What To Look For
Consider the work you intend to do on your table, how many people you need to seat and the amount of room you have in your car or camper to store and transport a table.
Decide whether an all-purpose or specialty table better suits your needs. Cooking stations are made to hold a portable stove and prep items for meals. Game tables might have special tops made for specific games or card playing.
Most tables are made from aluminum or steel. Some have extra bracing for heavier loads. Nearly all are weather resistant, easy to clean, lightweight and compact. Look for locking legs with easy fold and release mechanisms.
Common Pitfalls
A slim design does not always mean a light weight. Even the lightest of these tables will be too heavy for packing into remote country unless you drive in.
Watch out for plastic connectors which may be used to attach metal legs or braces and which do not share the durability of metal.
Weight limits on some tables should be taken with a grain of salt. It is best to try out a comparable table before you buy or look for the highest weight rating possible in your price range.
Where To Buy
Amazon.com has a good selection of camp tables. The site provides an idea of the performance of the product in the field through feedback from users and their ratings system.
Camping Gear Outlet has a catalog and online options for ordering, along with a wide selection of tables. Coleman has an online store with cooking stations and camp kitchen tables.
Bass Pro Shops have stores in most states, in addition to their catalog and online shopping options.
Cost
Most tables are available in the $25 to $90 price range. The lower end offers smaller tables with few frills, but if all you need is a dependable surface, they will suffice. Tables with benches, stove racks and carry cases are all available in that range.
More expensive portable tables cost up to $230. Take extra care in shopping for tables over $90--this price range seems plagued with more issues than less expensive tables.
Insider Tips
Not every campsite will have a picnic table. Some do, but maybe you need extra space. Carrying in your table, you know what you have to work with.
Portable tables are more sanitary. Park tables are left exposed to bird droppings and weather. Raw food products may have been placed on the wood. People walk and sit on the table tops, and they are never cleaned.
Portable tables offer plenty of extras. You can even find the traditional picnic table look in a portable model. Many come with matching benches (made to fit the height of the work surface), fold to store like luggage and come with carry handles and cases.
Smaller polyester tables have drink cups and weather resistant fabrics. Polyethylene resin tops offer colorful options and some provide a fold-up table top with no supporting legs beneath to get in your way. A few can hold an umbrella, and in several brands, the table acts as storage case for stools, creating an all-in-one package.
