leg extenders with the Helinox Cot One if you wish for it to sit higher up  Return to Comparison Table | Return to Top Picks COT report: Hedge funds’ positioning ahead of Calamity WednesdayCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Seven of the eight currencies tracked in this saw net selling, led by long liquidation in EUR, GBP, and CHF. Ahead of the end-of-week market turmoil, net long positions remained in the JPY at USD 10 billion equivalent, EUR (USD 7 billion), and GBP (USD 3 billion), while the largest net short positions were in the CAD (USD -9 billion) and CHF (USD -6 billion). With all these developments occurring after the latest COT reporting week, the latest update highlights which commodities were mostly exposed to the deleveraging move that followed. Energy: A 21% jump in the Brent crude net long left this contract particularly exposed to recession fears and the OPEC+ decision to accelerate production from next month, and together with net buying of diesel and gasoline, the sector was left vulnerable to the selling onslaught that followed. Metals: Ahead of silver's 18% top-to-bottom collapse since last Wednesday, some long liquidation had taken place but not enough to prevent a major negative reaction to a collapse in the COMEX-London spread and heightened recession worries. Gold and copper had also seen some profit-taking, but elevated long positions left both metals exposed. SoftsWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S If you’ve used AI tools like ChatGPT before you’ve likely run into a common issue — shallow These tools tend to analyze questions individually offering generic summaries without context or failing to identify key financial patterns.  Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting solves this by guiding AI tools through a step-by-step reasoning process generating logical and well-supported financial insights.  This guide breaks down CoT prompting with examples and practical applications for producing high-quality financial analysis using AI tools Chain-of-Thought (CoT) is a structured prompting technique used in large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT CoT guides the AI through a step-by-step reasoning process to improve logical coherence and analytical depth.  CoT prompting explicitly instructs the model to break down complex problems into sequential CoT prompting helps AI tools to deliver accurate and context-aware insights by systematically identifying trends AI tools can summarize financial data but may not identify trends CoT prompting requests this information in a logical sequence of steps for the AI to perform Example: Consider: “What is 24 divided by 3 plus 4?” ChatGPT might misinterpret the order of operations A CoT approach guides it through a logical sequence: By guiding ChatGPT through each calculation CoT ensures an accurate response based on structured reasoning Example of CoT Prompting in Financial Analysis A common prompt for financial analysis is: “Analyze the financial health of Company X.” This often yields a generic financial summary.  a CoT prompt forces the AI tool to work step-by-step:  Sample Prompt to Analyze Company Financial Health “Analyze the financial health of [Company X] using the following structured approach: Now, let’s walk through how to apply CoT prompting to financial statement analysis The following steps break down key components that help ChatGPT generate a more accurate and insightful financial assessment ChatGPT needs context to analyze financial statements such as the company’s business model ChatGPT often misinterprets financial data or overlooks key business drivers A financial analyst might ask the following questions to understand a company’s business operations: Here’s an example of a CoT prompt that would help ChatGPT provide high-quality answers to those questions “Describe [Company X]’s revenue model Explain how these factors influence financial performance.” A CoT prompt like this one forces ChatGPT to develop a deep understanding of the company’s business model The next step is to evaluate profitability trends using the income statement A CoT approach breaks down revenue fluctuations and connects them to cost structures Example: How CoT Improves ChatGPT’s Revenue Analysis A standard AI response may identify revenue growth but not the factors behind it CoT prompting allows ChatGPT to systematically analyze each contributing factor to provide a comprehensive explanation Sample CoT Prompt: “Analyze the trend in revenue Identify significant changes and explain the reasons behind them.”  ChatGPT would respond with a detailed trend analysis that may look something like this: the next step is to evaluate the company’s financial stability by examining the balance sheet Ready to master AI-powered financial analysis? CFI’s Advanced Prompting for Financial Statement Analysis course teaches you how to use AI to generate deeper financial insights and enhance decision-making. Enroll today! With well-structured Chain-of-Thought prompts, ChatGPT can dig deeper to connect the components of a balance sheet to assess long-term financial health With CoT prompts ChatGPT is less likely to overlook important implications like changes in assets Example: How CoT Improves Balance Sheet Analysis A basic AI response may not explain the significance of a change in total assets A Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompt should direct ChatGPT to break down asset changes and assess their financial impact The next step is to examine the cash flow statement for insights into operating efficiency ChatGPT tends to provide a basic AI response stating that operating cash flow changed without explaining why that matters A CoT approach would prompt ChatGPT to evaluate the drivers of cash flow changes and their financial impact.   CoT prompting improves ChatGPT’s financial analysis by providing a detailed liquidity analysis This high-quality analysis leads to actionable financial insights and improved decision-making The last step is to combine insights from all three financial statements into a cohesive financial assessment you need ChatGPT to interpret financial data comprehensively A CoT prompt should guide ChatGPT through the following steps to build a financial narrative that: The value of using AI tools lies in how effectively you prompt it Structuring prompts effectively leads to more precise ChatGPT moves beyond surface-level summaries to structured financial analysis Ready to boost your AI skills and take your financial analysis to the next level CFI’s Advanced Prompting for Financial Statement Analysis course provides hands-on techniques to structure AI-driven financial analysis effectively Enroll in Advanced Prompting for Financial Statement Analysis now! AI Tools for Finance: ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini AI and Financial Statement Analysis: Tools and Techniques How AI Transforms Scenario Analysis in Corporate Finance See all AI resources See all Financial Modeling resources Access and download collection of free Templates to help power your productivity and performance Already have an account? Log in Take your learning and productivity to the next level with our Premium Templates Upgrading to a paid membership gives you access to our extensive collection of plug-and-play Templates designed to power your performance—as well as CFI's full course catalog and accredited Certification Programs Already have a Self-Study or Full-Immersion membership? Log in Gain unlimited access to more than 250 productivity Templates CFI's full course catalog and accredited Certification Programs the chance to work with real-world finance and research tools Already have a Full-Immersion membership? Log in Craigslist ad offers 3ft by 10ft space for just $250 a month – for ‘nerdy gamer’ but nobody with a criminal record A California “home” for rent is shining a light on the US housing crisis – and evoking Harry Potter’s living situation For $250 a month, an online ad is offering the opportunity to reside in a 3ft by 10ft cubby located under the stairs of a one-bedroom apartment in downtown San Jose “Fits a cot perfectly,” says the Cragislist ad for the living space The room under the stairs resembles the one temporarily inhabited by the titular character of the fictional magical world depicted in the Harry Potter book series by JK Rowling Its appearance on the rental market illustrates the rising cost of living confronting Americans. A 2024 report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University found that – as of 2022 – a record half of US renters paid more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities And half of those people paid more than 50% of their income on rent and utilities The average cost of rent for an apartment in San Jose is $3,132 – 53% higher than the national average, according to data on Zillow the room under the stairs is decidedly a bargain The pros for the listing include air conditioning and heat The cons as mentioned in the ad are chores cleaning and being “kind of in the ghetto” “I want to rent it out to a nice nerdy gamer don’t care if male or female,” the ad says The landlord requires the future tenant not to have pets Notably, California law prohibits landlords from having a policy denying rentals to people with a criminal record because of that record. COT Report: Limited dollar demand despite continued strength; Accelerated metals selling led by goldCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy The hardest-hit currencies were the euro and the Mexican peso, both losing around 2.8%. Despite the USD’s strength, speculative positioning showed mixed responses. Remarkably, the gross USD long versus eight IMM futures remained unchanged at USD 17.5 billion, potentially highlighting a cautious market stance on further USD gains after the broad-focused Bloomberg Dollar Index reached a two-year high. This stability stemmed from speculators covering short positions in the euro and sterling, reducing overall short exposure by USD 1.9 billion and USD 0.9 billion, respectively. Conversely, most of the net selling pressure focused on the Japanese yen and the Canadian dollar. Notably, the Dollar Index flipped to a net short position of 2,322 contracts—a level not seen since March 2021—highlighting the mentioned caution. Softs and livestock: Strong rallies in cocoa and coffee supported a relatively small increase in their respective net longs while fresh one-year highs were observed across the three livestock contracts.What is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S COT Report: Crude, Gold and Grains See Mild Profit TakingCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Softs and livestockWhat is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S COT Report: Managed money's year-end positioning in forex and commoditiesCommodities   Ole HansenHead of Commodity Strategy Softs and livestock: Softs were mixed with profit-taking seen in sugar and coffee while the cotton net short continued to rise the cattle net long remained elevated.What is the Commitments of Traders report?The COT reports are issued by the U.S Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.