My family and I joined a camping club recently. Every Friday we hook up our trailer and go off to a different campground for the weekend. So far, it has been really a lot of fun, and I have learned so many little things to help make the camping more enjoyable. One of the first things I learned about was camping rocking chairs. I had never seen them!
I must admit that when I first saw the rocking camping chairs I chuckled. Then a few of our group brought out reclining camping chairs and I actually laughed! I thought we were supposed to be roughing it, and here they are with reclining rockers! My family just had the normal vinyl strapped folding chairs. That first night, around the campfire, I learned just how useful it was to have camp chairs that rocked.
As we all sat around the campfire, roasting marshmallow and weenies, using the pie irons, I noticed that my kids were having a bit of a problem staying in their seats. They would have to move them closer to the fire, then move them back k again if they got too hot. I, myself, had the chair almost fold up on me when I leaned forward a bit to get my hot dog in a better spot over the fire. I could not help but notice those with the rocking chairs were not having these issues. They would rock forward easily, allowing them to move nearer the fire or back away with ease, and not once did I see on try to close up on someone.
Our second night out a bunch of the older kids were going to be at the main pavilion for a “Start of Summer” dance. My husband and I got to use the reclining camping chairs a couple of kids were not using for the evening. They really were quite comfortable! They adjusted well to whatever position was most comfortable for me, and did not feel like they were going to fall at any moment.
After we got home, form that first trip we went back to the store and bought new chairs, two rockers and two recliners. I like how well they fold up and the straps for carrying them. We took them to the drive in the other night and it was so much more pleasant than sitting in the car or in our old chairs. My brother and sister-n-law went with us to the drive in; when they saw our chairs, they just had to try them out. Now it seems that my brother is going to go get some for his next fishing trip, he said that it would make it a truly relaxing trip.
I have been camping most of my life, and was very pleasantly surprised to learn about rocking camp chairs. I imagine as the summer wears on I will be more and more grateful for them. I can hardly wait until our next outing to see what more I can learn!
photo credit: Serge Melki
