Let me tell you about the Helinox foldable camp chair, it is pretty awesome. A recurring theme in backpacking is “ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain” and it is a truth, but often we seem to sacrifice comfort in the name of some obscure idea of what it is to travel light. I pose this question; what is the point of traveling lightly if your destination is no fun and not relaxing? So here is my personal take, if my time in camp is more than my time carrying said luxury then it might be a good idea to bring it along (I heard a rumor that it is in fact okay to enjoy your camp site after a day of hiking).
I know, words and more words- but there are some that are not convinced that luxury is okay. Well for myself in particular, I am not petite by any means nor am I getting any younger; so at the end of the day I really appreciate a comfortable place to sit back and relax. Also, for those of us that wear glasses or have things we would like to keep off of the ground and safe the Helinox chair also makes a great night stand. So gone are the days of logs and rocks and a new area of sitting where you want comfortably is finally here.
So from the Factory:
- Seat material is a durable polyester fabric
- Features 2 side pockets
- Includes a compact carrying case
- Weight - 2lb 2oz. Packed Size - 14" x 4" x 5"/ 35 x 10 x 12 cm. Assembled Dimensions - 26" H x 21" W x 20" D/ 65 x 52 x 50 cm
- Seat Measurements - 13.5"/ 34cm from ground, 13.5"/ 34cm deep. Load Capacity - 320lb/ 145kg
I have truly enjoyed this chair, and it is a great addition to my gear list. I have taken it car camping at Mount San Jacinto, on a ten mile out and back to Penny Pines on Mount Laguna and most recently on our trip to The Palisades Glacier. So all and all not a bad addition for ten mile and below hikes, I really don’t think the weight is that bad for further distance trips either (I will let you know). I don’t see a reason for not getting one and taking it with you, unless you’re making room for beers, then I totally understand.
