gabby
Trail Wise!
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Post by gabby on May 14, 2021 14:26:56 GMT -8
It’s likely, given the same weight, the Helinox (which doesn’t require poles) has likely doomed the Coffey chair to obsolescence. I'm not so sure - I feel that the Coffey was a good start, but could do with some refinements that would make it a really great, and light, chair if the fabric was a shaped piece like all the other chairs I've used made by major manufacturers, this chair would be a lot more comfortable, but I guess it'd weigh more as well. In pursuit of my previous comment about the fabric used on the Coffey chair, and because I do own a couple of Helinox Sunset chairs, I tried the fabric designed for the Helinox Sunset on the Coffey chair using the Helinox seat poles between the attachment straps of the existing chair fabric to accomodate the small reinforced seat holes on the Helinox fabric. To (probably) no one's surprise, the Coffey chair became, with the addition of the shaped fabric seat, a very comfortable and supportive chair, with enough room at the head end for a person (I'm 5'11") to relax with great shoulder and head support. Of course, the Helinox Sunset fabric alone is about .9 lb., meaning the Coffey chair would weigh nearly 2 lbs (though this is vs the Helinox Sunset's 3 lbs.) - there's 2 lbs of weight in the poles of the Helinox Sunset alone. Anywho, just another fruitless experiment on my part: the manufacturer-distributor of the Coffey chair has still not responded to my email. If the guy who designed the original Coffey chair had the means to get a lightweight nylon/polyester shaped seat fabric sewn, I think this chair would be very good. However, it probably is a dead deal. It takes a hell of a lot of time and good smart engineering to produce this stuff, meaning higher prices or designs created by large manufacturers who cater to people who want products that can take a lot of abuse for a lot less than the stuff you and I regularly want and use - at much lower production volumes and sales numbers.
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on May 14, 2021 14:58:15 GMT -8
I think your experiments have value gabby, fruitless or not.
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BigLoad
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Pancakes!
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Post by BigLoad on May 14, 2021 15:28:28 GMT -8
I think your experiments have value gabby , fruitless or not. Did somebody once say that to Gregor Mendel?
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Post by bradmacmt on May 14, 2021 15:49:32 GMT -8
Well gabby, while I support windmill jousting, I just won’t put money on it... especially given I don’t use trekking poles,
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BigLoad
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Pancakes!
Posts: 12,911
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Post by BigLoad on May 14, 2021 15:52:15 GMT -8
Well gabby , while I support windmill jousting, I just won’t put money on it... especially given I don’t use trekking poles, Do you still use a single walking support?
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Post by bradmacmt on May 14, 2021 15:56:47 GMT -8
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 14,974
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Post by driftwoody on May 16, 2021 15:03:12 GMT -8
This is my chair---lean back and enjoy--- Using the backpack is the seed of a good idea but I need something for flat ground in camp for extended periods with some cushion under my bum, so I contrived the chair in the pic below. My trekking poles are tucked inside my Granite Gear Blaze 60 under the flap in the zippered water bladder compartment. Two very small stakes go through the pack's bottom loops (not seen in the pic) to hold the lower part of the pack in place, and I found a way to keep my sleeping pillow in place for back support. The only additions to my regular kit are the two small stakes and the Sierra Designs inflatable pillow. This is a lot more comfortable than the REI Flexlite chair I bought, even when the legs aren't sinking into the ground.
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Post by bradmacmt on May 16, 2021 15:17:30 GMT -8
The backpack chair thing doesn’t work in camp (it’s empty) where you really want it...
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
Posts: 14,974
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Post by driftwoody on May 16, 2021 15:55:06 GMT -8
My backpack in the pic above was entirely empty (except for the trekking poles) and I sat in it quite comfortably.
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TrailElder
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Something will have gone out of us as a people if we ever let the remaining wilderness be destroyed
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Post by TrailElder on May 17, 2021 4:38:01 GMT -8
Sorry to be out of the loop for a bit bradmacmt. I've had quite a run for the past two weeks on a river trip to celebrate my brother's retirement, a little side backpacking trip to explore a headwater, then rushing back to facilitate my first in-person training at work in more than a year, then my daughter's college graduation (followed by moving her out of the apartment, of course). Whew! Good time to update on the chair, since it got some working out during that run. I think I've noted that I've been using it hard for at least 3 years now and it's still hanging in there. The poles are 19 1/2", shock-corded in half. The poles themselves have held up very well and are extremely light, carbon -- for me, unless I was looking for a project, it would be worth buying the chair just for the poles. The chair itself has held up without a hitch. I've ultimately replaced the caps on the ground end of the poles with larger ones that came with some hiking sticks. They are heavier, but give the chair a much better base less likely to sink into soft ground. Here in Colorado, I rarely have a problem finding a good spot for it. I've nursed the top caps along with Gorilla tape. They are not durable, but also not critical to function. They really just reduce wear on the chair where the poles insert, but that hasn't been a problem yet. Finally on this last trip, the rubber gasket popped that "ties" the poles together at the crossing of the poles. I can't believe it lasted as long as it did. "Uh oh," I thought, then wrapped around the poles my daughter's hair tie that I was using to hold the chair when rolled up. That fix seems to be working fine. I don't think I've mentioned that I have velcroed one of those "free" inflating pillows to the seat of the chair. I inflate it when on harder ground, and it works great. Then rolls up very nicely into the chair.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on May 17, 2021 6:58:47 GMT -8
I pulled the trigger on the Qwikback chair this morning. Birthday present to myself
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Post by bradmacmt on May 17, 2021 15:10:22 GMT -8
I pulled the trigger on the Qwikback chair this morning. Birthday present to myself I figured you'd come around to it... Happy Birthday!
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on May 17, 2021 16:40:30 GMT -8
I pulled the trigger on the Qwikback chair this morning. Birthday present to myself I figured you'd come around to it... Happy Birthday! It isn’t actually my birthday :D. But it’s not too far off, and the website says it takes 4 weeks, so I thought I’d split the difference.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,667
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Post by rebeccad on Jul 12, 2021 7:38:51 GMT -8
I finally got my Qwikback chair. In a little test it seems adequately comfortable, and I may experiment with using my inflatable pillow in it, which would add no weight (I already carry one) and make it more cushy. Anyone know the weight tolerance of a Sea to Summit pillow? driftwoody, I see you have your inflatable ready for sitting in the photo above--Sea to Summit doesn't recommend it, but maybe okay?
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Jul 13, 2021 18:54:24 GMT -8
Fully clothed I'm 230 lbs, but my cheap not ultralight Sierra Designs pillow is likely more robust than a StS.
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