Now that the sun has come out in the UK, the deckchairs have followed. I love deckchairs, and for me they are the source of many ideas (most not posted yet). They do come with some problems though. One of these is the amount of space they occupy on the beach.

The solution to this is to learn some lessons from the makers of double-deck buses, and make each chair capable of having an extra upper level.

Of course the Double-Deckchair, still folds down for easy storage, but it is by necessity a much more complex arrangement of struts and angled supports, with a built in ladder for access to the upper level.

Once erected, the lower region benefits from a degree of shade, which many people like, whilst the upper level has better views and uninterrupted baking opportunities.

Naturally Double-Deckchair comes with some health and safety warnings - ie not suitable for single use of upper level only; larger folk should remain on lower level; not suitable for use in windy conditions without deploying guy ropes; certified training given in erection process.
-- xenzag, May 31 2012

Deckchair Health Warning http://www.thenewsv...m/cgi/news.pl?t=542
treat your deckchair with respect [xenzag, May 31 2012]

Triple Deck Deck Chair illustration https://sodabred.tu...515121547/xenzag-19
[xenzag, Sep 05 2019]

I once applied for a technical writing job, and one of the tests was to write a description of a deckchair and how to erect it, without the use of any diagrams.
This would have made the application process doubly hard.

(I didn't get the job)
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, May 31 2012


Was it with the flat pack product lifestyle management department of Ikea by chance?
-- skinflaps, May 31 2012


>Now that the sun has come out in the UK

Really? That's first time since 1497..you're quite sure it wasn't swamp gas reflected off Venus? That would be a more plausible explanation.
-- not_morrison_rm, May 31 2012


//certified training given in erection process//

[marked-for-tagline]
-- ytk, May 31 2012


In the interests of packing as many people onto the beach as possible, use a reinforced single deckchair, and simply double (or triple, or...) stack the people onto it.
-- neutrinos_shadow, Jun 01 2012


You could stabilize it with augers on each of the corners, creating essentially no added footprint for the stabilization mechanism. Make 'em as long as the chair is tall, and it might not need any additional support.
-- ytk, Jun 01 2012


I like [neutrinos shadow]'s idea much better. It would look very comical. But I wouldn't want to be on the bottom.
-- blissmiss, Jun 02 2012


// How much space would this actually save with the widened support base and addition of the ladder? //

[21Q] posited such an uncharacteristically sensible and practical challenge that I took it down to the Infeasible Engineering Department in the 2nd sub-basement of the Heathen Institute for Inadvisably Applied Science & Weaponized Staple Removal. The somewhat disturbingly muscular ladies who run the department whacked together a mock-up and determined that a well-designed Double- Decker Deckchair with anti-tip buttresses, integral ladder, and optional parasol canopy could have a footprint only 30% wider than that of a standard deckchair.

I should warn you, however, that the prototype has not yet been sent to the Rhinoceros Room for destructive testing.
-- Alterother, Jun 02 2012


Although it is purportedly doubled, because it is only half-baked, it still comes out to a single.
-- sqeaketh the wheel, Jun 02 2012


Tell that to the girls down at the Institute.
-- Alterother, Jun 02 2012


See illustration for triple deck deckchair. (a recent variation)
-- xenzag, Sep 05 2019


The problem with the illustrated structure is that the top person's feet will dangle down onto the chest of the second person, etc. Admittedly, this would not be a problem for very short people or for those who lack legs (or, alternatively, a chest).
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 05 2019


// first time since 1497 //

There was the so-called Great Flicker of 1791, but most people blinked and missed it. Then the 8/8 overcast closed in again ...
-- 8th of 7, Sep 05 2019


//top person's feet will dangle down onto the chest// The second person gets to suck the toes of the person on the upper level or use them to warm their armpits if the weather gets a bit fresh.
-- xenzag, Sep 05 2019


You are sick, mon amie.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Sep 05 2019


It's true, and I have infected many. Ha
-- xenzag, Sep 05 2019



random, halfbakery