The Search for the BEST Overland Camp Chair

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raycie

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So much for saving pennies.... wife threw away the box to return the generic chair... because of the odd shaped box that it ships in, ordered another Helinox.... "because I needed the box"... it's her fault I needed to buy another one ASAP.. lol...
 

Nullifier

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Ok so i have alot of chairs. Helinox arb cheap quads blur ridge etc. For the past year I have been using this crazy tripod from Bass Pro. $18 and best chair ever. Everything that is wrong with a quad style chair this is right. Quads promote bad posture almost all recline to much for eating at a table, they are heavy, bulky and cut circulation in the legs.

The tripod allows you to sit up straight and when u lean back your back actually is supported properly. they are light, compact, you can eat at a table and even sitting in them for hours is ok because the front leg is spring loaded and cushy! Oh and did I say $18? Let me say it again $18!
http://m.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Tripod-Chair/product/14010308561221/
 
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SC_4Runner

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Contributor II

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hmm thats an interesting looking chair. I too have various chairs like helinox and ARB. I mostly use the Helinox ones due to packability but the ARBs are extremely comfortable and solid.
I've got both and I struggle which to take. ARB are fantastic but so bulky. Love that he Helinox can just get stuffed anywhere.


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Dana Ramos

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We have a couple of Helinox chairs and the little table to match. They're awesome mostly because they take up zero space. We can fit two of them under the passenger seat in the truck. I think they're pretty comfortable too. They are a bit pricey though. We also have one of the REI Flexlite chairs. Very similar to the Helinox but quite a bit less $$.
 

Jade Overland

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1,479
Minneola, FL
After using cheap folding chairs for a long, long time, I finally bit the bullet and got myself some ARB camp chairs. They pack up huge, which is kind of a pain, but man are they comfy. Much more solid than my old chairs, and they have cup/cell phone holders built in which I really like. They can be a bit difficult to open though. There's probably something I'm doing wrong, but they just take some effort to unfold.
 
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Anak

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Sandy Eggo
The best camp chair is the one i built with my own two hands...out of materials from nature. :)

It's actually really dang comfortable.


This is very cool.

If others want to build something similar they might be interested in Lee Valley's Campaign stool hardware. It is a three way nut with bolts and radiused washers for the round legs. The hardware is well made. I have four sets of it waiting for me to get my act together and start a father/sons project with The Varmints making a set of stools for our trips.

Or if someone wants to build their own chair with proper back support they might want to look into the Roorkhee chair. Chris Schwarz did a build of one of those for Popular Woodworking. Odds are there is enough information online to figure out a build. Or I fully expect Chris Schwarz has plans available for sale or has them in one of his books.

Now that I think about it, I really need to take another look at campaign furniture from an overlanding perspective. I expect most pieces are simply too heavy to be practical, but many of the design constraints are comparable to overlanding requirements. We are just using 4x4s instead of elephants and camels.
 
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Ed B

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Enthusiast III

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Riverside, Ca. 92506
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My wife and I both have the Strongback Elite chair. Extremely comfortable, the right height so they are easy to get in and out of. Sturdy padded arms. They are big and heavy compared to some of the others in this post but have had them for 3 years now and they are holding up fine.


https://www.strongbackchair.com
 
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Arizona Overland

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Cottonwood, Arizona
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4669

The best camp chair is the one i built with my own two hands...out of materials from nature. :)

It's actually really dang comfortable.

I have sat on chairs like that. They are actually very comfortable. I don't know if I would want to sit in it all the time but I would definitely like one for an option.
Good for playing guitar.
 
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Arizona Overland

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Ok so i have alot of chairs. Helinox arb cheap quads blur ridge etc. For the past year I have been using this crazy tripod from Bass Pro. $18 and best chair ever. Everything that is wrong with a quad style chair this is right. Quads promote bad posture almost all recline to much for eating at a table, they are heavy, bulky and cut circulation in the legs.

The tripod allows you to sit up straight and when u lean back your back actually is supported properly. they are light, compact, you can eat at a table and even sitting in them for hours is ok because the front leg is spring loaded and cushy! Oh and did I say $18? Let me say it again $18!
http://m.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Tripod-Chair/product/14010308561221/
That is an interesting chair. I am going to check it out. But I don't see where its 18$
 
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Arizona Overland

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Cottonwood, Arizona
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Ive got a real comfortable chair. I don't know what its called. Lazy Boy I think? No, just kidding. I got it at Camping World a few years back. I even have an ottoman for it. Problem is, I got it when I had a 30' travel trailer and 1 ton diesel. The chair is HUGE and is a complete pain in the *** to set up and tear down, and it takes up a LOT of space. I have tried many camp chairs, and none of them were comfortable. Zero gravity chair is comfortable, but again, it is heavy.
I was looking at a Coleman directors chair, and it seems comfortable and somewhat light and compact. Im thinking of going that route, but Im going to have to check out that tripod from Bass Pro Shops first.
 
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Jake Wettern | iamjake

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Wisconsin Rapids, WI
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I have a 94 Wrangler YJ with CJ tailgate that drops down. I use this as my desk for editing my YouTube vlogs. While shopping for camp chairs, most all were about 17" in height and I needed something taller. I found and bought:
Browning Camping Director's Chair - http://amzn.to/2ttP8At -
This is the perfect height for my needs at 25" and it's really comfortable!

upload_2017-7-8_14-52-40.png
 

adventure_is_necessary

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I use my Crazy Creek a lot more than I thought. It's nice when you're trying to sit on the ground but not actually be on the ground. I use this a lot while bikepacking as it's super compact. I do realize that I'll be needing something different down the road, but this is an option I always have with me.
 
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