Reading through the responses there seem to be two schools of thought, compact “Butterfly” type chair or larger folding “camp” chair.
I think the choice depends on what you are paddling, when and where. On a no-portage lake base camper or easy downriver trip a real chair is paramount equipment for me.
Perhaps because my bulk would hazard skinny aluminum pole butterfly-style chairs. I am not a butterfly. Even if it dependably held me aloft I’d need a block & tackle or multiple helpers to extract myself from a “chair” four inches off the ground.
Perhaps because, on no-portage river and coastal bay trips, friends have brought winky butterfly chairs and boasted about them. But when I would return from taking a walk, or even brief leak, there they would be, happily sitting in my chair.
Yeah, I’m keeping an eye on you this time Willie.
P5111064 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
You too Joel. Although you have never been a chair snatcher.
P5102016 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
So yeah, I’ll take a serious chair when called for, something with a high back extension for wind or sun. Sometimes I just want my own private, sheltered Idaho, away from companions.
P5101056 by
Mike McCrea, on Flickr
Watch that second step out of the vestibule. It’s a long way to the bottom.
I took a second slightly smaller camp chair on one 11 day downriver trip, just so I could kick scofflaws out of my chair. My four companions all brought compact butterfly chairs; guess where they sat when the spare chair was vacant?
A few years ago, on a small group lake camper a companion brought the ultimate in UL chairs, a teeny little thing, WITH ONLY TWO LEGS. A no-portage single lake camper gathering.
Balanced precariously on two legs he occasionally, almost routinely, leaned back to far and ended up with a view of the stars overhead. At least he always went horizontal backwards, not forward into the fire. OK, there may have been libations involved. But no one else fell over while seated.
Finally, while I’m on a near chair rant, in a lot of my favorite places I don’t want my butt that close to the ground. Ankle-biter flies will just as soon nibble my thighs at ground level. Blowing sand and dust on coastal and desert trip. On coastal barrier islands when the tick population booms in the spring it looks like the pine duff is moving.
It is; there are that many ticks afoot. Eh, thanks, can I have a chair tall enough to prop my feet on some gear Ottaman to avoid the ground huggers?
One longish downriver trip out west I got smart, and brought a second, smaller chair. Let’s just say it was in frequent use, and my big wind & sunblock chair was unmolested. We called them the King and Queen chairs.
My Queen must have been an arranged marriage; he wasn’t my type at all.