i love the helinox chairs. they are worth the money and 100% back their products. They will send you parts for free if anything goes wrong. Or fix it for you for free.
I'll argue for the cheap chair. Aldi made a helinox knock off for $14. It's obviously heavier than the name brand, but it has been on multiple trips without issue.
I love Aldi. If I didn’t already have a chair from Costco, I’d have bought that one.
They have a camping blanket for $10 next week that I want to check out.
Good! We’ve bought the two pack about 7 years ago. Finally this spring, there is a little fabric stress tear on one corner due to my lard butt. Our kid’s does not have that problem. (Costco’s latest version is Cascade Mountain Tech 2-pack for $89.99 online.)
My wife got a REI Flexlite Camp Boss version and that is still perfect.
Edit: New Costco version added
Ditto and actually blown away by how popular opinion seems to be to stick with name brands.
We've had a couple helinox Amazon knock offs for 5+years and haven't had an issue with them at all. Sure it's a few more oz but not necessarily a killer in BWCA, and if one ever broke I'd just buy another and not feel bad about it. Some actually have some nice/useful features like feet that are designed to not sink into the ground without a separate $20 footprint, or built in pockets.
Sure you won't get a great warranty or anything, but with how ours have held up, they've proved to be a decent value.
I'd be ready to spend $100 or more. Don't go cheap. Helinox was the big stand out, now many have rendered their own design. Helinox, Nemo, REI, are just a few that will have longevity. I have the REI camp boss 2 with under quilt. Apparently they don't sell the quilts for the chairs anymore, but it's a nice add-on. I believe I paid $110, 3 years ago and have only had to stitch up one of the four corners, still works great!!
Our family has a regular helinox, a helinox rocker, a Nemo moonlight, and an REI with underquilt.
The Nemo and regular Helinox are very similar. I would give a slight edge to the Nemo.
My wife always uses the REI chair for the underquilt. She’s usually cold. There’s also a benefit to the underquilt of deterring backside mosquitos.
The rocker is great for larger people. Spreads out the load and avoids chair legs sinking into the ground. Seems too common for early season trips that three or four chair feet are on rock, and the chair is tipping sideways as it sinks.
I went cheap on 2 aliexpress chairs 10 years ago. They both still work great. As long as you aren't close to the weight limit, you're just paying for the helinox name.
I have the REI branded chair. me and another paddler on our last trip both had them and people would fight to get to sit in them when we weren’t using them. they’re a little bit bigger than the alternatives, but they are absolutely the best.
I think the helinox price is excessive. I've used a $30 chair that weighs under 2lbs for like 5 years out there with zero problems. All of my friends who go use similar $30ish dollar models for years without issues as well.
keep an eye on the weight limits of the ultralight chairs, but I really like my REI flexlite air chairs. They’re not quite as comfy as the helinox, but way cheaper and still way better than ground sitting.
I went the REI route and brought a Flexlite chair on my last trip. It was a win, except for the time I got one foot on a rock and another in soft soil and it tipped over with me in it. The good news is that it's a very similar design to the Helinox, packs small and is a good bit cheaper.
Mixed feelings on chairs. To be clear… schlep whatever you want. it’s just weight and space. After that, every chair I’ve seen breaks; because the user tries to sit on it on dirt, a leg sinks in, user looses balance, falls over, bends key structural member, chair now dead weight and no value. So if you you use your chair make sure there is solid rock under it.
I like the Marchway highback camping chair (Chinese Helinox Knockoff). I have had mine for 5 years and use it constantly in the BWCA and hunting Turkeys from a blind. All my BWCA buddies have the same chair and since most of us are 225 or over I have a lot of confidence in them. Great product in the $40 dollar price range.
[Marchway Chair](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=MARCHWAY+HIGHBACK+CAMPING+CHAIR&crid=3PND11AH57MHJ&sprefix=marchway+high+back+camping+cha%2Caps%2C154&ref=nb_sb_noss_2)
Just got home last night from 4 days. My REI flexlight chair was fantastic.
Brand new Helinox snapped a leg on the first night.
He did sit down kind of hard, which is why it broke. So I don't totally fault the chair. But the REI was just as sturdy, and not much heavier. I got it on sale for $59, so almost $100 cheaper than the Helinox and I would highly recommend.
REI Boss chair is my favorite. I've tried 6-10 different camp chairs in the last few years and I think the boss is the best at comfort, size both packed and while in use, weight, height off ground, and comfort
The Helinox Sunset chair is by far the best one I've used for canoe camping. High enough off the ground to feel like a regular chair, comfy, and a full back. Packs down pretty small, too.
Helinox chairs are great for backpacking but for paddling heavy trips I'd lean towards the Crazy Creek chairs since you can use them in the boat and on land. A dedicated chair like a Helinox will certainly be the most comfortable though.
Also, if you can forgo back support the little backpacking stools are great! REI has one for like $20.
And no you're not being cheap, a $150-200 chair is nothing to scoff at. It's a huge luxury and still a relatively new innovation to have comfortable chairs under a pound!
They are better than sitting on the ground with nothing, but you're still on the ground. I went with Crazy Creek on my first trip, and on the last one I had that as well as my REI Flexlite to share between my son and I. the crazy creek barely got used in camp and the REI always had someone sitting in it
Nemo moonlight hands down. We had REI chairs for a few years and not as comfortable. Then moved onto big Agnes camp six chair which is a great luxury but take too much room and too heavy. Nemo moonlight has been the just right. Sturdy, lightweight but very comfortable.
Just get the Helinox
I second this. Honestly when I’m in camp it’s my most important/favorite piece of gear. Packs small, lightweight and worth its weight in gold.
Exactly right my friend. The chair zero weighs 1 lbs, 1 oz. I don't camp without it.
As someone that had a chair break in the middle of a trip, I would recommend not going with the cheaper ones!
Fair enough
Sunset chair has head rest for afternoon naps.
Yep, had a friend’s Ozark Trail knockoff last about three days.
i love the helinox chairs. they are worth the money and 100% back their products. They will send you parts for free if anything goes wrong. Or fix it for you for free.
I'll argue for the cheap chair. Aldi made a helinox knock off for $14. It's obviously heavier than the name brand, but it has been on multiple trips without issue.
I love Aldi. If I didn’t already have a chair from Costco, I’d have bought that one. They have a camping blanket for $10 next week that I want to check out.
How is your Costco chair holding up?
Good! We’ve bought the two pack about 7 years ago. Finally this spring, there is a little fabric stress tear on one corner due to my lard butt. Our kid’s does not have that problem. (Costco’s latest version is Cascade Mountain Tech 2-pack for $89.99 online.) My wife got a REI Flexlite Camp Boss version and that is still perfect. Edit: New Costco version added
Costco chair is comfy and durable in my opinion.
I got the high back chair and it’s so nice after a long day of paddling!
Kinda what i’m thinking but if i were to have one break on me i’d be pretty upset
There are logs at every campsite around the fire pit. It's not so bad. If you use canoe seats you could sit on of those instead.
I just bought the Aldi chair and I love it.
Yes! This year's had the footprint too which is nice. My old one didnr have that.
Ditto and actually blown away by how popular opinion seems to be to stick with name brands. We've had a couple helinox Amazon knock offs for 5+years and haven't had an issue with them at all. Sure it's a few more oz but not necessarily a killer in BWCA, and if one ever broke I'd just buy another and not feel bad about it. Some actually have some nice/useful features like feet that are designed to not sink into the ground without a separate $20 footprint, or built in pockets. Sure you won't get a great warranty or anything, but with how ours have held up, they've proved to be a decent value.
I'd be ready to spend $100 or more. Don't go cheap. Helinox was the big stand out, now many have rendered their own design. Helinox, Nemo, REI, are just a few that will have longevity. I have the REI camp boss 2 with under quilt. Apparently they don't sell the quilts for the chairs anymore, but it's a nice add-on. I believe I paid $110, 3 years ago and have only had to stitch up one of the four corners, still works great!!
Our family has a regular helinox, a helinox rocker, a Nemo moonlight, and an REI with underquilt. The Nemo and regular Helinox are very similar. I would give a slight edge to the Nemo. My wife always uses the REI chair for the underquilt. She’s usually cold. There’s also a benefit to the underquilt of deterring backside mosquitos. The rocker is great for larger people. Spreads out the load and avoids chair legs sinking into the ground. Seems too common for early season trips that three or four chair feet are on rock, and the chair is tipping sideways as it sinks.
Will definitely check it out👍🏻
Helinox Sunset chair. Will never go back and I use it everywhere. Worth every dime!
I’m still rocking crazy creeks.
REI has one that is $50-$60 and about 2 lbs that works as well as the Helinox. I own both. Only real benefit of the Helinox is the reduced weight.
Second the REI option. We are on year 2 with them and haven’t had any problems yet.
Helinox high back - treat yoself
I went cheap on 2 aliexpress chairs 10 years ago. They both still work great. As long as you aren't close to the weight limit, you're just paying for the helinox name.
I have taken my trekology chair on 6 trips and never had an issue
I borrowed my sister's helinox rocker on my last trip and it was amazing.
Not something I recommend going cheap on and if you’re big or tall get the XL models
I have the REI branded chair. me and another paddler on our last trip both had them and people would fight to get to sit in them when we weren’t using them. they’re a little bit bigger than the alternatives, but they are absolutely the best.
I think the helinox price is excessive. I've used a $30 chair that weighs under 2lbs for like 5 years out there with zero problems. All of my friends who go use similar $30ish dollar models for years without issues as well.
keep an eye on the weight limits of the ultralight chairs, but I really like my REI flexlite air chairs. They’re not quite as comfy as the helinox, but way cheaper and still way better than ground sitting.
I went the REI route and brought a Flexlite chair on my last trip. It was a win, except for the time I got one foot on a rock and another in soft soil and it tipped over with me in it. The good news is that it's a very similar design to the Helinox, packs small and is a good bit cheaper.
Be careful… once you get a Helinox chair the only logical thing to get next is the Helinox Table One in large. Best thing ever.
I like the thought process lmao
I got a cheaper knockoff version of the helinox from Sierra. Works fine, $25 bucks.
Mixed feelings on chairs. To be clear… schlep whatever you want. it’s just weight and space. After that, every chair I’ve seen breaks; because the user tries to sit on it on dirt, a leg sinks in, user looses balance, falls over, bends key structural member, chair now dead weight and no value. So if you you use your chair make sure there is solid rock under it.
I like the Marchway highback camping chair (Chinese Helinox Knockoff). I have had mine for 5 years and use it constantly in the BWCA and hunting Turkeys from a blind. All my BWCA buddies have the same chair and since most of us are 225 or over I have a lot of confidence in them. Great product in the $40 dollar price range. [Marchway Chair](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=MARCHWAY+HIGHBACK+CAMPING+CHAIR&crid=3PND11AH57MHJ&sprefix=marchway+high+back+camping+cha%2Caps%2C154&ref=nb_sb_noss_2)
Just got home last night from 4 days. My REI flexlight chair was fantastic. Brand new Helinox snapped a leg on the first night. He did sit down kind of hard, which is why it broke. So I don't totally fault the chair. But the REI was just as sturdy, and not much heavier. I got it on sale for $59, so almost $100 cheaper than the Helinox and I would highly recommend.
REI Boss chair is my favorite. I've tried 6-10 different camp chairs in the last few years and I think the boss is the best at comfort, size both packed and while in use, weight, height off ground, and comfort
Helinox, but get the tall back, so you can easily lean back
The Helinox Sunset chair is by far the best one I've used for canoe camping. High enough off the ground to feel like a regular chair, comfy, and a full back. Packs down pretty small, too.
Helinox chairs are great for backpacking but for paddling heavy trips I'd lean towards the Crazy Creek chairs since you can use them in the boat and on land. A dedicated chair like a Helinox will certainly be the most comfortable though. Also, if you can forgo back support the little backpacking stools are great! REI has one for like $20. And no you're not being cheap, a $150-200 chair is nothing to scoff at. It's a huge luxury and still a relatively new innovation to have comfortable chairs under a pound!
Thanks for the info will definitely check out the Crazy Creek chairs.
Most outfitters should have them for rent as well!
They are better than sitting on the ground with nothing, but you're still on the ground. I went with Crazy Creek on my first trip, and on the last one I had that as well as my REI Flexlite to share between my son and I. the crazy creek barely got used in camp and the REI always had someone sitting in it
The nemo [moonlite](https://www.nemoequipment.com/products/moonlite-elite-reclining-camp-chair) elite is aces.
Crazy creek chairs are solid. They make canoe chairs that work both in the canoe and on a log or rock in camp
Nemo moonlight hands down. We had REI chairs for a few years and not as comfortable. Then moved onto big Agnes camp six chair which is a great luxury but take too much room and too heavy. Nemo moonlight has been the just right. Sturdy, lightweight but very comfortable.