The Ultimate Travel Chair For Dog Sports, and Beyond

Despite growing up in Oregon and camping constantly, the virtues of different types of camping chairs never crossed my mind. I just figured that some aspects of camping were uncomfortable — rickety camping chairs being one of them. When I got into dog sports as an adult, that story changed completely. Gear became a bigger focus, because suddenly, what I chose to surround me and Miles with became important to our success or failure in competition (if your canine teammate is uncomfortable, forget it!). In “good gear finding” mode, a lot of interesting discoveries came up. Agility taught me to pack with great skill and efficiency for absolutely anything, and, for the first time in my life, I realized that travel chairs had the possibility of offering relief, rather than nessesary discomfort! Early into our agility career, I found the best travel chairs ever. This year, Strongback added a new update to their line: the same famous chair, but with mesh.

Strongback Elite on Amazon (Affiliate Link)

I used my previous Strongback chair constantly, and basically put it through the rounds for three years. I am bad, I even store it uncovered outside. And no matter what I do, it is still in perfect shape. I can’t say the same for the camping chairs of my youth. Anyway, it wasn’t like I needed to replace my original Strongback. These chairs aren’t cheap, because they are comfortable, solid, and they last. (The main downside to having a Stronback chair in agility is that every time I come back to my chair, someone is sitting in it — which is actually really annoying!)

With that said, I was so curious about the new mesh chair that I wrote Strongback, and they agreed to send me one to test. I was a bit worried that the mesh would add a vulnerability to the design, based on how hard I use the chair. So getting one free to use rough ‘n’ ready for a year was a low-risk test for me. It turns out, the chair is the same excellent product, and just as durable as the original, but even more incredible for dog sports, thanks to the mesh.

Summer

In the summer, the back support of the Strongback Elite Mesh allows for safe and supportive rest during big annual events. These range from regular competitions, to intense Regional and National events. Most summer agility trials are long all-weekend outdoor events — in the blistering heat! The mesh elements on this chair are study and help keep me cool right after and in-between runs.

Winter

Peak agility season is in the wet and cold winter. In the winer, comfort is even more important than the summer! After a sprint on-course, all I want to do is to stay relaxed and flexible while I try to warm up in a cold barn. Then, after taking Miles out for a bathroom break, all I want to do is to dry off and warm up. The Elite Mesh chair keeps the influx of dirt away (even when dogs come to say hi, sit on the chair!) and keeps me warm and dry.

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