Crib Climbing - HELP!

If you've been through the toddler years with your children then I need your help!!! Samuel figured how to climb out of his crib several months ago but only did it once and that was it. He is now 2 1/2 years old and he has decided that climbing out of the crib on a regular basis is a fun thing to do or at least a good way to start training for the Olympics early. Tim and I discussed the possibility of getting a crib tent but it seemed silly to spend $70 on such a device when we'll probably be buying a bed for him really soon. Plus, I just don't think he'll tolerate the tent at this stage of life. It would probably be a distraction. So with that said, a few days ago we lowered the crib rail and put the ottoman next to the crib so he could get in and out safely. He loves it and thinks it's great that he can get in and out of his bed on his own. He's at that stage where he wants to do everything himself and let's us know that he is NOT appreciative of our assistance. Anyway, nap time has been fine - no getting out of bed. He's usually so tired that he goes right to sleep after a bit of singing and cuddling. Bedtime however is the problem. He seems to understand just fine that he is supposed to stay in bed and he obeys us. The problem is that he climbs on his pillow and tries to reach over the taller part of the crib to reach his dresser which is just a few feet away. He wants to get to his lamp and humidifier to turn them on and off on his own. Well, the other night he actually fell over the tall part of the crib because he was reaching so far to get to his dresser - he must of went right over head first. It's a miracle that he did not injure himself. So today I moved his dresser to the other side of the room thinking this would solve the problem. But no, again at bedtime Tim caught him scaling the tall part of the crib and for what reason I'm not sure. So, it seems to me that the inevitable must happen sooner than I hoped. I think it is time for a big boy bed. My question to you is weather to go with a twin mattress on the floor with a side rail or a toddler bed??? Samuel loves his crib. He loves the coziness of having his bumper and often snuggles right up against it. He also sleeps in a million positions. Not to mention his room is tiny. I like the idea of a toddler bed b/c it seems a bit cozier than a regular mattress and it's still the same size as his crib. But I'm not sure if that's just a waste of money. Any opinions??? Has anyone had this problem??? Any suggestions are welcome. We have to do something ASAP for safety reasons plus we are going away in less than 2 weeks and we need to know he's comfortable with his sleeping arrangement. Thanks. By the way I am writing this post at midnight so excuse the typos and poor grammar.