{"id":44633,"date":"2019-09-12T23:59:43","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T06:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=44633"},"modified":"2020-07-06T14:09:46","modified_gmt":"2020-07-06T21:09:46","slug":"the-rei-co-op-flexlite-air-is-more-than-a-chair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/the-rei-co-op-flexlite-air-is-more-than-a-chair","title":{"rendered":"Easy Seat"},"content":{"rendered":"

A version of this story appeared in the fall 2019 issue of\u00a0Uncommon Path<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Flexlite Air<\/a> story begins with a problem: how to create a camp chair that weighs just 1 pound. Why a pound? For the luxury of a real camp chair, backpackers told REI they\u2019d be willing to carry an extra pound, but no more.\u00a0\u201cBut less is more difficult,\u201d says Jon Arruda, REI senior product designer. \u201cTo execute that simplicity is hard work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arruda and Steve Moenaert, REI product development engineering manager, hit multiple dead ends until they realized they might already have the solution: the existing REI Flexlite chair. The older model was 12 ounces over the target weight, so Arruda and Moenaert disassembled it, weighed every part and set the goal of slashing each component\u2019s weight in half.<\/p>\n

\"Camper

The seat of the Flexlite Air is crafted out of one piece of fabric, a concept borrowed from ship sails and parachutes.<\/p><\/div>\n

They deployed computer-aided design to turn 2D drawings into 3D computer renderings and built prototypes, which were sent to the Magnusson Lab, REI\u2019s custom testing facility. There, engineers scrutinized every element\u2014seams, legs, weight capacity, the works. When a test revealed a failure, the sample was tweaked and sent back for evaluation. Wash, rinse, repeat. \u201cWe found every problem we could think of, and we tested every point,\u201d Arruda says. \u201cIt\u2019s more than just a chair; it\u2019s what it represents.\u201d<\/p>\n

The storybook ending? The comfortable, durable, single-pound Flexlite Air. It\u2019s a ripstop-nylon-and-aluminum piece of furniture with a 250-pound capacity whose simplicity belies the precision of its design. It\u2019s good for the backyard as well as the backcountry. It might be just a chair, but in a certain ineffable way, it\u2019s also a small victory for problem solvers everywhere.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A version of this story appeared in the fall 2019 issue of\u00a0Uncommon Path.\u00a0 The Flexlite Air story begins with a problem: how to create a camp chair that weighs just 1 pound. Why a pound? For the luxury of a real camp chair, backpackers told REI they\u2019d be willing to carry an extra pound, but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":44635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[588,724,1935,1934,2024],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-44633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-camp","tag-camping","tag-gear","tag-issue-1","tag-uncommon-path","tag-uncommon-path-issues"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/camp\/the-rei-co-op-flexlite-air-is-more-than-a-chair","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Easy Seat","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/the-rei-co-op-flexlite-air-is-more-than-a-chair","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/camp\/the-rei-co-op-flexlite-air-is-more-than-a-chair"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/FlexliteHero2.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/03\/FlexliteHero2.jpg?fit=2000%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Camp","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Aer Parris-Hoshour"}],"creator":["Aer Parris-Hoshour"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["camping","gear","issue 1","uncommon path","uncommon path issues"],"dateCreated":"2019-09-13T06:59:43Z","datePublished":"2019-09-13T06:59:43Z","dateModified":"2020-07-06T21:09:46Z"},"rendered":"