Choosing a Camping Table

Probably one of the most overlooked camping accessories, a sturdy camping table is one of the more useful and handy items to have with you on a camping trip. There nothing nicer than sitting in your camping chairs around your campfire, but it gets becomes difficult to hold a drink and your plate with nothing to rest them on but your lap. Bringing along some camping tables will definitely help the situation.

So what should you know before you start looking for a camping table? In this article, we'll take a look at all sorts of camping tables and see which ones I recommend you bring on your next camping trip.

There are several features that are common to most camping tables: size, weight and foldability (and yes, I just made that word up).

Most camping tables that you see are going to be big enough to seat four adults comfortably, and six if you don't mind squeezing together. They're also going to weigh around 15 to 20 pounds. If you buy a camping table and chairs set, then it's probably going to weigh around 25 to 30 pounds altogether.

Nearly every camping table is also going to be able to fold up (generally in half down the middle) to provide for easier storage and travel. There are some models of camping tables that don't fold, but they are usually a bit older and I don't recommend using them. Practically the whole point of using a camping table is that it is lightweight and easy to move, so I don't know why you would use anything but a folding table.

The type of camping that you're going to be doing will have a large part to play in what sort of camping table you're going to end up getting. There are essentially two types of camping: car camping, and backpacking. Both are pretty self-explanatory. If you're able to drive directly to your campsite in your car or RV, then you're car camping. You don't have to worry too much about the size or weight of the gear that you're bringing.

On the other hand, if you are planning on backpacking in to your campsite, you will definitely need to consider the amount and weight of the gear that you're going to be bringing.

If you're going car camping, then a standard camp table, like the one pictured, will do fine for you. It's sturdy and most likely large enough to sit your whole family. If you have more than one family coming or are planning on feeding a large group, then you can fit several more tables like this into your car or RV without taking up too much more room.

As I mentioned above, these tables weigh about 15 pounds each, so they're too heavy and bulky for backpacking, but their weight isn't really a concern with car camping.

For backpacking trips, you're going to need a different type of folding camping table. The one that I have pictured to the side is not only much smaller than the other tables, but it weighs much less too, at only 7 pounds. It has room for at least a couple of plates and two drink holders as well.

These sorts of tables have a bit more give than the standard camping tables, but they're still sturdy enough to hold your dinner comfortably. There are also larger models like these that can seat four people comfortably and still weigh under 10 pounds. These lightweight tables work great with a small camping lantern to provide a more comfortable backpacking experience.

There are a number of national and online stores that you can buy camping tables from. As with any camping gear, I always recommend buying from a reputable retailer and getting a known name brand product so you can be sure that what you're buying is good quality and will last you for a long time.

Wal-mart and Target are two of the best well known camping and outdoors supplies retailers. Most of what they sell is going to be good quality, although I would probably be a bit cautious about buying off brand items at Wal-mart.

As far as more camping oriented stores go, REI is sometimes a bit pricey but always has very good quality items. You can shop online at their website, or if you're lucky enough to live near one of their stores going there is always a lot of fun. Cabela's is also a good place to shop for camping supplies. They generally have good prices but their selection is generally a bit lower than what other retailers have.

No matter what sort of camping table you decide on, you're sure to enjoy having it along on your trips to the outdoors. There's nothing quite like having the whole family sitting around a campfire watching the sun set.

For more information on camping topics, check out the links to my other Hubs below.

• Camping in Vendee, a beautiful region on the coast of France
• Camping cooking guide
• Finding a quality camping toilet
• Guide to camping chairs