Camping Tables: What Should You Look For?

Written By W Davis

If you've ever used one for any length of time, you know how important quality is when choosing a folding table for your outdoor or garden gear or for your tailgate party set-up. There are many "cheap" (and yes, I mean that in every sense of the word) materials out there, with folding metal and webbing.

You need quality workmanship and materials, especially if you don't want to be shelling out money every camping or tailgate season. I prefer wood and canvas because I can see the quality and more importantly, if something DOES break years down the road, I can repair it much easier.

I look for wood and canvas because I can see the quality and more importantly, if something DOES break years down the road, I can repair it much easier. You need quality workmanship and materials, especially if you don't want to be shelling out money every camping or tailgate season.

What you should look For In your Camping Table.

Make sure your choice is made from quality wood. Metal is ok but lets face it. it just doesn't give that same "feel" when you sit down to enjoy the evening. Functionality, and dependability are important.

Lower to the ground designed camping tables make for great side tables for beach camping, when sitting around your campsite or next to the grill in the College stadium lot. This type of sturdy construction and compact storage size is what you should be looking for. A camping table needs versatility and a weight of less than 14 lbs is ideal or else you will feel like you are carrying luggage around with you.

You are wasting your money if it breaks with in 18 months, which in my experience, is usually what happens, especially with the cheaper "imports". That great "clearance sale" at wally world may have looked like a deal. What good does it do to buy a new one every other year? It is important choose one with very good quality.

Look at the joinery of your prospective selections. Does it look "cheap"? Trust your instincts... you can tell. Make sure the materials are high quality. This is why I shy away from those wally specials. I just have no way of knowing if the materials used in the manufacturing process is any good.

Webbing or Canvas. Sustainability is much better with canvas. My personal choice is canvas seat material. It holds up much better than any web type material that I have ever used and with a good quality canvas, just doesn't tear unless it is really old. Plus, it is easily repaired.

For a quick and easy set up, look for a camping table that folds up into a convenient size that is store-able and is portable.

Solid Ash hardwood and stainless steel hardware make this table beautiful and built to last. When set up this table is 28" x 36" and 30" tall and the weight is 16lbs. It is perfect for the beach, camp, RV, boat or backyard. This roll top camping table version is a good example of what to look for in a camping table.

Here is another concept, lower to the ground designed camping tables make for great side tables for beach camping, when sitting around your campsite or next to the grill in the College stadium lot. This type of sturdy construction and compact storage size is what you should be looking for. A camping table needs versatility and a weight of less than 14 lbs is ideal or else you will feel like you are carrying luggage around with you.

W Davis has never seen Bigfoot, he does not rule out the possibility given his unfortunate chance observations of those "weekend warriors" that insist on going "au natural" in the woods.

Back to article list