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housty9
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Not on long trips, by the time I travel most of the day I'm not in a campsite that long and usually busy til I go to bed, if I base camp I will.
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Bannock
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Under 50, no chair. Over 50, chair. 13 years with a chair. I'd leave stoves and cooking gear behind and have cold meals before I'd ditch my chair. :)
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Bannock
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quote Jaywalker: "I think it may be more of a shoulder season thing, but we'll see. "
Yep. That's when I really appreciate one - October and early May.
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TomT
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I've pledged to go chairless next solo. No depth finder either. Gonna get as bare bones as I can. Even no dog! Yep, I want to experience a true solo again, besides, Luna just gets bored around camp. She doesn't know how to read like I do.
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boonie
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You gonna get a lighter canoe, too, Tom?
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TomT
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quote boonie: "You gonna get a lighter canoe, too, Tom?"
I'm selling my tandem to do just that. I'm leaning toward a Northstar Northwind solo. Not sure I'll be able to get it before sept. but I'm going to try. I'll keep my Blackhawk to loan to my son or a nephew if they want to join me sometime. Or maybe this dude named Boonie will finally get to Quetico and join me. :)
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boonie
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I thought that might be the plan when I saw it for sale. I think you'd like the Northwind. I'm still hoping to get there one of these days, Tom.
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billconner
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quote TomT: "Luna just gets bored around camp. She doesn't know how to read like I do.
"
Can't help myself. You mean here lips don't move? (rim shot)
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TrekScouter
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No chair for me! I bring too much as it is.
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jwartman59
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no chair. i find the idea odd. sounds like glamping.
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billconner
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Never a chair - just a Crazy Creek or similar seat pad. Keep looking for things to not carry.
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IceColdGold
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I have one of these: Backpacking chair $26
It's a unbranded Helinox.
And I bring a 5 gallon bucket.
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fraxinus
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I didn't until I got in the habit of strapping Crazy Creek chairs in a tandem and portaging them that way. I found the back support, being able to lean back, a great feature for me. Some people can get very comfortable sitting on the ground, I was never one of them. I use the Crazy Creek Hex on solos, it rolls up into a cylinder, weighs 21 oz. ( I know, ya take 5 things that "only" weigh a pound and a half and you've added 7-1/2 lbs.) Pretty minimalist for a chair, two foam pads and two straps. Crazy Creek Hex 2.0
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Whatsit
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quote IceColdGold: "I have one of these: Backpacking chair $26
It's a unbranded Helinox.
And I bring a 5 gallon bucket."
I've seen them on eBay. Are they the real thing? I always imagined they would be so cheap they'd only be good for a kid
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MacCamper
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Never appreciated a chair until I bought my wife one for Christmas. Now I won't go without one.
Mac
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boonie
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I may take a butt pad this year, but you guys quit tempting me with those chairs ;).
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GraniteCliffs
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I would not go without one. Period.
I use it for padding on a Duluth Pack. Then I look forward each and every day on each and every trip to each evening to sit by the lake, in the chair, with my booze, cigar and maps. It is a glorious time every day. And on a solo I use it to sit in to read. Weighs little, packs well. Nope, never going without one on any trip!
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DanCooke
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Helinoix chair summer and winter is considered must have along. Short or long trips it makes eating more relaxing. the back support is nice after a long day in the canoe, or out skiing.
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IceColdGold
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quote Whatsit: "quote IceColdGold: "I have one of these: Backpacking chair $26
It's an unbranded Helinox.
And I bring a 5 gallon bucket."
I've seen them on eBay. Are they the real thing? I always imagined they would be so cheap they'd only be good for a kid"
I read a post by someone on one of the many chair threads and the guy did a side by side compare of the unbranded chair and the branded Helinox. He could not see any difference.
They look the same to me.
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gkimball
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I bought a Helinox Chair One last year and took it on my Spring solo. It is a truly well built, comfortable chair. But it also added significant weight to the solo pack that I never had before.
I resolved to use it on trips with companions where weight is spread among us, and for solos go back to using my Dad's old four legged camp stool made in the 1960's. Very light and easy to pack. A real antique, designed when things weren't over built, it might seem flimsy now but it works.
Or I use a folding seat pad that gives back support, or just as a pure sitting pad. Can actually use it in more situations, like under a tarp or bug net. Slides down inside food pack and cushions the load from my back.
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hobbydog
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I never had one but last year I got a really good deal on one so gave it a try. Before I could always find a a natural spot with a good backrest to enjoy. The big difference with the chair was under the tarp when it was raining. Or sitting by the fire. On a nice evening I still preferred seeking out a nice natural sitting spot overlooking the lake. .
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butthead
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Do not always take a Flexlite style chair. But will almost always take a Crazy Creek Hex Chair to use inside a tent or as a kneeling pad.
butthead
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butthead
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quote IceColdGold: "quote Whatsit: "quote IceColdGold: "I have one of these: Backpacking chair $26
It's an unbranded Helinox.
And I bring a 5 gallon bucket."
I've seen them on eBay. Are they the real thing? I always imagined they would be so cheap they'd only be good for a kid"
I read a post by someone on one of the many chair threads and the guy did a side by side compare of the unbranded chair and the branded Helinox. He could not see any difference.
They look the same to me.
"
There are a bunch available. Some differences in sizes and materials can be found. A lot has to do with the return satisfaction from a name brand like REI and Helinox.
butthead
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HighnDry
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I used to take only the crazy creek pad that I used in the canoe. Once I took the Helinox that I have, I find it hard to leave it behind. It has almost become a "must have" item for each trip.
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sunnybear09
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"You can lead a horse to water...."
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Jaywalker
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I have never taken a chair so far, but when I was packing up for a November trip (that got cancelled at the last minute) I ran to REI and bought one. I will try it on my next trip, but am still a bit unsure. I think it may be more of a shoulder season thing, but we'll see.
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hooky
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I started taking a chair on backpacking trips around the time I turned 45. Once I did it, I never looked back. I use an Alite Monarch. Only weighs a pound and a quarter. It only has 2 legs, so that throws some people off. Once you use it and get used to it over an evening, it's incredibly comfortable and helps with my back.
Alite Monarch
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boonie
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quote sunnybear09: ""You can lead a horse to water....""
:) It seems there's a vast array of conspirators attempting to do just that . . . :)
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paddlinjoe
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I currently use a Crazy Creek type chair with three sections. It is long enough to also use in the hammock for a little insulation.
That said, I hear so many good things about Helinox chairs, I have been thinking about getting one over the next couple of years.
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boonie
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Am I the only person who doesn't take a chair?
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Alan Gage
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No. There are two of us.
Alan
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carmike
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No chair for me, either.
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FOG51
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I always take a 5 gallon bucket with a gamma lid which I sit on. Does that count as a chair? FRED
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nctry
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quotnxe boonie: "Am I the only person who doesn't take a chair?"
Yep... Hahahaha
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bwcasolo
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chair
until i got one of these, i never did either, they pack so small, and are so comfy.
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boonie
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quote nctry: "quotnxe boonie: "Am I the only person who doesn't take a chair?"
Yep... Hahahaha "
I don't even take a butt pad, Ben - must be a real hard*** :)
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boonie
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quote FOG51: "I always take a 5 gallon bucket with a gamma lid which I sit on. Does that count as a chair? FRED"
No. . . a stool maybe, but not a chair ;). My Ursack's not nearly as good a stool as my BearVault :).
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boonie
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quote bwcasolo: " chair
until i got one of these, i never did either, they pack so small, and are so comfy."
One of these days you guys are going to break down my resolve if I keep reading about these. I'm still trying to cut weight - last year I shaved weight by trimming the repair kit, first aid kit, and leaving my hearing aids (and spare batteries) behind :).
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boonie
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Well, I'm not the only one, but maybe I'm the oldest? I don't have Fred by much though.
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LindenTree3
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quote bwcasolo: " chair
until i got one of these, i never did either, they pack so small, and are so comfy." The exact same one I have, I never brought a chair until last year now I'm hooked.
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Alan Gage
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I don't even take a butt pad
Now that I do take. Two of them actually. Most of the time I don't use them for sitting but it comes in handy when it's cold and wet (I usually trip in the fall). I can almost always find a comfortable place to sit on the rocks but when the ground is covered with wet moss or temps are in the 40's it's nice to have some insulation. And sometimes when I can't find just the right rock contour for comfortable sitting the pad makes the difference.
But most often I use them for my feet. It gives me a dry/warm place to stand when changing clothes or a place to put my feet when putting shoes on in the morning and the ground is wet.
They're cut up pieces of old foam sleeping pads. Don't need to be very thick. Probably weighs less than 1oz. total and is just up unused space in the top pocket of my large barrel pack. I find multiple other uses for them during the trip as well.
Alan
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ducks
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I always bring one now. But, I would never have gone out and purchased one and would have just kept on going without. Another teacher switched roles and gave me the 2 that he had is his classroom for kids to sit on for quiet reading time. The kids in my class love them and I won't leave it behind on a trip now. I can spend hours sitting in it while staring at the lake and enjoying the quiet. I think that's my favorite time during a solo trip.
 
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sunnybear09
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quote boonie: "quote sunnybear09: ""You can lead a horse to water....""
:) It seems there's a vast array of conspirators attempting to do just that . . . :)"
We just have your best interest in mind!! It's an impulse of humanity...:)
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Duckman
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I have this bad habit of returning to favorite lakes. My favorite camp in the world is the northeast site on Frost. If you have a bad or mediocre back like me, that site is built for you. Around the grill, the rock outcroppings, between the rangers who built the furniture and God who placed the rocks, they worked together to make a site perfect for people who want to relax without a chair!
I've read trip reports of people stopping at that site and I see pictures of them relaxing in the complete wrong spots. I want to go back in time and tell them to go 15 feet to the east, God made beach chairs! And there's a beach next door!
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inspector13
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quote boonie: "Am I the only person who doesn't take a chair?"
It hasn’t been that long since we’ve tripped together, has it? : )
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boonie
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quote inspector13: "quote boonie: "Am I the only person who doesn't take a chair?"
It hasn’t been that long since we’ve tripped together, has it? : )
"
Well . . . 2014. I'm sure. I looked it up. :). I don't even remember you having a butt pad . . . but you did eat standing up a lot ;).
I think that makes a half-dozen of us at least.
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ZaraSp00k
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is sitting in a hammock 90 degrees to the way you are supposed to considered a chair?
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boonie
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quote ZaraSp00k: "is sitting in a hammock 90 degrees to the way you are supposed to considered a chair?"
Not for this question - I was interested in things that are designed to be a chair, not a dual use for other things. I wouldn't consider my bear canister a chair either. Mostly was just curious since SO many people respond so positively to the chair threads :). Now if I take a butt pad, will it be considered a chair? :).
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NotSoFast
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Couple of years ago my wife and I realized our PFDs were no longer adequate cushioning when relaxing in camp at the end of a long day. Invested in a Helinox and would no longer go without. This is part of a long trend towards increasing comfort while tripping. Forty years ago I didn't bring a sleep pad, I portaged and camped in ratty, wet canvas sneakers, I lugged my camera around in a metal ammo box, I didn't bother to bring rain gear... the list is long. Nothing wrong with adapting to changing conditions.
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GoSpursGo
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Havent taken one yet.. Im holding out for as long as I can because I know once it finds its way into my pack Ill never be able to go without one
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boonie
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quote GoSpursGo: "Havent taken one yet.. Im holding out for as long as I can because I know once it finds its way into my pack Ill never be able to go without one
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You're going to have to hold out for a long time . . . you've got 40 years to go between my age and yours ;).
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Chicagored
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quote bwcasolo: " chair
until i got one of these, i never did either, they pack so small, and are so comfy."
I got mine two years ago and won't trip without it now.
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HansSolo
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Much like my resistance to using a double-bladed kayak paddle for solo tripping, I eventually gave in to packing and using a Helinox chair a few years ago. After a long day of paddling and portaging, it's nice to kick back in a nice chair with back support.
Hans Solo
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ZaraSp00k
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quote NotSoFast: " Nothing wrong with adapting to changing conditions."
I believe the changing conditions you are referring to is called greater income and older bones
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NotSoFast
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quote ZaraSp00k: "quote NotSoFast: " Nothing wrong with adapting to changing conditions."
I believe the changing conditions you are referring to is called greater income and older bones"
Exactly.
Dave
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HighnDry
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quote HansSolo: "
Much like my resistance to using a double-bladed kayak paddle for solo tripping, I eventually gave in to packing and using a Helinox chair a few years ago. After a long day of paddling and portaging, it's nice to kick back in a nice chair with back support.
Hans Solo
"
That's a nice setup!
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ockycamper
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last year our camp had 7 men in it. Two of them did not bring chairs as they "like to travel light". The rest of us were forever finding them sitting in the chairs we brought. Finally had to pass a rule. . . you don't bring a chair. . .you don't sit in a chair.
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Banksiana
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After many years of holding out- of making a lounger from rocks or logs and my life vest I joined the Helinox converts last summer. Love it. I can't tell you how I look forward to hunkering in the chair at then end of a long paddle. I lose time in the chair before the lake and the wilds tracking the small discrete sounds and scents.
I'm sort of old.
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