Ultralight Camp Chairs: A Personal Quest for the Perfect Seat

This article chronicles a personal quest for the perfect ultralight camp chair, a journey born from frustration with the heavy, bulky options available to backpackers. The author's need for a lightweight, comfortable chair with substantial back support – crucial for alleviating back pain after long days of trekking – drove the exploration of numerous designs and materials. From commercially available lightweight chairs to improvised solutions using readily available jungle materials and modifications of existing designs, the author meticulously documents the challenges and successes encountered along the way.Each iteration of the chair design presented its own set of trade-offs between weight, portability, back support, and ease of setup. The evolution from heavy, traditional chairs to a final, custom-built design highlights the iterative process of refining a product to meet specific needs. The final product, weighing a mere 170g, offers a compelling solution for backpackers seeking a balance of comfort, portability, and minimal environmental impact. This article details the process, highlighting the critical considerations and ultimately revealing the triumphant creation of an ultralight, back-supporting camp chair perfect for the discerning backpacker.

Pros And Cons

Read more: Skyline UL Chair & Stool: Ultralight Backpacking Comfort

The Bulky Problem and Initial Alternatives

My search for the ideal ultralight camp chair began with the frustration of bulky, heavy options. Traditional camp chairs, while comfortable and affordable, weighed a hefty 3 kilos – far too much for backpacking. I explored alternatives, like Helinox chairs, known for comfort and lightweight design, but even those tipped the scales at around 800g and remained somewhat cumbersome for my needs. The Triod design, while lighter, lacked the essential back support I crave.

Lightweight options are great in theory but often lack back support or are still too heavy for backpacking trips.

The weight and bulkiness made carrying them on trekking trips impractical. I needed something more portable and adaptable to my backpacking style.

The Importance of Back Support and Hammock Alternatives

My poor posture necessitates a chair with substantial back support. Prolonged sitting without it results in significant back pain. While a hammock provides comfort, its inconvenience for entry and exit makes it unsuitable as a primary seating option during camping trips.

After a long day of trekking, a comfortable and supportive chair is essential for relaxation and recuperation.

I need a chair that offers support for my back, especially after long days of backpacking, and still needs to be light and portable.

Jungle-Inspired Chair and its Limitations

One intriguing approach involved utilizing readily available jungle materials – bamboo, for example – to construct a chair frame. The concept is incredibly lightweight and eco-friendly, requiring only minimal materials. However, the reliance on readily available resources presents a challenge. Finding suitable materials isn't always guaranteed, particularly if I'm camping in areas with limited suitable resources.

This chair would be incredibly lightweight, however its reliance on finding suitable material makes it impractical.

The portability of the chair is limited by the difficulty of transporting the materials, thus requiring bamboo to be accessible nearby.

Alternative Hammock Chair Setup

Adapting the original sack chair into a hammock-style configuration offered another potential solution. This design maintained comfort but added complexity. The setup process was more time-consuming, and moving the chair once assembled proved to be inconvenient.

This setup offered more comfort and back support, but moving it after setup was more difficult and less practical.

Although comfortable, it presented difficulties with moving and repositioning, limiting its practicality.

The Ultralight Solution: My Custom Design

My final design aimed for ultralight portability and minimal resource dependence. Inspired by thermarest chair sleeves, I created a waterproof tarp seat with eyelets to prevent water pooling. A simple hammock-like back support system with adjustable straps was added to provide back comfort. The result is an ultralight, compact chair weighing only 170g.

This design avoids reliance on natural materials and provides essential back support, thus addressing the shortcomings of prior attempts.

This design prioritizes comfort, ease of transport, and reduces environmental impact.

Conclusion: The Verdict on Ultralight Camp Chairs

After experimenting with various designs, my custom-built ultralight camp chair proved to be the most successful. Its combination of lightweight construction, comfort, and portability makes it ideal for solo and group backpacking. While lacking a beer holder (a minor flaw easily rectified!), it excels in comfort and ease of use.

Though inspired by other designs, this customized chair is truly unique with its compact portability, versatile set up, and ultimate comfort.

While some designs offered comfort or portability, this customized lightweight chair offers the best balance of both, proving its practicality and superior design for backpacking needs.