OWNER REVIEW – Kifaru Field Chair
Richard Lyon
November 4, 2005

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND

Male, 59 years old
Height: 6' 4" (1.91 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: rlyon@gibsondunn.com
Home: Dallas, Texas USA

I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since I moved to Texas in 1986.  I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips.  I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13,000 ft (1500 - 4000 m). I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too. Regardless of type of trip, I'll tote a few extra pounds to have the camp conveniences I've come to expect.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Manufacturer: Kifaru International, Wheat Ridge, Colorado USA (www.kifaru.net)
Packed size: Listed: 13 in (33 cm); measured: 13.25 x 3.25 in (33.7 x 8.3 cm)
Weight: Listed: 9 oz (255 g); weighed: 10.5 oz (298 g)
Color: Available in teal or red
Year manufactured: 2005
Year acquired: 2005
MSRP: USD 33

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

I received this chair as an early birthday present, given this summer by a backpacking pal just in time for a tryout in Glacier Park, Montana.  I have now used this ingenious product sufficiently in the backcountry (three trips, thirteen days) and other casual situations (several day hikes, a picnic or two, and a few trips to my local dog park) to file a report. 

The Field Chair seat is a roughly trapezoidal piece of 500 denier Cordura, 37 in (94 cm) long with 14.9 in (38 cm) and 5.5 in (14 cm) ends.  The underside of the fabric has a sewn hem on three sides and a one-inch (2.5 cm) cuff on the end away from the legs.  The underside appears to be treated with polyurethane waterproofing.

Two two-piece aluminum legs are bolted to the fabric at the narrow end.  The top piece (0.5 in, 13 mm diameter) has a raised and springed button that can be depressed in order to slide the bottom end to a point where the button clicks into one of three holes, giving a total leg length of 17, 18.5, or 20.5 in (43, 47, 52 cm).  A hard rubber non-slip crutch foot is fitted over the bottom of each leg. Here is a picture of the Field Chair "standing" alone:

Of course this chair cannot stand alone, as it becomes a chair only when one is seated in it.  By angling the poles back slightly from the vertical and sitting back on the seat, the pressure from the user's backside brings both poles and fabric taut.  Kifaru refers to this as "simple physics."  Here's how it works:

 

The seat end of the trapezoid has fabric tie-offs that allow me to roll the fabric over the poles and then tie up the chair with two shoelace knots for easy storage in my pack or outside using a compression strap.  Packed size and weight are small enough so that it's easy to carry this chair in a day pack, fishing vest, picnic basket, even a large CamelBak carrier, if I'm so inclined. 

REVIEW

Sitting into the Field Chair takes some practice, to ensure that the poles extend slightly outward, as shown in the second photo.  Once that easy feat is mastered, the Field Chair provides a comfortable and extremely stable seat.  For a fidgeter like me, in fact, it's much more stable than the usual backcountry alternative, a conversion kit for my sleeping pad.  Unless a pole slips from under me, the harder I lean back the more stable the seat becomes – the simple physics at work.  I once fell asleep in the chair one evening watching the sun set over Slough Creek and woke up thirty minutes later with no crinks in the neck or stiffness in the back.

Using the Field Chair saves space and weight and avoids the risks of a puncture to or mud or water on my sleeping pad.  This photo shows the chair (on the right) tied up and lying next to a rolled-up small (20 in, 52 cm) Therm-A-Rest converter.  Unlike the converter, the adjustable legs and the ability to slant the legs differently make the chair easy to use on uneven ground.

The Field Chair is convenient for day hikes and picnics and any other outdoor situation requiring some hiking.  I don't much mind the lack of padding, and if I've brought my small Ensolite pad along I can place that under the seat for insulation if the ground is damp or cold.  One size fits anyone.  Using the adjustable legs or just shifting my body lets me control the reclining angle and allows easy adjustment for use on terrain that is not completely level.  I've found the chair very useful for reading inside my tent while inside my sleeping bag, with the chair seat on top of the sleeping pad. 

After four months' regular use the Field Chair looks as good as new: the tubes remain straight with no rust or corrosion; no fraying, loose threads, shiny spots or other indication of fabric deterioration; no peeling of the polyurethane coating; and the crutch feet remain firmly in place.  I've been able to remove dirt and the occasional squashed insect, on both sides of the fabric, with a dab of mild soapy water.  I haven't had to add any lubrication to the poles, and I have not encountered their sticking together or the button's getting stuck in place, either in a hole or in the pole leg. 

Occasionally when I lean forward without thinking one or both of the legs will fall over, but it's a simple thing to reset them.  The only time I encountered any slippage while seated was when a leg was braced in a muddy spot.  This chair is not ideal for use in the rain for other reasons.  The top side of the seat is not waterproof, and if I use the chair in rainy, dewy, or otherwise damp conditions the seat gets soggy and heavier, as then does my rear end.  Inspired by the manufacturer's claim that the legs can be used as a bipod for sighting a rifle, I tried using the Field Chair as a personal prop for photography, with me in the prone position on my stomach, arms in front, but the simple physics that makes this a chair drives the legs painfully into my chest, and it's difficult to balance on my elbows.  Even with these limitations I consider the Field Chair to be a very effective use of minimal pack weight.

Company note: Patrick Smith, founder and former owner of MountainSmith, started Kifaru primarily for hunting products, including some tipi-style shelters that are lightweight enough for backpacking use.  One of the Field Chair's stated purposes, in fact, is a hunter's "extended observation."  Though not myself a hunter, I found Kifaru's pack and shelter products to be fascinating examples of how a skilled craftsman of outdoor goods can modify already high quality items to adapt to a special or niche application.