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Roaming chair

I use two types of seat currently for roaming.....

First is one of those folding beach seats, (similar to the Go Outdoors one mentioned above). Available in green, made by 'Highlander' and 'Transatlantic'. I fixed a pegging point onto it, to stop it tumbling down steep banks when i stand up. With the straps pulled tight, it gives a surprising amount of back-support.
I've seen them pressed into service as unhooking mats with the straps pulled out and it stretched out flat.

Second, is a custom-made, extra-short folding Flipstick,made on request at 19 inches standing height when extended. Available with a mud foot, and I also made another mud foot myself with a larger surface area for very, very soft ground.
 
The first swim at some of the places I fish is well over a mile from the car park. The Thames path feels like it has a gate every 100 metres and snaggy hawthorn bushes surround the narrow, twisty, and boggy footpaths. There is no way I could negotiate any of this with stuff in both hands. Yesterday, I picked up the rod and started moving to another swim without having reeled in the line...
 
Hi peoples..

For 2020 I am thinking about doing more "roaming" than I have done in the past, a lighter approach entireley, so what I am looking for is a suitable and reliable seat , fairly light, and a bit smaller than a standard type seat, I presently use an ageing Chub Chair, maybe 15 years old or more,its quite bulky and weighty so it needs to be smaller than the one in the pic below.


View attachment 9989

. I would like something that is not too bulky, and folds easily without having to bother with extending legs etc. I am OK at attaching my own straps etc, so it does not have to be one of the branded "fishing" seats .
I considered a Shakespear seat with rucksack attached, but it seems a bit flimsy, and also a bit on the small side. I would like a backrest built into the folding chair, if it comes with an attached bag it would be OK, but not a must have .
I am 14st 8lbs so obvioulsy something that will support that weight is the thing I am looking out for .

Any suggestions at all ?


David.
David,if thats a chub lolite chair i dont think you can beat it,had one for years,upgraded to a nash indulgence ultralight for a bit more comfort, still use the chub for shorter sessions, love the solid bar at the back for when your in steep banks👍
 
Most rivers I fish have a fairly moderate to steep bank, ideally you will need one with at least telescopic front legs etc. I cant fault my JRC x lite, had it 7 years now and its had so much hammer I cant believe it's still tip top. The new Korum aeronium? Looks good too.
John,
The Korum is exactly 1kg lighter than the JRC. Not quite as much padding on the seat, but after a couple of outings it has stretched a little and now very comfy. The mud feet are a little smaller than my old JRC, but the newer JRC has much bigger feet. As stated on my earlier reply, the main thing I am not so happy with is that even with legs fully extended the Korum is quite a bit lower.
 
David,if thats a chub lolite chair i dont think you can beat it,had one for years,upgraded to a nash indulgence ultralight for a bit more comfort, still use the chub for shorter sessions, love the solid bar at the back for when your in steep banks👍

Hi Wayne, I borrowed the photo , and yes its a chub lo light , mine is old, if a little battered , but still works, I was looking for something a bit smaller and lighter.. Richards setup is ok, but too bulky and faffy for me, with that setup it takes more than a few seconds to up gear and be on your way, I know, I have it,I adapted my ruckbag to be easier to load a chair years ago, it is still a faff. I dont want to have to mess about slinging a ruckbag on my back, over both shoulders , a single strap is fine as my bag is smaller and can be picked up with one hand usung the top handles, and stand upright, or on a sloping bank can still be upright when the handle is hung over a short bankstick , you cant do that with a ruckbag because its flat to the floor, and everything slips to one end .
ATM I simply slip the strap of my bag through the top bar of the chair, and set off, everything chucked in the bag upright without faffing about with zips, plus I dont like the way everything is sideways on in a ruckbag when you set it up on your back .
But, as Richard says, everybody has their own needs and prefers different setups. My Ruckbag is fine for long stays but as a rover is a definite no no.

Anyway..... thanks everybody for the imput, lots to go at, I think I am just about decided , but time will tell after a few tweeks here and there.

David
 
Hi Wayne, I borrowed the photo , and yes its a chub lo light , mine is old, if a little battered , but still works, I was looking for something a bit smaller and lighter.. Richards setup is ok, but too bulky and faffy for me, with that setup it takes more than a few seconds to up gear and be on your way, I know, I have it,I adapted my ruckbag to be easier to load a chair years ago, it is still a faff. I dont want to have to mess about slinging a ruckbag on my back, over both shoulders , a single strap is fine as my bag is smaller and can be picked up with one hand usung the top handles, and stand upright, or on a sloping bank can still be upright when the handle is hung over a short bankstick , you cant do that with a ruckbag because its flat to the floor, and everything slips to one end .
ATM I simply slip the strap of my bag through the top bar of the chair, and set off, everything chucked in the bag upright without faffing about with zips, plus I dont like the way everything is sideways on in a ruckbag when you set it up on your back .
But, as Richard says, everybody has their own needs and prefers different setups. My Ruckbag is fine for long stays but as a rover is a definite no no.

Anyway..... thanks everybody for the imput, lots to go at, I think I am just about decided , but time will tell after a few tweeks here and there.

David
Hi Dave.
yeah it sounds like you might be trying to find problems in my preferred set up that don’t really exist from my experience

You don’t have to like it Dave but given the reasons you’ve stated calling it a faff are you sure you have the same set up as I’m not entirely convinced

I agree With you absolutely you should find a solution that suits your self and your needs as mine isn’t for you which is no problem for me
but two shoulders instead of one a faff?
zips a faff??
Items slipping to one end in a ruckbag?? What’s your ruckbag internal floor made of? Sounds like Teflon😂 I’ve never heard of those before.

If there was something that was a real credible fault to be made by my set up that I would agree with entirely and that is it takes up space.
my set up with the flat bag doesn’t lend itself to real tight swims as well as other set ups
Totally agree with that

as for your complaints I’m a little lost unless we are confusing different items here.
We are talking about 10 seconds here to throw on a second shoulder and do up a zip.
this ain’t the F1 pit stop

we are all different but for me upright bags are just a total ball ache on a river roaming session. More time spent unpacking and packing and searching than necessary imo. And Another bank stick to pin it up and stop it falling over 😳
Yeah I think we would have to agree to disagree here as I strongly believe I’d be up and gone before you got the bag packed and the stick out the floor.
Any way.
have you considered one of these before Dave.
A908DE1D-9627-4461-B9EB-5DC31ECEFB15.jpeg
AAB418D5-DCE9-4EC8-8D1B-D63A3470EAA6.jpeg
F1B0AEA3-AD48-465F-88FD-C24CC562DFF2.jpeg

Diawa bag stool.
its something I’ve had for years but not really found it that useful Personally but it might suit you.
if you want it and could make use of it you can have it for postage costs mate.
it doesn’t owe me anything.
 
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As you say, we have to agree to disagree there Richard, maybe exactly what you like in your setup I would find tiresome ,who knows? It is a very generous offer you have made , I would love to take you up on it, but I already have a rucksack that does not get used much, and like you I would probably not use the folding stool either.
I am sure that somebody on here would be quick to take you up on your offer though.
👍

David
 
As you say, we have to agree to disagree there Richard, maybe exactly what you like in your setup I would find tiresome ,who knows? It is a very generous offer you have made , I would love to take you up on it, but I already have a rucksack that does not get used much, and like you I would probably not use the folding stool either.
I am sure that somebody on here would be quick to take you up on your offer though.
👍

David
No problem David. 👍🏻
 
I have the fox Duralite with arms this time, My old Nash chair finally Gave in ,it weighs 3.2 kg and I carry it by hand unless I use my Chub Rova barrow, depends on stretch and how far the walk is, I carry my chair in my left hand .
 
If you are looking at a chair lighter than you use now you are unlikely to find much difference in similar chairs. Why not go in a different direction altogether and look at a small plastic box if the river banks you fish allow. Trevor West used to use a small box like a Keenets one which weighs less than a kilo.There are plenty on the market similar, some look better,your gear always stays dry even in heavy rain, no need for a bag because its included with the box and its a pick up and go without any faffing about. The Backrest would be the thing you have to lose to get the mobility you seek
keenets box.jpg
 
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If you are looking at a chair lighter than you use now you are unlikely to find much difference in similar chairs. Why not go in a different direction altogether and look at a small plastic box if the river banks you fish allow. Trevor West used to use a small box like a Keenets one which weighs less than a kilo.There are plenty on the market similar, some look better,your gear always stays dry even in heavy rain, no need for a bag because its included with the box and its a pick up and go without any faffing about. The Backrest would be the thing you have to lose to get the mobility you seek View attachment 10037
Hi Mark, I thought about that , but discounted it, I have no less than 3 " boxes "already, A Shakey Beta box, a Shakey Team box , and a vintage basket, both the boxes are fitted out for sea fishing, the basket would not do as it is just about collapses when I place my butt on it , and lastly, I dont have anywhere to keep another box, I did consider the buckets with seat combined as well, but I dont want to be having to stand up every time I want something out of the box, so a bag and small seat is for me the way to go .. I know it sounds picky, its just that I know more or less the setup I want, its just fine tuning it to what is available.

So far as the backrest is concerned ,that would not be a problem as I have already fabricated a folding backrest for my Betabox, and if needed Breakaway do a custom made backrest that fits just about any box , but costs about £40.00

David .
 
It’s just the chair you need though isn’t it David?
You’ve got everything else you need.
I think you should go with the majority vote and just stump up for the JRC.

That or the fox duralite are probably the best lightweight roving style chairs on the market. quite a bit lighter than what you have and if I’m not mistaken I believe the JRC has a carry strap and a pocket for odd bits too.
 
I got a Nash Indulgance Lightweight chair last year It's light, comfortable and robust. Not cheap but I'm happy with the purchase.
 
There's a Fox duralite on the bay for £30 and it looks in good condition including p&p - good value 133320543375. I think there maybe another one for £45. I would take the arms off.
 
Thought I'd chuck this up here, my lovely mam bought me this for my birthday recently and I have to say so far it has been brill. It's a Trakker RLX Nano chair and cost £40. Very light (2.7kg), comfy, well padded and a plus for me is that it will double up as a 'bedchair buddy' when I go carp fishing. Maybe not great for really bad back sufferers as it is quite low (my back is made is made of glass but it's OK for me at present) and I'm also sure that a lack of adjustable rear legs (as in no rear legs at all 😅 ) means some river banks will highlight it's limits. That aside, it's not happened yet and I've enjoyed and certainly noticed lugging less weight around than the previous 4 legged chair! Well worth a look IMO :cool:





 
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