Oshkosh Newbie - What do people do with their camp chairs all day?

Hello!

My husband and I will be bringing our 14yo aircraft enthusiast and his three best friends to Oshkosh for the first time this year. From forums and photos I think I have a pretty good handle on what to expect, except for one thing: I'm not seeing many people carrying their camping chairs around the AirVenture grounds but I do see a lot of them sitting in them for the air show. Do people typically leave their chairs at the viewing area and go exploring? And are they unattended? I read one person plead for people not to do that because they can get blown into aircraft. We had also considered bringing a wagon to lug the chairs around in all day but I'd rather not because I imagine using the trams might be an ordeal with a wagon in tow.

We'll be camping at Scholler but were hoping to not return to camp during the day because it sounds like it's a pretty far walk. We were planning to go into the show grounds in the morning and have everything we need for the whole day until we return to camp for sleep.

Any ideas on how this works are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

--Cheryl

Welcome to Oshkosh!
The people sitting right up front with their chairs sit there all day. Security really frowns on unattended lawn chairs, they tend to blow away into parked aircraft. The people sat 15ish feet back can walk right up with their chairs. Me, I carry a little compact camp chair in my backpack.

There are buses to get from Camp Scholler to the fence. You can carry bag chairs on the bus. We usually go back at some point and then get the chairs. There are lines to wait in though. I've since started bringing a couple of scooters for my wife and I that we leave at the fence.

From a previous Oshkosh event; quite clear about what they want.

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I've also heard announcements at previous events that unattended chairs would be confiscated, although I never witnessed it being enforced. It's primarily about aircraft safety but also about courtesy to other attendees. I have a Walkstool that is easy to carry and very sturdy (capacity ~ 250lbs). Hope you and your group have a great time!

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My advice is bring the wagon but leave it at your campsite the first day--carry your chairs and see how the day goes. If you find not having the wagon too burdensome then you can go back and get the wagon or suck it up for that one day and bring the wagon out the next. Having light portable chairs is real help. We have these collapsible ones (like the pics below) we bought at OSH years ago and use them all the time. Also there is no way you're going to ride a tram and tow a wagon nor will there be space to put the wagon on the tram.

Chairs are only a risk of blowing away if they're left set up. I have always left mine in the bags, parallel to the runway to save my spot when I get up to walk around. You do run the risk of coming back to them having been moved if an aircraft arrives or leaves.

Frankly, I would rather people leave them out there responsibly vs walking around through crowds getting beat by them while strung over someone's shoulder.

If you can, bring bikes for getting around the campground. Our first time we stayed at a hotel and were stuck on the grounds all day. Our most miserable Osh experience by far. Camping in Scholler gave us a home base to bring only what we needed for a few hours. No need to lug around rain gear, gallons of water or chairs. Also opens up the lunch options instead of paying Osh prices for bad fast food. The EAA makes Vegas casinos look like amateurs when it come to separating you from you money.

As said, you’re not getting on the trams, which is the main way of getting around, with a wagon. Not to mention the amount of miles you’ll be walking in the heat carrying all your supplies.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Auburntsts

My advice is bring the wagon but leave it at your campsite the first day--carry your chairs and see how the day goes. If you find not having the wagon too burdensome then you can go back and get the wagon or suck it up for that one day and bring the wagon out the next. Having light portable chairs is real help. We have these collapsible ones (like the pics below) we bought at OSH years ago and use them all the time. Also there is no way you're going to ride a tram and tow a wagon nor will there be space to put the wagon on the tram.

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I put two of the little chairs Todd linked in my small backpack and schlep them around as necessary.

I suspect another reason for not wanting is unattended chairs is to keep people from dropping a chair and "claiming" a prime viewing spot before wandering around.

I agree with everyone in this thread about not leaving chairs unattended, but what you'll find is that in recent years that has gone completely unenforced, and chairs will be littering the front of the flight line most of the day. Fortunately, most of them will be folded, in bags etc as to not be as likely to turn into anti-aircraft missiles.

Thank you all so much for your replies! It really helps having a wide array of experiences to learn from. I think I've settled on leaving the wagon at camp and I've purchased some of those little folding chairs to carry around in our backpacks. Looking forward to meeting everyone and basking in the friendly aviation culture of Oshkosh!