Camping chairs are great – they give you a way to rest your legs without getting your pants dirty after a long day at camp. Problem is, they tend to add a fair bit of heft and size to your pack, making them the likely gear you’ll leave behind when you’re also bringing a tent, a sleep pad, and other creature comforts along. If you still want to have a place to sit on comfortably, maybe you can throw in the Nemo Chipper instead.
We know, it looks like one of those egg cartons. In fact, you can probably keep eggs on there and not have them roll off the surface. It is, however, a legitimate seating accessory that you can bust out to park your rear and rest your legs once you’ve burned out from all that hiking.
The Nemo Chipper is a rectangular panel measuring 13 x 17 x 1 inches (width x length x thickness) when fully laid out, giving you a reasonably large surface to sit on, with plenty of wiggle room at the edges. It has a unique textured surface, with seemingly random hexagonal node contours that, the outfit claims, will provide a supple feel while providing a substantial buffer from cold ground surfaces. How could something with bumps on the surface feel supple? Well, the whole thing is constructed from closed-cell foam, that’s how. Specifically, it’s made from a deliberate blend of foam scraps (it’s 100 percent recycled) that has been formulated to deliver ideal amounts of support, comfort, and resilience.
The seat, by the way, can fold into a stack of four rectangular panels, making it easy to transport with a packed size of just 13 x 4 x 2.5 inches, so you can easily strap it to your pack with the rest of your gear. This design also allows you to use it as a taller stool of sorts, in case you want to be further away from muddy or damp ground while you park your legs. We don’t know if you can use it as a pillow in a pinch, but if we had one while camping, we’re definitely trying it.
The Nemo Chipper’s node contours aren’t actually that random. Instead, the surfaces are designed to nest snugly when you fold the seat down, which enables it to optimize it’s packed size for more efficient transport. Because they mixed different types and colors of foam scraps, each one has its own unique appearance, too, so no two units are exactly alike, which should make it quite fun to keep a few around.
It comes with a loop on one side that you can use to hang it for storage, lash it for transport, or stake it in place during windier days, with the option to remove the loop and use something else in its place (like a sturdier bungee strap). Aside from being useful at camp, the outfit also recommends it for gardening, sporting events, and other outdoor activities where you might see the need to have a place to plop down in a pinch.
The Nemo Chipper is available now.
- Versatile companion for backpacking, gardening, travel, festivals, day trips, and sporting events.
