GCI Outdoors PackSeat

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.”

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.