Crazy Creek Chairs
By Shayne Clarke

I’ve moved an item from the optional section to the essential section of my backpacking gear list. It’s a chair. Specifically, the Crazy Creek Chair. I was helping a friend spend his life’s savings on some gear down at Blister's Hiking and Suffering, when I asked the friendly sales person if these camping chairs are really worth the weight. She suddenly got that warm and tender look that people use to describe their grandchildren, a country field, fresh with new born lambs, or a Scout Master that can finally see the car after 50 miles in the high country.

She showed us the various options available, and I settled on the Crazy Creek Long Back Chair because it fit me the best. I’m not a small man. When I run races, there is a special category for me, it is called Clydesdale. Crazy Creek's Long Back Chair is 2" wider and 4" taller than their Original Chair, which gives me the support I’m looking for. I can easily adjust it just right so I can sit with my knees bent, or with my legs flat on the ground.

Crazy Creek chairs are built to take the abuse of the outdoors. The sturdy exterior construction features rugged 400 denier-coated packcloth with carbon-fiber stays for a fine blend of light weight and sturdy construction. The padding is one-half inch closed-cell foam. There are special reinforcements on the joints of the chair which otherwise might get worn quickly given the rugged terrain of the backpacker.

Some people prefer buying a nice chair “frame” and inserting their sleeping pad. There are advantages to this, less weight being one of them, but I prefer to strap my chair to the outside of my pack and be sitting happily within seconds of stopping for a rest on the trail. I also like to put my chair on top of my sleeping pad while I am reading or writing, just before exhaustion sets in.

Another fine use I have had is in leveling my playing field. If I set my tent up in the dark, and accidentally end up with an incline to sleep on, I simply put my chair, folded flat under my sleeping pad, in the uneven area.

I also spoiled myself by getting a small 13" by 16" Term-a-Rest pad to add to the seat. Together, I’m ready to actually rest on a rest stop, instead of training my backside to grip a slanted rock or knotted log. It also allows me my nightly ritual of reading or writing before I finally succumb to exhaustion. Even though this has added a little weight to my back, I’m willing to cut down on other areas to make it work. Now at the end of the day, when my trail mates are adjusting and readjusting themselves for a place to sit, I will be, thanks to The Crazy Creek Long Back Chair, resting in peace.

Suggested Retail Price:
Original Chair $38.50
Large Chair $41.50 (2" wider)
Long Back Chair $46.00 (2" wider and 4" taller)

Shayne is a contributing editor for GearReview.com and a well known (yet under appreciated) humorist.

For more information, contact:
Crazy Creek Products
PO Box 1050
Red Lodge, MT 59068
800-331-0304
chairs@crazycreek.com