Favorite camp chair

yknpdlr said:

From NAPA Auto Parts, of all places. I really like the Maxi Trac Folding Chair it sets up and takes down easily, packs small, is sturdy and has an extra high supportive back
Even better is is now on sale for just $22.99, although I have seen it as low as $17.99 when I bought mine at half the then full price.

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How much does it weigh? The product listing doesn’t say.

I still just sit on the ground, or a log, or a rock.

Erica said:

How much does it weigh? The product listing doesn’t say.

I still just sit on the ground, or a log, or a rock.

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I just weighed mine on a kitchen scale including the carry bag. 4 pounds, 10 oz. Reflective of its sturdiness of build. A little much for backpacking very far, but a very welcome addition and easy to carry wnen canoe tripping. Great for a nap on a nice warm day, and better for your back than a log

Near the end of my backpacking career which started in 1960. The first thing I do in camp is set up a Helinox chair and put on some Crocs.
For other types of camping a chair sold by REI. The back and seat are padded and the arms are wood. Very warm even in cold weather. My friend bought one after trying mine.

on trips without portages, an ancient aluminum frame chair with nylon webbing, weighs about 2lb. There used to be two of these but a large Boy Scout (200lbs +) bent one frame, I made one good chair by replacing the worn webbing on the other frame..

for trips with portages, the REI-equivalent to the Helinox, because I'm a cheap b*st*rd..
before that the Thermarest Trekker chair, about 14oz. Two problems with that, one is that I did get some punctures in the Thermarest that most likely came from using it in the chair; the other is I'm too old to sit on the ground anymore. The sitting is fine, it's the getting up that don't always work too well..

I still like my REI branded Crazy Creek style:

It's 3 fold - and had sufficed as a sleeping pad when primary blows out. Was especially gratified when in 2013 I showed up for a Philmont trek, and all the Scouts had collapsible chairs and I and the rangers had these. Kind of a quest at each BWCA/Quetico site to find the perfect place to sit - but any log or simply bare ground works fine.

We have been using Cascade Mountain Tech chairs and end tables for the last couple of years. You can get them cheaper through Amazon or Costco etc.

I've tried a variety of chairs but keep coming back to the Lafuma maxi pop-up butterfly chair. The first one that I got from REI years ago was light weight with an aluminum frame. When that eventually wore out the aluminum frame ones weren't available but there was a similar steel framed model which I now use. Even that doesn't show up for sale now. Sure wish they still made the aluminum ones. It wasn't as ultra light as some of the Helinox style chairs but that style is very quick to unfold or fold up so it is convenient to have along on day trips for short snack or lunch breaks.

BTW, after seeing a recommendation for the chair from NAPA in an earlier thread I bought one, but it didn't feel comfortable to me and I returned it. The seat didn't feel deep enough so it kept feeling like I was starting to slide out of the seat.

Quite a few years ago, I settled on using the Camp Time Roll a Chair. One piece, no assembly needed, I find it compact, light, and its high points for me are it has a back and is remarkably easy to stand from(19 inch version). I added some tennis balls to the feet to better stabilize me in loose soils and they work very well. Comes in 3 seat heights, weighs 2.2 lbs, 250lb capacity.

Years ago I had a simple two piece wood canvas chair. I used a couple of them on my sailboat, but I don't remember where I got them.

I haven’t brought chairs (yet, but maybe soon) anyway I have Nemo Moonlite chair as mentioned earlier and it is nice. I also have the three leg stool, simple but no back support.
This one looked interesting to make.


And I used to have one on this construction that I made but mine had a slat seat and a canvas back.

Jim

I use a Crazy Creek long - I use it in my Duluth pack as an internal frame when packed up… makes a huge difference…. Then I use it to sit, kneel and add protection at night under sleep pad. I often use it on a log or rock to get the “chair “ feeling. The best part is it never tips over or has a leg dig into the wet ground and give me a start… which usually leads to me spilling my food or beverage

Boatman53 said:

I haven’t brought chairs (yet, but maybe soon) anyway I have Nemo Moonlite chair as mentioned earlier and it is nice. I also have the three leg stool, simple but no back support.
This one looked interesting to make.
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And I used to have one on this construction that I made but mine had a slat seat and a canvas back.
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Jim

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Looks like a great project… I see a fellow made one out of a coffee roasters bag I believe. Great idea

We have a couple of REI Camp Low Chairs that we bring along for picnics. They've seen a lot of use, and have held up well. Wouldn't want to carry them far though.

Tryin' said:

I had a Helinox and it was awesome but small. I bought a Big Agnes Mica Basin XL and can't believe the difference in comfort. It's a couple ounces more, but the bag is close to the same size. The seat is higher and that width... It's a great chair for the over 6'/230# crowd. Heck, I've had a 6'5"/ 320# guy in it with no issues.

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Deep discount on this at REI ending TODAY. 50% off is still $99 though.

Woodpuppy said:

Deep discount on this at REI ending TODAY. 50% off is still $99 though.

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We bought two Big Agnes Big Six camp chairs last spring on sale at 50% off the old price. They aren't backpacking chairs due to weight and size, but they're really comfortable, sturdy, a good height, and don't take up that much space in a canoe. We found that they're even more comfortable if you put Crazy Creek chairs (which we always take with us) inside them. At our age we figured we could be a bit decadent after sitting on the ground for most of our canoe camping lives.

I’m not an UL backpacker, with 4 kids we don’t travel light. And no need in a canoe! I agree, inject comfort where possible and make the trip better!

When I was backpacking a lot I brought a Crazy Creek chair. Here it is (lower right) along with a guitar on a trip to the Shelving Rock area on the east side of Lake George.



Once I started canoeing I switched to a Coleman folding camp chair.



Last year I bought a Helinox Sunset chair and I like it a lot. It packs well and is very comfortable. I'd consider bringing it on shorter backpacking trips.

I never took a chair on canoe trips (weight & space) but age is catching up with me. I just bought a Helinox chair zero, and spent an afternoon just watching Little Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks, as Taj Mahal says "watching the whole thing come down in harmony". It's minimal but very comfortable for me (I'm small & weigh in the 140s). I rarely sit still on trips. I either paddle or do a hike on shore, but this thing got me to sit still for a whole half day. It helped that the trip only involved one short carry; I'd probably think twice if I had to carry it for long distances.

a Helinox chair for backpacking and long walks.
For everything else a padded chair from REI with wood arm rests. It is warm in cold weather and comfortable.

I have a couple methods of sitting.

The simplest, and despite my age (60) what I still bring on exceptionally hard (for me) backpacking trips, where I'm moving every day (AT sections, mostly), is a basic green foam pad, roughly 9x14. It rides against my back as padding, is easy to pull out to set on a log or rock during a break, and serves as a kneeling pad, fire fan, and night stand. This pad also goes on every trip because of it's low weight, low bulk, and versatility.

The next lightest is a sling chair. It weighs about 8oz, much of which is the rope. I mostly use it for hunting, dayhikes, and group camps. It's got two layers of silnylon, enabling the above sit pad to be inserted for back insulation if needed. Far easier to show a picture than explain:




The chair I most commonly use when canoe camping is the previously mentioned Crazy Creek chair, which I have to carry anyway, with my solo canoe. It weighs an unfortunate 23oz, and I'm working on figuring out a way to make one out of 2 foam pads, with duct tape for a hinge and no heavy nylon cloth cover... This chair comes in very handy in a lean-to, where you can just sit on the deacon's seat out front, or down on the shore while eating dinner, or wherever you like. It's also useful when I'm using my ground setup (vs a hammock, when it's kind of redundant except that I need it for a canoe seat), because I can open it flat, lay it end to end with my green foam sit pad) and squeeze a bit of insulation value out of it under my air mattress... this might enable me to use a lighter (18oz) summer air mattress, vs a heavier (23-24oz) winter one, on a Spring or Fall trip.


Finally, the Helinox One, that 18oz wonder... I bring it mostly on easier canoe or backpacking trips. It is wonderful, but not always worth the weight when I have the sling chair as an option.