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The Gear Junkie: Crazy Creek Hexalite Camp Chairs
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Share on DiggBackpackers are famous for trading comfort at night in camp for speed and efficiency during the day on the trail. As such, sleeping pads are trimmed to save weight, and sawed-off logs often serve as 'round-the-campfire seating.
But Crazy Creek (www.crazycreek.com) has a new idea: The HexaLite chairs employ hexagonal-cored foam and polyester mesh to create lightweight chairs that are foldable, rollable and easy to tote.
At just 14.8 ounces, the $33 HexaLite Original folds in half, then rolls into an unobtrusive package to strap on the outside of a backpack.
Some comfort is sacrificed in the name of weight savings. The HexaLite Original's seat is tight, measuring 15 inches across though squeezing in when you sit down.
The $44 HexaLite LongBack model -- which weighs 18.5 ounces -- has extra width (18 inches) and a higher back height. It was more comfortable in my test than the Original model.
The larger iteration also doubles as an ad hoc sleeping pad for backpackers, as it measures 38 inches long when laying flat.
For both models, the weight savings and thinner padding equal an experience that is not as comfortable as other Crazy Creek models I have tried. But for the backwoods, these chairs, despite minor flaws, outperform any sawed-off log you can find.
STEPHEN REGENOLD
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