Quake Stag Chair

Anyone who uses a hide regularly will be familiar with the problem of finding a good seat, and the Stag All Terrain Seat (ATS) from RUAG could well be the answer. I first saw it on the Bergara Barrels stand at IWA 2010, and even though Bergara didn’t have a UK distributor at the time, their European Manager, Juan Angel García, kindly sent me one to try out, so this is definitely a long-term test!

The seat is produced by US company Quake, and like their other products, the ATS is primarily made of tough plastic, olive green in colour and with a matte finish. This also helps keep the weight down to around 2.6 kg.

COMPACT PACK

The ATS is compact and packs down small thanks to its folding back rest, and telescopic legs that stow away in the base. There are also a couple of slots on the back rest and base to allow you to fit a sling directly to it. I think Quake have missed a trick by not supplying a dedicated sling, though RUAG do provide a carrying bag.

To assemble - pinch in the sprung plungers at the top of the legs and slide them out of their storage channels. Then, slot them into the four integrated brackets in the underside of the base where they lock in place, and fold out the back-rest. The legs are telescopic from 16 to 23.5” so can be adjusted for any terrain to give a stable position. They have broad circular feet that resist sinking on soft ground too.

SILENT SWIVELLING!

The seat/back rest section swivels on the base/leg assembly by means of a ‘silent swivel bearing’ and turns noiselessly in any direction a full 360°. Meanwhile a thin green cushion provides a modicum of padding and is attached with Velcro, so that it can easily be removed for cleaning.

Overall the design is very good, and words such as robust, compact and versatile spring readily to mind!

But, and it must be said, it’s a little Spartan when it comes to comfort. This is due partly to the back rest, which obliges you to sit up straight, and its slender cushion, but mostly to the small size of the seat area, which is just 30 cm in diameter. Nevertheless, the Stag will support an amazing 227 kg, so whatever size you are it won’t give up on you! One other aspect of the design came to light after repeated use; the plungers that lock the legs in position cannot be fully pressed in with your fingers. I found I needed a plunger to disengage then from time to time!

Such criticisms aside, I’ve yet to find a more stable seat, or one that makes it easier to transition from sitting to taking the shot. Whether you’re mounting a shotgun or shooting a rifle off sticks, it gets you into position quicker and more easily than anything else I’ve tried. And when it’s not in use in the field it sits at my reloading bench, doing double duty as a compact swivel chair. What’s more, mine has now seen over two years of regular use and is still going strong!