I’ve camped only twice in my life. And yet I carry an itty bitty camping chair basically everywhere.
Two years ago, after I spent the summer constantly claiming my boyfriend’s packable camping chair at every outdoor gathering—park hangs, beach trips, you name it—he finally bought me the Helinox Chair Zero as a gift.
Having a tiny chair on me at any given time changed my life—no more sitting on the grass in Prospect Park or schlepping heavy chairs to Brighton Beach. My chair accompanied me to outdoor date nights, movies in the park, my first (and second) camping trip, beach hangs with friends and family, and a trip to Los Angeles.
A few months ago, I upgraded to an even comfier model, the Chair One. (It’s the most packable chair our outdoors team recommends in our guide to the best camping chairs.)
Even though it’s slightly more substantial than the Chair Zero, my new Chair One is still so small that it slides right into my tote bag. I keep it by my front door so I can grab it on my way out—no matter the occasion. A day of exploring a new neighborhood? Toss it in the bag. Meeting a friend for a walk? Who knows where we’ll end up! Quick coffee run? Why not? Even when there’s no guarantee I’ll bust it out, I don’t mind toting it around. It really is that little. I’ll bring a spare picnic blanket for larger group hangs, but the chair is coming with me too—you just can’t beat the back support. And I relish the oohs and aahs when I pop a chair out of my bag like Mary Poppins.
