Take a seat, right over here on this collapsible camping chair — or what we in the Midwest commonly refer to as “bag chairs.” Not to be not confused with “bean bag chairs,” these novelty chairs became commonplace in the 1980s, and seemingly everyone now has a number of them stowed away in their vehicle trunks and hatches. After all, you never know when you may be at a camping trip, sporting event, a beach or a picnic and need a chair.
Before an ISU football tailgate several years ago, my wife and I realized that we could not find our bag chairs. No worries, I said, and I made a quick trip to a nearby box store, only to find two hot-pink-colored chairs remaining. So I bought them, and we stood out like flamingos in the parking lots of Jack Trice Stadium. Then when we returned home, I found the other 18 that we have.
It could have been worse. If you were like me and did not read the weight capacity for most of these chairs, you quickly realized that the 200-pound limit really does mean 200 pounds. Not 207 pounds. It was then when I began to understand the difference between plastic, aluminum and steel frames.
Of course, what good is a bag chair without a bag made of the same polyester or nylon fabric and a handy shoulder strap? This sure beats carrying those old-fashioned webbing chairs that my dad had. You know, the ones that left the weave impressions on the back of your legs?
Some friends and I were relaxing on bag chairs recently, and one of them remarked how the person who invented these things must have made a zillion dollars. That got me thinking, who did invent these chairs, and when? After a bit of research, I learned that it was Joseph Mathias Arnold, a citizen of the French Republic who resided in Belgium. He filed a patent in 1911 for the “combined collapsible chair and bag.” It apparently took a while to catch on.
Impress your friends with that fact when you pull out a bag chair at your next tailgate. Or if you happen to need a few, just let me know.
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
