Hello y'all,

I am just wondering what your thoughts on camp chairs are. Are they necessary? I am debating on bringing a Crazy Creek or not

Thank you,

K

kriley76, your inquiry suggests you are not a regular visitor and that's all okay. Glad to opine on your inquiry. This very topic has recently being discussed in the gear thread with butthead providing his usual excellent input on something new.
I will guess you are in early forty's and your backside is getting more sensitive. Logs, the ground, rocks and all other options just do not cut it anymore. Welcome to those willing to carry a few more ounces to gain comfort. I have been using the Helinox Sunsetter for about three years and will carry it in when backpacking in the mountains. Others have their favorites.
And yes, take a chair.

You're young enough not to need one. You can save weight and money that way too. If you do have a crazy creek canoe seat back they really double as a camp chair and is a great investment until you get old like me and Bhouse46. :)

Search this site for cofee sack chair or wilderness chair. Just an option. U tube may show it as well.

I'm 54 and my husband is 65. We have never carried a camp chair in the BWCA. If we were going to basecamp, I would consider it, but since we move everyday, I am unwilling to carry the extra weight even with modern chairs that are light. I can always find something to sit on that keeps me reasonably comfy when cooking.

kriley76: "Hello y'all,

I am just wondering what your thoughts on camp chairs are. Are they necessary? I am debating on bringing a Crazy Creek or not


Thank you,

K"

Do you want/like/need back support? If so, you’ll want a lt wt compact chair.

kriley76: "Hello y'all,

I am just wondering what your thoughts on camp chairs are. Are they necessary? I am debating on bringing a Crazy Creek or not


Thank you,

K"

When I backpack, I do not carry anything superfluous. When I canoe, I carry better food, a small backpacking table and a chair. My chair is a Helinox Chair One. It packs small, taking nearly no pack space. If forced to reduce weight, I would lighten my food pack before I left the chair behind.

Good Luck

For me a chair is a necessity. For you it may not be.

Do you prefer paddling with back support that alternates as camp chair?
Camp chair not necessary when you're young and flexible and/or don't have a history of a bad back. It is surely a comfort to have sitting support in camp after a long day of portaging & paddling. I do not like sitting on logs to 'hang' around the firegrate as that area is dusty with ash and sometimes greasy from previous camp cooks. I rarely use the 'grate' area.
I splurged for a Helinox Sunset Chair and I absolutely love it. It's lightweight, portable and offers head support. I could do without one but I'd categorize my chair under 'extras' yet important as my tarp. I have found that when I lean against a tree (in camp) for the support I tend to collect sap because I don't pay attention. :-/
Yes, a Crazy Creek chair works fine for many. Ounce-counters usually don't bring one. Your call.

If you are going to basecamp, consider a fold up rocking chair. They weigh 12 pounds or so but are worth the weight for me as I sit in mine several hours a day. A portage or so only would be advised with a mile total as an acceptable distance. Often, the chair(s) is one separate carry. The amount of time you would spend in one could offset the cost in portage time and weight of the rocking chair.

I can not, for the life of me, figure out what age has to do with comfort.
Logs and rocks are hard regardless of your age.
The few extra ounces are worth a light weight camp chair. It's always pretty easy to discover something of the same weight you really don't need if you just can't handle that extra few ounces.
I use the REI Flexlite.

I have done trips with and without chairs. I MUCH prefer having a chair. I purchased a Helinox One chair last year. It is lightweight and compact. A crazy creek wouldn't be a bother at all to bring a long. There are lots of good camp chair options available. I also use a chair in the canoe for back support.

"figure out what age has to do with comfort."

Karl, I think it's more about "I'm tough and can take it" attitude that converts to the "no sense ignoring potential comfort" common sense with age and development.

Yes I went thru that but rather quickly. Now I have a variety depending on use, a Crazy Creek roll up I like backpacking/hunting/hiking, REI Flexlite for distance canoe travel, the new BA Big Six for more laid back trips and general camping.
I can include a chair and keep pack weight below 35 pounds.

butthead

To answer the original post, no they are not necessary. I didn’t bring a chair doing 2-3 trips a year from my late 20’s to my late 40’s and the trips were great, I don’t think I missed out on anything either. I was always comfortable—I never felt I was missing anything.

As chairs have lightened and their are more options I now bring a chair more often. It gives more options for seating around the fire or under the tarp or along the lake.

I think it is one of those things for me is when I have it—-it is really nice, but when I don’t I don’t miss it either. If you really like a chair and different seating options are very important to you then bring it. If it isn’t a big deal then leave it at home.

Whatever decision you make you will know after the trip and you will just have to go back again.

T

I'm 52, been bringing a chair since I was 22.

It's a decent chunk of overall gear weight these days.
I could probably do without, or try one of those newer lightweight chairs.
But it's nice having a beast of a chair that I don't have to worry about busting.
(GCI folding director chair 10lbs?)

My outdoor mantra has always been about being comfortable, from clothes to footwear

From a chair to sleeping pads........yes, I bring two. :)

When you are comfortable, everything else seems to fall in place.

And as has been eluded to before, it sure seems to be really popular with those that do not bring one.

Tomcat: "I have seen how quickly a person without a chair will occupy an empty chair when available."

Well said.

Never go without one!!!

I really like our little chair it’s only one lb so not too heavy although it’s not very large and it sits pretty low. My dad sometimes has trouble getting out of the chair since it sits pretty low, but he is 50. It made a nice dry seat for our trip when we got a lot of rain because everything else was wet. I would recommend getting one.

Bringing the chair is a no brainer for me. Mine weighs less than a pound and makes my relaxation time more comfortable. Those moments when you sit there watching the sun set, or fishing from shore, where you think "this is what I'm here for", it just makes the experience a little better. Without a chair it would be fine too, and never get too accustomed to the chair so that you won't sit on a rock or log.

Just don't spend too much on your first chair, it's not like a sleeping bag or a tent where even the cheap ones are expensive. If you were dead set on getting one and knew what you wanted then I would say to buy the good one the first time, but since you are asking if you should have one at all, I'd say to pick up a knock off from Ebay or a used model that you can try out and see if you like it or what you like about it. Then you can make a more informed decision after a few trips or more on a more expensive and long term chair. $20 for a cheap one is not too much to just try it out.

I am 68 years old. I waited and waited on pulling the chair-purchase trigger. I finally bought one (on sale, REI Flexlite) two years ago.

The first night out I prepped my fire and set me chair up. Then I sat. The clouds parted, angels sang, and I was transported!

I have a new religion.

Dave

RetiredDave: "I am 68 years old. I waited and waited on pulling the chair-purchase trigger. I finally bought one (on sale, REI Flexlite) two years ago. The first night out I prepped my fire and set me chair up. Then I sat. The clouds parted, angels sang, and I was transported! I have a new religion. Dave"

I really agree with this! I heard those angels too! If you're young and flexible and have natural rear end padding, you'll probably be happy sitting on a log or a rock. With age, things like that start to bug you. At some point you start thinking about giving up camping. Several huge technology improvements in the last decade have been game changers: incredibly comfortable mattresses, Helinox cots, lightweight chairs, and small tables (Helinox style; doubles as a footrest). Put those four things together and that will extend your camping another 20 years.

Incredibly, all of those things fit in my kayak hatch. This was unthinkable 10 years ago. Since it's now possible to get a sturdy (not ultralight) 2P tent around 5 or 6 lbs, you can afford to carry the extra weight of these new items:
Helinox cot: 5 lbs
Helinox Sunset chair: 3.2 lbs
Helinox table: 1.5 lbs
Exped MegaMat 12: 2.5 lbs
Tent: 5 lbs
TOTAL WEIGHT: 17 lbs

Cost $650 or over 10 years: $65/yr. A bargain.

KarlBAndersen1: "I can not, for the life of me, figure out what age has to do with comfort.
Logs and rocks are hard regardless of your age.
The few extra ounces are worth a light weight camp chair. It's always pretty easy to discover something of the same weight you really don't need if you just can't handle that extra few ounces.
I use the REI Flexlite. "

Apparently the padding thins on certain areas of the body with age. Very hard to get out of low chairs and up from the ground with arthritis. I used to take naps on rocks and slept on a 3/8" foam pad.

MidwestFirecraft: "

Tomcat: "I have seen how quickly a person without a chair will occupy an empty chair when available."

Well said."

Me: "You don't want to bring a chair on the trip?"
My buddy: "Nah; I don't need them when I'm camping."
Me: "Hey, can you get out of my chair I want to sit down."
Him: "Oh yeah; sorry..."
*repeat next trip

I would not take a trip without a folding chair. I use the REI Flexlite but plan to upgrade to a helinox for the higher back.

I would not take a trip without a folding chair. I use the REI Flexlite but plan to upgrade to a helinox for the higher back.

We take chairs, always have. I have never felt that sitting on an uncomfortable rock or log has enhanced the enjoyment of my trip.

I can go with or without a chair. But I seem to smile more when I bring it.

I finally broke down and got a Crazy Creek two years ago. It was a game changer. Last year, I upgraded to a Sitbacker for the canoe. Better still. This year will be the first with my new Helinox Sunset, and frankly, I can't wait. More weight to be comfortable? Sure. However, I have cut weight and excess gear in other areas, and my overall net pack weight is significantly down. Seriously...can't wait.

dicecupmaker: "Never go without one!!!"

+1

My chair is part of my sleeping pad so when I'm ready for bed, I just unclip the sides and lay down for the night. It's quite simple and has never let me down.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

I used tripod chairs for a few years, then went to the REI Co-op Flexlite Chair, never looked back. I also have a Alite Monarch Butterfly Chair that I use when backpacking. Just two legs but it supports the back after a long day hiking. For a 5 day trip, I was able to keep my pack weight at 26 lbs with chair. It was worth the weight.

Bannock: "For me a chair is a necessity. For you it may not be."

+1

It's definitely a game changer to have a backrest in camp. I have 2 each of the Alite Mantis and Monarch. Also, for car camping with my wife and boys, it makes taking chairs require way less space in the van. I love them and have no regrets in the purchase whatsoever. They make great beach chairs too. 4 chairs in a small backpack vs. hauling larger chairs out to the sand.

After a long day of paddling and portaging, a chair/seat with a back is a well-deserved luxury. I use the Thermarest Trekker which uses a sleeping pad as the padding. You are still low to the ground because the Trekker is more of a seat than a chair (it has no legs), but it has a back and allows you to relax comfortably. For now at least, the Trekker is sufficient for me.

For those for whom the original REI Flexlite is just too difficult to get in and out of, take a look at the new REI Flexlite Macro. Sure, at 2 lb 9 oz, it weighs a full 13 oz more, but it still packs down to just slightly larger than does the original design. And, it boasts a weight capacity of 300 lbs. One of our guys insists on taking his bigger typical quad chair and a switch to this model would make for much nicer packing and carrying.

We have 3 Helinox chairs, bring them every trip.

I especially enjoy when I"m sitting in one, and the kids are doing something else, so I can put my feet up in their chair. That, my friends, is heaven.

I don't always bring a chair when I'm camping, but when I do, I bring a Helinox.
Stay thirsty my friends...