Camp chair / Plank chair plans

[cward]

the military officers of the time often carried along chairs and tables. of course they had wagons. but 1 chair on a pack mule is no problem.if you had a tent you usually had a pack mule or horse; unless it was a diamond or such.  if you want to have a chair. just state that you got it off of a soldier at a fort. if your leader doesn't agree and has a large tent ask him how he got it in using pc methods. hope this helps

[Mortblanc]

I have absolutely no evidence to back this up. But I seem to remember being told that the curved back, slatted chairs (minus the fancy cut out topper) were based on components from a pack saddle. Anyone else ever run across this info?
Found this link
www.scouters.us/homecha.html

chris

Nope, they are first documented to Boy Scout Camporees in the 1930s.  The plans are in the old BSA handbook.

PC is NOT no chairs.  About the last place a mountain man would have sat was on the bare ground.  About the first thing he would have built for his wintering in camp would have been something to sit on.


The most PC insisting folks do not study their history real well most of the time.  They seem to forget that most folk traveled by wagon or boat and they took a lot of stuff with them.  Even the longhunters came over the mountains with pack strings of up to 200 horses.  the number of folks that WALKED into the wilderness with only what they could carry on their backs could probably be counted on one hand.  Everyone brought gear with them, sometimes lots of it.

Even the most crude of camps would have had boxes from the pack horses and saddles from the riding stock to sit on.  I do not know a single old timer of my aquaintance that would prefer the ground over the comfort of a good log beside the campfire.

Many of the sketches of military camps show the use of straightback chairs and full table sets.  General Braddocks wagon train was over a mile long and much of it was camp gear. 

You can bet that one of the things in the wagon when Mama came across the mountains was her good chairs.  This past fall I finally found a set of antique hickory strip  bottom straight back chairs for use in my camp at historc sites.

The small canvas seat folding chairs (like you get at Walmart for $10) date back to the pyrimids of Egypt and all eras between then and now.  They have always been popular.  the canvas seat directors chair dates back to the Napolianic wars.  I believe there is one in the Washington collection. 

[greggholmes]

Well folding chairs have been around forever, so as far as i'm concerned if its period correct then its good to go. Getting older, its either have a folding chair or stay home. I'm bringing a chair.

17th - early 19th century




http://home.comcast.net/~blkhrse/index.htm
"Q How far back does this design go?
A This particular design is closely associated with the Ming Dynasty 1345- 1644. There is evidence that it pre-dates the Ming Dynasty and it certainly exceeds it. " The folding armchair, which appeared with the advent of the chair-level mode of living in the Song dynasty, evolved from the ancient folding stool that had been used in China since the second century. By the Ming dynasty it was so common that it is the only chair to appear in the 1436 illustrated children's primer Newly Compiled Illustrated Four-Word Glossary (Xinbian duixiang siyan), where it is listed under its modern name, jiaoyi ("folding chair")." "In China once a form was created it continued to exist as a viable artistic possibility for later imitation and development. So while the classical furniture style had its main origins in the Song dynasty (960-1279)1 it did not reach its apogee until the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (c. 1550-1735)"


http://brimstonesandtreacle.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/you-are-a-nomad/

[Swede]

  Sit on the ground,  cool if your 20, how old is your leader.Since were all getting a little long in the tooth, if anyone asks, say your relative from the far far future sent you one back in time. Usually as long as its not a lawn chair, I have NEVER had anyone complain about my chair. And if they do ask them" Would you like to buy me all my supplies". Every event I've ever been to people have chairs. Just try to make'em outta proper stuff. Like Wood. I have made several of these plank chairs and sold many and they are pretty well accepted. Nobody needs to get hurt trying to please the so called "Period" correct thread counters. Important thing have fun.

Howdy BrokenHawk. I have a few years on my Segundo and still not too old to sit on a pile of blankets, a stump ... or a buffler robe if I can get one. We've done CW and cowboy for more than 20 years (more like 30 for me) and have little use for farbs, so I'm just trying to manage the slippery slope as best I can.