How to Look After Your Camp Chair

How do you look after a camp chair? Do you need to look after a camp chair? Well, yeah, you do, because keeping a camp chair in good nick can extend its life by years.

But first of all, let’s be clear, if you paid less than around 50 bucks for a chair, chances are it won't last long, so don't bother looking after it, just use it and chuck it out when it breaks. Many camp chair manufacturers would simply prefer you throw your chair away, and buy another new one every few months. Hence not that many Camp Chairs are made to last, and for that reason a lot are just not worth looking after.

However, on the plus side, if you have done the research and invested in a decent camp chair, some premium manufacturers DO make camp chairs that are designed to last, so if you’ve ended up with one of these, you will want to look after it, because yes, that will extend its life. It’s not unreasonable to expect a well made camp chair like a Tuff Arse heavy duty chair to last many years or even decades if properly cared for. So if you’ve got a cheapy, use it and chuck it, but if you've got a decent camp chair, read on...

Well made camps chairs only require simple maintenance, so take note of a few simple points, and enjoy years of extended use:

1. Golden rule... don’t pack and store wet. No matter how good the chair is it will go mouldy, slowly deteriorate and rot, likely smelling like a wet dog. If you have to pack up wet, unpack when you get home until dry (same as you would for a tent).
2. Wipe down spills. If you spill tomato sauce and red wine all over your chair at least wipe it off which avoids it leaving a bad stain, but keep in mind some substances like spicy sauces are acidic, and if left can actually eat into the material.
3. Good Chairs are fine to be left in water, sit ‘em in a river or the shallows of a lake no worries. But if it’s left in the ocean, remember salt water is incredibly corrosive - you don’t have to but it’s a good idea to give them a hose down to rinse off the salt afterwards.
4. If something stinky gets on the chair like fish guts use a dishwashing detergent and stiff brush to clean it, the better quality the fabric (look for 600D) the more often you’ll be able to do this.
5. Also it's best not to piss yourself or spew on your chair 'caus it's gunna make a real mess and is just uncalled for.
6. So that’s about it, no rocket science, just basic care that will extend the life of your chair - if you’ve bought a decent one that's worth keeping.