Murray's Recs: Comfortable, portable camp chairs

Video and story by Murray Selleck, HIKE ROCKY magazine's equipment specialist

​Editor’s note: HIKE ROCKY receives no compensation from brands reviewed by Murray.
 
At any point in human history, whatever tools or conveniences we had at our disposal to make our lives more comfortable were close to perfect, for the time. Thankfully, design evolved to help us along our way. A drafty cave evolved into a cozy cabin. A smoky campfire became an easy-to-control kitchen stove. And perhaps most importantly, cold rocks and lumpy logs evolved into incredibly comfortable and portable camp chairs!
 
Thank goodness for designers and engineers who can see both the limitations of a current design and the potential for something better.
 
Depending on how you think of them, camp chairs are a relatively new phenomenon. However, I do remember being a youngster, sitting in my grandparents’ back yard in the 1960’s. The classic lawn chairs with their cheap webbed fabric and folding aluminum frames might be considered the first portable camp chairs. The only thing excellent that I remember about them are the memories of watching lightning bugs, fireworks, and the stars during those warm Texas summer nights.
 
For many years of my camping and backpacking experience, the well-placed rock, log, or lumpy tundra sufficed as my backcountry chair. The mountain and ocean scenery always made up for my sore backside or legs that went to sleep because of an awkward position. Oof, sometimes standing up was an adventure of dizzying head rushes along with sore muscle stretches enhanced with dramatic, out loud, groans.
​
The sound effects did help…
 
As I recall, the venerable Crazy Creek Chair company took the initial steps to adding sitting comfort to our campsites. They were based in Montana along with several other companies that produced accessories that would convert sleeping pads into camp chairs.

ENO Lounger DL

Helinox came out with their original Camp One chair not that many years ago. Taking the tent-pole concept of shock-corded aluminum poles and and then adding a sling of fabric to complete the chair, Helinox created a truly easy-to -carry, lightweight, and portable sit-up-off-the-ground camp chair.
 
Once the Helinox chairs hit the market, it took only minutes for the outdoor industry to create an intense battle of manufacturers who added their own take on similarly-designed camp chairs. Today the number of choices
of backpacking festival, and camp chairs is pretty overwhelming. Where do you begin and how do you choose?
 
As always, let your intended use and, in this case, comfort, be your guide. Here are five excellent choices to help ​you sit, relax, and lounge your day or evening away in comfort.

Nemo Stargazer Lounger Deluxe

Nemo Stargazer Lounger Deluxe
The Stargazer is perhaps one of the most unique and misunderstood chairs. It’s a chair, a lounger, and it swings! It is incredibly comfortable if you give your initial sitting test a reasonable chance.
 
Often folks sit in this chair all too briefly and miss out on its features and special capabilities. The key here is its adjustability. Sit back. Put your feet up on a cooler. Stay awhile!
 
The set-up is incredibly simple. Fix the shock-corded aluminum sections together in the appropriate slots of the hubs to form the frame. Attach the two side clips to the two most upright vertical sections, fix into position the back rest supports (optional), and that’s it. Three easy steps and you’re ready to enjoy a relaxing time in the mountains.

Nemo Stargazer Lounger Deluxe

The unique thing about this chair is that there are no straps for you to adjust to manage your sitting position. Just by leaning forward or back the chair’s straps do all the work for you, automatically. You can sit tall and upright. Or, simply lean back and the self adjusting webbing allows you to recline and lounge. Lean all the way back and you have the most comfortable view to stargaze the night away.
When I’ve used this lounger and reclined all the way back, I like to have my feet up on a cooler, or a stump, or some other kind of way to prop my feet up. This little enhancement takes the comfort level way over the top. Talk about total relaxation!
 
And the fact that this chair also swings is particularly unique to the outdoor industry. Sure, there are rocking chair options out there but if you don’t have the perfect surface to set it up on you’re left with a rocking chair that doesn’t rock or it feels like it has the hiccups! With the Nemo Stargazer you can rock smoothly to your heart’s own beat. Now, here is chair with rhythm!
 
A convenient spill-free cup/bottle holder, adjustable headrest/pillow, stash pocket, and padded carrying case round out the feature list for this combo chair/lounger. ​The specs: $249.95. Dimensions 27x36x44 in. 7lbs 2 oz.

​Another great chair to check out from Nemo is their Moonlight Reclining Chair.

Travel Chair Shorty Camp Couch

Travel Chair Shorty Camp Couch
​When it comes to the ultimate simple set-up, the Travel Chair Shorty Camp Couch is it. Take the couch out of its storage bag and spread the frame out. The couch material is already attached. Spread the frame and legs out and it’s completely set up with nothing left to do but relax.

This two-seater is very comfortable whether you share it with a friend or you spread out solo-couch potato style. The only complaint I’ve heard about the Shorty Camp Couch is, for some people, it sits too low. (Did they check out the Shorty Camp Couch’s name?). They say it is too hard to get up from. I understand that but any effort is a good effort and if it takes a little effort to get up from the couch I think that can be a good thing. Engage those muscles!
 
I find the height of the couch to be really nice. Not too high that it reduces comfort and not too low that you feel you’re sitting on the ground. At this height, you can extend your legs out with comfort. The Travel Chair Camp Couch offers the perfect compromise of campsite sitting elevation.

Travel Chair Shorty Camp Couch

Sharing this couch with a friend or sitting close to your partner as daylight fades is really nice. Single-seating chairs are nice and all but a couch? Snuggling in close to your spouse rather than being separated with two chairs is a wonderful thing… especially as the temperature drops and the stars begin to shine!
 
Adjustable arm rests, insulated cup holders, and an easy-to-carry storage bag round out the features.
 
The Specs: $150.00. 44” wide. 31.5” tall. 13.5” off the ground. 16.5 pounds. 600lbs. capacity or 300lbs per seat. 

Another great Travel Chair to check out is the ABC Buffalo Plaid Chair. What’s not to love about red and black buffalo plaid? (super cool)

Travel Chair Shorty Camp Couch

Eno Lounger DL - There is a love/hate relationship between campers and their choice of camp chairs. What you may find really comfortable and the perfect height from the ground your best friend may be thinking, “Are you kidding me?”

​And so I say this:  splitting the comfort test by the slimmest of margins I find the Eno (Eagles Nest Outfitters) Lounger to be one of the most comfortable and relaxing chairs to end the day with. It feels like you are sitting in a cocoon of comfort. It practically feels like you’re snugged into an upright hammock. This makes sense since ENO specializes in hammocks. The Lounger is just an incredible extension of their hammock designs.

Eno Lounger DL

The tall back of the Lounger DL allows for safe napping (or just resting my eyes, as I like to say), by eliminating the dangers of the head bobbing, neck cracking, and whiplashing when falling asleep sitting up. Why ruin a perfectly good nap with a painful bobble-head impersonation?

Set-up is a simple task. Fix the shock-corded aluminum poles into their appropriate hubs, attach the chair fabric, and voila! You’re done. I like to attach the chair fabric to the lower pole sections at the bottom of the chair first. Attach the top of the chair to the back poles second. You can use the leverage of the two longer poles that form the back to push them together to attach the chair’s fabric with ease.

​The lounger has adjustable legs to lower or increase your seating height from 3” to 10” off the ground. You can sit a little closer to the ground (important at festivals where chair height restrictions might be a consideration) or extend the additional pole sections to elevate yourself a bit higher up. If the chair height is the only camp decision you have to make at the end of the day count yourself lucky and lazy!
 
A cup holder, two storage pockets, and an integrated, very comfortable pillow round out the feature list.
 
The Specs: $139.95. 74 ounces. 250 lbs capacity.

Dimensions 32x23x37.

​Another great chair to check out from Eno is the lightweight Lounger SL.

Big Agnus Big Six

Big Agnes Big Six
Big Agnes was the former USA distributor of Helinox chairs. Their business relationship ended, so logically Big Agnes came out with their own design of camp chairs. While the concept is similar there is a durability and design difference that makes the Big Agnes Big Six worth a look … er, I mean, a sit-down.

Big Agnes doesn’t use hubs to form the frame that supports the chair once it’s set up. Instead the shock-corded aluminum pole sections have a groove in them that only let the poles nest together in a specific way. The poles all slot through each other without the use of hubs. The groove or key design not only locks the poles together effectively but the groove also creates more surface area so the poles and the holes they slot through won’t “volcano” out. The shape of the poles won’t deform over time, the attachments make the connections stronger.
 
And since there are no hubs, which can prove bulky, the chair packs into its stuff sack easier, and is lighter. The Big Six offers a more upright sitting position and the seating height is higher than the other chairs mentioned earlier. So if you prefer not to slouch and like a more upright position, this chair will be a nice choice. The seat is nice and wide (24”) ‘cause we know not all seats are the same. The tall upright back still offers the safe napping feature that I find to be critical when choosing a camp chair!
 
One more integrated clever design is the self-equalizing center pole which levels the chair on uneven ground.
No more endless searches with your construction level to find the perfect spot to set up your chair. Assemble it, set it, and sit in it!
​
The Specs: $189.95. 3lbs 3 oz. 300 lbs capacity.

Another excellent chair to check out from Big Agnes is the Skyline UL chair. If you want to backpack with a chair and save weight and space this one can do it all.

Big Agnus Mica Basin

Big Agnes Mica Basin
The Mica Basin offers the same features as the Big Six but it is a low-back chair. Its back rest is not as tall or as nap friendly. The design offers a more compact chair both in its overall size but in its packed size as well.

If your pack, truck, camper, or trailer is tight for packing space the Mica Basin will be a good option.

Big Agnus camp chairs & blanket

Ready to dayhike, camp, or backpack? Pull up a chair, relax, put your feet up, and stay while!

Murray Selleck moved to Colorado in 1978. In the early 80’s he split his time working winters in a ski shop in Steamboat Springs and his summers guiding on the Arkansas River. His career in the specialty outdoor industry has continued for over 30 years. Needless to say, he has witnessed decades of change in outdoor equipment and clothing.

Steamboat Springs continues to be home.

---

Snowy Peaks Winery of Estes Park made possible the publication of this piece of local and independent journalism.

Kirk's Mountain Adventures of Estes Park made possible the publication of this piece of local and independent journalism.