Hillsound BTR Stool Review
As much as we at BSAS love getting after it in the hills we eventually need to take a rest. The Hillsound BTR Stool is light and compact and goes unnoticed on the outside of a pack. If you pack light enough it can even go inside your pack as it’s not much bigger than a Nalgene. It unfolds quickly and is significantly better than finding a cold rock to sit on mid-adventure.
Overview
- Material: Nylon, 7001 Aluminum
- Weight: 416 grams
- Weight Limit: 110 kg
- Country of Origin: Korea
What is the Hillsound BTR Stool?
The Hillsound BTR stool is a collapsing travel stool that weighs a mere 417 grams and shrinks down to 13.5 inches. It compacts to barely bigger than a Nalgene. It is designed to be taken anywhere you want to go, backpacking, hiking, fishing, or just in the car in case you need to get out and enjoy the view.
The Seat
The seat of the Hillsound BTR Stool is made of perforated Nylon. It breaths well and helps keep the weight low. When unfolded the seat of the Hillsound BTR stool forms a comfortable nylon triangle. The triangle itself measures 34cm along each edge and is more than adequate for my 6’1” frame.
With legs extended, the Hillsound BTR Stool stands at a comfortable 17”. This is a good height for a stool that you are likely going to carry on your backpack. It is short when packed and adequately high when sitting. When closed, there is a shock chord and loop on the underside of the seat. The chord wraps around the seat and hooks onto a plastic ring near the attachment point of the shock chord. This keeps the stool closed and the nylon seat from flapping around while being transported.
The legs
There are three extendable aluminum legs on the Hillsound BTR stool. Grab two of the legs near the nylon seat and twist them away from each other. As you do, the legs rotate at their attachment center point. Twist the third leg into place until you have a tripod. Nothing locks the legs in place here. Once you sit on the stool it won’t be able to rotate backwards and is held in place by your weight.
Finally, grab the leg ends and pull until you can see the “extend beyond line” markings. The chair is now ready and the legs are locked into place. There is no way to collapse the leg extensions until you rotate them back to a parallel position. They can now be collapsed. The auto lock is a great addition to the chair and adds to its simplicity.
Overview of the Hillsound BTR Stool
The BTR Stool is simple to use, light, and comfortable. Three aluminum legs and a nylon seat. Twist the legs, pull, and voila, you have a stool. It takes up next to no space, can be easily attached to the outside of a pack, or is often in my case, disappears in my car for camping. It can be used as an extra chair for when you make new friends on the mountain or want to share an aprés ski parking lot bubbly with your friends. I’m 6’1″ and find the stool a good height for a travel seat but would not go smaller. It’s comfortable with no pressure points. Of course, I would love a slightly higher seat but then I would have to carry more material and therefore have more weight and packing volume.
The only caveat with the Hillsound BTR stool, and this holds true for nearly all camping chairs and stools, is it needs to be used on firm ground. It will sink and potentially twist the legs to failure if you try to use it on sand or snow.
The Hillsound BTR stool is available in both a 14” and 17” version. For the slight addition in weight, I recommend the 17”.
Who is the Hillsound BTR Stool for?
Anyone looking for a light, packable place to sit down and is tired of looking for cold rocks to sit on
Who is the Hillsound BTR Stool not for?
Folks looking for a chair with a backrest.
If you are interested in picking up a Hillsound BTR Stool then head on over to Hillsound and pick one up. For more reviews head on to our Search page.
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Black Sheep Adventure Sports was provided with a free sample of the Hillsound BTR Stool. This in no way affected our opinion and review.
