Bikepacking With A Camp Chair? Nemo Moonlite Elite Review

[@doug1219]

A little extra cargo in exchange for a LOT of extra comfort at camp is a trade worth making in my book. I’ve been carrying a not-ultralight camp chair on my trips for the last few years, and I’ve never once thought “I wish I hadn’t brought this chair”

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

right!

[@OldManMountainRacks]

"I’ve never once thought I wish I hadn’t brought this chair". Bingo! Most of my trips I like to spend the evening hanging out at camp, fly fishing, plinking thinks with a slingshot, etc. The camp chair makes it so much more enjoyable. Every time I'm on a trip with someone who didn't bring a chair they spend a lot of time mentioning how they wish they had or snagging mine anytime I stand up.

[@haroldanderson4903]

At 62 years old, a lightwieght camp chair has become more than just a luxury item! My REI Flexlite was only $100 and weighs one pound, perfect for both my bikepacking and backpacking trips.

[@Daniel-oq7xy]

Tried one of these at REI not too long ago. The construction and design are great. I really wanted to love it, but it's really set up for thinner people. The lower corners kept me from spreading my legs and the top corners really dug into my shoulders. I had a much better time with the Helinox chair.

[@JakeLuke308]

Hey Neil, I bought a Helinox Zero chair after a 10 day canoe trip with nothing but logs/ rocks to sit on. I've used in both bikepacking and backpacking and it's been a game changer on this 64 year old frame. It's become difficult to stay comfortable sitting on a log for 3-7 hours at camp each night. That said I do like the design of the Nemo chair. The platform to keep the chair legs from sinking into the dirt, sand bar, gravel road, rock bank. I will happily sit on a log or ground for one night. Beyond that I will always bring a camp chair.

[@barrybogart5436]

Every paddler I know uses one. In fact, that is how I found out about the Helinox.

[@cruachan1191]

I've taken a Therm-a-rest chair kit a couple of times and used it with my sleep mat. Not ideal as you're close to the ground, but usually if I take it it's because the weather forecast isn't good and I can sit on it inside my tent.

[@donovangraves23]

Mines in the mail just watching this for excitement lol. My reasoning is chairs help you recover quicker and provide pain relief. Even just backpacking im always taking one!

[@123moof]

I bring a cheap gray market chinesium chair about half the time. At $30, and 2 lbs it is neither expensive nor light. If the route is at party pace, and is mostly wild camping without picnic benches it quickly becomes worth the weight. Not mentioned by Niel is the bonus of being able to stop on the side of the road for mid-day breaks without the need to look for sitting rocks, just a flat spot with shade. With a comfortable way to stop and rest it pre-empts going into zombie mode when you should have stopped and refueled earlier and more often.

[@HeartPumper]

Neil & Virginia - those reviews are a God's send :D I know it's a kind of camping chair's hype going on trough socials, but those things are really, really excellent morale boosters after long day in the saddle / hiking boots :D

[@epzamora]

I started using a camp chair on backpacking trips around 7 years ago and never looked back. I started with an off brand $50 chair but moved to the REI Flexlite a couple of years later after a leg started to bend. The Flexlite works fine for this now-57 year old at 200lbs. It can be a little tough to get out of when you're tired but the positives are too numerous. And sounds like it's the same weight as this Nemo being reviewed. I recently bought a Big Agnes Big Six camp chair from REI on closeout at a GREAT price for car camping or day trip fishing. Fantastic high back and generous ground clearance. The Big Six is not for bike or backpacking, way too big and heavy. This Nemo sounds like a nice choice but the price is a bit high for my wallet. I DO like the idea of aluminum hubs. My motto is Never ever pay full price. There's an easy way to get this cheaper at REI.

[@BenZCardiff]

We need a video on your favorite bikepacking apparel!

[@jeff_aurand]

That looks great and I’m super close to getting one. A content suggestion for the channel is long term updates/reviews on products. The price is fair for the apparent quality and weight, but it’s hard to judge how long it will last in normal use.

[@CookingMike]

I have the rei camp chair that i bring . Got it on sale and honestly quality of life game changer .

[@wonicles]

Had the previous version which now belongs to my friend, as I picked up the elite for myself. I love the chairs for bikepacking. They mount perfectly to the top of my front cradle over the dry bag, or on my rack if I am riding with that. It is a luxury, but I am willing to add it to my kit because it is quite enjoyable for me, and my old legs benefit from a good seat when off the bike. The classic is a bit heavier than the elite, and seems to sit up a bit higher off the ground. I find both to be extremely comfortable, much more so than a rock or stump. I am 6'2" and come in around 220 lbs, and have no issues with the sturdiness of the chair. I can also speak to Nemo's support, as I wore through one of the rubber feet on the Moonlite Classic when I still owned it, and Nemo was quick to ship out replacment parts at no cost to me! I have the Nemo Moonlander table as well, that fits great on top of the rack, and comes with me on shorter excursions.

[@Beng12952]

Which do you prefer between the classic and the elite versions? Is one more comfortable than the other?

[@wonicles]

@@Beng12952 The only big difference I feel is the side cordage on the elite versus the straps on the classic, as that could have potential to bother a person touching their sides. I cannot really say if one is more comfortable than the other overall other than that minor difference. If you have an outfitter near you that has demos on the sales floor, I would recommend trying them out to determine the best fit for you.

[@Beng12952]

@@wonicles Thanks. I just bought a used classic version, I prefer the grey/khaki colour which they no longer make.

[@richardhunt3051]

Awesome chair...I will not bicycle tour without one!!!!

[@barrybogart5436]

I agree that s seat is nice. I have a Helinox but only use it on Kayak trips (no weight or space issues). For BP I use a tripod. I have even used a dollar-store one but have more durable ones, still very light. If you are cooking or poking a fire or eating from a bowl, I prefer the position. They are a lot easier to get onto or off of! I also use various table-top things.

[@PumpkinVillage]

Nice kit. Have a small chair works for me. Good looking chair model you have there. Thanks for the video and take care, Al

[@deniseemory4359]

After my very first bikepacking trip, I discovered a camp chair was a much needed bit of gear. I ordered a cheap one to start, but will most likely upgrade to a more compact and lighter option soon.

[@bikegan]

Use one on every trip (Helinox). Use it to do chain maintenance and other bike cleaning tasks. So much nicer on the back.

[@OgreSwamp]

Try one before buying it. Fir me the backrest was quite uncomfortable and I settled on Helinox One.

[@tongpocalypse]

Such a luxury item that takes more space than one would think, but so nice to have! What next, an ultralight folding table? 😁🤔

[@Weiland1993]

I have tried this and a lot of other chairs but they all have the same problem. They are to narrow for people with broad shoulders. I can't find a good camp chair for that, so I bought a seat pad instead. For the Moonlite Elite. I broke 1 at a store because the seat was installed with the wrong side up. Watch out with that!

[@ethanherxmedia]

Where do you put your chair on your bike? I just bought an REI Flexlite Air and have used it for backpacking but not for bikepacking. I have an Ortlieb seat rack QR so i could use the bungee cords on top of that but I wanted to know if you had any other suggestions

[@slowwerthensnot]

I haven’t taken such a luxury yet!

[@ivarbrouwer197]

‘Allright, let’s get into it’ is really apt for this specific product review…

[@Chris.Massimino]

I take a crazy creek. Works great

[@ivarbrouwer197]

Would only consider if it could double in function, such as for a tent pole, bed-frame or bike rack.

[@SonnyDarvish]

Good idea, especially at that price point. Though, it would also be a single point of failure. When it breaks, you lose tent and chair at the same time.

[@ivarbrouwer197]

@@SonnyDarvish yep, therefore a sleeping solution would be preferable AND keeps it applicable for Bikepacking and hiking.

[@Maks4e]

Oh. Since the last month can’t imagine future routes without a chair. (Invested in Helinox Chair Zero L)

[@MacMasore]

6:43 it’s a cool idea to just use the bendingness of the poles to adjust your position

[@kixb4632]

hell yeah neil

[@MrROBERTLEWIS]

I've been using mine for a few years and I'm really happy with it

[@DrewPeabawls]

Not a kiddo in a melly! 🤙 cool dad status confirmed!

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

we got it two years ago and it almost fits him!

[@AlexAdventuresNewEngland]

I have use the seat mesh to catch fish on shallow rivers beside being a chair

[@AndrewPriest]

I have a Helinox One, but it just sits in my kit box. I can never bring myself to actually take it bikepacking.

[@JohnParrish-f4w]

Helinox ground chair, low, no legs, I can sit in it indefinitely. I don’t even think about not taking it after 8 years, even use as spectator chair at cyclocross events

[@jeromebullard6123]

So the original moonlite is just ounces heavier, has a higher seat, and higher weight limit. I’m not so sure the elite is better than the original

[@tongpocalypse]

Brought a stool on my last trip and it was real nice to sit on while fixing a flat tire🤣

[@OldLostGuy]

I have used a chair for the last 3.5 years. Weighs 1.5 lbs. But worth it. Have sat in it for 1-2 hours before uncomfortable. Got it from AliExpress for $23CDN. $180USD...Don't think so.

[@gregknipe8772]

once you include furniture in the load, you are bike touring. may as well just break down and include panniers ; ),

[@gregknipe8772]

that said, I'd go for the stool shape vs the full seat type, it comes in handy when working on the bike, or even loading the bike without stooping over. I vote stool for my bike touring set up.

[@thefucrew9865]

You weren't already using panniers for bikepacking ??? I only had a rear rack, and already had a "trunk" with panniers, so I was using that.

[@gahroe]

If you're bike packing you've already got a comfortable seat, why bring another? Unless you're into feeding mosquitoes before catching some sleep :P Only thing I could see working is a sling chair that hangs from a tree and doesn't have a frame.

[@prolfinator]

The jeff Kendall weed of bike packing

[@thefucrew9865]

Would I bring a chair like this on a bikepacking trip ??? Only if someone bought it for me...LOLOLOLOL !!!

[@christianbrodt9009]

Ich hab den wieder zurückgeschickt. War von der Idee begeistert mit der Verstellmöglichkeit. Aber ……. …. Die Rückenstreben bohren sich mir in den Rücken und sind unbequem. Der Helinox Zero und Zero Highvack sind für mich bequemer. Ist halt rückensbhängig….. Für mich nix

[@saskhiker3935]

I love the chair but the price is too much.

[@kcdiazWTV]

Soould out.

[@michaelhoare5291]

Sorry, but it's a pointless review if you don't take the chair to distruction, or at least try to. You're sat on a perfectly level, firm garden lawn, and there's even a shot on a level concrete base. Not the same as uneven/soft ground whilst wild camping. To be fair, can't do better than 6061 hubs and 7001 poles so why not put the chair to the test? I'm 6ft and 189lbs, and at age 65, although fit and mobile, I past the age of involunary growning whilst rising from low seating a long time ago!

[@fandydiadline]

Ewww

[@barrybogart5436]

That's another reason to use a tripod. It adjusts to any surface. And the taller ones are even easier to get on and off of (I am even older).

[@cypriano8763]

must be made out of gold. im not, not ever gonna pay 300$ canadian for a camp chair. the creazy ceek chair weighs the same, fyi

[@MrEvint1973]

Seriously!? $180 for a chair!? This is absurd to even suggest that a piece of plastic, 1 pound of plastic to be exact is worth $180 bucks. It's not just the bike industry that's lost their minds and going out of business.

[@BIKEPACKINGcom]

It's not made of out plastic and I also mentioned it was expensive, did you even watch the video?

[@SonnyDarvish]

Then walk to walmart and grab a chair from there. You don't need to pay R&D and quality material prices, just carry a 2kg chair that costs $10.

[@sam-ww1wk]

...and a cot