Crazy Creek CradleLounger

[SA Bill]

I saw these on sale for $20.00 and just had to order one.

http://www.crazycreek.com/product/specials/66/

Anyone used one before? From a video on line it looks like a good alternative to sitting on just any old available log or rock. Being able to move it around to sit where you want seems like a good thing. Too bulky for backpacking but for the price, it might make it as part of the base camp equipment that gets used in the Basin.
   Bill

[raptor()]

That looks pretty good for $20.  The weight is good too.  It says it's good for backpackers - I wonder if it collapses enough to fit on a backpack?  If so I might need to get one of these.

[Al]

Their original ground chair was well made and worked well. Please give us a report.  In my experience with that type of support system, one needs to be sure it is level and on a relatively even surface.

Al

[DJ]

This sounds like something I can backpack with. I read some online customer reviews which said it easily fits on a backpack. I ordered 2 this morning with 2 day air so I can take them to BIBE next week. I will let you know how this works out.

DJ

[dkerr24]

Their original ground chair was well made and worked well. Please give us a report.  In my experience with that type of support system, one needs to be sure it is level and on a relatively even surface.

Al

That's what I was thinking, too.  With only a single point at the back to support you, it would definitely need a nice level surface.

[bdann]

anyone find any reviews on this thing?

[RichardM]

anyone find any reviews on this thing?

Not many. It only weighs 23oz and folds up to 1 inch think, so backpacking with it isn't unreasonable.

this is a good chair reasonably conferable if you want to sit and enjoy nature. the only draw back is that the top bar hits me in the middle of my upper back. that can make you back pretty sore after sitting in it a long time.

Pros: Lightweight, Easy Set Up
Cons: Delicate, Low to the Ground
Best Uses: Campgrounds, Beach, Outdoor Events, Day Trips
Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

It barely weighs anything and is very comfortable. Hard to keep the head rest up & their is not much to the chair.

[bdann]

I bought one.  I'll get the opportunity to try it out soon, will report back.   

[RikD]

Nice find Bill!  I have ordered 2 as well.  I had been looking around for something like this for some day packing expeditions.  Looks like it should do the trick.

-Rik

[SA Bill]

It seems like one of these could be lashed to the back of a pack fairly easily. Not sure that I'd actually do that but I may change my mind after I get mine. Sure would be nice to have a portable seat to relax in when camping in the outback. I'm thinking forward to my hike to the Split Rock camp site later this month...nothing to sit on out there that I can see. After a hard day of hiking, how am I going to relax in camp? Guess I'll just lay around in the tent.

Anyway, whomever gets their chair first, let us all know how it seems!
  Thanks!
     Bill

[RichardM]

A more expensive alternative:
Trail Sling Ultralight Backpacker Chair

Weight at 23oz is the same as the Crazy Creek chair, but this one packs up smaller.

I have one of these I picked up at WalMart on clearance:

It's great for short trips as you can pack a fair amount of crap in the back. However, it's not the most comfortable backpack I've ever worn. It was left in the garage of the mother-in-law's beach house before Hurricane Ike and I never got around to trying to clean it up.

Maybe I should upgrade to this version with the built-in footrest:


Or maybe this one

[bdann]

I received my Crazy Creek chair today.  It works pretty well...in my living room.  It may be a little too bulky to carry on a backpacking trip, we'll see shortly. 

[RikD]

My Crazy Creek Cradle Lounger arrived today.

The first impressions are: not really a backpacking chair as it's a bit larger than you might want to take on a several day hike.  You could bungee cord the unit onto a backpack, and use it for a day packing situation.  For the size, I found it to be quite comfortable.  The head rest is an extra bonus, but it's a bit a trick to keep it clipped onto the chair.  Once it's all set, I could imagine myself sitting there for a while and enjoying the outdoors.  This would have been a nice luxury on my last OML, but really couldn't have justified the weight or bulkiness of it.  The final point brought up on this thread was stability of the 3-prong design.  I played with it in several different spots, and seems to be quite stable.  As mentioned before, the only issue was getting the head rest to stay put.  I have a couple of tiny bungee cords that may do the trick for that.

Now for a 2-3 hour hike to your favorite secluded spot, I would definitely pack this chair.  There would of course have to be the associated picnic supplies. 

Bottom line: Certainly worth the $20 close out sale price.  It would be nice for day hikes and something small to put in your trunk or in the back seat of a pickup.  The other perfect use of this chair would be for situations where you have to wait in line for hours and need a small, light chair to carry in the crowds.  Or... possibly lawn concerts...  I can't say I have done either of these types of things lately - at least not in recent memory.   

-Rik

[Al]

My Crazy Creek Cradle Lounger arrived today.

The first impressions are: not really a backpacking chair as it's a bit larger than you might want to take on a several day hike.  You could bungee cord the unit onto a backpack, and use it for a day packing situation.  For the size, I found it to be quite comfortable.  The head rest is an extra bonus, but it's a bit a trick to keep it clipped onto the chair.  Once it's all set, I could imagine myself sitting there for a while and enjoying the outdoors.  This would have been a nice luxury on my last OML, but really couldn't have justified the weight or bulkiness of it.  The final point brought up on this thread was stability of the 3-prong design.  I played with it in several different spots, and seems to be quite stable.  As mentioned before, the only issue was getting the head rest to stay put.  I have a couple of tiny bungee cords that may do the trick for that.

Now for a 2-3 hour hike to your favorite secluded spot, I would definitely pack this chair.  There would of course have to be the associated picnic supplies. 

Bottom line: Certainly worth the $20 close out sale price.  It would be nice for day hikes and something small to put in your trunk or in the back seat of a pickup.  The other perfect use of this chair would be for situations where you have to wait in line for hours and need a small, light chair to carry in the crowds.  Or... possibly lawn concerts...  I can't say I have done either of these types of things lately - at least not in recent memory.   

-Rik

In my experience that camp chair might disappoint one if you attempted to use it while day hiking the Big Bend desert.  In the desert during the day shade is golden and can be far and few between. The best shade tends to be limited to drainages with brush or rockfall.  If there are southern cliffs it's excellent but this shade might be hard to come by.  But good shade can typically be found in a drainage cut into sediment with well positioned brush providing some overhead shade if one sits on the ground in the drainage beneath the brush.  Ideally one can use the cut bank of the drainage as back support, but not always.  Either that or where there has been rock fall which one can sit behind or under, again typically sitting on the ground is required. 

But it might be a good camp chair for the late afternoon or into the evening in order to enjoy the desert in reasonable comfort.  I hope it works.

Al

[Casa Grande]

A more expensive alternative:
Trail Sling Ultralight Backpacker Chair

Weight at 23oz is the same as the Crazy Creek chair, but this one packs up smaller.

I have one of these, and it sucks! Uncomfortable, heavy. It is usually the first to go when I'm trying to lighten my load in pre-trip prep.  It's kind of like a crappy portable chair that's still too heavy to carry.  Think of a futon:  An uncomfortable couch that makes out into an even more uncomfortable bed.