BL Workshop
Build a camp chair
Relax around camp by building a comfortable chair. It’s easy if you have the pioneering skills.
Materials
- Three spars about 4 inches in diameter, two 8 feet long and one 12 to 15 feet long
- Four sections of rope, one 30 feet long and three 3 to 4 feet long
- 6-by-8-foot (or slightly bigger) tarp, folded into an isosceles triangle
- Three heavy rocks slightly smaller than baseballs but larger than golf balls
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VIDEO: See how to perform a tripod lashing. |
Step One: Determine which ends of each spar are the thickest, and designate those as the base of each spar. Lay the two shorter spars together on the ground, parallel to each other, with each base at the same end and even with each other.
Lay the long spar down in the opposite direction, with its base at the opposite end from the bases of the shorter spars, with only about two feet of overlap at the tops. Keep them all parallel.
Use the 30-foot rope to perform a tripod lashing around all three spars.
Step Two: Fold each rock into a corner of the triangle-shaped tarp and twist to create a pocket that will hold the rock. Then tie one of the three shorter ropes around the pocket holding the rock by wrapping a few times and tying off the end with two half hitches.
Be sure to leave 2 to 3 feet of rope available. Repeat for each corner.
Step Three: Attach the tarp to the tripod by wrapping the remaining rope around each spar once or twice and finishing with a taut-line hitch.
The longest spar should act as the back leg of the chair, so attach the rope at higher point on that spar to create the back of the chair.
Step Four: Relax comfortably in your chair.
Read 17 comments about “Build a camp chair”

Everyone knows that if you take oxygen away from a fire, the fire will go out. But what happens when you add extra oxygen?
January 30th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I am going to see if my troop wants to do this at summer camp for one of the pioneering projects because it looks cool and comfortable.
January 29th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Im gonna make this as soon as the winter is gone
January 28th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Too bad it’s still winter. I’m gonna make this in front of the lake or the river and read with the relaxing birds, water. I’m gonna have one great summer.
January 28th, 2008 at 9:43 am
What are you going to do about the mistakes? For example, the ending knot in the vidio is not a clove hitch.
January 26th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
i think i am gonna go try this in the woods
January 25th, 2008 at 9:08 am
this sounds awesome im gonna try it at summer camp =)
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
this is cool cuz im a roap dude and this a cool thing to do for a meeting