What's your favorite camp chair?

[smlobx]

I've tried several but for one reason or another they never seem quite right. Either their too upright or I sink down in them so much that my thighs get pinched on the edge.
Ideally it will fold up to a rather compact size as well..

Any reccomendations? Pics would be great if possible.
Thanks!

 

[Stalking Light]

https://www.rei.com/product/896337/helinox-helinox-beach-chair


Charlie

Sent from my iPhone using Wander The West

 

[Alley-Kat]

Strongback chair thread.

 

[PaulT]

Strongback chair thread.

+1 on Strongback
Most comfortable I've found, most stable, and easiest to get out of with old knees.

Paul

 

[smlobx]

Another reason I really enjoy this site!

Thanks to the reccomendations here we just orders 2 elites for our next trip!
They should be a major improvement to what we have been using....

 

[Old Crow]

Both the Strongback and Helinox Beach chair look interesting and I'll be keeping an eye out for them to give them a try. In the meantime, I thought I'd post my current ones....

Our camper van has a wide storage area in the fiberglass roof (above the passenger compartment ceiling) and we can fit two of these aluminum-framed side-table chairs in it. They're comfortable and the little flip-up table is great for a drink and lunch plate.

We don't have a great storage space for them in the Hawk so I bought a pair of Front Runner Expander chairs off Amazon (I see today they're currently unavailable there) for $55 each.



The small size of the Expanders allows me to store one in an odd space behind my driver's seat and the other behind the Yeti I keep by the Hawk's door (I have it slid forward so I can take the photo of the chair in place).



Of the two designs, the side-table chairs are the more comfortable and we miss the side-tables when using the Expanders for lunch or foursies (snack and a drink in the afternoon) at some lookout or roadside pull-off.

I had also been very interested in the GCI Outdoors Pico Arm Chair for its even smaller folded-up size but had some problems with the setup and takedown when I tried one in an outdoors-gear store. I suppose that one could have been abused and we don't know what improvements the manufacturer makes from year to year so I'll be looking to try it again.

GCI also makes a chair similar to the Expander called an Xpress Director's Chair. At the time I bought the Expanders, the Xpress chairs had aluminum uprights for the back so I opted for the all-steel Expanders. I see GCI now lists the Xpress Director's Chair as having a powder-coated steel frame where before it was listed as a steel-and-aluminum frame. Also, at the time GCI had an XL model which was wider and had a higher weight limit. There may still be some of those around.

-Old Crow

 

[Stalking Light]

I had one of the GCI Xpress chairs and didn't find it that comfortable, but then it got stolen at a campground near Moab so the comfort problem was solved.

 

[GroovyDad]

I have and really like my StrongBack chair, but this has become my favorite chair. It's light, comfortable and folds nice and flat, but wouldn't you know, REI discontinued them.

 

[ski3pin]

........................................ but wouldn't you know, REI discontinued them.

our favorite also Mr. Groovy. It is small and lays flat on the camper floor just inside the door. It has been discontinued previously and then showed up again. On discontinued items, ask someone in a store to check for remaining stock in other stores. We got two for half price with no shipping charges to a closer store.

 

[Bill D]

Directors chair from Costco. Built like a tank so you can sit however you want without fear of breaking it.
My GF often sits sideways with her legs hanging over the arm.
I like how they have the bar on the bottom so they are stable and don't sink into sand etc.
I also like that they are high. It makes getting in and out and scooting your way around a fire pit when the wind changes direction easy.

~$20 to $25.

I always have 2 in behind my rollover couch at all times. I love them.

They usually carry them every year and are available in different colours. No writing on them either.

 

[GroovyDad]

On discontinued items, ask someone in a store to check for remaining stock in other stores. We got two for half price with no shipping charges to a closer store.

I'll give that a try for sure. I was at REI a few weeks ago and saw that the chair was listed on their display as available (I got a little excited), but when I asked an associate to order it for me he said it was no longer available.

I didn't think to ask if any other store had it in their remaining stock.

 

[badtoytrd]

Love my Kermit chair. Packs up great, hand built, and damn comfy

 

[RicoV]

Ultimate Recliner Chair from Alps Mountaineering: Adjusts in 7 increments, from total upright to star-gazing, nice neck support for us geezers, easily customizable for your particular fit (as I did), packs up flat, best camp chair I've ever owned, bar none, it's worth a look.
Rico

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

The GCI Pico Chair is my favorite. It folds up quite small, and provides good back support.

 

[Moss Grimmick]

I use the Strongback and am pleased with it except for one thing: when cold in the morning (and not all that cold: below 40F) the chair won't fold shut. I have to wait till it warms up before I'm able to fold it.

Anyone else with this problem?

 

[PaulT]

Although I haven't had a problem as severe as yours, Silicone spray on the sliding parts helped my Strongbacks open & shut more easily.

Paul

 

[CSG]

I've had a couple of those large, collapsible sling chairs for better than 10 years and I still find them very comfortable. Think they might have been from Walmart and probably less than $20 then. Remarkably sturdy so far.

 

[fish more]

Strongbacks chairs very comfy, had nothing but problems with these chairs. Bolts break, have to replace almost all hardware with larger hardware, design problem, newer chairs have larger bolts and fasteners. Strongback will not send new hardware. poor customer service. Beware !!!! It's really too bad, because they are the most comfortable chairs I have ever used, with the exception of my Cablelas director chair w/side table.

 

[Squatch]

This is a subject I have strong feelings on. And I have found 2 answers to the question for me. I'm old and arthritic. I need a sturdy chair with hard arms to lift myself with. I detest the throw away bag chairs most use. mostly uncomfortable and fail at bad times. I also like to sit a bit upright. My favorite chair is this GCI directors chair. I've worn one out over the last few years. The sun finally got to the fabric and it ripped. I've used it on river banks with rocks stacked under a corner, My back porch in the evenings and anyplace else I've camped. I just bought a new one last week from Dick's Sporting goods. It's nice and tall, fairly light, and has a tall backrest that folds down for storage. I love the side table so much I usually don't bring a table.
http://www.fieldandstreamshop.com/p/gci-outdoor-slim-fold-directors-chair/16gciudrctrschrnwodr?camp=CSE:GooglePLA:16GCIUDRCTRSCHRNWODR:16529743-FNS:Outdoor+Furniture

My 2nd favorite is my ARB Sport chair. The bag chair concept done right with hard arms that lock in place. Comfortable and sturdy. We've been using one of these for over a year now.
https://www.amazon.com/ARB-10500100-Brown-Sport-Camping/dp/B0036UI1OI

Both are pretty inexpensive and have held up well to rough use. When not camping these chairs are usually set up on my porch. They get a lot of use that way as well. Neither is backpacker light or compact. But both pack small and light enough to carry them in the camper or my boat/canoe.

 

[todgru]

The wife and I have a pair of these from REI https://www.rei.com/product/898531/therm-a-rest-treo-chair

Very lightweight and comfortable.

The big problem with these, fyi, is setup and tear down. When I get to camp, I really just want to sit in a ready to go chair. These take a few minutes to put together. Not a big deal, but a couple of comfortable aluminum chairs would work just as well!