I'm new to family camping as in the past we haven't really had to do much cooking. However we don't want to have loads of kit and would like to keep things minimal (our car is not massive), but still comfortable.
It struck me that we could maybe eat Japanese style at a low table, sitting on the floor and this would save space on chairs. Also with small kids I wouldn't have to deal with booster seats etc to get them up high.
I have googled about and can't seem to find anything. Any ideas?
I would really like an adjustable foot too, but I realise that might be a bridge too far....
I saw a pic of someones tent with a coffee table used as a dining table, if you got one of the Ikea Lack tables or similar it wouldn't take up that much room as the legs screw off easily enough.
Or alternatively I've just ordered two of these backpacking tables. I plan to use them side by side, just to have a flat surface to set things on especially the stove. I think we could eat around them sitting crosslegged on the floor. I haven't recieved them yet, if you wait a day or two I could give you more feedback. The Yellowstone ones are half the price (£6) to the Gelert backpacking tables but appear very similar. I'll know better when I get them.
We use one of the Backpacker tables and they are pretty handle ..
..but I like the idea of maybe just using a simple household/coffee type table,with detachable legs ..it may even worth checking the charity/secondhand shops?
..that way,it's not too much of an issue if it gets left out in the weather(..or goes "walkies"..)
We use 2 backpacker tables for all sorts of uses camping. When we go touring one becomes our main table. Our 5 year old can get his legs underneath (flat) to eat on the floor when the legs are fully extended - which is useful for little ones. We can squeeze 3 pasta size bowls on one of the tables. Something we find quite useful in combination is granite mats, which act as great drink trays which children can't turn over and are solid flat surfaces for drinks. We also use them under our backpacker stove for stability and to protect the ground.
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
Quote: Originally posted by fiolondon on 20/1/2012
Thanks for the suggestions so far and I look forward to the progress reports from those who have kindly offered!
Granite mats?? I have an image of a paving slab sort of thing in my mind.... but surely not for compact camping?! ;)
A bit smaller than that - the sort you get as table/place mats (e.g. from Wilkos). We have 2 in a jiffy bag. Heavy but hardly take up any room. My husband even uses them as a base for model making if he gets chance when we're on holiday. We started using them under the stove, but found they have a number of great uses.
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
we have this table & stools, the legs can be at half height as pictured although I wouldn't recommend using the stools for under 5s even though they appear the right height.
Got my tables, here's a photo of them showing the two different heights. They can be set at the same height either low or high and put together. Two Yellowstone Backpackers tables, £6 from Amazon. I'm quite pleased with them, I'll probably end up using them for the laptop at home too as a sofa lap tray.
Dimensions 40cm by 29cm, and either 10cm height or 16cm height.
Just as a note - we have some steel reinforced rubber type edging strip designed to go around the doors of a Mini, which we've cut into strips that just push on the feet of the backpacker tables so that they aren't so sharp. Works a treat.
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
..our's seems to be painted with the slippiest paint known to man!?!...
Ours aren't painted (I think that one is a Gelert table) and don't seem to be particularly slippy, but when we use them for drinks in the big tent we do have a non-slip catering tray that sits on the top (only because my husband knocked into one a couple of years ago a split a glass of red wine over the carpet).
------------- Love our set-up and need no more tents or gear, so trying to stop looking!
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Topic: Low Camping Table Ideas Please?
..it may even worth checking the charity/secondhand shops?
