Crazy Creek HEX 2.0 Original Chair

The Crazy Creek Original Chair has no legs at all. It’s a padded seat and backrest joined by side straps, so it sits right on the ground, and when you’re done it rolls up to about 4 inches across and slides into a backpack.

Adjust the Rock Lockster buckles on each side and the backrest goes from upright to reclined, which is the whole trick: real back support on bare ground, a tent floor, a sandy beach or a cold set of bleachers. The padding is 8mm closed-cell foam that doesn’t absorb water, the shell is coated ripstop nylon sealed against sand and dirt, and carbon-fiber stays hold the shape. It’s rated to 250 pounds, and Crazy Creek has been making this style of chair for 35 years.

It suits backpackers who refuse to carry a folding chair, parents who spend weekends on sideline bleachers, and anyone who ends up sitting on the ground at every campfire anyway.

The catch: you’re still sitting on the ground, so it’s a poor fit for anyone who finds it hard to get up from floor level. It also takes a minute of strap fiddling to find the angle you like.