Think we have finally purchased all we are going to buy now for the two weeks in Cornwall (hope it stops raining!).
After hours of testing, and miles of travelling, we have, at last, purchased teh four chairs we need for holiday.
The need for chairs came because we decided against the folding plastic picnic table and benches that we have used for the last couple of years. We have decided this year, instead, to buy lightweight aluminium table and chairs. But which ones? The table was a fairly easy choice - Sunncamp Slatted Activ Plus - stylish and lightweight, folds into a bag. Just what we wanted.
But the chairs....so much choice; type, style, price, manufacturer. Do we go for a "bucket" type that folds into a bag? Do we buy lounger types that can be "sat-up"? Decisions, decsisions. And they had to be suitable for twp little-ish people as well (the kids, 9 & 6).
Well, today, we finally bought two Sunncamp Aluminium Directors chairs (with side tables) for me and the OH. For the kids, we bought two Outwell Club Chaie Deluxe - again a "directors" style, but a little smaller.
I think we are happy with our purchases, our only concern being space. Whilst we do have the Picasso, these chairs fold flat, as opposed to folding into themselves, but I think on reflection, they won't take any more room up, on average, as four decent "bucket" chairs that fold into the bag.
My main point, after you have read all of this, is:
What decisions have you made with regards tables and chairs? Have you done the "sitting round the table test"? Or the "will I get a sun tan in this chair" test (Ha, not in cornwall, I hear you laugh!). I'm just curious as to what other people find comfortable, practical and useful in terms of their seating arrangements.
I always think you spend more time relaxing than sitting at the table when your on holiday,I suppose like most we have a mix of chairs all ok for sitting at the table and relaxing after as well
We tend not to sit at the table, we eat off our knees (well, off a plate on our knees)
We have four of the 'bucket' type chairs and we have a folding table, more for putting stuff on rather than eating off. Having said that, we haven't been away for two weeks yet so it may get used more when we do. The onl thing I find with the bucket chairs is that they tend to make the back of your legs ache so I think we are going to take some seat pads when we got away for two weeks.
Trace x
------------- May/June - Spring Valley
Aug/Sept - Leekworth
We also have the bucket type chairs, not the best for sitting to a table but it doesnt take long to eat a meal, and these are quite comfy for lounging in too.
Also have a lafuma relaxer which is fab but if space is limited then it stays at home
We've progressed through a variety of stools & chairs - trial & error finding which suited us best. When we used the caravan we used a couple of directors chairs (still got 'em) - quite comfortable. But folded size proved too big for my previous car so bought a couple of much smaller canvas folding chairs - but found when relaxing that the backrest uprights were digging into my back. So bought a couple of the modern lightweight aluminium "bucket" chairs - don't fold up all that small and are quite wide inside the tent using valuable space - but they are oh so comfy for relaxing in we wouldn't be without 'em! One of the best purchases I ever made - and we got 'em cheap at sale price - in fact I think the shop had put the wrong price on them as the aluminium versions we got should have been a lot dearer! Shhh!
After trial and error, we have two "old fashioned" spring loaded folding picnic chairs, which we find perfect for eating and relaxing, and they take up less room all around and are very quick and easy to open and fold away and store. I too find that the fold-up "bucket" chairs, hurt the backs of our legs. We have two flat folding tables (Woolworth) which we use in many combinations, but mainly one for cooking on the other for eating on. We have found this combination of chairs/tables works well for us, but we are only two adults, and tend to camp just at weekends.
We've got the bucket chairs that fold up into a sack. There ok but ones' broken already (eachone cost £15 !) I've now just bought two extra chairs from ASDA. They are like the bucket chairs but without the arms. We've already used them and they are mightly comfortable. The best bit is that they cost £3.59 each ! I couldn't resist a bargain like that!
We also had bucket chairs and sadly they broke after not much use. Now we have two Lallemand chairs, for eating at the table or from a tray on lap and general sitting around, they are on their fourth season, two years ago I bought a Lafuma for lazing in, oh boy now that is luxury, might buy him indoors one this year. Its the old adagé ' yer gets what yer pays for'
------------- Gaynor
I have three sides, left, right and wrong - which one are you on?
We have a selection of the fold-up-in-a-sack type chairs and for a table take the legs off our green plastic patio table and put it on the floor of the boot of our car before we load everything else on top.
It is a standard sized table which will seat six at a push but fits easily in the back of our people carrier and used to fit in the boot of our Vectra as well.
I can't stand eating off my lap (even with a plate !) and find having a large table makes food preparation much easier.
Quote: Originally posted by BradfordBantam on 24/7/2005
we finally bought two Sunncamp Aluminium Directors chairs (with side tables) for me and the OH.
We tried the Sunncamp Director's chair [without the table] and found them by far the most comfortable - for us, anyway.
Trouble was they only had the one on display left! All the others had sold out and they aren't getting any new ones in?!?! Doh!!
Anyone know of any suppliers who still have these in stock??
We take one of those cheap blue tables with attached chairs for eating at. We aren't expecting it to last for our long holiday as we saw so many broken ones abandoned on campsites round france last year, so see it as something of a disposable item LOL!
For sitting around we got the director type chairs at Costco - much more comfy than the cheapo Tesco ones we borrowed from a mate and still only cost about a tenner. We got the kids those too then saw the £3.97 ones without arms at Asda which pack much smaller so we took 2 of the Costco ones back and got Asda ones for the kids. Leaving room for a cheapo aluminium table from Aldi.
The one thing I always find we are short of in the tent is workspace & storage, so for my birthday hubby got me a larder with a hard top (who says he's not a romantic!)
Hubby insists on taking his big padded lounger, but I'm quite happy with a directors chair which takes up about a sixth of the space of his lounger
We've used a fairly standard folding table for the last four years, but during the winter I just happened to see a low folding table which matched the standard one, and at £5 I just couldn't resist.
However I did have to hide this new table from hubby - for some reason he thinks I'm forever buying camping equipment . I packed both tables in the boot on our first trip this year, and noticed him looking from one to the other when I got them out. Then he asked a stupid question "Where's that other table come from?", so I told him that the big table must have been pregnant when I packed it in the boot. That saved me from a telling off cos he just had to laugh
I put the low table directly under the higher table so it makes a shelf for lamps, tissue box, books, and other bits'n'bobs, so I can utilize the space under the table.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Table and Chairs
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