Mountainsmith Slingback Chair Receives 2017 BACKPACKER Editors’ Choice Award

March 6, 2017

Mountainsmith—craftsmen of iconic backcountry equipment and recreational outdoor gear—has received a 2017 Editors’ Choice award from Backpacker Magazine for the Slingback Chair, an ultra-light seat that sets up with two trekking poles. This award was presented to Mountainsmith by Backpacker Editor-In-Chief Dennis Lewon and Gear Editor Scott Yorko at Outdoor Retailer’s 2017 Winter Market in Salt Lake City, UT this past January.

The magazine’s coveted Editors’ Choice Award is given only to products that Backpacker editors deem the best of the year. These products are tested thoroughly by backcountry experts and judged on design innovation, materials and performance. Each year the number of recipients and categories vary, making this award a highly prestigious one. Ultimately, only eleven products received the award for 2017. “Backpacker gear reviews set the benchmark by which all others are measured,” says Lewon. “Our transparent process has earned an unrivaled level of trust from readers, retailers and manufacturers. The result? Best-in-class reviews that lead consumers to best-in-class gear.”

At 5 ounces, this backcountry lounger is unrivaled in terms of weight and packability. The Slingback packs down to the size of a fist and requires only two trekking poles for an easy, intuitive set-up.

“It’s not often that a nearly 40-year-old relic is reimagined into an Editor’s Choice Award winner, but that is exactly the scenario that yielded the Slingback Chair,“ says Mountainsmith President Jay Getzel. “Mountainsmith received the original predecessor to the Slingback Chair in the summer of 2015 from a Colorado garage sale, and after searching through old workbooks, learning a bit about the history of the style, and recognizing how perfectly an evolution of this classic piece of gear would complement the growth of our trekking pole line, the 2017 Slingback Chair was born. The Mountainsmith team is thrilled with Backpacker’s decision to award this very lightweight and durable backcountry lounging solution with an Editors’ Choice Award.”

The award-winning Mountainsmith Slingback Chair is now available to consumers online at mountainsmith.com and nationwide in select retailers across the US and Canada. For more information regarding the Mountainsmith Slingback Chair, please visit mountainsmith.com

About Mountainsmith

Headquartered at the base of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, CO for 35 years, Mountainsmith is committed to creating durable provisions for every aspect of your adventure, on and off the trail.  Beginning with iconic lumbar packs in 1979, Mountainsmith products carry an emphasis on utility for those who prefer life outdoors.  Whether that is a solution for the backcountry, the gear closet, the office, the photo shoot, or even the dog; the brand offers tools that serve a purpose and stand the test of time.  Dedicated in its mission to improve the lives of fellow outdoors enthusiasts, Mountainsmith manufactures products that are… forged for life.  Visit www.mountainsmith.com to learn more.