Hillsound BTR Stool 17″ – Better than a Rock

Andrew Piotrowski

“Better than a Rock”

Overview: I can’t tell you how many times I have scoured a campsite for a comfortable rock to sit on after a long day of hiking. Backpacking requires a lot of gear, and a comfortable seat is not typically a piece of gear that makes it into my pack.

I’m not just talking about those speedy ultra-light trips; even when I go heavy, I don’t typically have room for a seat. However, all this has changed thanks to the Hillsound BTR stool. The BTR stool is a super light, small, and durable seating solution for all types of activities. Over the past few months, I have used it for backpacking, car camping, hanging out on the dock, backyard BBQs, and a mobile aid station for ultra-running. 

Features I love:

Weight: there are a ton of different seating options out there, but most are too heavy and too big for backcountry travel. The BTR comes in at 14.1oz for the 17” size and 12.2oz for the 14” size. This is crazy light and worth every ounce on the trail!

Folded Size:  The second major flaw with other backpacking seating options is size. The standard camp chair is way too big and those folding “stadium” seats are hard to fold into packs. However, the BTR is only 3”x 3” x 13.4” for the 17” and 3”x 3” x 11.4” for the 14”. This is small enough to easily fit in a pack or even in the small outside water bottle pocket that most packs have. 

Comfortable: Ok it’s not a Lazy Boy but its 100% more comfortable than a rock. It gets you off the cold or wet ground and is soft on a tired body. The mesh top dries fast and is breathable in warm weather.

Easy to Open:  The Phantomlock system allows for a truly seamless opening and closing. There are no pesky buttons to get stuck, frozen, or broken.

Durability: For something so light, this thing is bomber! It holds 240 lbs and shows almost no wear after months of testing. I have fallen over on it, dropped my pack with it on the outside, and thrown it in the bed of my truck while packing up in a rainstorm. There is no bending or tearing anywhere on the stool. The only wear can be seen on the small rubber feet on the bottom of the stool. (see video)

Things I would change: nothing; I love it just how it is.

MSRP: $85 for the 14” and $90 for the 17”.

Andrew Piotrowski

Andrew is a trail runner, climber, paddler, snowboarder, marketer, and most importantly a dog dad. Andrew grew up in suburban Philadelphia and now lives on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

While he lives pretty far from the mountains, he puts a heavy focus on preparing for them and inspiring others to do the same. He first fell in love with the mountains on family trips to the White Mountains and the Adirondacks. He spent the majority of his early life competitively running and leisurely paddling, however after college he began focusing on learning to climb, snowboard, and backpack.

Over the past ten years since then, he has been fortunate enough to gain some amazing experiences exploring North America. Some of the most memorable thus far are alpine climbing in the Sierra, trail running in Alberta, learning to splitboard in NH, countless days hiking in the Catskills, or a plethora of mellow days paddling the Chesapeake Bay with friends.

When he can’t be in the mountains Andrew is often running or hiking with his favorite training partners, his two rescue dogs Calvin and Enzo. Andrew is also a self-proclaimed gear junkie and confessed that his gear loft is the most organized place in his home.

Blog: Flatcityclimbing.com

Instagram: pack_mule_piotrowski