Cheap, light, seat-levelling?

I'm fed up with lugging metal frames with legs that fall out en route and thumbwheels that snag line, luggage and every bramble along the path, so I'm wondering about other ways of levelling a box/chair/basket.

A couple of wedges look like the simplest, cheapest answer, but I have a sneaky feeling that if it were that simple, everyone would be using/making/selling them.

Any thoughts/experiences?

I reckon you're into tricky territory there Alan.

It's not so much the method of levelling as the method of fixing it in place that appears to be causing you part of the problem and coming up with something so that the feet don't slip off, especially in the getting up and sitting down movements will be tricky if it's not part of the chair/box itself.

If it's just the protrusions that are causing a problem I would be inclined to remove whatever locking mechanisms are in place and maybe go with a simple metal pin and hole set up, at least that way you're not creating new problems by fixing the existing one.

You could also hacksaw the pins to just the right length so as to be flush when inserted through the leg frames, might need a bit more thought for something more permanent whilst transporting to your peg though.

Maybe remove the legs/feet that are coming adrift altogether for carrying and pop them in your quiver or strap to the chair/box itself?

Have you looked at the chairs with a wheel kit?

If the wheel base is a good deal wider than the chair it might also solve the problem.

Good luck with it, hope you don't end up like the stranded tortoise on it's back if things don't quite go to plan

Hi Al,
Pondered the same question a few times, the only solution I've come up with is to get some 10x10cm wooden offcuts at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4cm thickness to stick in the bag with a laccy band round them - and use these to even-up the mud-feet of the chair when on uneven pegs!

Cheap and cheerful - can be refined by the addition of a plastic bag for storing them in after a muddy session - and the benefit of preventing a chair leg from falling through some of the less supportive platforms!

Disadvantage is that - by the time you've filled the tackle bag with these graduated bits of bonfire material - you've no room left for tackle! mg:

Tight Lines!

---------- Post added at 10:57 ---------- Previous post was at 10:41 ----------

binka said:

...Have you looked at the chairs with a wheel kit?...

Click to expand...

Hi Binka,
Good engineering solutions - BUT - don't put Mr Tyler on a box on wheels! mg:
I have fond memories of him leaning forward - on a stretch of tidal embankment to rescue a bleak that had dropped off as it was being swung in - when the front feet of the box shot backwards propelling the kindly chap down the slope!

(Un)fortunately it predated the now ubiquitous pocket camera - else I would post piccies of the wet seats he left in the pub and on the bus home!

I've heard of inverted bait-boxes (Drennan maggibox) being used; wondered about bean-bags; thought about wedges with barbs/ridges to stop them slipping...
I'd like to be able to use a basket again, or "el cheapo" garden chairs which don't have individual feet, as well as my boxes (one at a time!)...
If Octoplus did a wicker-basket adaptor I probably wouldn't be bothering!

---------- Post added at 10:00 ---------- Previous post was at 09:59 ----------

Not true!

It's worse... it was a ruffe.

Alan in the good old days, when we used shakey boxes, we used a rolled up towel under the box to level it.

Make an oversized box, fix adjustable feet inside = no snagging.

^^^ Wot he said ^^^

I've seen Flights very own box which he made with these internal fittings, I have to say it's a well thought out and robust box and well worth considering.

I reckon he'll knock you one up for a couple of hundred if you ask him nicely

]I actually bought an all singing all dancing modern box about four years ago. It failed on several counts,
1, the carrying straps came from the box'es centre making it awkward for carrying without it slipping off the shoulder.
2, It sadly would'nt contain all I need to carry making it so I needed a bag for the extra's , that and "losing"a hand made it nigh impossible to adjust the ever slipping box with the poorly thought out strap on my shoulder.
3. Coming up to a stile on the river was easy with the old box, the new one and the extra bag made it a cumbersome, awkward task.
4, same stile and the box swung off my shoulder hitting the handpost causing the magnetic drawer holds to come away resulting in floats, hooks, shot and other sundry items spilling everywhere--- Grrrrr!!!.
5, end result was that the box was got rid of later that week as it was a miserable failure, good luck to anyone who buys one.
My old box overides all the dissadvantages of the modern ones by a country mile, it has internal adjustable feet, loads of carrying capacity, an internally fitted upholstered seat that when upturned can be screwed to a bankstick and used as a bait/bits tray when standing in the river when float fishing, the lid when used with internal seat becomes a back rest which is a godsend when quivertipping.
I made the box in 1971 and other than an odd coat of varnish and paint its never let me down , unlike the modern thing I aquired the other year.
In fairness Tho my main avenue of angling requires me to use the low chair and ruckie but on the occasion I'm after smaller silverfish its often the carrying kit of choice.
Again , best of luck with the £100/800 pound "fishing stations" I,m lucky enough to be able to make my own, I mean, come on, 30p for the hinges--- thats enough to break any Yorkies heart!!