Picnic tables are nice, but their benches aren’t particularly soft.
The camping chair of yesteryear, made of a frame with crisscrossing straps, still exists. On the Canadian Tire website, it’s called a “retro classic” and is priced at $39.99.
There are now more modern models which mainly aim for comfort. But there is also a new class of ultralight chairs that appeared a few years ago and are constantly gaining popularity.
“The craze is for light and compact,” says Hugues Grenier, camping buyer at La Cordée. We can take it everywhere, whether camping or for our little outing to the park. It’s something you can put in your backpack, something you can bring with you when you’re traveling by bike. »
Helinox is one of the main companies that manufacture this type of chairs. It is a set of aluminum rods that are deployed and on which we attach (with some effort the first time) a polyester seat. The lightest model, Helinox Zero, weighs less than 500 grams.
“If we have a little space while hiking, we can bring it,” says Mr. Grenier. Sometimes, as we get older, we like that, having a little bit of comfort when we take our break. »
Lightness has a price. Helinox’s Zero model generally retails for around $200 while the same manufacturer’s Model One, twice as heavy, costs $160.
Manufacturers have provided various accessories, such as small mats or balls to attach to the ends of the legs of the chair so that it does not sink into the sand. There are also fleece covers for cooler evenings, or a stake to securely anchor the ultralight chair into the ground. You don’t want to lose your precious investment at the first gust of wind.
You can even find swivel chairs, which allow you to turn towards the potato chips side, then towards the refreshing drink side. Helinox also offers lullaby skates, for several dozen dollars.
This type of chair is so popular that La Cordée offers it under its house brand.
“They are produced in China, but imported by a Quebec company, Onata GV, the Wendake company that manufactures GV snowshoes.
“We wanted to do business with a local company,” says Mr. Grenier. The product may be a little heavier than a Helinox, but it’s cheaper too. »
La Cordée continues to offer an old classic of the minimalist chair, the Crazy Creek chair, a seat that has no legs and consists of two panels connected by straps.
“It’s almost “nostalgia-camping,” says Hugues Grenier. It’s something that still sells well, that people are looking for, but it can be a little heavier than what you find at Helinox with the aluminum wheelbases. Customers are turning more towards these latter chairs. »
La Cordée wanted to specialize in light and compact chairs. For its part, SAIL offers a slightly wider range, which includes more elaborate folding chairs, with armrests, cup holders, tablets or even footrests. La dolce vita, that is.
Comfort has weight: these chairs can weigh 5 to 10 times heavier than Helinox’s small Zero. But they can also cost half as much.
Canadian Tire offers very inexpensive camping chairs, including the Outbound brand. Obviously, lightness is not there, nor is the compact nature of the chair once folded. But to eat chips and read a short novel, that’s all it takes.