Our Guide to Portable Tables

We've organized the most commonly used items people use to address the Core function below, with example images, characteristics, features, etc.

Our category name		Hard-sides		Soft-sides
		Folding style	Accordion style	Pitched style
Example qualities & features	Example images
	How to set up	Just unfold	Set-up poles, unroll table across poles	Set-up poles, stretch fabric across poles, like a really easy tent!
	Table height	Standard 28-30in (71-76cm) Most compatible with standard height chairs		14-16in (36-41cm) Most compatible with shorter pitched style chairs
	Table surface	Hard plastic	Hard aluminum	Polyester (flat, rigid surface, but still fabric-based, so may not be as good for cooking)
Effect on other factors	Price	$50-80	$40-100
	Capacity	Card table* to very long for groups	Usually a card table* or slightly bigger	Usually very small, designed to hold a few cups or bowls. Feels like an end table to casually hold things rather than a table to gather around. Largest may be just a card table*
	Weight	10+lbs (4.5kg+)	5-10lbs (2.3-4.5kg)	1-5lbs (0.5-2.3kg)
	Size	You'll need a vehicle to transport this (possibly a truck)	~2-3ft (0.6-0.9m) long & maybe bulkier than a camera tripod	From a little smaller than a 2-liter soda bottle to just shy of the accordion style size (there's a wide variety)
			Can be slung over-the-shoulder	Smallest ones may fit in a regular backpack; will definitely fit in a hiking backpack
Rationale		Less technical & more material, no consideration for Weight & Size		More technical & less material, Weight & Size specifically optimized
Why we do/don't carry it = we rent = we sell		Not specific enough for outdoor use	Versatile for most outdoor uses, therefore more worth the money	Small size makes it not suitable for cooking, a common use

*A card table seats 1 person on each side, roughly a square with length of 30-35in (76-89cm) on each side

If you don't go very often, of course you're going to want to spend less money, but this often means real trade-offs in terms of the experience that you will have with the gear. Even if you do go often & are ready to invest in quality gear, having the upfront funds can be hard!

Now, it may seem like this price & quality trade-off is disappearing, because you can find a cheap version of almost anything for tens of dollars that still has good reviews (assuming the reviews are real). So you might be thinking: I'll just buy something cheap, and because the price is so low it doesn't matter if it's less featured or heavier or whatever compared to something higher end. When that breaks, I'll buy something cheap again, and so on. Just remember:

• What's better than cheap? FREE! And we have a gear library of items you can borrow for free!
• Many reviews are written after only a trial use or first use: We've seen entire review videos of gear done at home, which is very different than actually being outdoors! And reviews after the first use don't tell you about durability at all
• You're headed outdoors to relax and enjoy life! Saving money only to have a trip ruined due to quality issues will feel terrible. Our program to rent portable tables is designed to help you avoid this trade-off: you get to rent high end, quality portable tables for around the same price as buying cheap ones (sometimes even for less!)

For this item specifically, the price vs. quality trade-off issues center around performance & durability.

There is a lot of variety in tables, including in shapes (e.g., circular tables) that can affect capacity. A big consideration here would be, do you want a table that you can pull up a seat to, or just a table to hold some items off to the side? As the table above shows, this varies by Type or Style (see first section), try renting a portable table to better understand what you prefer

If you're thru-hiking 20+ miles (32+km) per day, every advantage counts! In this case, size refers to compactness. You can carry more gear in the same size backpack if all of it is very compact, or for more weight savings, you can get a smaller size pack.

There isn't a separate comparison table, because weight & size are functions of Type or Style (see first section). Most people who really care about weight & size wouldn't bring a table. That said, the closest to a backpacking suitable table is the pitched style (similar to with portable chairs).

Here, we give you a list of questions to start thinking about other features. We hope our approach of savings these features for last gets you to more critically think about what you need & not get caught up in the hype of what's cool and over-spend your budget. Remember, we allow you to hire a portable table so feel free to try out various models with different features.

• Does it have integrated cup holders?
• How easy is it to clean the surface material? (e.g., fabric requires washing whereas plastic or metal can just be wiped down)
• Is the surface suitable for cooking? (i.e., can it resist heat? remember, even if the bottom of the stove doesn't get hot, hot foods may spill or you may need to rest hot cookware on the table)
• Can you sit on it? Many camp tables can't support body weight & will collapse