There’s no shortage of different types of folding or portable chairs, but designer [Jorge Penadés] built a backpack chair that will go the long haul.
Furniture that assembles without screws or glue is always intriguing, and this chair fits the bill. Using simple metal connectors and joinery, it can be setup and taken down in about two minutes without the flimsy feeling of a bag chair. With a natural finish on the wood, the connectors give a nice pop of color without feeling overwhelming. There are even some pictures of a couch version if you follow the link.
In backpack mode, the pieces are held together by leather patches and ratchet straps. [Penadés] was focused on portability over comfort with this piece, but we think this connection method could be used in the future for more comfortable furniture that is still portable.
If you’re looking for more interesting furniture, checkout this Tambour Table with a Puzzling Secret or these CNC-able Seats.
Doesn’t look very comfortable….
BUT IT’S MODERN! Comfort is for primitives. End of sarcasm.
Durability would be a reason. Those outdoor sports shop chairs are mainly flimsy material and often end up in a dumpster at the beach/campground and eventually a landfill. Also that smaller size is nice – as someone who has to lug those bulky things around, this looks more portable easily and has a smaller storage footprint.
However, I agree with you that the assembly and number of parts are a bit of a bummer. Also, I wonder why (or if) he didn’t put some sort of polycrylic, beeswax or something to protect from moisture? Because – and I promise you – after a few trips to the ocean and moisture having its way with the wood, he’ll think twice on that unfinished look.
Weight is probably more important than size when carrying things on your back. Also since these chairs are going to be used on the sand a lot, the bottom surface matters otherwise it might capsize ;)
I like the design, but wouldn’t build it to really use it as a portable chair.
Good luck finding an even terrain for those 4 legs to sit on the same plane.
You just find reasonably flat ground and rotate the chair: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-turning/
Thanks Captain!
The article makes me think that I’ve got to get back to reading Scientific American at the library.
watch?v=13MX39IDZy8 I built one of these in shop class in the 1980s.
Thanks for memory! My shop class(kids 14 years old) made them ~30 years later than you :))
https://youtu.be/-XsfO9qQtlA
A for effort but seriously you could carry 4 foldout metal camping chairs and have seating for 4 seated and halfway through War and Peace before this thing is put together.
Yeah, I was hoping it would complement those electronic workbench in a suitcase builds sometimes featured on Hackaday.
It probably weight as 5 camping chairs.
A nice woodwork but…
My camping armchair is lighter and more confortable, can unfold and fold in 1 second, does not loose parts, does not fear rain, has a true, usable, non-breakable backrest and – tada – has a glass holder on one arm.
When we camped/hiked we just used a log or a rock to sit on :) . No use carrying unnecessary weight around. Of course if just a hundred yards or so from truck to lake side, that would be different.
Neat construction though!
Indeed. And if you don’t like the uneven surface of a rock or log, perhaps a wooden cutting board would be a better solution? Less weight, no assembly, and given the likelihood of uneven ground, perhaps more comfortable.
What I do though is carry a folded oilcloth rain hat in my pocket, which is actually a seat cushion to protect me from wet logs. This allows me to select a comfortable mossy area without fear.
Same. Never required a chair for the outdoors in my whole life.
MY first thoughts on the title of this post were about an old episode of America’s funniest People with Skip Stevens, ( RIP) the one about the motorized Bar Stools some guys were building, Racing, running up and down the streets from one bar to another without even having to get up from their chairs. Unfortunately, being a motorized vehicle even if only powered by an old 6 volt Ford starter motor, having a steering wheel and wheels for that matter, the operators were subject to driving under the influence laws. Skip made the comment, his mother always used to tell him he would never go anywhere sitting on a bar stool ! If course this would be a case for the statement, If you don’t like my driving, stay off the sidewalk ! If you were stumbling drunk and had to do a cross walk with no handicap access, it would be a tough deal laid out in the cross walk with the stool crashed beside you. I doubt anyone would be eager to assist you back up and into your stool. I can just see a couple of other drunks there trying to get you back up and on your way to the next bar with them. This just went to prove the idea that no one ever got anywhere sitting in a bar stool was not accurate.
Too much work for a portable chair. If you want a portable chair that doesn’t require tools then look at a viking chair. Uses a simple 2×10.
An article in Fine Woodworking once observed that a chair is the first thing you need when you don’t need anything.
Why not built a backpackable CNC machine instead, then mill a chair out of any available logs or tree stumps once you’re at the campsite?
But you can use this as firewood after sitting.