I love my camp chair … it is also arguably the most dangerous piece of backpacking gear I own.

The sun is still catching the top of the hill opposite. There’s rain in the forecast for tomorrow, but I decided not to set my tarp tonight. I wanted to fall asleep enjoying the stars from the comfort of my hammock.

I love my camp chair. It’s generally the first thing I’ll unpack and it’ll be the last thing to be put away. However, it is also arguably the most dangerous piece of backpacking gear I own. The problem is not so much with the chair, as with where I’m using it. I’m often on soft ground and hillsides where one (or more) of the legs will sink in making it unstable. I’ve fallen out of this chair more often than I would like to admit. On day one of this trip, I got the chair out when I stopped for lunch. It tipped over and I impaled the fleshy part of my left palm on a sharp stick. That’s probably only the second time in nearly twelve years of backpacking that I’ve had to get the first aid kit out. Then there was the time it tipped over when I had a cup of hot cocoa in my hand. The hot cocoa went all over me and my gear. So, much as I love it, I do have to be very wary when I’m using it. Anyway …

I decided to spend my last night here so I could be close to the trailhead to get out early tomorrow, as Ginger needs the car early in the afternoon. It’s a 30-40 minute hike from here to the car.