While weight is one of the biggest concerns while backpacking a little comfort is well worth the weight. Good news, getting off your feet comfortably in a backpacking chair doesn’t have to weigh your pack down. Backpacking chairs are essential backpacking gear. Just like all backpacking gear backpacking chairs need to be easily packable, light, quick to set up and most importantly comfortable. Below are Trail Trialed’s top backpacking chairs to take a load off while on the trail.
REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair
The REI Co-op Flexlite Air Chair is the lighter cousin to the Camp Boss flexlite we featured in our best camping chair picks. The Air is considerably lighter coming in at only one pound. A perfect weight for middle length backpacking trips. With a weight limit of 250lbs the Flexlite Air will hold most but wont be as sturdy as the camp boss for heavy use in the back yard. With folded dimensions of 4.5 inches by 15inches. The Flexlite will fit perfectly strapped to the side of a pack balancing out tent poles from the other side. The seat is made from ripstop nylon that’s not only easy to compress and pack. But also comfortable to relax in after a long day on your feet.
NEMO Moonlite Elite Reclining Backpacking Chair
Most Backpacking chairs sacrifice on comfort in order to keep weight down. The NEMO Moonlite Elite does none of this, it is a comfortable camp chair with the ability to recline. All of that in a package light enough to take on the trail without too much additional weight. At 2 ounces over 1 pound the Moonlite elite is competitive on weight with the other chairs on this list. The reclining feature is no lazyboy but it does allow increased comfort and some adjustability to find more comfortable positions.
REI Co-op Flexlite Air Stool
While is shares a name with our leading backpacking chair the Flexlite Air Stool is in a category of its own. This selection is for those who value shaving a few ounces more than comfort. Coming in at 11.5 ounces the Air stool will shave a few ounces off when compared to the Air Chair. The Stool has the same weight capacity. It does pack into a slightly smaller package which will save some space in addition to saving weight. The Air Stool is a little quicker to set up and break down that the chair. If you want a seat during mid day breaks without adding more time to the stop the Air Stool it for you.
Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 Original Chair
If you dont mind sitting on the ground but want a little more padding and a backrest the Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 is for you. Its a closed cell foam sitting pad with a back attached. It may bring back memories of sitting on hard bleachers at a high school football game with something similar. The Hex 2.0 is made for the trail the closed sell foam is insulates in addition to cushions. The cover is made of water resistant ripstop nylon. To find the best position the support straps are adjustable and can be unclipped completely to lie flat.
Therm-a-rest Z Seat Cushion Insulated Sitting Pad
Its simple, its effective, it will last forever as along as the new puppy doesn’t think isn’t a chew toy. Therm-a-rest is known for there camping mattresses and sleeping pads. The Z Seat Cushion is just a small version of their sleeping pad that’s only purpose is to soften up rocks and logs to make sitting a little better. The Z Seat is easily attached to the outside of a pack it very light at only 2 ounces. It takes no time to set up so no debating if there’s time to set up like some of our other chair options. Now with that said its not a chair, just a pad that’s why the Z seat finds itself way down here.