The perfect camping chair is a subjective thing.  It can be different things in different settings, too.  In the days of car camping, our heavy duty folding chairs were just the ticket for the limited space and ease of use.  Now that we have the Casita, we have a little more room to lug a little more luxury.  For me, that is Cabelas folding rocking chair.

I like this rocker because it is tall and has firm wooden arms to help propel me out when the food needs tending, the dogs need gathering or a drive by question comes in requiring me to get up and go to the road to answer.  It comes with a head rest pillow that can be slid down to use as a lumbar support and that can be customized with a little fabric slipcover to match the tablecloth (I mean, why not???)

I also like this rocker because I use it at home in my meditation circle.  When I can’t still my mind, the rocking seems to help focus my energy and calm me.  I like to have that same opportunity in the campground when the birds awaken me and lure me outdoors with a cup of hot tea.

So, where is the imperfect part???  Well, faithful readers, the imperfection comes in the place where the vertical arm supports meet the runners.  The maker leaves these tubes open, presumably to allow for moisture evacuation.  Unbeknownst to me, this is also a lovely hiding place for swarming nests of tiny little ants.

For some reason, my daily rocking didn’t upset them enough to make themselves known before I loaded the rocker into the car.  All the drive north, I was seeing little ants and wondering what was up.  When I went to jiggle the chair out of the back, out they came en masse.  Yikes!  You should have seen me drag that chair off towards the woods and shake rattle and roll it.  Yes, sympathic folks, it was distressing to know how hard they had to work to vacate their homes with just their eggs on their backs and try to make a new home in a scary new wood–but not nearly as distressing as the thought of my being swarmed in my morning zen.

Alas, the moral of the story is that things are often not perfect– but perfect enough–as long as you keep your eyes open and know there can always be little upsets along the way.  Check everything before loading,  and rock  your troubles away .

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