Camping and Fishing Adventures

Camping “super chair” gets a new home!

Have you ever had one of those outdoor fabric chairs that you absolutely love sitting in? Well, if you have then you’ll probably relate to this story.

My wife Karen and I do a lot of camping and fishing.  Although most of our fishing is from our Sea Eagle inflatable boat, there are times when I like to fish from shore, and I don’t like sitting on the ground.

Although I’ve owned a few fabric chairs over the years, I’ve NEVER found one that actually holds up for more than a year or two, until we bought my current chair, made by Coleman, which I think is going on its third or fourth year.

So, what’s the point of this story?  Well, I’ll tell you.  My Coleman chair is in top condition and more comfortable than any I’ve ever had.  It not only has two cup holders, it even has a small cooler pocket to keep things cool. The problem is, the carrying case literally disintegrated, which made it totally unusable. Carrying this chair without a home is a task since it just wants to open and be sat in!

Since my “super chair” needed a new home, I was a little confused as to how I could just buy a carrying case, without the chair inside.  After much thought, I finally decided I’d sew a new case.  That’s right, I said “sew” a new case!

Since I’d been sewing stuff for many years already, I had very little fear about recreating a carrying case that would work well.

You might be thinking, is this guy a little strange or what?  Taking on the task of sewing a new carrying case for my favorite collapsible chair instead of just buying a new one.  It’s just what I do!  I’ve made everything from worm pouches to a robe, so sewing a new carrying case didn’t faze me one bit.

It all started with a simple drawing, based on all the measurements I’d taken to give the new case a custom look and one that would make the chair fit comfortably inside.

With plan in hand, we went to Wal-Mart’s fabric section and chose a heavy duty fabric that I thought would work.  Naturally I made sure the fabric color matched the chair.  Since the fabric bolt was 60” wide, I only bought one yard, because I knew if I laid my plan sideways, it would fit just fine.

I laid the fabric on the floor and after double checking all my measurements, I started marking out and cutting my pattern.

I was glad that I had the original carrying case as my guide, or I probably wouldn’t have undertaken this challenge.

Luckily I reused the drawstring and the shoulder strap.  Wasn’t sure our sewing machine would easily sew the strap since it was so thick, but it worked just fine.

For the bottom, I cut two round pieces of plastic tarp and glued them to the fabric with Gorilla glue to strengthen it.  Now I have a camping “super chair” that has a new home for years.