The gear that gets you there.
Only the best. Nothing else makes the list.
A one-pound chair if luxury is worth it, or a two-ounce foam pad if it is not.
Three picks. Updated weekly. That is the whole list. If it is not here, it did not earn a place.
· Top three updated weekly. Listed prices and shop ratings stay live.
Surveys 40% · independent tests 30% · merchant ratings 15% · relative street price 15%. Sources & method
Listed prices and shop ratings stay live once a shop page loads. GEAR UP has the current figure.
Built from published thru-hiker surveys and independent testing — not commissions. Sources & method · Disclosure
Swipe — three picks side by side
UL camp chair · ~17.6 oz
Listed price
8.7 / 10 Thru Picks
The ultralight chair most backpackers mean. About 17.6 ounces, packs to a water-bottle size.
Sources: REI Co-op · CleverHiker · GearJunkie · Thru Picks method
GEAR UP →Also at REI →Affiliate link. We may earn a commission. Not a paid ranking.
REI UL chair · ~16 oz
Listed price
8.4 / 10 Thru Picks
REI’s Chair Zero rival. About a pound, fifty dollars less, slightly narrower seat.
Sources: REI Co-op · GearJunkie · Thru Picks method
GEAR UP →Affiliate link. We may earn a commission. Not a paid ranking.
Accordion foam sit pad · 2 oz
Listed price
8.6 / 10 Thru Picks
Two-ounce accordion foam. A sit pad, not a chair — and the honest weight for most thru-hikers.
Sources: REI Co-op · Halfway Anywhere · Thru Picks method
GEAR UP →Also at REI →Affiliate link. We may earn a commission. Not a paid ranking.
This slot is not required in a Pack Shakedown kit. The ten loadouts still start from the same independent lists.
A chair is luxury. A sit pad is hygiene for your insulation — sitting on snow or wet ground wrecks a puffy and a pad. Most thru-hikers take the foam. Some take the chair for zero days.
Helinox Chair Zero is first: about 17.6 ounces, the chair backpackers mean. REI Flexlite Air is Best Value — about a pound, less money, a slightly narrower seat. Therm-a-Rest Z Seat is Trail Tough: two ounces of accordion foam. If you are counting grams, take the Z Seat.
Rankings and kits are based on published surveys and independent analysis. They are opinions for informational purposes only. Users are responsible for choosing and using gear appropriate to their conditions and experience. Thru Picks is not liable for outcomes related to product use. Terms