I ordered a couple samples from a marketing company. Both are workable. I'll see if I can figure out how to post a photo.

Byron Kinnaman - I am 65 lbs lighter then when you knew me. Most chairs are OK now.

I'm much too heavy to trust most folding chairs, and bad knees make it tough to stand up from low to the ground chairs. Mrs. Wanda bought me one similar to this about 20 years ago, and it has been to a lot of gigs, jams, and assorted other uses. I'm going to need to recover it soon, the vinyl has some small tears and holes in it. The X frame legs are rectangular steel tubing, it isn't too heavy, and it's very stable even under my weight. Carrying a lot of weight to a jam isn't much of an issue, as I use a 4 wheel dolly. I seem to lug more than 2 dulcimers & a stool with me, usually a banjo and/ or a guitar as well. http://www.samash.com/SearchDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=15&beginIndex=0&sType=SimpleSearch&searchSource=Q&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&pageView=grid&searchTerm=KT7800 I don't recall the name of the seller, I think it was a mail order, but the one here is the Sam Ash chain of music stores. This is similar to mine. If you prefer a seat with a back, a drummers throne is a good starting place. Sturdy, even if you're kicking the bass & hi hat, but heavier to haul. My 4 wheel dolly is from Home Depot, and converts from 4 to 2 wheels. I can haul an amp, a guitar, a banjo, a dulcimer, seat, and a bag of mics & cables on it. If you plan to only take a dulcimer and a seat, you won't need the dolly.

I had purchased a light weight 3 legged chair in $20 range. I had to throw it away after very little use. The light weight ones might work for slight people, but me and probably Mike they'll give up pretty quickly. That's why I bought the Browning chair. It's a bit heavier but should last a long time.

The advantage of folding canvas chairs and stools is that they are lightweight and easy to haul around at a festival or campground, for jamming. They are great for walking around, stopping to visit and sit and jam for maybe an hour and then moving on again. But they are seldom comfortable for long periods of time- for hours of sitting, you really need a sturdier flat-seated chair with more support. Some folding chairs with metal frames and plastic seats are a little heavier and more awkward to carry- but are better if you need to sit more than an hour at a time.

I purchased a three legged chair similar to this one. Got mine at Target for around $20. Works great!

http://www.wayfair.com/Travel-Chair-Ultimate-Slacker-Chair-1489V-L297-K~TCR1019.html?refid=GX21919195140-TCR1019&device=c&PiID []=3936464&gclid=CM-ike-XsroCFQyZ4AodmloAJg

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I have one of the triangular shaped chairs. It is good for playing outside and carrying, but not comfortable to me for sitting for long periods of time. I got it at REI.

I have found that you have to be able to sit up straight, and also have a level lap (knees not higher than hips), in order to effectively play a dulcimer in your lap in a chair.

Hi Louis,

Mate of mine had one of those that I've given a try. I found it comfey enough, but maybe not suited to everyone.(I have the sort of build that can accommodate almost anything)

He used it for fishing though, which seemed to consist mainly of lounging on a river bank drinking cups of tea

Mark--This would be the most comfortable, by far--even without the boat. I still don't know whythere isn't afolding chair that's as comfortable as a boat seat!

Mark Richardson said:

If you're going to be using a chair outside on the ground, here's a trick. Place large metal pickle jar lids or squares of plywood under the feet. They will help keep the feet from sticking into the ground. I've had a number of chairs break at the joints because the feet embedded themselves in the ground and they didn't shift when I did. Having a collapsing chair collapse under you can be embarrassing, awkward, and painful.

Louis, that chair certainly looks comfortable, but it might be more conducive to napping than playing the dulcimer.Just looking at it makesme want to curlupandcatch up on sleep.

Louis Hopkins said:

Mike just remember, especially with a bad back- none of these canvas folders wilol be comfy for long periods of time- you have to get up and stretch and walk around periodically. If your back is very bad, or if you are extra heavy, I'd more likely recommend a standard metal or wooden folding chair.

Mike, the bottom chair in Strumelia's post is called the quick-e-seat and it's made by GCI Outdoor. It can be bought,as Cheryl explains,through REI, Amazon, orevenMike Clemmer, who calls it best ever pickin' chair or something like that. I think it is made for birders or outdoor artists. There is a shoulder strap which also folds the chair up automatically when you lift it. Obviously, it has no arms, so you have room for your instrument. And it has a little bag probably intended to hold a beer, but it works just as well for a tuner, picks, a capo, or whatever you need. The seat of the chair is in the shape of a triangle, with one point intended to go between your legs. It is not as uncomfortable as it sounds, and you want your legs apart when playing the dulcimer anyway. The chair is very light, very portable and very convenient. It is not super comfortable, so you'll want to stand up from time to time and get the blood flowing through your legs again. I have one and take it everywhere.

Mike, you can do searches on Amazon for words like: canvas folding stool chair camping...

We have also seen various folding stools and chairs for sale in Dick's Sporting Goods and in Eastern Mountain Sports stores, you could go check there or anywhere they have camping equipment.

You could go to a large camping/sporting goods store- they have all kinds of folding canvas chars that are designed to be comfortable but lightweight to carry. The chair you linked to would not work for me, since it puts my knees higher than my hips and I need a fairly level lap to play my dulcimer. We find this type of chair to be convenient for traveling/camping/music playing, and to carry when walking around at fairs and festivals while impromptu jamming in different places:

If you aren't going to be walking and carrying the chair very much, then a simple folding chair that is sturdier would be more comfortable- a metal or wooden folding chair that has a level seat and good supportive back is best. It doesn't have to be specifically designed for musicians- I think that's more of a marketing ploy than anything else.

I just keep an old metal folding chair in the trunk of the car. lt works

This is the chair I have and use regularly. I've had it for over a year now and its the sturdiest version of this chair that i've seen. It folds up small and has an attached shoulder carrying strap. You can get it at a number of places including Amazon, Rei, etc, or at Clemmer Dulcimer (no affiliation) http://www.clemmerdulcimer.com/store/index.php?route=product/produc...

And here's an earlier thread about portable chairs that might give you some good ideas as well

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/profiles/blogs/favorite-chair-for-...

We, wife and I, spend a lot of time camping in our little camp trailer. I needed an armless chair to be able to play the MD while camping. I've tried several chairs and found the Browning Dakota Camp Chair to be about good as it gets. There's one market that's about 1/2 the price but worth a lot less, I went through two of the cheap ones.. I found the Browning very comfortable to sit in either while playing for sitting around the camp fire. My wife wants one too, so I'll be buying another soon.

Here's where I bought mine. Browning Dakota Chair

Carrying a Chair

I went to my first MD gathering. Turns out we needed to bring a chair. Our chairs have arms which really doesn't work with trying to play the MD.

What do you use? Is there a really great chair to carry and use? I found this one, but thought I'd ask before I bought.

http://m.everywherechair.com/musicians-portable-folding-chair.html (I have no affiliation/connection with this company)

Your thoughts...?