OZtrail Folding Camp Chairs

Folding camp chairs are a necessity for comfortable travelling in the outback and anywhere else for that matter. I’ve just picked up a couple of new OZtrail folding camp chairs to add to my slowly building collection.

I have my favourite chairs and depending on the sort of trip I’m going on and my vehicle’s carrying capacity, I can choose which one will best suit on the day.

I’ve used plenty of different chairs over the years and some have lasted and some have not. I’m not saying I put them through hell but bouncing around in the back of my patrol Cruiser as a Ranger really put them and their covers through the wringer.

Now that I’ve retired from rangering I generally look for comfort and the chair usually gets to ride inside my vehicle these days. Many of the cheaper chairs I’ve had came with covers not worth the material they were made from and so now I tend to look for chairs and carry bags made out of long wearing materials.

I’ve seen so many busted and broken chairs abandoned in the bush and others deposited in bins along the roadsides to entrust my hard earned cash in products not made to last.

So what chair did I get this time?

After having a good look around and doing a lot of sitting I decided on two new chairs from OZtrail, the first is called the TACTIX ARM CHAIR and the second, the RV CHAIR.

The Tactix Chair

The Tactix comes in a camouflage fabric front and back and has a strong steel frame. As per most chairs the seat, seat back and arm rests are made out of durable polyester as is the carry bag. Just how long the carry bag will last is something that I’ll monitor over time.

It has a weight rating of 150kg and comes with storage pockets, a side arm cooler and a drink holder for added convenience. Whilst I’m not too worried about the open size I was happy to see the chair pack down to 97 x 18 x 18 cm, suitable for me at least, to place in the back of my vehicle.

I was a bit worried at first about weight as I was looking for an aluminium frame but this one came in at 4.7kg and, with a sturdy carry bag, could easily be carried over my shoulder.

The Tactix chair has a one year Manufacturer’s Warranty against defects of material or manufacture.

The RV Chair

The RV CHAIR is a much stronger unit with solid arms and has an integrated adjustable lumbar support for making the chair suit your comfort level.

Again it has a strong high tensile steel frame and is constructed using a combination of hard wearing denier and rip stop fabrics. It has an air mesh head rest and the solid arms are padded for added comfort.

As with the Tactix it also has an integrated wine glass holder, side drink holder and a rear storage pocket for keeping everything you need handy. It even has self levelling feet for positioning your chair on uneven ground.

The colour of the chair may not be exciting but I guess grey conceals stains and wear pretty well.

This chair is rated to 170kg and the 3 cross-bracing hubs and vertical stabilising legs all contribute to greater strength and durability. This chair weighs in at 5.7kg and packs down in the bag at 99 x 15 x 15cm.

The chair fabric has double layer padded construction with microfiber inserts and the headrest is built-in and not detachable like some chairs.

The carry bag is a heavy duty zippered polyester bag with shoulder strap supplied and feels bigger than the Tactix. This chair also has a one year Manufacturer’s Warranty against defects of material or manufacture.

Final thoughts

I’ve only used the chairs a couple of times so far but they’ll get a good test on our next trip into the outback so I’ll let you know how they go.

With so many chairs available and with many at bargain basement prices, it is easy to simply pick a cheap offering but I hate throwing things away. I’ve got one chair that has lasted 15 years with extreme use and only recently did I tear a bit of the fabric and it was my fault not the chair itself.

So I’m sticking with a good brand named chair like OZtrail and like so many of their products I already use, I hope these chairs stand the test of time.