Camping

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. . . Why Not Take a Seat When You Take a Hike

Backpacking chairs are a pretty incredible piece of hiking kit. They fold up incredibly small yet can accommodate any size of butt (almost). They are very lightweight, you won’t even feel the difference in your pack . . . and, they don’t have any legs.

I can’t make out whether the lady in the photo has got a back packing chair with her, but what a great place to sit and admire the view . . .

Features You Should Expect From a Backpacking Chair

• Backpacking chairs need to be manufactured from good strong fabric, ripstop is best. I’ve already mentioned that they’re legless (that’s before you’ve had any wine) so the seat of the chair needs to be extra strong and rip resistant . . . it’s the only thing between your butt and the ground.
• Back packing chairs need to be sturdy yet lightweight, but they also need to be able to give you firm support (when you’re sitting in them).
• Back packing chairs (the really good ones) can adjust the angle of the back to the seat, in case you want to recline a little . . . make sure you don’t tip over backwards though . . . you could end up rolling around like a weeble (“weebles wobble but they don’t fall down” . . . do you remember those from your toddler days).

Now do you remember? Right, back to the backpacking chairs . . .

• Hiking chairs should have good strong webbing loops so that you can fasten them to your back pack and transport your camp-fire chair easily.

Back Packing Chair . . . Tips on How to Sit on It

Back packing chairs offer a welcome place to sit in comfort at the end of a long days hiking . . . just imagine, sitting by the camp fire (if you’re allowed to have a camp fire, but a camp fire is a lovely place to sit, chat and drink coffee), anyway, because these backpacking chairs are legless (I know I keep saying it, but it’s important), and younger more flexible hikers and back packers won’t find that any type of problem at all, I’ve written a few instructions on how to safely negotiate your butt into the back packing chair and . . . more importantly and much more difficult . . . get your ass out of there again.  There are several techniques which I have witnessed on countless backpacking expeditions.

• The “go for broke” method – place your back packing chair on the ground and stand directly above it . . . now try to slowly lower yourself down making sure that your butt is in direct line with the chair . . . bend your legs and make sure that your arms are ready to save your spine once you get past the point of no return. A well padded back packing chair is your best option if you intend to use this technique.
• The “crawling” method – if your knees are up to it (I have often thought I heard a twig cracking in the distance and wondering if it was a bear, only to ultimately realize that it really was my left knee making that noise) then make a direct crawl approach towards your back packing chair, before turning and reversing your ass onto the seat in a kind of sidewards motion.
• The “little by little” method – place your back packing chair on a slope or slightly raised rock surface where you can comfortably sit without having to bend down, then slowly slide down onto ground level taking the back packing chair with you . . . or stay where you are, what the hell!

Escaping from the Clutches of Your Backpacking Chair

• Ask a mate to help you, or two mates, one on each arm and . . . . pull! If the chair comes with your ass then maybe you could save a little space in your back pack by taking less food with you! Walk more and eat less lard ass . . .

NB – These are not manufacturers instructions or guidelines, it’s nothing official . . . but it just might help you if your legs have seized up from your first day on the hiking trail.

Great video with only one minor complaint . . . they only show you the guy when he’s already sitting in his backpacking chair don’t they. Wonder which method he used?