Outdoor furniture from Recon Company – camping chairs, camp beds and camping tables for field use and the great outdoors

When we talk about outdoor furniture here, we’re not referring to patio sets, but to camping furniture that works in the field: lightweight seats, sturdy loungers and packable tables. With over 30 years’ experience as a supplier to public authorities, we know that such furniture must be able to do two things at once: pack down small and withstand continuous use.

Camping chair: collapsible, foldable and ultra-light

The camping chair is the most frequently used piece of furniture in camp, and the differences lie in the details. A foldable camping chair with an aluminium frame often weighs less than a kilogram and fits neatly into the side pocket of your rucksack. A folding camping chair, on the other hand, offers more seating space and armrests, but comes at the cost of pack size and weight. Anyone counting every gram – for example, on long treks or mountain tours – will opt for an ultra-light camping chair such as the Helinox Chair Zero LT. For a fixed spot in camp, where comfort is key for hours on end, a taller model with a long backrest is the more sensible choice. One point is often overlooked: on soft or sandy ground, narrow legs sink in. Wide ball feet or a base plate help to ensure the chair stands firmly.

Camping cots and camp beds instead of the cold ground

A camp bed lifts your body off the ground, and that is precisely what matters during the colder months. Air circulates over the open sleeping surface, so the cold from the ground no longer reaches your sleeping bag directly. The classic Bundeswehr camp bed was heavy and bulky; modern models such as the Helinox Cot One or Cot Max weigh less than three kilograms and pack down to a small size. A camping lounger of this design can support up to 145 kilograms, depending on the model, and can be set up in a matter of minutes. Many of these cots can also be converted into a low seat, which saves space in a cramped tent. If you need to keep weight and pack size to a minimum, a sleeping mat remains the lighter alternative. When it comes to comfort and sleep quality over several nights in the field, the camp cot is the better choice.

The right camping table for your campsite

A camping table is underestimated until the stove tips over on uneven ground or the map ends up in the mud. What matters is a flat, rigid surface. Models with a fixed hard-top panel, such as the Helinox Table One Hard Top, provide a hard surface for stoves, radios and map-reading, whilst pure fabric-tensioned surfaces are lighter but give way under point loads. When choosing a camping table, look for legs that remain stable on soft ground and a pack size that can be stowed away sensibly alongside a chair and a camp bed. A compact side table is sufficient for a mobile camp kitchen, whilst a larger surface area is fine for stationary use.

What matters when making your choice

Three criteria determine the table’s practical value: weight, load capacity and frame material. High-quality camping furniture uses aluminium frames from the manufacturer DAC, which remain lightweight whilst still supporting heavy loads. For operational use, it’s worth looking for low-reflective, matt finishes and muted colours such as olive, coyote or Multicam, rather than glossy leisure designs that stand out immediately in open country. Anyone who works outdoors on a regular basis should also look out for spare parts and retrofittable accessories such as seat covers for the colder months. Helinox covers the majority of our range in this category with durable chairs, tables and loungers, supplemented by robust and affordable models from Grand Canyon, MFH and MIL-TEC for tight budgets and training purposes.

Whether it’s a lightweight camping chair for a day trip or a sturdy camp bed for a long exercise: the key is that the camping furniture suits the intended use, not a glossy brochure. You’ll find a complete overview of sleeping systems, tents and stoves in our Bivouac and Camping category.

Our ordering service:

• Government departments and their staff can shop with us at a government discount.
• We deliver worldwide via field post, right to the operational area.
• Personalised expert advice is available online or at our Salzgitter store.
• Our ISO 9001 certification attests to our proven processes in purchasing and dispatch.