Additional thoughts on backpacking chairs: I notice that many people arguing against chairs are younger, often in their 20s. Now that I'm in my 40s, a chair with back support is key to me taking proper care of my body on the trail. I would not have bothered 20 years ago if they had been available.

Even on my long hikes (10-14) days I always bring a chair. It elevates the camp experience so much and I believe it's worth the extra weight. Coming from a fit 27 year old

51 year old man here. Just did my first trip/shakedown hike of the season last weekend. I hadn’t noticed on my last trip that one of the legs on my chair had bent. To avoid a major fail, I didn’t use it for the remainder of the trip. Gotta say, I don’t mind sitting on the ground...once I’m down there. My sit pad is comfy enough. However, getting up off the ground is another story. I missed my chair this trip. My lower back is killing me... Backpacking chair FTW!!!

trekking poles have saved me from so many potential falls on trail.

As a 66 year old hiker I can attest, trekking poles are huge to me. They relieve my way too many marathon race knees, and provide stability on severe terrain. But I found great ones for less than $50 each. Great content!

At 26, I could pack the kitchen sink, skip over the fells, perch on a log and sleep on rocks! At 56, I need as much ultralight gear as my money will allow, hiking poles, a seat and an inflatable mattress with an extra foam pad!

Never thought that trekking poles are something i would use, it's for old people, right? But as i always found myself coming back from a tour with a wooden stick or two, i ended up purchasing a set for a long trip with a LOT of ascents and descents. Any skepticism i had about them vanished after first 35km and 2500m of elevation. They saved a lot more than just my knees. Now i take them on every tour, especially with a well loaded pack on my back. As for overpriced, well, you get what you pay for in lot of cases. I wouldn't do any serious mountain tours with a cheap chinesium set that costs $30. If you can't rely on them to take your weight safely they become pointless and even a serious danger on more technical trails.

I ended up bending and snapping three pairs of cheap trekking poles in the White Mountains before investing in a good pair of Black Diamond ones. I had thought they were overpriced, but I ended up spending more replacing cheap ones!

The main attraction to the jet boil for me, which I don’t own… is the fact the pot is connected to the burner. I have lost more than one meal to the ground because I took my eyes off the pot and it tipped over. Especially when using a micro burner like the brs.

I do need tracking poles. I would not be able to hike without them. My knees and my balance are not good. They help a lot

Good video! I like how you described both pros and cons of the items. I like having a chair and a dyneema tent. Sticks are essential for me, though not for everyone. I think Jetboil is too bulky, heavy and expensive but ok with me if people love them! One item I think is over-rated is the Gossamer Gear 1/8" foam pad. Happy hiking y'all!

I have been backpacking since 1968. I have used more stoves than you can count. I'm not a weight weeny with food for 5 days my pack weighs in a 30lbs. I have a jetboil, it works, and until something better comes along or when it dies I see no reason to replace it.

Trekking poles saved me from falling many times with a heavy backpack. Certainly not overrated. Agree with the fact that you don't need to buy the expensive ones. Just buy aluminium, they don't break but bend.

Completely agree with Jetboil being overrated. I fell into this exact trap of purchasing the Zip and only recently switched to the BRS stove with a titanium mug. Very much enjoying the simplicity of it. If people want to be faster on their hikes, I'd say carrying less bulky/heavy gear (like a Jetboil) makes more sense, instead of carrying a Jetboil that saves only a fraction of time to boil water. Fun vid, thanks for sharing your perspectives!

Chairs are NOT overrated. I have REI Flexlite (1 pound) and another one that I loan to my hiking buddies. We're old guys and really appreciate a chair after doing 8 miles on trail. I think a chair is underrated. Maybe if I were 25 years old I would be OK with sitting on the ground. I ise trekking poles. They have SMA several times. I'm with you about Jetboil. Big, heavy, expensive. Don't care if it's 10% faster and slightly more efficient than my Soto Amicus. I am in no hurry so might use my excellent alcohol stove. See the build and burn test on my channel; Tom Loves DIY. Lots of other stuff. Thanks

I purchased a cubin fiber tarp to use with my Jungle Hammock. Used it one time and went back to the Silnylon and eventually the Silpoly tarps. Trekking poles , I use them when walking , in camp to set the tarp up in a porch more. I even use them ( a single one ) for my daily walks , it keeps the dogs away. They are something I really like. Chairs , got one of the really light weight ones. Ended up giving it to my 8 year old grandson. Didn't need it , I sleep up off the ground ( about normal chair height ) so my hammock doubles as a great chair. The jet boil ( heavy , large , high priced and loud plus you have to carry the fuel ) is something you will never find me using. I like a Firebox Nano Gen 2 titanium stove for normal use ( pick up the fuel , sticks , in camp ) and a Evernew titanium alcohol burner as a back up heat source. The alcohol is food grade and from 156 to 190 proof , has a lot of uses.

Loved the video, big thumbs up from deepest Dorset England 👍 As for all these tools (because that’s what they are!) they all have their place. At 70+ I’ve been there done that and in most cases got the ‘T’ shirt😂 As for the Jet boil I have 3! But I also have stoves that are just a gram or two! Bottom line, if I know the terrain is to be arduous or the weather foul it has to be a JB a no brainier! There are not many stoves where you can safely brew a cuppa in the back of a moving vehicle! (Not recommend, but easily and safely accomplished!) Thanks for taking the time to upload, much appreciated 👍

>I used to blast down the trail hands free. Now that I'm in my 60's trekking poles have become a staple. Even when scrambling up and down a steep bolder trail with a 40 lbs. pack I found them very important. >A fancy tent? I got a 3+ season Alys one man tent. Is the weight savings really worth it? I'm thinking of looking into a 2 man tent for the added room, maybe... > I'm toying with the idea of a chair, one that uses trekking poles. Getting up from the ground isn't as easy as it used to be! >Back in the day I'd cook my dinner in my mess kit over an open fire! But let's face it, a freeze dry package is lighter and doesn't attract wildlife like a grilled steak! The isobutane fuel cartridge fits in my stainless-steel cup and the Primes stove doesn't take up much space. No need to upgrade!

Interesting list from your viewers. I pretty much agree with you on all items. Often times people just look at price vs price relative to performance and in the backpacking world, weight is an important part of performance.

About dynema… if you sew dollar bills one next to another is the area cheaper than dynema?

Been using some type stick or trekking pole since my teens years back in the 80s. Damn sure used something on my AT thru in 90 as well. If used correctly and intended, trekking poles help tremendously. However, I see plenty of people using them incorrectly. Proper use is that you should look like an four legged animal in motion when using them. Right/Left and Left/Right.

I agree with the trekking poles to a certain extent. For years i hiked with out any. Then i started hiking with a walking stick. Now i just carry one trekking pole. Its just enough extra support for me. But i get if you buy a trekking pole style tent and already use trekking poles its a win, win. Some trekking pole style tents do have tent poles. But yeah some people really need them for support so do what works for you. But don't be persuaded into thinking you have to have a set of trekking poles and they have to be the best, lightest poles you can find. Ask yourself do you really need them? You can getaway with just one. I kinda liked the selfie stick versions. I love gear that is multi purpose. I'm kinda surprised stuff sacks wasn't one on this list? Good stuff man! Hike on!

I have a Tarptent Notch so I need a pair of trekking poles to raise it and those poles I use also as a camera monopod. I’ve built an adapter with an Arca quick release that is easy to operate. (Remember the Black Diamond tent that floods with condensation? Those are the trekking poles I use)😁 I have a Helinox chair. It’s a must because I suffer from back pain. I can’t sit on the ground for more than 15 minutes before the aching starts. I refuse to use any kind of canister stove, period. They’re much too noisy. I go outdoors for peace. That why I use a Trangia alcohol stove.

I would love to bring a chair but after trying both the version that are light enough for me to consider, I've found them to be way, way to leaned back. That hurts my neck after sitting for a while. I sold both my Chair Zero and REI Flexlight Air. Still trying to figure out a more comfortable sitting solution.

4:47 I think we have the winner: helinox chair zero in dyneema stuff sack 🙂

What was the stove/pot alternative you held up as an "instead" of jet? The $30 option.

What cup is that orange cup on the bottom of the Toaks? thanks!

Great video idea! I'm pretty much agreeing with you here on everything! I don't use trekking poles but my kids like them. The kids CHOOSE to carry the weight to have a chair in camp. If love for our Trekker 3 tent to come in a dyneema version!! I'd find a way to pay for it!!

The most overrated thing is Ultralight Backpackers.

Trekking poles are important where I live very rocky and steep hills mostly dry valleys as well, plus they work to keep my tent up, I’ve saved myself from so many falls too that would of ruined me especially going up high trails in the valleys with sheer drops on the other side. I do have a jetboil as well but I’d only use it for trips with people. I’ve got a smaller setup as well to cook fire, a fire one or a wood/fuel burner. It all depends where I go, certain areas like cali is good. In more wet areas I’d go with my fuel burner.

While on the AT, I saw some other hikers w a Jetboil was amazed how fast it heated water. It wasn't as heavy as I thought it would be. But it wasn't as versatile as a cup you can put over a campfire. And too expensive. Hiking poles were a life saver for me on the trail. They helped me pull myself up hills, kept me from falling numerous times, and helped me pace myself.

Agree with the Jetboil being overrated. There are about 4 or 5 other stoves you can use to just boil water, but most of them will allow you to cook food as well. Not to mention, you don't need any sort of special adapter to use a fry pan, or different size pots with them.

Since you cannot depend on finding sticks or poles for river crossings, I do strap a set of trekking poles to my pack on my thru hiking adventures. Makes me feel much more confident in crossing swift waters with $2k worth of cam and video gear. The same holds true for steep, wet and slippery ascents and descents in mountainous terrain. Since my similar to the Jet Boil, MSR Reactor stove is basically only good for boiling water fast and doesn't meet my SAWC philosophy for thru hiking, I opt instead, for something like a pocket rocket stove, small and lightweight or occasionally an alcohol stove. I don't like the price of or the noise produced with dyneema, in either a tent or a tarp. I have never carried a chair but there have been many times on thru hikes, I wished I had one. Enjoyed the video.

My Jetboil is several years old and I use it daily. But I don’t hike with it. I use it for 4WDing ( I believe you’d call it overlanding) and when I’m at work (I drive a roadtrain in Australia). My Jetboil has been to hell and back and even though it is expensive it has payed for itself many times over.

I had a tibial plateau fracture (lower surface of the knee joint), and if it weren't for trekking poles, I probably wouldn't be able to do what I can backpacking without them. Granted, I'm not super-wealthy, and wouldn't pay more than $120 for a pair, and think I spent somewhere in the $60 to $80 range for my current pair. I've never owned a backpacking chair, & have never been able to justify the weight & space trade-off. Granted, I may be being a bit hypocritical here, seeing as I took a ukulele with me on my last backpacking trip, but I justified that with it only being 2.1 miles from the road to the trail camp (amusingly, I encountered a PCT thru-hiker, who was also packing a ukulele).

I don't know if "clothing gear" was included in your original poll but I will have to say that trail runners are way overrated in the sense of disparaging the value of hiking boots. I have nothing against trail runners for those who like them but I gave in and tried the popular Altra Lone Peak 5's last year and found them worthless. They were like a very well made soft slipper, with no structure or support for backpacking. I even started to get plantar fasciitis pain from them. It's pretty obvious that many people do well with trail runners but I detest the boot-shaming articles that pop up several times a year, telling people to switch to trail runners and, worst of all, claiming that boots do not offer ankle protection and support. You can show me 10 so-called scientific studies but I will tell you unconditionally that mid height boots that cover most of your ankle absolutely do prevent injury by catching your ankle when it starts to roll on uneven rocks or whatever. So, more power to those for whom trail runners work but stop alleging that boots do not offer great value and features for those who like them, like me. Thank you for allowing me to rant 🤨.

Love you channel. I’ve learned so much from you, but I’m obsessed with your tree slab t-shirt. I think it says Amanda Outdoors, but I can’t find merchandise on her page. Where can I get one?

I love my JetBoil. Agree it’s expensive but have tried a basic stove and ti pot and found myself always going back to my JetBoil because 1) the pot locks into place so better for uneven surfaces and not knocking your pot off, 2) regulator is key to cooking food in the pot at elevation and colder temperatures, and 3) the set up with the nesting, coozie, and silicone top makes it super easy to grab and pack up.

I have all of these things in my pack. Lol. My jetboil zip is mostly for winter use and simmering knorr sides. In the summer I’ll be using my toaks 750 ml and brs stove.

I like my jetboil. The French press is nice and fits in the whole package. But I agree they're overpriced. When I'm trying to be fast and light, I use an alcohol stove. But for groups, especially when it's chilly, the speed is worth the extra weight. And the ease of making good coffee. Probably not for the budget conscious hiker though. To be honest, I haven't tried a plain cannister stove lately. To me, it's like... Do I want fast, convienent, and heavy or do I want light, quiet, and slow. The extra weight for the jetboil system vs a pocket rocket or something doesn't seem like a lot of weight cost since you need the heavy fuel can either way.

I can’t really comment on chairs or Dyneema. Chairs because I’ve just never tried taking one, and I don’t see the need, for myself. I’ve never once felt during a trip “Man I wish I had a chair.” I’d probably forget to take it out of my pack and set it up. Dyneema because I can’t afford to see if I like it. It does have the drawback of bulk and I understand can be kinda loud getting hit by the rain, but I don’t really know. There also aren’t as many choices. Eg I love my WB Minifly tarp with the small doors - I don’t think anyone makes a small door hammock tarp in Dyneema.

Those are the exact 3 chairs I'm considering! Can you give any insight as to the pro's/con's of each and what you might recommend?

Firstly G'day from Melbourne, Australia...Interesting comments about the trekking poles..I did over 30 years of hiking without them but my recent big hike at the end of 2019 yes ...that's the last one, more coming but anyway I'm sure people understand why I haven't done hike over the last couple of years...screw you Covid!!!! anyway...on that 9 day hike I did use trekking poles and found them interesting. I'm sure they help while going up and certianly help while coming down mountains...mabye it's just where I am now as a 52 year old guy but I feel I'll keep using them for future hikes.

Agree. Hiking sticks are great for rough hilly terrain and shelter poles. Dynema saves around 10oz for 1P shelter is huge for UL and does not sag. With ~16oz chairs (Helinox Zero or Flexlite Air) why not for chill weekend outing. Also have Amicus/Ti pot, but JB is more efficient. I bring JB when fuel is tight usually sharing with my boys. If had only one stove I'd go JB Stash is 7oz and efficient, but I like Ti pot if fuel is non issue.

I attached a camera mount to the top of one my trekking poles and use it as a monopod or selfie stick for my 360 camera.

I haven’t found a a lightweight chair, which was worth the extra weight. Either they were too heavy to carry or they weren’t a comfort plus compared to a foam pad.

Those hiking poles you were holding are the ones I use and they have been great. You should have mentioned those are very inexpensive, not even close to $200.

I'll sacrifice carrying extra ounces to have a full-on chair. Water is by far the heaviest thing in my pack so it's heaviest when I start and it gets lighter as I go. And I carry a Jetboil Stash which is 16oz with fuel inside it. It's convenient and fast, so I don't mind the weight. Trekking poles are SO useful on elevation changes and crossing slippery surfaces like wet rocks or shallow rivers. Not to mention pushing away overgrown brush so you don't get completely thrashed by all the thorny vines on barely maintained trails.

I can never imagine that I can finish a strenuous hike without my trekking poles. Saved me from falling and helped me a lot when ascending and descending.

Once again gear is a personal issue. I have a couple stove setups dependent on the type of backpack trip I’m going on. If I’m setting up a base camp and want to cook up more gourmet meals then I have an MSR stove system that is bulkier but allows me to more evenly cook with a skillet to cook up the trout I caught but for most of my trips (anywhere from 5-12 days) where I just boil water then I love my Jetboil Stash. I used to use a very lightweight Snow Peaks stove, a titanium pot, and a medium (230g) fuel can until I observed my buddies using the Stash. It boils water significantly faster and uses less fuel. I can get roughly 24+ 8-10oz boils out of the small (100g) fuel can. To save time, space, and weight The Jetboil Stash is a winner!

I can tell you trekking poles have saved me from bailing on dozens of occasions and my knees wouldn't exist without them! But mine are a pretty cheap pair of leki's

Love my Lekis. Got them on sale at REI. Was doubtful at first but I gain and lose elevation in the mountains and find them very valuable. Soto also has a combo stove and pot kit that like 40 bucks or so. Great stove great value very compact and light.

Dyneema is not overrated. The issue is the cost. I make Dyneema tents and heat reflective tents. My 3.86 ounce DIY diamond shaped floorless tent , 4 ft X 9 ft X 3.5 ft high is constructed entirely with glue versus sewn versus adhesive tape. Using glue, construction goes quickly and am able to make alignment adjustments while the glue is setting. Both sewing and adhesive tape construction leads to four problems that gluing avoids. My 3.86 ounce tent Dyneema material cost me less than $100. All up cost was about $125 with zippers, glue, spectra fishing line and mosquito netting.

Question - what product are you using to nest (cup) the toaks pots with? Thanks - love the Vids!

I’ve always thought the jet boil and stoves like it are overrated. I agree with you, how fast do you need to boil water when camping? Close enough results can be had with a traditional stove and properly set up wind screen. Not as fast and efficient, but good enough.

My wife and I use Trekking Poles on 90% of our hikes, and we regret the 10% where we don’t use them! They allow us to walk faster, further and safer (no ankle/knee issues)! I’m 6’3” and my wife is 5’2”, we’re fit/healthy, and we both equally enjoy the benefits Poles bring to our hikes. Oh and we also swear by our overpriced Jet-boil, Osprey backpack, Altberg boots and Arc’teryx jackets 😎🤪🥳👍

On cook systems, using the windburner most often, the price is for ease of use. Almost any condition, can bring out my windburner with little concern, crank out breakfast in a bag and get coffee done in time without effort. I trimmed enough weight to enjoy the next cup of coffee without fuss. If I need to cook proper, this still works and have a windpro, and if I want to trim more weight but handle the fuss then have a litemax or gigapower and trek 700 mug. Think weight shaving here is overrated because there is a trade off.

So if the jet boil is overrated what do you think I should buy ? I HATE stoves that behave like flame throwers, it needs to be gas.

I have broken trek poles on a hike but they saved my knees. Told my wife she should use them but she wouldn't then on one hike she tripped and fell and hit her knee and it is still messed up a decade later. After that fall, she started using them. I also have a bit of a bad back, the poles take about 20% of the weight off my back.

I absolutely love my Big Agnes Skyline UL chair. It’s extremely comfortable and worth the small weight penalty compared to my Helinox Chair Zero. I would probably like slightly lighter weight trekking poles, but I’m perfectly happy with my inexpensive Foxelli trekking poles that I bought off of Amazon. They truly help with going uphill and downhill. Great video, Devin. Thanks for sharing.

Hard pass on super expensive single-wall tents, the Nemo Dagger has been my go-to for awhile, I love my Helinox, I dont usually use poles, love my jetboil stash because it generates all of my coffee in one cycle, also love my Toaks 750ml+Brs+fuel kit for hot/quick/lite/technical trips, and I really like the Pathfinder Ti canteen kit. A Geopress is a must imo, recently switched to the Ultrapress and like it even better (fits in bottle pockets *way* better.) Most of the time all of these item’s value depends on location, temps/weather, terrain and duration.

I don think any of the items are overrated. They can be super useful for the right type of hikers. Personally though a Dyneema tent is the only thing I'd buy for myself. Possibly trekking poles too, but it's not something I'd use on most hikes.

Dyneema has its benefits since it can't hold water at all so I seen through hikers wipe it down and they don't carry all that water weight and they have a dry tent to set up. Trekking Poles I don't use but I would rather buy less expensive poles to use when needed. The chair is awesome. Absolute comfort after a long hike. Jetboil I got the MiniMo which has a regulator and I've cooked on it before and it's great. Just have to get it on sale to make it worth it.

I spent some time on trail with a couple through hikers - one commented that he would rather leave his tent than his chair, the other said his baseweight started with his chair!

Trekking poles, if used correctly, can help save so much impact on your knees/feet and energy overall. Having 4 points of contact to the ground will also save your life in a lot of bad situations. I agree that you don't have to spend a lot on them though. I found a $20 pair from Wallmart to be just as effective as my Cascade Mountain Tech poles... but just a little heavier.

I am using only one carbon Naturehike trekking pole (170 grams) which I use only for the most brutal descents, and I use it probably more for setting up my tarp. As an avid photographer I hated times when I walked with two poles... More and more I use small titanium wood stove and I take my Primus gas stove only as a back up if at all. Simple 3x3m tarp instead of tent, no need for dyneema.

Haaah! I love the hot takes. And I appreciate your balanced feedback. I am a big ol trekking pole fan, it keeps my ADHD self in stride and occupied and gives my upper body something fun to do. Also makes me faster downhill! Haha between backpacking motorcycling and skiing, I like to give my knees as much of a break as possible… and I’m 24… ha!

I’ve been backpacking for over 40 years and I love my JetBoil because it makes boiling water easy. I’ve had other stoves and they were fickle, inefficient and a chore to set up. Was my JetBoil expensive? Beats me. It was a gift.

Jetboil did just release the stash. It is pretty close to a toaks set up and it has some other features

Dyneema has a very big advantage over sil-nylon in that dyneema does not stretch when wet. Pitch a sil-nylon tent and tighten it up. If it rains, the entire tent gets sloppy due to the stretch in the sil-nylon fabric. Weight to strength of the dyneema fabric is also superior to other fabrics. As a hiker who is pushing 60 years old, trekking poles are essential for me. Jetboils are meh. MSR's windburner and reactor are superior in wind resistance.

I begrudgingly tried trekking poles thinking they wouldn't really by my jam but ended up being pleasantly surprised. I don't hike with trekking poles but I most definitely backpack with trekking poles, cant hardly go without them now. Jetboil was an upgrade for me. I found that I need those 230gram canisters with my Pocket Rocket but only need a 100 gram canister with Jetboil so you really don't get much weight savings by going with the more drama queen in the wind Pocket Rocket due to the extra fuel. I also hated the way everything didn't fit together quite right with Pocket Rocket. My stove was slightly cockeyed in my cook pot and the fuel canister was slightly off and it all clanked and rattled and threatened to get crushed because it didn't fit together quite right. The Jetboil is a compact all-in-one unit; everything just fits together perfect down to the millimeter. The new MSR Windburner looks better than Jetboil but I haven't tried it. Both Windburner and Jetboil are too damn expensive! A decent budget chair option is CampTime Pack Stool at 14oz, $25 and 10 second setup time. I like my Helinox Chair Zero better because it's more comfortable but again just sooo expensive!

Even on long 100+ miles hiking trips chairs aren't overrated. Try hiking 15+ miles a day for over a week and sitting on nothing but a log or the ground. For less than a pound of extra weight a good hiking chair is an awesome thing to bring with you. Makes the down time much more enjoyable where you can actually be refreshed starting the next day.

I was about to get mad about trekking poles and the chairs being overrated, but you were in support. excellent!

Sort of considering a jet boil re above the snowline re its efficiency. Used the best part of a large gas can melting snow on a single overnight at 3000mtrs. In February.

My Nemo Moonlite's frame broke after 4 trips. I'm currently looking for a better option at well than half the price of this one.

Trekking Poles? - i could not do the long distance trails that i do without the trekking poles i use. They have saved me so many times and i use them for pitching my tent as well so for me, they are indispensable. Chairs?? - Definitely overrated!! A bit of black plastic on the ground is fine. It also doubles up as a entrance to your tent. Jetboil? - Oooh tricky... I got the jetboil at the start and yes it is heavier and bulkier which is a pain when you need to cut both from your pack. The problem is i keep going back to it because it is reliable, complete and very frugal on gas use which is paramount on long distance trails away from stores.

As an Australian, all those prices you quoted are double or triple over here - yet our wages are not all that dissimilar. So while those items listed all have their place, the prices are way overinflated, making all of them overrated in that sense I guess. I would love a pair of trekking poles but my options seem to be cheap rubbish that leaves broken parts on the trail or Ferrari-level carbon fibre 'sticks'; there's very little in between. That Jetboil system is over $250 here and those tents are well over $1000. Even Sea to Summit, an Australian company, is ridiculously overpriced. Someone's having a laugh! Not me though lol.

Which chair do you like the best?

haha, interesting, my take: 47 years of hiking, never used chairs, too bulky, too heavy, seems to me so unnatural to use them in the wild, chairs are out, jetboil, never used but if you have extra buck and you don' mind extra grams, then I would understand, before modern trekking poles got popular among hikers, I would always find a walking stick or sticks to help me out. dyneema, way too expensive but enjoying my first dyneema shelter, tarptent stratospire li

Are hiking poles overrated? I am in my 70s and have been using hiking poles for forty years in the mountains of Northern California and have no ankle or knee problems, you tell me.

Trekking poles can be tools as well,knock down stuff overhead, they can be used in camp for shelter support and various other things like this aside from the added balance they give you as you hike never did a hike to require them but I do know they can be useful

I get the chair thing. They feel like the kind of creature comfort you're trying to escape. They're also very heavy for a non-essential which goes against the backpacking ethos. However, the alternative is very often sitting on the ground. I've got a long back one I can recline in.

Hi there, I have never owned any trekking poles, however when I'm in the Indian Himalayas above 5500 meters using a single hand made stick (and very strong at that) is a must for me... I agree, most don't know how to use their sticks.... it has save my knees!!!

The Jetboil doesn't even boil water faster than any other stove. My friend and I did a test on the jetboil flash vs the $15 brs stove. He beat me by 5 seconds.

This is going to be my 2nd time backpacking and I'm 100% going to bring a chair this time. I bought it for my first go around, but got rid of it to save weight. What a mistake! I also use trekking poles and they helped me a lot, but I can see if you're more in shape/younger you wouldn't really need them. The dude at REI was pretty awesome and pointed us to pocket rockets and I love them for cooking. Worked great!

I love my chair, I love my poles!! They’re functional and greatly improve my wild camping / hiking experience.

Trekking poles were almost necessary when I was in the Cranberry wilderness. They helped a lot. I bought Foxelli ones for 40 bucks.

Agree with your take on the jet boil - overrated, but also I get it -- it's accessible and easier to grab off a shelf for the casual backpacker who doesn't live and breath gear review videos. But yes, there are much better (cheaper, lighter) options. I have seen young and old people argue against chairs -- I also thought it was ridiculous at first! Why would I want to carry that extra weight? But finally caved and bought one and I will likely take it on nearly every trip where I expect to spend a decent amount of time in camp. Like you say, I'm a weekender, not a thru hiker. I'd rather be comfortable when hanging out in camp!!! It's worth the 1 pound. I grabbed the REI Flexlite and I won't look back! I will never let go of my trekking poles -- don't understand the thought process of finding them overrated. They've saved my knees and saved me from many potential falls, especially when I was first getting into backpacking and was not used to carrying such a heavy pack! My overrated - cutting weight for the sake of cutting weight and acting like this is what all backpackers should do. Cut off the hipbelt and every single pocket off your pack! Fantastic if you're a taller male with a high center of gravity and can tolerate the discomfort of an 8# baseweight and can afford the ultralight organization bags to make up for the lost pockets. For the rest of us?? Terrible.

Dyneema & Jetboil both nice and out of my price range so for me they're overrated. ;-) (I do lust over those dyneema tarps, however, even though they are lightweight, they appear to be bulky when packed.) I feel trekking poles are overrated unless you need them for your tent. I prefer my hiking staff over my trekking poles. 1. I made my staff (many of the staffs I've seen in stores are super heavy - mine isn't) and 2. I just love the feel of it over the trekking poles. Camp chairs - not overrated, but they are not always needed. Unless I'm planning to sit around with friends or around a campfire, I will usually leave it behind. Since I hammock camp, my hammock makes a great chair when I'm by myself. So even when I don't bring one, I have one. :-)

I love my monarch camp chair and at the end of a long day it’s gold and as far as over rated luxury I’m actually considering getting a solar bag shower after last weeks 4 nights when it got muggy out at night but the lakes were still too cold

the biggest issue with Jetboil is the fact that you can buy a FireMaple stove that works better for Half the price. probably the one piece of cheap gear that I have no intention of upgrading and would buy again if I needed a replacement for some reason.

I use trekking poles when I saw someone younger use them and thought it was weird. Now i use trekking poles for all my backpacking trips. They have helped me more than I knew they would. Definitely not overrated. For dehydrated and simple meals, i think jetboil is overrated. Lightweight chairs i think depends. I personally like to bring mine along but see it more as a luxury item to spend my ounces on.

As far as trekking poles....the money issue could be said for just about every hiking item there is...however, I did have few different $50 range trekking poles that were heavy in my book (they were actually average weight)...and then switched to Gossamer and haven't looked back. One time purchase (with occasional tip replacement), never broke them, despite miles and miles of hike, and wouldn't trade $100 for heavier ones. Your "mileage" may vary, value is subjective, but those are my too cents...

If dyneema was not so expensive people would love it. My Duplex cost me 750 dollars so some knuckleheads love to hate on it .Do any long distance hiking and you will learn to love it. It’s so light and easy to set up. It retains no rain water and the condensation issue is way over blown. Poles are a no brainer and for my old body totally necessary. Jet Boils to me are just way to heavy. The money is not that issue. A Toaks 550 with BRS is a perfect set up and weights next to nothing. I have only seen one person ever who hiked real miles carry a chair. It’s your hike carry what you want. Me I hike until nearly dark, eat, sleep and repeat. I am well into my 60s and this is how I roll. On this list the one item I am not hiking without is the poles. I need them big time. If I was young I could carry all this heavier gear because back in the day 45 plus pound backs were normal. Now I carry next to nothing and my back is about 16 to 20 pounds minus water for a five day stretch. I also carry stuff for my dog.

backpacking chairs are the bomb!

I won't backpack without poles. I carry a chair on most trips. I don't car camp so I don't need a Jetboil.

I would never need a chair or table not operating portable ham radio. And in that case, table is more important than a chair. Of course it is possible to operate for a short periods of time from anything, but for prolonged operation some organization of workplace and holding the equipment away from wet and dirt (especially tablet/notebook when operating digital) is an advantage. But during normal hikes, I would left both table and chair at home. (And no, I am not young anymore, but every gram counts.)

Hiked PCT last year 2400 miles . 60 years old with disabilities, pack weight 20 pounds. Dyneema is cold drafty and wet noisy .Nemo one and 2 were my tent of choice sacks and pack were dyneema. From Yosemite to Canada chair all the way on distance hikes cooking is time consuming go with the lightest gear you can so you can carry a chair. Poles Zpack can’t break them very light also used for bear bells and camera mount never witnessed a hiker without poles? Regrets wearing light weight trail running shoes Mexico to Yosemite were boots after Yosemite switch back to trail runners.

I'm not a jetboil user, but I think you missed the point of a fast boil time: it's all abut fuel efficiency, not eating your food quickly. If it only takes 2 minutes to boil my water instead of 2.5, then I can get 25% more meals out of a single canister of fuel.

jet boil is dangerous. spills hurt. if they dont have it on flat stable ground the boiling pot has a real good chance of spilling. chairs would be great if they were tall enough. if the ground is soft the legs sink in. after long hikes i have to roll out onto my knees and use a staff or trekking pole to get myself up. yep im old [65]. JMHO