What Chair

bandman · May 7, 2008

What chair?

Kermit chair.!!!! There are others such as the $8.00 from Wally World but the Kerit chair is very comfortable and as far as assemblying it, twice through it and it goesw together in about a minute. Did I mention it is comfortable. No problem packing it on the bike. My wife and I go out on the road all the time camping and we always take our Kermit chairs along. These can be handed down to your kids when they are grown and you can't walk anymore. This is a long term investment. If you want to get one at the rally, they might have a few but they sell out quickly. If you are going to buy one, get it BEFORE you go to the rally.

The_Veg · May 7, 2008

I've got a cheep chair. Yeah it packs down to a yard long by 4-6", but it refuses to die and still looks pretty good- even after a whole summer in the TexSux sun out on the patio. And yes, I do strap that big thing onto the bike.
Besides, for a big strappin' lad like myself there is NO substitute for a big strappin' chair.

crazydrummerdude · May 7, 2008

This is what I use.

cruise_carter · May 7, 2008

Kermit for me!

I pack 2 in with sleeping bags, large tent, etc. in my Jo's U-pack without problems.

Have had mine since 2002 and I go about 260 lbs.
Never a problem, very comfy, and I can sit and stretch out my legs.

I like! :bow

Dale

tourunigo · May 7, 2008

.... two aluminum Wally World chairs at $10 each (on sale) in 2001. Still using them and they have arms. We use a small fold up alum. table between us to set those adult beverages on. At this rate I would be older than Methuselah before I'd come close to the cost of a Kermit for both of us. To each their own eh? -Bob

judjones · May 9, 2008

If you haven't got room to pack a kermit chair you are probably carrying way more crap than you need. Without mine, I would have broken enough $10 chairs over the years to pay for mine (only $70 bucks when I got it). OTOH, Wally World is open on Sunday morning, early enough to return your chair of choice for a refund before heading home. (just kidding, but I was inspired by a true story about a tent, related in another thread).

Muneio · May 10, 2008

themayer said:
Personally, I find it depressing to be surrounded by cheap sh*t that is ugly, just barely performs the task it was designed for (if you're lucky), and will fail after a few uses. Not to mention the incredible waste of resources involved in producing the stuff. [disclaimer: I have no connection, financial or otherwise, to the Kermit Chair Empire]

+1

Muneio · May 10, 2008

jcpuckett said:
Kermit is like yuppie coffee houses ... way over priced. $129.00 for a chair that might have $15.00 worth of materials in it and 1 hour of labor.

You can buy 15 Walmart quad chairs for the same money. I subscribe to the buy it when you get to the rally and give it away or throw it away at the end of the rally.

Certainly not as comfortable as a Kermit, but $129.00 times 2 plus the room two of them would take up on my 1150RT. I carry my soon to be 13 y/o son, Zach, to all of these rallies.

Ok I have to reply to this. Being a cabinet maker by trade I know the cost and time involved in making furniture. I would challenge you to go out and buy the oak, aluminum and stainless hardware required, then build a chair in your stated 1 hour time frame. Can't wait to see your final product! The real problem here is more and more people are under the impression that since they can buy cheap imported goods/junk that nothing including quality American made goods are worth anything! The skills of the craftsman and artist are no longer valued. Only mass quanitys of throw away crap seems to be of value.

PS Don't complain when your job gets outsourced, besides you can work at Wally World for minimum wage.

End of hijack

Cheers and good luck
Bill

jcpuckett · May 10, 2008

Muneio said:
Ok I have to reply to this. Being a cabinet maker by trade I know the cost and time involved in making furniture. I would challenge you to go out and buy the oak, aluminum and stainless hardware required, then build a chair in your stated 1 hour time frame. Can't wait to see your final product! The real problem here is more and more people are under the impression that since they can buy cheap imported goods/junk that nothing including quality American made goods are worth anything! The skills of the craftsman and artist are no longer valued. Only mass quanitys of throw away crap seems to be of value.

PS Don't complain when your job gets outsourced, besides you can work at Wally World for minimum wage.

End of hijack

Cheers and good luck
Bill

Kermit first tried to sell his chair business to a close friend of mine in Egypt Mills, MO, who happens to be a certified master BMW technician and at the time, owner of Grass Roots BMW in Cape Girardeau. My friend has a serious wood working shop in Egypt Mills and knows how to use it. Your statement would be correct if we were only to purchase materials to build one chair. The $129.00 price does not include the aluminum leg extensions.

knary · May 10, 2008

There's something about buying a cheap metal and plastic chair, probably made on the other side of the planet , from the cheap crap store and then throwing it out after a couple days of use that's kind of disgusting. I don't know if it's the tree hugger or the yankee in me that's more bothered by it.

Is it really that hard to lash a chair to the rest of your luggage and get years of use out of it. :dunno

Muneio · May 10, 2008

jcpuckett said:
Kermit first tried to sell his chair business to a close friend of mine in Egypt Mills, MO, who happens to be a certified master BMW technician and at the time, owner of Grass Roots BMW in Cape Girardeau. My friend has a serious wood working shop in Egypt Mills and knows how to use it. Your statement would be correct if we were only to purchase materials to build one chair. The $129.00 price does not include the aluminum leg extensions.

Well I thought we were talking about buying 1 chair?, but regardless. The labor is the majority of the cost. I have absolutely no affiliation with Kermit chair but I seriously doubt anyones getting rich selling those chairs. And I suspect Wally world makes quite a bit more net profit off of their imported $9.99 chairs, can you say volume. So why diss the small business guy trying to make a living? When we spend $129. for a quality product made here that will last 10 years we pay the cost up front, right now, when we spend $10 every year on an imported Wally World disposable chair we pay the price over many years with numerous hidden costs. Unemployment, environmental, etc.
I can't say I don't buy cheap imported goods but I can say I am aware of the trade offs in doing so. I do not agree that a disposable cheap product is a better buy then a quality well made product of the same kind ie. a folding chair. My motto is always buy the best you can afford whether it be a chair, tools, beer or motorcycles. Thats why I own A BMW.

PS I made my own chair and have been known to make my own beer

Bill

bandman · May 11, 2008

quality and pride

I'm with you. There's something about camping on a bike. It's like the ultimate. Nothing wrong with the Winnebago but with the bike I just feel closer to what camping in the great out-of-doors is all about. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and nature is all around us but I just love being out in it. I take pride in the little things that I have saved up and purchased for my bike outtings. The old Kermit is one of those little things. After a long hard day in the saddle, the kermit lends itself for the comfort of the user. Enough said. If a person chooses to spend the extra money for some quality, others should not find fault. IEnjoy what is important to you.

BMorleyW · May 12, 2008

Okay - Kermit it is!

I've been watching this thread with interest since I'll be taking the long way to Gillette (Juneau AK first). I loaded my bike last week and it's tight, trying to take enough camping/cooking/fishing gear for a month does entail a lot of stuff. I had a little chair but couldn't fit it in so I ordered the Kermit. Now I'm worried about packing that but guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes. Thanks for all the info about chairs, it was helpful. Steve

Rapid_Roy · May 13, 2008

I'll be bringing my 7 dollar collapsible chair with me to Gillette. I have had it for years.
Watch it break this year.

kbasa · May 13, 2008

jcpuckett said:
Kermit is like yuppie coffee houses ... way over priced. $129.00 for a chair that might have $15.00 worth of materials in it and 1 hour of labor.

You can buy 15 Walmart quad chairs for the same money. I subscribe to the buy it when you get to the rally and give it away or throw it away at the end of the rally.

Certainly not as comfortable as a Kermit, but $129.00 times 2 plus the room two of them would take up on my 1150RT. I carry my soon to be 13 y/o son, Zach, to all of these rallies.

Our 2 Kermit chairs are now about 15 years old. I bought them for $65 back then. I'd say that $4/year/chair has been a pretty good deal. We've been carrying two on our RT for a few years now and haven't found a better, more economical seat. Even at the current pricing, they're still a great value, given the anticipated lifespan.

We've managed to drop them a bunch of times, had one run over by a GS and recently had to re-glue one of the rolled steel pegs for the upper cross pieces. They just keep on going.

We easily carry two Kermit chairs on top of our Mag's Bag. The Mag's Bag has a stretchy corded spot on top that will hold a pair of chairs easily. (And an umbrella for construction stops, along with stinky sandals) All the rest of our camping gear fits in the bag easily. There's no way I could lash a couple of giant WalMart chairs on top like I do with the Kermits.

kbasa · May 13, 2008

themayer said:
My grandfather learned to work at the end of the nineteenth century, and here at the beginning of the twenty-first century, I still benefit from the fact that I learned to work from him. One of the things he taught me is: always buy the best tools that you can afford. Not only do they do the job they were designed for, and do it for a long time, but also they give pleasure in their use. The Kermit chair is an elegant solution to a common problem. It's made of quality materials, is a pleasure to set up and use, and will last a long time. Personally, I find it depressing to be surrounded by cheap sh*t that is ugly, just barely performs the task it was designed for (if you're lucky), and will fail after a few uses. Not to mention the incredible waste of resources involved in producing the stuff. [disclaimer: I have no connection, financial or otherwise, to the Kermit Chair Empire]

Exactly, Bill. Exactly.

theLuz · May 13, 2008

BMorleyW said:
Now I'm worried about packing that but guess I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

Use the Helen Two Wheels straps and sew the strap on the Kermit bag to thread the strap through, so it doesn't slide out sideways. Works like a champ.

Rapid_Roy · May 13, 2008

themayer said:
My grandfather learned to work at the end of the nineteenth century, and here at the beginning of the twenty-first century, I still benefit from the fact that I learned to work from him. One of the things he taught me is: always buy the best tools that you can afford. Not only do they do the job they were designed for, and do it for a long time, but also they give pleasure in their use. The Kermit chair is an elegant solution to a common problem. It's made of quality materials, is a pleasure to set up and use, and will last a long time. Personally, I find it depressing to be surrounded by cheap sh*t that is ugly, just barely performs the task it was designed for (if you're lucky), and will fail after a few uses. Not to mention the incredible waste of resources involved in producing the stuff. [disclaimer: I have no connection, financial or otherwise, to the Kermit Chair Empire]

Don't overlook cheap sh*t that isn't ugly, and does perform the task it was intended for, and doesn't break. That is far better than expensive stuff that does the same thing, IMO.

your father was a wise man. You must also buy the best tools you can, that actually work for you. Since Kermit chairs do not fit me, I really have no alternative, I feel like I am sitting in a toy. At 7 dollars for the chair I have now (it may have been less), I am down to about less than a dollar per year. If I buy a Kermit chair now, I may not live long enough to get it down to under a dollar per year. Since I only pack for one, my chair easily fits in a duffle bag with my Therm-a-rest (my one concession to a more expensive sleep aid, instead of foam) and I am set to rally. Diversity is the spice of life, not to mention the laughs I will create when my chair does spontaneously collapse.

18989 · May 13, 2008

GCI Quick-E-Seat

I like the GCI Quick-E-Seat $30 from REI $27 from Bass Pro. Lifetime warranty, comfortable, 300# load rating, 4# weight 4" X 27" folded. I've had one for five years, replaced the back rest once under warranty. Great product.

Robert

themayer · May 13, 2008

Rapid_Roy said:
Don't overlook cheap sh*t that isn't ugly, and does perform the task it was intended for, and doesn't break. That is far better than expensive stuff that does the same thing, IMO.

your father was a wise man. You must also buy the best tools you can, that actually work for you. Since Kermit chairs do not fit me, I really have no alternative, I feel like I am sitting in a toy. At 7 dollars for the chair I have now (it may have been less), I am down to about less than a dollar per year.

I haven't yet found any cheap stuff that meets the above description, but I'll keep looking. And if I find it - I'll buy it. When I can get the bargain, I'll take it. When I need to spend more money to solve a problem - if I have it, I'll spend it. I certainly recognize that there are different solutions to a problem for different people. I meant no disrespect toward anyone about their choices. Nor should the makers or buyers of Kermit chairs be faulted for theirs. Let's just keep riding those expensive German bikes.

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