Campfire Comfort Advice

[Geneva Jenn]

After a long day of hiking, there is nothing like sitting around the group campfire. However, I find I cannot get comfortable without a chair back or something to rest upon as I am so darn tired! When I use my thermorest pad I have this lightweight contraption that turns it into a chair that weighs very little, but it is winter and I am now in an under quilt so I don't carry my pad.

Anyone have ideas or options to keep my weight light but finding a comfort in a pseudo-chair at night?

[Lone Wolf]

http://www.helinox.com.au/ground-cha...able-chair.php

[adamkrz]

I Purchased the Alite Mantis chair last year , well worth the weight for the comfort but not cheap - Very similar to the one L.W. posted.

[Damn Yankee]

I have the EcoChallenge chair.

[LogHiking]

I don't have personal experience with this product but I'm considering it. The reviews are overall positive but some people don't find it comfortable (likely that way with all chairs). Price and weight are good in my eyes, and although not often making UL products Kifaru always turns out extremely well made gear.

http://store.kifaru.net/field-chair-p27.aspx

[Dochartaigh]

I don't have personal experience with this product but I'm considering it. The reviews are overall positive but some people don't find it comfortable (likely that way with all chairs). Price and weight are good in my eyes, and although not often making UL products Kifaru always turns out extremely well made gear.

http://store.kifaru.net/field-chair-p27.aspx

You can make that yourself for about $10 with some rudimentary sewing skills. Check out this post:

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...light=gearskin

I've only tried mine sitting inside on my carpet so far (and my big butt definitely needs a larger foam pad than I used), but it's pretty comfortable once you learn what height and angle your trekking poles have to be set at. Pain to get into it though (but hopefully that will change it I can dig the ends of my poles into some real dirt and have it stand-up on it's own).

Mine came in at 4.65 ounces with foam pad (which I'm going to start using the foam pad from my new pack so it'll weigh about 1 oz less), but mine is extra reinforced everywhere (double layer of fabric up the middle, grossgrain edges, etc.). Should probably be 2.5 oz for the chair (depending on the fabric) + whatever pad you use.

[shakey_snake]

A lightweight hammock w/suspension can weigh 8oz.

And if you're just using it as a chair, you don't have to worry about it being too small to lay in.

[Dochartaigh]

A lightweight hammock w/suspension can weigh 8oz.

I find a hammock isn't an ideal camping chair. Sure, if you're by yourself it's super-comfy, but when I'm hiking it's usually with other people who I want to socialize with, which includes looking at them when we're talking.

With a hammock you're stuck lying sideways in it straining your neck to look at the person you're talking with who's most likely on the ground. If you sit in the middle of it with your feet on the ground I find I learn back way too far. If you hoist up one side really tall so it's like the mini-hammock chairs, that's better (but I usually can't reach that high), and if you happen to have the smaller hammock chair type you're then stuck sitting facing a tree...

[Rocket Jones]

Once I saw a setup where a simple loop of paracord was used. Basically, the loop of cord goes around your drawn-up knees and behind your back. You sit on a small piece of CCF and use another across your back to cushion the cord, and it acts sort of like a chair to provide back support. I've tried it to see if it really works, and it does.

[Another Kevin]

On winter day trips, I usually tote my big overnight pack (because I've never found a good way to lash snowshoes, crampons, etc. to my day pack). I throw in a two-foot square of CCF as a sit pad. For a back rest, I prop my pack up with my poles. I usually need to shorten them to get the angles right. For overnight trips, it's the same arrangement, but with my sleeping pad doubling as the sit pad.

(That's a thought... if I switch to a hammock, do I start needing to bring a sit pad? Another opportunity to overthink things: every gear change means another gear change...)

[Dochartaigh]

That's a thought... if I switch to a hammock, do I start needing to bring a sit pad? Another opportunity to overthink things: every gear change means another gear change...)

If you're going as light as possible, then you're probably going to use a 3/4" length underquilt for the hammock because of the weight savings over a full length quilt. That leaves the bottom part of your legs exposed, so to compensate for that people use a piece of CCF under their feet. My piece of CCF is 1/8" thick, rated to 25 degree, 20x12", and weighs 1 ounce. Since it's so thin I don't think it'll make a good matt to sit on, but you can dual-use your current sit pad as that extra insulation you need in the hammock and call it a day.

[kayak karl]

If you're going as light as possible, then you're probably going to use a 3/4" length underquilt for the hammock because of the weight savings over a full length quilt. That leaves the bottom part of your legs exposed, so to compensate for that people use a piece of CCF under their feet. My piece of CCF is 1/8" thick, rated to 25 degree, 20x12", and weighs 1 ounce. Since it's so thin I don't think it'll make a good matt to sit on, but you can dual-use your current sit pad as that extra insulation you need in the hammock and call it a day.

who's 1/8" is rated at 25 degrees?

[Dochartaigh]

The specific CCF pad I have is sold by Arrowhead Equipment (maker of Kick Ass Quilts). It's only for the bottom portion of your legs which they say doesn't need nearly as much insulation as the rest of your body ( I wouldn't think 1/8" over your entire body would keep you warm down to 25º at all). I've personally only tested mine down to 42º so far but I was toasty in my setup.

http://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/s...Foot_Pad_.html


I'm going to revisit this when my Hammock Gear Phoenix 20º gets here - that's 6" shorter than the current underquilt I have now. Since higher up on my lets will be exposed I might have to move over to a longer and/or thicker piece of CCF foam in the future (which will still be much lighter than getting the full-length underquilt at least).

[Connie]

Alite Designs http://shop.alitedesigns.com/monarch-chair.html 20 oz.

Alite Designs has other chairs.

For backpacking, I carry the triangle packcloth seat, from a three-legged chair. There are three sticks I can lash together at the pivot point, to hold the triangular packcloth seat.

I prefer Alite Designs tho' for comfort.

[G.G.]

10oz

https://grandtrunk.com/shop/micro-camp-stool/

[dangerdave]

I have my (now deceased) grandmother's garden kneeling pad that she used for over twenty years. It's about 10"x18" and one inch thick. Weighs 3.3oz, and makes a great seat pad. Also feels good to carry something of her with me when I hike.

[VTATHiker]

Have you considered a Crazy Creek?

http://www.crazycreek.com/hex-2-0-original-chair/

[squeezebox]

Rocket Jones ! great idea! But the cord would dig in and not very adjustable. Here's my modification. Use webbing 1/2 or 3/4 your pleasure. a piece around your knees close to your belly an adjust buckle, both sides, when the webbing starts at your back Y it out to 2-3 pieces of webbing to support more of your back. very adjustable , lighter than the ccf across your back. You've got a couple of buckles and some webbing to fix your pack etc. if needed. And with 3-4 of them and a couple of good saplings you have the perfect setup to carry someone out. Wt. an oz or 2?
I'll make one

[Solitude501]

#1 Helinox ground chair
#2 Alite Monarch Butterfly

Worth the weight to carry for me, way better than a pad and log/rock. Also, feels better to be off the ground.

[1azarus]

I have to laugh (and, i suppose, share the laugh) when equipment makers with stuff weighing over 1 pound feel compelled to list weight in grams. no criticism here, just a shared chuckle.