Slinglite or Slinglight?

“I have been asked to make a Christmas wish list, so I need to make a choice. I've searched the past threads, but I want some more clarification.

Has anyone tried both of them? What are your thoughts?”

“Well, I have the original Slinglight...the Slinglite wasn't available then...I think there is a very slight weight difference; if you can afford it I'd buy the Slinglight...the design is theirs, they are a small company with incredible ethics...I had bought the chair after they raised their price...a year later they sent me a refund check saying they had dropped the price back to the original...I think that was amazing...”

“I've never sat in the knock-off Slinglite, but the design looks identical from what I can see online. Whichever you get, don't get the headrest. I found I never used it on bping trips - my head was always down to talk, or eat, or stare at the fire.”

“Thanks, guys. Mata, I remember your awesome customer service experience. That along with the fact that it's lighter makes me lean towards the Slinglight.”

“i sit on my butt

it is very light, i hardly know i am carrying it”

“sling-light
freeform
www.slinglight.com
949-646-3217”

“Just to show you how different people are...I think the Slinglight without the headrest would be like a recliner without a back...I LOVE the headrest and always use it unless I'm cooking or eating...it's so comfortable I've fallen asleep in the chair...for me, the headrest is what makes the chair great...”

“I just got the Sling-light last week. I just used it this last weekend at Red River Gorge. I love it. But I guess I didn't love it strong enough as I left it in Jimmy san's car. Crash has it now.

I liked the headrest. But, I didn't like carrying the headrest as it kept falling off the "pocket" when I put my pack on. Also, I haven't figured out a good way to attach it to my pack yet.”

“Velcro straps...you can buy thin colored straps, about 5 or 6 inches long, in hardware stores...I even think I've seen them at REI although I wouldn't swear to it...I put the headrest in the pocket and use the velcro to attach it to the chair proper...I also made velco straps to all my packs so as I easily carry the chair on the outside of my pack where it's easily accessible for those quick rest stops...”

“you can buy a small roll of velcro at those art supplies store like hobby lobbie.

so the velcro really works? your slinglight never fell off after a long hike? I guess I haven't used it because I hate things sticking out of my pack.”

“No thanks.
I would have one heck of a time trying to get up from that chair. I would need someone strong to help or something to pull on, like a heavy picnic table. Otherwise, I would have to somehow roll to the side and then get up from there. I do wish the situation was otherwise.

And look how the chair cuts into the model's legs. Sitting like that, I would have leg cramps within 30 minutes. Ouch!

Serious backpackers would not be seen with a chair. Usually there are plenty of natural objects upon which one can sit. And, when one is too tired sitting, it is time to sack out!
last edited: 12/05/06 6:03:52 AM”

“If you can afford the weight allowance on the back, go for it.

In my case, it's either a pound chair, or one pound allowance for some Snoop Doggs.”

“Boy, NS...are you wrong about serious backpackers never carrying that chair...ever heard of a hiking dynamo named Snow Nymph? the first time I saw that chair was when she was basking in the sun some winter day on top of some mountain in the Sierra...

You are right about it being low to the ground and not that easy to exit...you have supposed to put your hands on the right and left sides of the chair when you stand up in order to not stress it out...it still isn't all that easy...I have never noticed the chair cutting into my legs...I suppose that because the bottom is not fixed but rocks...in fact, if you're not careful and are as skinny as I am, the chair will almost fold up on you and your rear get trapped...it's quite funny, really....”

“oh, I sat in the chair before, and I LOVED it. No better feeling then after a hard hike to site COMFORTABLY. Well that and a cup of coffee.
It's as light as my Therm-a-rest chair.

For me it's just the sticking out part. Not sure if I ever will like it.”

“"I also made velco straps to all my packs so as I easily carry the chair on the outside of my pack where it's easily accessible for those quick rest stops..."
Mataharihiker

Ditto. Can't beat whipping it out for a 5-minute rest stop.

"Serious backpackers would not be seen with a chair. Usually there are plenty of natural objects upon which one can sit. And, when one is too tired sitting, it is time to sack out!"
NS

Obviously you have never tried the chair after a long day on the trail. Or have back problems. Or hate sitting on rocks or logs which suck the heat out of you when its 20F outside. I'm not quite as "serious" as Mataharihiker, but still a serious backpacker (you know you are when you get strange looks when you mention you enjoyed last weekend's trip when the temps dipped into the 20's). And wouldn't be w/o the chair. NS, loose the holier-than-thou 'tude.”

“re "Serious backpackers would not be seen with a chair.":

I guess this matters to some.....”

“Mataharihiker is a wise lady.

If your budget will allow, so for the higher priced and lighter chair.
If not, the cheaper one will work and the aluminum seems to be a little thicker on the cheaper one, so it might hold my poundage better. ;-)”

“I can't tell you how many times I have sat around a fire or in camp and wished I had something other than a wet and/or cold ground/stump/log/rock to rest my weery body on. I have a chair kit, but sometimes they are more of a pain in the ass than they're worth, especially if my sleeping pad gets wet in the process.”

“Ruby - I agree. Sometimes I get lucky and the logs are nice, dry, and comfortable......NOT often. I enjoy the camaraderie around the campfire in the evenings but it was frustrating being so dang uncomfortable.

I got a Thermarest chair and it was a huge improvement. My back felt soooo much better. I went on a trip last month with Golfhiker and his Sling-Light caught my eye, so I got one for myself. It def beats the Thermarest chair and the weight diff is about a wash. As for being hard to get in and out of, well, so is a Thermarest. You just gotta roll out if it to get up. Not pretty, but it works just fine.

I will play around with the Velcro ideas posted on here as hanging it from the pack is the only downside I've seen so far. I'm a bit concerned how it will do in the inevitable fall. I suspect that could damage it quite easily as it could get caught at an awkward angle.

For the foreseeable future the Sling-Light will be a part of my standard weekend pack.”

“I weighed the differences between a chair kit and the SL (pun intended), and had the same conclusion. Both were about a pound, but the SL set up almost instantly and didn't expose the sleeping pad to sharp rocks/thorns/twigs. Its pricey, but worth it.”

“I quit using my Thermarest in my chair kit.
The new ultralite pads do not hold up when used in the chair kit.

I cut a blue foam pad to fit in it instead. Works about as well, plus I can still use that blue foam in winter to help my Thermarest keep me from the cold ground while sleeping.”

“Good idea.

Back when I still used a Z-Rest and an inflatible pad, I used the Z-Rest under the tent so I could leave the plastic groundcloth at home. You could do the same with the blue foam pad.

Now I use a Big Agnes and will never go back.”

“.... I used the Z-Rest under the tent.....”
techntrek

Good idea! I love peeps that can think outside the box!”

“I switched to the 15-degree Big Agnes pad from my Thermarest Guidelite. I could finally sleep on my side in comfort. It IS a pain to blow up but so far it's worth it.

I think my Thermarest pad and Thermarest chair are gonna be relegated to the times I sit on the baseline taking pics at Illini basketball games. Big Agnes and Sling-Light are replacing them.”

“Man, I'm on a site with a bunch of old poops! Just kidding :)”

“Yeah, but we are really COMFORTABLE old poops! LOL....”

“OK, I will yield on three points. Everyone should carry whatever they want. Everyone should carry something extra, for comfort, to eat or whatever. So, if you want to carry a chair, fine. I can think of a lot of other things I would rather carry with me. If someone has a medical problem and needs a chair, then that is fine too.

techntrek - Fortunately, I don't have a back problem. For my age I consider my back to be exceptionally strong. In fact I feel sitting without the backrest of a chair to be beneficial for me. However, I am not adverse to using a tree, large rock or a chair to lean against, when such is available. In the picture below, my backpack probably weighed at least 70 pounds. I was finishing the second day of a trip expected to take almost a month.

Most of the folks here seem to be the type that require a soft place to sleep. I don't. There have been times when I did not even use my pad(hanging below my backpack in the picture). This has been in shelters, where sometimes I just put my sleeping bag directly on a wood platform. I take pride in being able to do this and do feel that I am exceptional. I always sleep good.

click to enlarge
last edited: 12/05/06 5:05:56 PM”

“Here is the real deal...”