Episode 126 | Field Notes – Ultralight Chairs: Performance or Luxury?

Wow, yet another highly informative and insightful episode,  Ryan. Thank you. I’ve been in the “chair is a luxury” camp forever, but also recognize myself in your descriptions of how hard it is to find a ‘natural’ chair that’s comfortable enough to allow me to truly relax. My solution has been to lie down in tent in the afternoon and read for a while, and that’s helpful. But I want to be out of my tent and taking in the views and wildlife and sounds. Impossible to relax when I have to stand up and walk around every two minutes because the rock or log I’m sitting on doesn’t allow my body to relax–just the opposite, as you say. Your mentioning the necessity of the mind/emotions/body to find itself in a safe, comfortable and non-demanding environment is truly insightful. In a way, this last is the main reason we do all the hard work ‘getting there’, although of course we enjoy the journey as well. Looking back, I realize that I found myself most at home in difficult to reach places that involved some hazards reaching, often alone, contemplating the next days journey into still more snowy and remote places–all without a care in the world. Getting there requires more attention and skill to avoid a dozen different bad outcomes, from blisters to slipping on ice to river crossings to how to respond to that bear wandering by. Etc. I always feel centered in these circumstances, but you’re right, they’re all really demanding, whether I realize it at the time or not. Just climbing down a steep rocky trail with a 20 pound pack on requires a lot of vigilance, so yes, you’ve convinced me about the necessity of a GOOD chair after hours.

Apologies for my long windedness.

I bought a Helinox and didn’t care for it. Returned it, the bought a Nemo. Now I’m sold.

I wish I could use a hammock as a chair for cooking, but in bear country I don’t want to risk getting food/food smell on my sleep system. This also applies to my chair kit, unfortunately. It’s nice to sit on while cooking and eating, but I choose to keep the kit on the pad for sleeping so I stopped using it for that.

i like the idea a hammock chair very much. but,

–i wouldn’t want to cook dinner in one

–thinking about it, there’s less flexibility in terms of positioning yourself for good views and all the rest. and since i don’t sleep in a hammock…maybe pay the weight penalty of a chair