Helinox Ground Straps

These adjustable webbing straps attach easily to the Helinox chairs, as well as to the REI Flexlite chair, and provide significant stability on loose or soft ground.

I now choose to carry an REI Flexlite chair on most of my backpack trips, including PCT-section hikes. At my age it's more of a necessity than a luxury, but at the end of a day on trail it's 16 ounces of genuine comfort. If you've used one of these types of chairs, then you've likely experienced that sinking feeling when using on soft ground.

For a number of years I've attached those plastic, hollow, practice golf balls onto the feet, and to be honest they work pretty well most of the time. When I happened upon these Ground Straps from Helinox I realized how brilliant they are and set about to make my own. It didn't take long to decide it was money well spent to just buy these as they're smartly thought out.

For 17 grams the balls are a noticeable improvement. They've worn amazingly well, and they've never pulled off accidentally. They do collect tiny bits of dirt and sand which eventually work their way out into the chair's stuff sack, not a huge deal.

The straps, while considerably heavier, are robust and when oriented crossways support your weight in all but the softest ground.

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The webbing length is more than generous so a few grams could be saved by cutting off a few inches.

The straps stuff easily along with the Flexlite chair into its stuff sack. I would imagine the same with the Helinox chair.Forest duff can get pretty thick in the Pacific Northwest, and even with the golf balls, my chair would frequently sink eventually. Not so with these straps so far, so the extra 4.5 ounces of weight is worth the carry for me.

Background

I've used these straps on over a dozen trips this year. Previously, I used the golf balls for several years.