texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Apr 19, 2024 11:01:25 GMT -8
The first UL chair I bought was the REI Flexlite, and the first time I used it I toppled sideways when one of the legs sunk into dirt which wasn't especially soft. All such chairs should have design elements to prevent that. Easy retrofit:
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Apr 19, 2024 12:39:39 GMT -8
With titanium and other very light materials, I’ve seen lighterpacks (under 10lbs) including not only a lightweight chair, but also titanium “side table” (thinking from Liteway?). I’m still a fan of the folding foam sit pad, but as luxuries fall in weight it’ll test my resolve.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Apr 19, 2024 14:09:06 GMT -8
The first UL chair I bought was the REI Flexlite, and the first time I used it I toppled sideways when one of the legs sunk into dirt which wasn't especially soft. All such chairs should have design elements to prevent that. Easy retrofit: What are those balls?
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Apr 19, 2024 14:53:54 GMT -8
Easy retrofit: What are those balls? Those are practice golf "whiffle" balls. They more than double the footprint of the feet, adding 0.6 oz to the weight.
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Post by trinity on Apr 20, 2024 6:29:36 GMT -8
Whaddya do with that, balance on two wheels? Lot's of people swear by this chair (Alite Monarch), it is pretty easy to balance on those 2 legs once you get the hang of it. The Mayfly is basically the same chair with a metal bar added to the front for stability. I personally think it is by far the most comfortable backpacking chair I've tried (though I know zeke didn't care for his). The frame is sturdy, so the tops of the poles don't dig into my shoulderblades, like the Chair Zero and others. And the structure of the base prevents it from sinking into sand. The only downside, to me, is that it is very low to the ground, and the older I get the harder it is to get out of. But this is also a benefit, because it is low enough that I can sit in it inside my tent. Alite went out of business some years back, but Grand Trunk has recently started selling chairs based on those designs, so you can once again purchase the Monarch, Mayfly, and Mantis.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Apr 20, 2024 9:08:21 GMT -8
It has multiple drawbacks, imo. Too low, making it difficult for this old guy to balance as I entered or exited. Too much weight for bp’ing. I found better chairs for camping on beaches, where it acted like a sail any time I didn’t have my lard in it.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 27, 2024 6:43:59 GMT -8
dustin, I stopped using the chair kits (which remain the most comfy—and warm—camp chairs) after I ruined a couple of BA inflatables with it. I don’t know if other pads have the same problem, but the extra pressure seemed to be too much for the weld points. It’s the only reason I could come up with for the pad(s) leaking at multiple such points. The chair was a wonderful thing when I was using self-inflating pads, though. I have a minimalist version that only weighs 10 oz. OTOH, I have the REI version of the Helinox chair and it only weighs 16 oz, and gets me at least a *lilttle* off the ground. I have learned to line it with my cooking cozy (large padded mailing envelope) for a little insulation. But that only comes on short trips, due to weight. The rest of the time I use this. Poles sink into soft ground, and I can’t keep a pad in that pouch on the bottom (it slides), but I can get back support for under 3 oz. YMMV—my BiL found the pole ends jabbed him in the back when he tried it.
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dustin
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Post by dustin on Apr 27, 2024 10:37:56 GMT -8
rebeccad I do worry about folding the pad as it's not really designed for that. I do deflate it a bit before folding to decrease the pressure, but still... I looked at the Mountainsmith version of this seat because it seemed like it would be great for quick stops. And it was pretty available. I realized if I used poles for the chair, I couldn't use them for the tarp. The chair kit still works without poles, or the pad even. I use the chair kit sometimes during stops. The lounger section is kind of nice to fold out and eat lunch on.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Apr 27, 2024 12:44:44 GMT -8
This thread reminded me of another from a couple years ago. I decided to try my hand at making something with what i had at hand, It actually worked fairly well with trekking poles, my empty backpack, a couple pillows, and two small stakes. link to post
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Post by bluefish on Apr 28, 2024 1:38:45 GMT -8
This thread reminded me of another from a couple years ago. I decided to try my hand at making something with what i had at hand, It actually worked fairly well with trekking poles, my empty backpack, a couple pillows, and two small stakes. link to postWoody, that GG pack is perfect for that, due to the plastic panel in their suspension system. I put a lot of miles and about 5 years on a Blaze 60, even got a new set of straps from them. That panel did end up snapping in half, rendering the pack unfit for further service. I never thought to do this, but I could see its use very easily. I'd caution to keep your weight somewhat upright, as shown in the pic. I don't trust that panel to have too much tensile integrity. Good job.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on Apr 28, 2024 4:36:20 GMT -8
bluefish, although my Blaze 60 is not ultralight, I find it very comfortable and it can carry heavier loads when necessary. I really like that the hipbelt is tightened by pulling the straps in towards the navel, rather than pulling one strap out sideways. The two times I rigged it as the chair in that pic, I kept it fairly upright. Lately I much prefer to be off the ground for ease of getting up. Also I picked up some ticks last time I used it, though I don't know if that occuured while I was sitting.
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Post by va3pinner on Apr 28, 2024 9:37:02 GMT -8
rebeccad I do worry about folding the pad as it's not really designed for that. I do deflate it a bit before folding to decrease the pressure, but still... I have an old Thermarest compact chair that uses my sleeping pad. Haven't used it in a while, but when I did I reduced the pressure a lot. Not anywhere near what I would use to sleep with. Never had any issues with the sleeping mat.
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dustin
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Post by dustin on Apr 29, 2024 7:09:18 GMT -8
driftwoody I love the pic of using the backpack as a chair. I used to kind of do that with my [dad's] old external frame pack. Of course, that was back when my sleeping bag strapped to the bottom of the frame was the size of a small child. It provided a pretty good kickstand.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 29, 2024 8:27:48 GMT -8
rebeccad I do worry about folding the pad as it's not really designed for that. I do deflate it a bit before folding to decrease the pressure, but still... I have an old Thermarest compact chair that uses my sleeping pad. Haven't used it in a while, but when I did I reduced the pressure a lot. Not anywhere near what I would use to sleep with. Never had any issues with the sleeping mat. I definitely did that, but unless you make it so soft that you have no cushion under your bum, it's adding a lot of force in a few places. I never had trouble with the NeoAir pad, only BA. But that kind of spooked me off using the chair kit.
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