We also considered what body position the chairs put us in. When spending just a few minutes in a chair, most are comfortable enough. But, some chairs stood out for supporting the back for longer sessions.
Anecdotally, we found that this chair category in general is more popular among women than among men, who generally prefer a higher, upright seat. The GCI Outdoor chair also has a pocket built into the back that can hold a phone or a book. This chair comes in green or blue and is rated to hold up to 250 pounds. But after half a dozen excursions, we found—as Ozark Trail Sleeping Bags we had with the Renetto Original Canopy Chair—that having a chair you can easily carry without a bag is preferable. In real-world conditions, you’re often packing up fast to try to get ahead of crowds or traffic. So you can easily misplace a carry sack on a dark night in a crowded field, especially if you’re in a large group or have a lot of stuff.
Before we tried the Renetto Original Canopy Chair, we had never considered buying a shade-equipped camp chair. The shaded Renetto chairs were consistently the first seats snagged at a beautiful but harshly exposed Indian Grove group campsite. The chairs we tested from Big Agnes have color-coded poles and pole pockets for a quick visual cue during assembly. We love that some of the Helinox models include picture directions printed on the chairs, making your first setup as easy as your fifteenth.
And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. Taco chairs like the Crazy Creek Hex Original 2.0 and Crazy Creek Original are harder to get in and out of since they sit on the ground and offer less support. Sit pads like the Therm-a-Rest Z Seat and Nemo Chipper are truly just a piece of foam that offers just a hint of padding and primarily keeps your butt from getting wet and dirty if you’re sitting on the ground. REI’s Ozark Trail Camping Chairs Flexlite Chair has been replaced by an entire flock of Flexlite chairs; the one that is the closest to replacing the original Flexlite in the lineup is the Co-op Flexlite Camp Chair. The design, size, and weight is nearly identical, but the nylon fabric has been replaced with polyester. We found the Coleman Kickback Breeze Chair to be a simple yet very comfortable seat, though women liked it more than men did (many of them judged it to be too snug).
Having said that, we have some questions about its longevity. The seat fabric is stiff, leading to several pressure points over time. Attaching the seat fabric to the aluminum frame also takes a little finessing. Ozark Trail Canopies It has a lot of short tube segments, and the legs are especially challenging to fold up and pack away. Gripes aside, for those on a budget, this chair is a solid pick for more casual adventures.
Since this is a stool, there is no backrest, so reclining is off the table. However, our testers found themselves surprised at how comfortable they were sitting on this model. For an elevated sitting spot from which you can cook dinner, share a snack, or take in the sunset, we are stunned by how much we enjoy the Skyline UL Stool. The seat pocket isn’t as deep as some, so we did find our legs feeling less supported and our bums sliding forward. You’ll find yourself sitting pretty low to the ground, so this may not be the chair for folks who have trouble getting up from a low crouch. However, for those of you wondering who the heck would bring a chair backpacking in the first place, we think this is the product that might change your mind.
There is a four-night minimum during the event dates, Friday, April 5, 2024, through Tuesday, April 9, 2024. All event date reservations will require a two (2) day non-refundable reservation deposit applied to the entire stay upon arrival. Reservations canceled within two (2) days of the arrival date and time (4 p.m. check-in time) or “no-shows” will be charged for the entire stay, which includes the non-refundable reservation deposit.