Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Ultralight....Hiking Stick....er, Stool?


Much like I never thought I'd be writing about an ultralight cot, I never figured I'd be writing about an ultralight stool or hiking stick either either. A stool to weight-conscious backpackers is otherwise a log, rock, or dare I say, good ole Mother Earth...not something you carry.

Well, the folks at StikStool (http://www.stikstool.com/) came up with a fairly ingenious idea which utilizes something that at least a portion of the hiking population already carries - a walking stick.

Personally, I carry trekking poles because I get fatigued fairly easily and they have made a huge difference for me to be able to walk longer and further. They also frequently do double-duty as my tent or tarp supports. However, if you're inclined to merely carry a big stick, well, consider the StikStool.

The stick stool weighs 26 ounces and is 62" in length. The stick portion is made of rigid PVC pipe, perhaps not as sexy as titanium or carbon, but capable of holding up to 350 pounds. When not using it in stick mode, you simply attach the seat, collar, and 4 end caps which create a triangular base configuration. The entire product is $30 and no individual part is more than $4.10 for which replacements are available. I'm not saying I'll be toting one around during my backpacking adventures, just pointing out that it does exist for those of you who enjoy being one of the few bringing a chair.

4 comments:

LearningGuide said...

There's a typo in the url above - should be http://www.stikstool.com

Jolly Green Giant said...

@ LearningGuide - Thanks for the correction. I really need to learn to do the hyperlink thingy....

Anonymous said...

My stikstool arrived today (fast shipping). First impresions: ingenious, good quality, sturdy, but seat height and size may be a little small/short for me. Although it easily supported my weight: 6'0" 220.

Travis McGuire said...
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