Uppa wrote:

I've never even considered taking a chair into the backcountry. What's wrong with a perfectly good rock?

I used to think the exact same thing... then an opportunity to get a Helinox for cheap came up and WOW.. seriously wow. I personally guarantee you would retract that statement after sitting in a chair one, or one of it's competitors.

A note about manufacturers.

I bought a Helinox Chair One because it was fifty bucks (a friend bought it but it was too low to the ground for her (an older lady) so she gave me a deal on it)... however.. my fiancee bought the 'ebay' special (or it may have been amazon) for about $35/$40 and its the same friggin chair. The only thing missing was the branding. I've sat in both and both are going on their 4th season and not showing any signs or wear or stress. It's literally the same chair, without the word 'Helinox'

When it's finally time to replace my chair - it wont be with another helinox - I'll save myself the additional $60 and go with the ebay/amazon special - then turn around and use that $60 for more gear.

I do believe in spending good coin on a quality product - which the helinox is no doubt - but it's competitors are just as good and LESS than half the price - I don't need name-brand clothes, I sure as heck don't need a name brand chair.


No matter what though - it's waaay better than a cold rock or damp log!

Nothing...until the moment you realize you can recline yourself comfortably and/or give your back/core a break from hunching over or having to stiffen it straight.  Great to use when cooking too.  :-)

Uppa wrote:

I've never even considered taking a chair into the backcountry. What's wrong with a perfectly good rock?

This was my opinion a few years ago! I went so far as to make fun of friends on a trip for their chairs. I may have called them "delicate". 

 3 days into the trip and a few opportunities to try their chairs and I was eating my words so fast. We went out about bought our own immediately following the trip. I'll never look back. 

It's not an all or nothing thing for me.

If I'm base camping or only doing a few short portages the chair comes with. Why the Heck not?

If it is a longer portage trip or if I'm going hiking I will likely bring a 10 oz stool I have or maybe nothing. 

One of the Helinox pieces I do have is a Ultra Light Cot. Bought it for my 77 year old Dad to use.

We are heading into Delano this spring and it will come along. Only 2 short portages.

The cot is crazy comfortable especially with an air mattress on top. Like sleeping on your bed at home. And he needs it.

I think carrying this extra weight really makes the difference for some people being able to get out there.

If they are older or have hip or back issues.

Don't care what you bring. Just get out there !!   

Also.. ditto on Peek's comments above. That is my experience with the knock off chairs as well. they are pretty darn close now. I don't mind spending $$$ on expensive gear,. just ask my wife. . but not if it isn't warranted.

 

Last edited by ShawnD (3/30/2017 11:20 am)

Uppa wrote:

The problem with hearing the same thing from a whole bunch of campers you respect is that it means you should probably listen. 

I'll walk to MEC this weekend and sit in a chair. 

Uppa... Although I don't kayak, I assume that packing would be similar to backpacking as your space is more limited?

While I concur with everyone above saying that the chair is indeed an amazing thing to have after using a friends on a canoe trip last year, the hiker in me has a problem.

As I have posted before the majority of my backcountry experience is backpacking and when I'm backpacking I keep everything as light and as compact as possible.  There is no chance I would bring a chair with me when backpacking, instead I use a rock/log/stump.  If you have this similar philosophy with kayaking, you may want to stick with it.

However, when I go canoeing, I find myself bringing more luxuries because they're not on my back all day, pounding away at my joints with every step.
Carrying the extra weight of these luxuries over the relatively small distances of the portages, is nothing compared to a good 20+km day of backpacking. For this reason I purchased a knockoff Helinox chair (as stated in my previous post in this thread) for my canoe tripping.

If you can fit it and justify carrying the extra weight, you will really enjoy using the chair.

@breed85: My kayak has ~200L of storage space, so sadly I can bring pretty much whatever I want. Not that that translates into 200L of usable storage space of course, unless you're filling it with water. But I have a lot of free room in my hatches still. I could probably fit a case of beer in there along with my gear. You know, if glass was allowed and I wanted to carry it. 

But I tend to have some pretty long travel days, and some really portage heavy ones as well. I travelled from Catfish Lake to the Opeongo access point a couple summers ago as an example. That was about ~9k of portaging that day, so yeah - I definitely do my best to keep pack weight down. 

@PaPaddler: I hear you about comfort versus weight. I upgraded my sleeping pad a few years back to one much thicker, and this year I've added an inflatable pillow. Perhaps a chair isn't a stretch, although I've really never felt the lack of one so far. Perhaps ignorance is bliss!

 

Uppa wrote:

I've never even considered taking a chair into the backcountry. What's wrong with a perfectly good rock?

Being a backpacker as well as a canoeist, I'm good with a rock. However, it's always nice to find a site will some Trail Crew supplied benches in good shape but these seem to be fewer and fewer between in recent years. Budget pressures, I guess.

Full Disclosure because there may be pictures out there:  I have been known to take one of those collapsible fabric chairs on short R&R trips where there is minimal portaging such as week-end jaunts to Ragged, Pen, etc. Heavy but they go so well with a nice glass of Merlot.