Wellness

[Moonchilde]

I figured I would put this in Wellness, though it fits in the Travel thread in CC as well.

Because I have had foot, ankle, back and knee issues for several years, I have been looking for a portable fold-up walking stool for years so that I could go places where, when I would need to sit and rest, there's nowhere to sit.  Hikes, beach trails, concerts, foreign travel, etc.

Nearly all of these stools have seats that are only 18" high, which would not be great for anyone with bad knees, at the least, or those the least bit tall. Kinda like sitting on the ground & having to stand straight up :-( They also have reputations for only lasting a few uses and ripping because they're not expensive or made well, and lastly, most of them have weight limits that are borderline for many plus-sized people.

I stumbled across stools made by a Swedish company and sold various places online in the US. The name is Walkstool. What is different about them is you can choose different seat heights because the legs telescopically collapse. The seat heights, at different prices, range from 18-30 inches. They are also all rated to hold twice the weight of other stools and have larger seats.

They collapse completely and fit in a carrying pouch to sling over your shoulder. They're not heavy, anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs. Also not cheap compared to other stools - but IMO worth every penny.

If you google "Walkstool" you'll come up with their website, videos, and several places that sell them. There are two models, the "basic" and the "comfort." The basic offers 2 heights, the comfort offers 4 heights and a carrying bag.

Easy to take out of carrying bag and put back in, and simple to set up. I can go walking now!

[Kachina624]

Thanks for posting this info.  As soon as I enter an area, inside or out, I immediately scope it out for a place to sit thanks to my painful bsck.  I skip many events for this reason so a portable stool would be helpful.

[Moonchilde]

@Kachina624, I can only stand, or walk, just so far without needing to sit for a few, and when I know I'm going somewhere that random seating will be scarce or non-existent, it often causes me not to go.

I've recently moved and now have the opportunity to walk in the redwoods in state parks, and walk along by the sea or just sit and take it all in at my leisure - but the sitting thing frustrated me no end. 

With this gadget I can do those things, or go to a fair or swapmeet & never have to worry about somewhere to sit. I'm excited to try it out 😎

[Kachina624]

@Moonchilde  I ordered one this afternoon from Amazon.  The first thing I thought of was waiting in line at the post office when returning QVC purchases and the second was our world class New Mexico Arts & Craft Show.  Lots of walking there.

I'm so glad you mentioned this gadget.

[Moonchilde]

Fantastic, @Kachina624 - I hope it works well for you! I bought mine from Amazon too. Duluth Trading Co also sells it, but as usual, Amazon's price was slightly better.

I will also be going to 2-3 large antique and craft fairs this summer and at least one county fair.

Enjoy!

[tansy]

This looks perfect for us to keep in the car.  Did you go with the basic, @Moonchilde?

[Moonchilde]

---

@tansy wrote:

This looks perfect for us to keep in the car.  Did you go with the basic, @Moonchilde?

---

@tansy  I bought the Comfort because I wanted the 26", the larger diameter seat (definitely more comfortable) and the carrying case, and the Basic doesn't have those things. It all depends on what people need or want, I'm sure the basic models are great for many people.

[Kachina624]

I stuck my head out the front door this evening and low and behold there was a box from Amazon and it was my stool.  Haven't had a chance to play with it yet.  I got the big one too because it was taller.

[tansy]

I ordered the 22-inch comfort version today.  It's supposed to arrive on Wednesday.  

[Moonchilde]

---

@tansy wrote:

I ordered the 22-inch comfort version today.  It's supposed to arrive on Wednesday.  

---

Much depends on how tall (or not) we are. I have the 26" but might have been able to manage with the 22". I think the idea height for me would be 24", if they made one.