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GCI Outdoor PackSeat

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
photo: GCI Outdoor PackSeat camp chair

GCI Outdoor's Packseat Portable Stool is a fairly lightweight seat that spares a camper from sitting on the ground, pointy rock, or wobbly log. The Packseat is best used for base-camping, trip canoeing, or hiking (when you don't care how much weight you carry). This reviewer finds the Packseat to be the best $20 he's ever spent on camp “furniture.”

Pros

  • 21" stool
  • Compact size for carrying
  • Clips onto belt or pack
  • 19 oz.

Cons

  • No back support when sitting

I had seen the Packseat at my local Dick's Sporting Goods a few months ago. As my canoe trip to the Boundary Waters approached, I began to think how nice it would be to have something like this to sit on. At only $20, I figured it was worth trying, and I'm glad I did.


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The Packseat is a 13” x 13” three-legged stool, standing 21” tall. Weighing 19 oz, the Packseat is not going to wind up in the pack of anyone who proudly calls themselves a “Gram Weenie.” However, for my trip, where base-camping was the norm and portages were few, I found the Packseat to be a welcome addition to my gear.


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The light weight of the stool is matched by its folded size. After all, it is the PACKseat. When folded up, the stool is a mere 16”x3.5”x2.5”. No matter how full, I always managed to find space for it in my pack. If space in the pack is still an issue, the Packseat comes with a convenient carrying case and mini carabiner that allows you to clip it onto a hiker's belt or anywhere outside your pack.


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Setup and breakdown takes only a second, as shock cords run through the aluminum legs. Were these cords to break, the stool would still be usable (However, the legs would fall off when lifting.).


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The product description that comes with the Packseat highlights its patented “Anti-Splay Reinforcement Panel.” In addition to adding “strength and stability” to the stool, this panel keeps the legs of the stool from sinking into sand or other loose soil. I found it to work, while putting my full 190 lbs on the stool in wet sand.


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The Packseat is rated to 250 lbs. At my own weight, I was never concerned about it holding me. The frame never flexed (or if it did, I didn't notice it).

For those who feel they must have a back on their stool, CGI Outdoors does make a version of the Packseat, called a Quick-E-Seat. However, weight increases to more than 4lbs, and that version is not going to fit into your pack (At that point, you might as well carry a full camp chair).

All-in-all, I'm pretty pleased with this purchase. No, I won't be carrying it when I'm strictly backpacking, but it will definitely be an item I return to on other outdoor ventures.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $19.99

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Specs

open folded
Price MSRP: $25.00
Current Retail: $25.00-$30.00
Historic Range: $25.00-$30.00
Reviewers Paid: $19.99
Weight 1.3 lb / 0.59 kg
Supports 250 lb / 113.4 kg
Height 20 in / 51 cm
Size 12.5 x 13.75 x 20 in 16 x 3.25 x 2.25 in
Product Details from GCI Outdoor »

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