I have fond childhood memories of car-camping with my family, especially of sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows. I usually sat in a faded blue camp chair, one of the chairs my parents would also bring to watch my soccer games. When I was old enough to strike out on my own and began taking backpacking and boat trips, I had to leave bulky 5-lb camp chairs behind, instead using a foam gardening pad cut in half as a seat. Four tennis balls slit to fit over the chair's feet keep them from sinking into sand.
photographs by the author
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How difficult is it to stand up from sitting in this chair as compared to the now popular folding chairs in use by parents of soccer, lacrosse, baseball etc.? I am in my 80th year and find in hard to get up from such a chair besides the weight and bulk to haul around. These chairs appear to have a chance to get your feet positioned under your rear end for good upward thrust.
Hi John,
Apologies for the late reply. I missed it before. Compared to the popular folding chairs used by parents of games, this chair is definitely a bit harder to stand up from. However, after reading your question I gave it a try by putting my feet under my rear and it did make it a bit easier. Also, on the front corners of the chair where the poles enter the fabric, there is a bit of a hard sturdy surface where you can put your hands to help push yourself upwards. So while they aren’t as easy as the tallfolding chairs, for their size, weight, and lowness to the ground, they aren’t as hard to get out of as I would have expected. Depending on the surface you are using the chair on, the tennis balls will aid in standing up. For example, if you find yourself in soft sand and you push down on the chair with your hands to stand up, the legs might sink a bit. The tennis balls will prevent this.
Hope this gives some insight! I’ll keep a better eye on this reply thread, so if you have any more questions let me know!
Thanks,
Danielle