camping chair hunt

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
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Sweep
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by Sweep »

Can anyone recommend a chair with good back support which is close to the ground?

I undersrand that the Helinox groundchair referred to above is now discontinued.

Why? Was there a problem with it?

I like the idea of a chair close to the ground as I assume it would be simpler, possibly stronger, less bits, lighter, maybe more dependable.

The other reason is that I am usually a solo camper in a simple lowslung tent - there's something about being sat higher up that seems a tad ludicrous in that context - as if you are, somewhat prince-like, trying to look more important than a bloke with a bike and a tent - I like the simple life.
Sweep
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Graham
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by Graham »

A strange coincidence : both the Alite Mayfly AND Helinox Ground Chair appear to be ex-production.

The next lowest appears to be the Alite Mantis. . .. two legs only.

Perhaps there isn't a big enough market for the really low, tent-suitable, ultra-light chairs ?
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al_yrpal
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by al_yrpal »

We have these, basically a Helinox copy, taken them camping to festivals etc. Excellent chairs

https://www.amazon.co.uk/G4Free-lightwe ... B011B5Q5I8

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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pjclinch
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by pjclinch »

Sweep wrote:Can anyone recommend a chair with good back support which is close to the ground?


I use Thermarest chair kits for this job. They're simple sleeves with plastic rods for a bit of rigidity that you put a folded mat in to and then straps provide support.

Image

Cheap(ish) light and simple, and they work.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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andrew_s
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by andrew_s »

The ground chair is still available here:
https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/helinox-gr ... ing-chair/

I also saw recently a note on a German site that said of the Alite Mayfly "not available; more stock expected March 2019", so maybe there's a new version due.
However, if you wait to see, there won't be any Groundchairs left - on 30th Dec quite a lot of places had stock, so they are going fairly fast.
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Sweep
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by Sweep »

I use Thermarest chair kits for this job.

I have one somewhere bought 20 years ago - can't remember how big the sleeves are but it does have straps.

I have sat in it in the house for a minute or two's test and liked it.

Have never used it though as I read once that the system could damage the Thermarerest - which would be a no-win - comfy sit in camp followed by an horrendous night.
Sweep
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pjclinch
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by pjclinch »

Sweep wrote:
I use Thermarest chair kits for this job.

I have one somewhere bought 20 years ago - can't remember how big the sleeves are but it does have straps.

I have sat in it in the house for a minute or two's test and liked it.

Have never used it though as I read once that the system could damage the Thermarerest - which would be a no-win - comfy sit in camp followed by an horrendous night.


I've been using one of these for about 20 years with no obvious ill effects on my T-rest. I don't know where you read it kills them, but I've never come across that particular meme before and personal experience suggests it's not true.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
philsknees
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by philsknees »

Two points on the Thermarest chair kit. Firstly (and strictly for my peace of mind) do any of the oldies amongst us recall seeing a Thermarest chair incorporating a built-in, custom sized self inflating mat section? I'm absolutely convinced that I saw these on sale many years ago (1970's?) but it's no longer available. Everyone thinks I'm imagining it and now even I'm beginning to wonder..... Can anyone here put my mind at rest?

Secondly, I've had a Mayfly chair since they became available in the UK but having once been a foot backpacker found it a bit too heavy & bulky to carry. Now that I'm a less fit cycle tourer I'm still weight conscious when packing so the Mayfly is still gathering dust despite being pretty comfortable. (The option to use it without the legs inside a small tent in bad weather is very handy.)
Also gathering dust now that my ageing bones demand a NeoAir mattress are a couple of old-style wide & heavy Thermarests, along with a redundant "wide" chair kit, which I'd used in the past.The chair kit is still in good condition but obviously, having the NeoAir I don't want to also carry a heavy full sized old-school Thermarest solely for use in the chair.
So, using this as inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoRTAeKcA0w
I'm about to get the scissors out and create a chair sized section of Thermarest, hopefully to create a much lighter and more compact seat than anything else currently available to me. Just waiting for a suitable cold spell to encourage me to get started.......
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pjclinch
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by pjclinch »

I don't remember a T-Rest chair with a built in pad, but that's not the same as it never happened. When I started off using T-rests I could only afford one because I bought a 2nd while ona research junket to the US: $40 in '91. At that point the chair was too much for me to justify as a student, and it was also (IIRC) fancier and heavier than it is now, allowing the kit to be kept in place with the mat fully extended for sleeping. So more convenient, but quite a bit more bulk, weight and cost. I got my first as a present when they introduced the simpler model that's now the standard model at a sane price, and as someone that can't sit too comfortably on the ground with no back support for long I'd really, really appreciated it.

We got a couple of the more recent rather lighter ones with our Neo-Airs, and while it's a bit more of a faff getting a N-A in, and you have to let quite a bit of the air out, they still seem to work fine.

A chair kit was indirectly responsible for one of the two punctures I've had to date in a T-Rest. Because I had a chair, I sat by the fire in it, and a spark jumping out of the fire landed on an exposed bit of mat and melted a hole. Bah!

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
hoppy58
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by hoppy58 »

We have a pair of ergolife stols which are super-comfy and indestructible, 40mm x 10mm packed size and weigh 985g - about £33.00 each. Ok if you don't mind the extra bulk/weight.

http://ergolife.se/en/products/stol/ and film! http://ergolife.se/reklamfilm/
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Sweep
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by Sweep »

Apologies if been posted before, but does anyone have any views on/experience of this?

https://www.simplyhike.co.uk/products/r ... 26132855:s

I rather rate Robens stuff generally - have a great tent of theirs and a nice compact pillow and have seen some decent looking sleeping mats.
Sweep
doodah
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by doodah »

Hi Sweep,
Have a gawp at this, a dead ringer for the helinox but at a fraction of the price.

I managed to get a deal for 2 x of these and a folding table for £25.00. You may have search the site a tad more.

I can recommend them for comfort and ease of assemble and dismantling.

Good luck.

Doodah

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Camping-Fold ... ctupt=true

Edit:

Here is the table
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Andes-Foldin ... 0005.m1851
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Graham
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by Graham »

^
Just be aware that not all lightweight camping chairs are the same.
My Aldi clones both have "quality challenges".

My Helinox is much better quality.
thirdcrank
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by thirdcrank »

A couple of weeks ago I noticed the increase in price for the Helinox from bikes4two's post on p1 at £57.69 to £79-97 in andrew_s's link above. I've just had another look and it's now discounted by15% to 67.69.
tonylee
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Re: camping chair hunt

Post by tonylee »

I second helinox one chair. Fantastic. You can pop in your rucksack whilst walking about. A wee bit pricey but a solid investment. A bit low for some people. I love it.
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