Gear review: OzTrail Forbes Camp Chair

We recently purchased a pair of OzTrail Forbes camp chairs. Despite it being a forced (hasty, rushed, necessary, pressing) purchase, it turned out that I would gladly pick this chair out of any on the market.

The backstory to the ‘forced’ purchase was a lesson to us all. Our camp chairs were securely locked away in the ute’s luggage pod, only for me to realise the key was being 600km away! Not the ideal start on the first night of our week-long outback New South Wales trip. (Note to self: always have the spare in the vehicle or on the car key ring).

Luckily, we were at Nyngan Riverside Park for our first stopover. We took a trip into town and the local hardware store had two OzTrail Forbes chairs in stock, as well as a couple of cheapie chairs. There is something comforting when you see a brand you can trust — OzTrail being one of those brands that have great products in their range.

The ‘Forbes’ come in a handy carry case with a shoulder strap, are pretty lightweight (just over 4kg) and are reasonably priced (we paid $77 for each). Given our chair-less situation, I would have paid double! The chairs are strong with a 19mm high-tensile steel frame and made from 600 Denier Padded Double Weave polyester fabric. They slipped easily in the tub of the ute and we headed to Gundabooka National Park to make camp, comforted by the knowledge that we had chairs to kick back on that evening around the fire pit.

The chairs were very easy to set-up with all the legs sliding easily into place — no force required at all. The ‘sit’ test proved them to be very comfortable, with great back support and armrests that can be adjusted to suit your comfort level. The full back piece of the chair keeps the small of your back well supported as well keeping the chill off. The sitting area is nice and wide, and can accommodate bigger frames easily. The chairs can support 200kg and feel like they are built to last. Time will tell but they were faultless on our trip. Packing them up is just as easy, as they slide easily back into the carry bag.

The Forbes camp chair is a very comfortable chair that is put together well. There are a few details that make it feel like a tried-and-true product. There is a little triangular side pouch to store the carry bag while you are using the chair. Nice one. The back of the chair has a storage pouch for magazines and map books. The stubby holder fits 1.5L water bottles or cans with stubby covers on. Nice one #2! There is an insulated little esky incorporated in the left armrest which can hold four cans or bottles. Inside the esky is an attached bottle opener! Very, very nice thinking.

Sitting around the campfire, sussing out a map book while having access to a few cold ones at arm’s reach is my idea of heaven. If you are looking for a quality camp chair then have a look at the OzTrail Forbes camp chair. It’s a beauty.

Head over here for more info.