When setting up a natural-cover ground ambush for whitetails and wild turkeys in the Midwest, I often sit butt on the ground instead of on a portable stool. Yes, it’s generally more comfortable to sit on a stool than on the ground, especially if you plan to wait several hours, but there are many times when you’ll have better hiding cover by sitting as low as possible. For me, I can wait motionless and be comfortable sitting on the ground for up to three hours, which is often ideal for a morning or evening ambush.
I’ve used a few different stadium-style seats through the years, and although most of them work well, the biggest problem is portability. Weight isn’t the issue; the problem is they are cumbersome to carry — they fold in half but no smaller. A typical stadium seat doesn’t fit in a daypack. Yes, you can strap one to a daypack or fannypack, but when it’s super windy, which is often the case when I bowhunt in South Dakota, then the stadium seat whips around, which is annoying and noisy.
During deer season 2024 in the Upper Midwest, I field tested the Crazy Creek HEX 2.0 Original Chair ($74.95). What caught my attention about this seat (I think it’s more of a seat than chair) is it rolls up into a 4-inch diameter package.
In-the-Field Results
The HEX 2.0 functions much like the three other stadium-style seats I’ve used for 20 years. When I’m sitting on the seat, it’s comfortable, completely supports my back, adjusts quickly and easily, and is relatively quiet. Only time will tell whether it stands the test of time. Based on its build quality, which is superb, I expect it to last at least as long as my other seats.
I can report that it out-performs my old stadium seats in a few important ways:
- No. 1 is its portability. When it’s rolled up, the HEX 2.0 measures 4 inches in diameter and 16.5 inches long. This means I can stuff it into a daypack, or securely attach it to a pack’s exterior. It has a built-in hanging loop for this purpose.
- The seat features 8mm high-density cored EVA closed-cell foam. During brutally cold conditions, I noticed that the HEX 2.0 was warmer than my other seats.
- I stay dry when using this seat in wet conditions, and that’s not always the case with my other seats. The HEX 2.0 has a water-resistant, breathable 70D coated ripstop nylon inner lining.
- The carbon-fiber stays in the HEX 2.0 support my weight better than the ones on my other models. Yes, this seat is nearly new and my other ones are old. I’ve had to replace the stays on one of my other stadium seats a few times, which is a hassle because it requires some creative thinking and high-tech materials. Note: The HEX 2.0 has a 250-pound weight capacity.
Final Thoughts
I should mention that Crazy Creek also offers the HEX 2.0 LongBack version ($84.95), which is 4.5 inches taller and 2 inches wider than the standard HEX 2.0; it weighs 1.45 pounds.
Crazy Creek also offers the HEX 2.0 PowerLounger version ($94.95), which is taller and wider than the standard HEX 2.0, and also includes an extra section of cushion for either more comfort (thicker bottom) or you can extend it to lay flat (sleeping pad, shooting pad, etc.); it weighs 1.85 pounds.
Scroll to the bottom of this page to watch a 1.5-minute YouTube video that shows how the HEX 2.0 rolls up, as well as a size comparison of the LongBack and PowerLounger versions.
If you want to save $10 and don’t think it’s mandatory to have King’s Camo XK7, then choose the olive color HEX 2.0 ($64.95). In my opinion, this olive-colored version would function just as well as camo anytime you’re hunting in a wooded environment. Keep in mind, you’ll be hiding in low brush or sitting in front of a large-diameter tree to help break up your silhouette.
I look forward to hunting with the HEX 2.0 for many years to come. Last deer season it quickly became my favorite stadium seat, and it works so well and is so easy to carry — due to the way it rolls up — that I can’t imagine using my older seats ever again. On a scale of 0 to 5 stars, it’s a 5.
