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I have never brought any kind of camp chair along on any canoe trip I've taken. Okay, not quite true--my brother-in-law and I did bring a couple of full size camp chairs on our 3-day ice-out fishing trip a few years ago. But since pretty much all my trips otherwise have been regular paddle-and-portage daily distance loops I've never felt the extra weight could be justified. But now that I'm older and there are some great options for extremely light weight camp chairs available, I'm seriously considering this addition to my kit. I just keep thinking how much more relaxing it would be to collapse in a chair by the fire than sit upright on log benches--if there even are any.
So my two fave models are as captioned, and I keep finding myself in MEC looking at, and trying out, both of them side by side. Like seriously, this has happened three weeks in a row. And each week I tell myself I'm going to come out with one of them but then ultimately I can't make up my mind between the two. The central dilemma? It's obvious Chair One is more comfortable than Chair Zero, but is it worth the extra pound weight AND the bulk?
So I'm wondering, for those of you who do carry either of these chairs when doing distance travel trips (i.e., not destination camping), which do you carry, are you happy with your choice, and what would you recommend? Oh, and I know I've isolated these two specifically, but feel free to chime in with any other makes/models you have experience with.
Thanks to all in advance!
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I carry a Chair One on every trip and it is by far my favorite piece of non essential (but now super essential) gear. I’ve found it to be very much worth the extra weight and space.
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AlgonquinLakes wrote:
I carry a Chair One on every trip and it is by far my favorite piece of non essential (but now super essential) gear. I’ve found it to be very much worth the extra weight and space.
This 100%. When I first began tripping, I couldn't see myself lugging a chair around with me.. picked up a chair one in 2014.. will never camp without it again. Absolutely worth its weight, especially if you like to travel low maintenance areas..
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So I have the Zero and a Joey Travel Chair which is essentially a chair one ( same weight and size).
I have added to both of them. My Travel Chair came with basic feet so I added these after. 
Pretty sure that chair comes standard with them now and makes a huge difference in sand or soft ground.
And I added the ground sheet to the chair zero. Same reason. 
My 2 cents.
1.I wouldn’t get a chair that doesn’t have feet suitable for soft ground or something you can add to deal with it. I think you can buy those Joey chair feet separately and add them to a Chair One or any knock off of it.
2. Solo I bring the zero. Even with the ground sheet it is more than half a pound lighter and packs much smaller.
3. The larger chair is much more comfortable and is taken first every time if both are on a trip. Comfort of the zero will depend on your size. If you are shorter and lighter the zero is the clear choice. If you are over 200 lbs I think you might regret the zero over time. I’m 6’ 175 and the zero is fine for me.
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I love my Helinox chair. I added tennis balls to each foot to stop it from sinking in sand or snow. Works great and you can leave them on even when you stuff it back into the bag. I've seen a mod that someone did where they wrapped the underside in a down quilt. Looks pretty slick and would really keep your butt warm in colder weather...
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Russ just looked at what my travel chair goes for now. $94 on Amazon right now in black and $80 in the grey/jade colour and comes with the good feet.
Honestly that is a great choice. It is the same as a Chair One. (I have used both).
The Helinox fit and finish might be a bit nicer but you are splitting hairs IMO
Good video showing the chair on this amazon page as well.
Last edited by ShawnD (4/13/2019 11:48 am)
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I have a Helinox Ground Chair. Seems like it fits somewhere between the One which my wife has) and the Zero. I thought I’d like the more supportive base for my larger frame or on softer ground. It’s much trickier to get in and out of than the One. I like it but I do find it hard to justify carrying it. If I’m solo and reasonably assured of having good benches then I’ll leave it at home.
P.S. We have a Summer Pop N Sit for out 18 month old. It’s heavy but folds small and works well for mealtimes. Used it last year in the backcountry and also take it on vacations,to reastaurants, beach, etc. I think she’ll out grow it after this year but afterwards I bet I can let her use my Ground Chair.
Last edited by solos (4/13/2019 3:17 pm)
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Thank you all for the great insights, tips and photos!
In particular, Shawn, it's uncanny how you unfailingly come through with detailed info that gets at exactly the problem I'm trying to resolve every time I have a gear question. Awesome! Checked out your link and it definitely looks good, but wow, I'm not at all getting the price discrepancy between the colours, going from under $80 for the green to over $125 for the red. The descriptions and the weights differ between them substantially as well I notice. Those feet definitely look like the lighter option though. Hmmm...not sure if you've made my choice any easier LOL.
To be honest I expect both chairs are in my future. But for now I may opt for the Zero as I'm really looking to keep my solo kit in check weight and bulk-wise. Will definitely add in the ground sheet though. I like the tennis ball option Steve talked about but can't see those with the zero if the whole point is weight savings. Have to say I also like the security I get buying from MEC with their "Rock Solid Guarantee".
Thanks again everyone!
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Checked out your link and it definitely looks good, but wow, I'm not at all getting the price discrepancy between the colours, going from under $80 for the green to over $125 for the red!
I think you would need a degree from MIT to understand how the Amazon Pricing Algorithm and Display Strategy work. Leads to seeing a lot of unusually pricing sometimes not having an actual human being setting the price. I’m sure we have all seen the $50 item on Amazon for $400 and wondered, what the hell. Also leads to substantially different prices by colour and the lowest priced colour is rarely the one displayed first In my experience. Always pays to check.
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I think you would need a degree from MIT to understand how the Amazon Pricing Algorithm and Display Strategy work.
LOL -- agreed. Well, I finally bought the Zero this aft. Now have to order the groundsheet online, none in stock here in Ottawa. Simply no question at all that the One is more comfortable, just can't see it for my solo kit given all the other measures I'm taking to reduce carry weight. Now the question is, will I change my mind again before the first trip of the season? 
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I have the Sunset. Weighs more than my tent but it's worth it. I use it while watching the kid's baseball, hockey, and basketball also. Real back saver. Also use it in my treestand during deer season.
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