GCI Outdoors PackSeat

Specs
open | folded | ||
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Price |
MSRP: $25.00 Reviewers Paid: $19.99 |
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Weight |
1.3 lb / 0.59 kg |
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Supports |
250 lb / 113.4 kg |
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Height |
20 in / 51 cm |
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Size | 12.5 x 13.75 x 20 in | 16 x 3.25 x 2.25 in |
Reviews
4-star: 1
3-star: 0
2-star: 0
1-star: 0
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.
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.
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.
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.).
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.
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

Nice review, Goose. I am a big fan of reasonably lightweight camp chairs as long as you don't have to carry them long distance.
8 years ago

Great review Goose...I have a great old seat by GSI that I got about 10 years ago (Trail-Sling Ultralight)...it is about the same weight and size but more like a terrible version of the Alite Monarch...it is surprising how much use a light and compact chair will get. I use mine anytime I plan to do a lot of sitting...which happens frequently on canoe-trips...but I've taken it on short backpacking trips when I expected to spend a lot of time under a tarp due to rain.
8 years ago

Nice review. I still have a tri-pod style camp chair from when I was a cub scout. These things seem to hold up well, unlike their four-legged camp chair cousin, whose arm rest fabric inevitable rips or grommets pull out.
8 years ago

Also, I'm a little surprised to see you, a hammock hanger, to bring along a chair. Many hangers consider their hammock their chair as well, but I guess in this case, you're not worried about weight, so why not bring it along.
8 years ago

Goose -- You are definitely right about the anti-splay material. I was using mine while fishing one time, and didn't realize we were on a bog. The material held the stool from sinking - something where other tripods would have sunk and dumped me. The weight limit on the one I have is 300 lbs, and it has no problems handling my 230 lbs.
8 years ago

Kiwi, I took that into consideration. When I'm backpacking, I'll sit in my hammock and even eat breakfast in bed. But on this trip I (correctly) assumed my hammock would be some distance from the campfire and food area, and the chair would allow me to sit around with the other guys.
8 years ago

How does it feel after a few mugs of coffee--not the quick perch sort of use, but the long, protracted "Really? A 500 pound bear? What did you do next?" sort of longer-term, more sedentary perch?
8 years ago

It's not my sofa at home, but it beat crouching around the fire or balancing on a log.
8 years ago

I'd consider carrying one of these if it weighed 4 ounces :-D
8 years ago

Thanks for posting up this review, I was just looking at these online yesterday. I have a Helinox Chair One that is great but sits too low for my irritated knees, this just might be a better solution.
8 years ago

@Bill, yeah, this isn't going backpacking with me. It's for trips like the Boundary Water, where weight isn't so much a factor.
8 years ago

Nice! Thx for the review.
7 years ago