So I'm headed up to BWCA in June. I'll be hitting up Crooked Lake via Mudro entry point. The last few times I've gone, I would have killed to have a portable camping table to use when preparing meals. Considering how much I love walleye, food preparation is a critical aspect to my trips. It would be nice to make the process a bit more comfortable. I actually have one of these portable camping tables but it weighs nearly 8 pounds. I'm sure it will be a pain lugging it around.

This year we are actually going to stay on Crooked as a base camp so we will only have major portaging with full gear on the first and last days of the trip.

Has anyone brought one of these along on their trip? Did it end up being a huge benefit or a gigantic pain in the butt? Let me know what your thoughts are?

Thanks!

Just a few things to contemplate....

Not always a possibility in every campsite but, have you considered using the bottom of your canoe as a makeshift table? Might take a little ingenuity to prop it up level. But, probably worth saving having to drag an extra 8 lbs. around?

Often I will use the blade of my paddle as a filet board. But, there are a multitude of other possible uses as well. Including a small table.

I have a small mesh camping table that folds like a camp chair. It has never ended up being important enough to bring car camping, let alone BW camping. If I could blink my eyes when I'm up there and conjure up a table, I suppose I would use it, but in the end it always gets left behind due to weight/hassle.

If you bring yours let us know whether it was perfect or a PITA.

We're looking to bring one of these this year.

The idea of a table is awesome, but we'll have to see if it's worth the weight.

I have used the coleman stove stand in the past. I cut a small piece of plywood that can go on as a top. In fact, I have been known to take a small table cloth to put on top of it for an extra special dinner!

I brought this along last year and I will again this year. Blue roll-a-table Its heavy, 10Lbs, but well worth it for basecamp. It rolls up into its attached case and has a handle. I am planning on laying it at the top of the pack and cinching the flap down.
Now the trick is to not grab the pack with it on the way to Tuscarora this spring.

If I'm not going very far (i.e. only a couple lakes in), I'd consider bringing some lawn chairs or some creature comforts from home. But, I almost never do that so they get left behind.

A table is unnecessary equipment for almost any kind of canoe trip, but if the trip is short, I can see how it might come in handy.

If your only doing a couple short portages it could be handy. However, you might consider looking for something lighter. 8lbs is alot extra to carry.

I bring a flexible cutting board type thing that I can used as a flat work surface. If the fire isn't going in the grate I can but it on the fire grate and have a nice little table to work on.

If the fire is going many times the camp seating area is comprised of 2 logs running directly parallel to each other. I find that laying the cutting board over these two logs also works nice. I straddle the logs and lay the board in front of me to work.

Its light weight, maybe a few ounces at most and its flexible enough that I can be molded to fit the countour of a pack.

The added benefit of having an actual table is greatly offset by the extra weight IMO. Even when I'm not planning on portaging far I still don't like to burden myself with extra gear because you never know when the "what if" scenario is going to hit. As in, what if the lake you plan to camp at is full and your short portage trip ends up longer then you expected because you need to find a lake with an open site. You may end up carrying that table further than you intended. I just like to think ahead and stay nimble enough to handle these changes that come up without having to fight with extra weight.

Strictly personal preference. We kind of like going ultra-heavy if we are base camping with zero or one portages. Bring it and if you don't like it leave it home next time.

We used a flexible cutting board on the canoe bottom and on sections of flat rock. Our 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids worked great for meal preperation when they weren't used as seats. We utilized the ultralight attack method.

quote CrookedPaddler1: "I have used the coleman stove stand in the past. I cut a small piece of plywood that can go on as a top. In fact, I have been known to take a small table cloth to put on top of it for an extra special dinner!
"

Did you think it was worth the weight? Would you bring the plywood again, or would you bring something lighter like a cuttingboard? We're entering at Snowbank and basecamping out of Thomas, so we have a few miles to cover and a couple handfuls of portages... I'm interested to see how it turns out!

Holy cow, not even Stu (BWJ editor) brings a table! (Enough said.) --Goose

We bring in a GSI micro table on occasion. Very small and lt wt. has come in handy for food prep for groups.
CB

quote OldGreyGoose: "Holy cow, not even Stu (BWJ editor) brings a table! (Enough said.) --Goose"

but he brings gallons of milk.

Tables are the best for food prep and for stoves. We bring one every trip.

i've seen some cool little tables made from about 1/4" x 1 1/2" aluminum slats that folded fairly compact and not to heavy. Seen at WM,Dicks, Rv stores etc. Not tried one but thought about it.

if youre willing to portage it..go for it.

Got one of these from Aldi last spring, pretty good deal and comes with a carrying bag similar to what folding chairs come in (except smaller)...

Aldi Camp Table

Just weighed it on the bathroom scales at 7.2 lb. Not planning on taking it to the BWCA this summer, but it came in very handy on the Wisconsin River last fall...somewhere to put stuff to keep it out of the sand!

Aldi has some interesting seasonal stuff; check again next month, they may be selling these again.

Just turn your canoe over and prop it level with some rocks and wood. Instant table for 8!

I took a group of men again this last year. We set up camp and one of them set up a little away from the rest. When I came to check. . .this is what he set up! Didn't even know he had it with him. I'm sure we were the only camp with a picnic table with build in umbrella! Even had some paddle by just to see it

quote markaroberts: "I took a group of men again this last year. We set up camp and one of them set up a little away from the rest. When I came to check. . .this is what he set up! Didn't even know he had it with him. I'm sure we were the only camp with a picnic table with build in umbrella! Even had some paddle by just to see it "

wow. That's a haul.

GSI puts out a little aluminum slat table, probably the one the OTH mentioned. It's low to the ground, stable, and very light. Folds up into a little carry bag.I do not see it on the GSI outdoors website, but I'm sure it's still available. Worth looking around for. I have used it on the canoe bottom many times.

quote markaroberts: "I took a group of men again this last year. We set up camp and one of them set up a little away from the rest. When I came to check. . .this is what he set up! Didn't even know he had it with him. I'm sure we were the only camp with a picnic table with build in umbrella! Even had some paddle by just to see it "

wow!

I have brought a square piece(s) of thin plywood the size of a canoe seat (zip tied under the canoe seat) and nailed it in the center to a stump or sitting log for a small level table of sorts. works well and can be very light if you use a thin piece of plywood.

I just cut a small piece of 1/2" plywood (18"x30") fits against back in pack -- so not a huge issue at all. It is nice to have a spot to clean fish or just set out a few food items without having them sit on ground. I have toyed with the idea of getting a piece of scrap UMHW plastic from Seeleye (sp) plastics in duluth instead of plywood, but i think the weight would be about the same.

As far as weight goes, I have never worried about weight as much as space on canoe trips. 90% of the time or more the weight is sitting in the bottom of the canoe. What I don't want to do is have to triple portage (over-back-over), if I can avoid it.

We use a plastic box that was originally used for picking warehouse orders. It is hinged on the top sides. I cut a small piece of plywood that sits on top. Both pack very well in my #4 Kondos pack. It holds all of our kitchen stuff while portaging.

We double portage so really on problem at all. If we were planning on single portaging, the box may not make the cut.

The two times I have been I have brought a fold up chair and a table like talked about earlier. Only had one real portage and base camped Ensign. Absolutely worth the 5 or 6 extra pounds to carry for that short portage.

Here is what I USE..........the Large version...........NOT the XL that is pictured.

Cabela Table

It is AWESOME.......I like the Aldi table too, but this one has adjustable legs so you can level it. That is pretty critical up there.

Later,

Geo

checked on the Cabelas site. Large size weigh 10 lbs, smaller one 6 lbs.

I just lay a 2' x 3' pc of 8 mill poly on the ground and sit next to it on my crazy creek seat pad. Works for me.

I like the plywood idea.

I use the small Cabelas table. I would not go without it but we do mostly base camp and fish. Some people bring over 6 pounds of camera equipment or extra fishing gear or a larger tent or chairs. So I say what ever floats your boat. Everyone has to choose what works for them.

I like the idea of bringing one and then recheck the list next time to see if it goes along again. For example we brought a lantern one year and did not use it so a lantern is no longer on the list of things we bring.

Awesome feedback from everyone. I'm probably going to end up bringing it this year and see how it goes. We typically always do double portaging anyway and one guy ends up being able to hold something extra if needed. I'll give everyone my feedback after the trip. I just can't wait to get up there!!

Here is a little demonstration about how to use a canoe paddle to clean your fish. If you look real close at the bottom of my canoe, you can see where the aluminum pot melted onto the aluminum canoe/dented it/scorched the paint off of it (too bad it was my father-in-laws-oops). We usually use our canoe in the summer for a table or the rocks at the campsite. Does anyone know if it works to cook on a Kevlar canoe? We do bring a table winter camping that is aluminum that we bought at Gander Mountain. It is a lifesaver in the winter.

Here's the YouTube link...

Video

i brought this once. it was handy. 3.5 lbs. holes drilled to cut weight. 1' x 3' x 17" tall.

I would not bring in a table to prepare dinners on or for any other reason...too much extra stuff to carry in that's not needed. We always use the bottom side of a canoe to prepare food on and cook. Here are photos of our setup on Fourtown last summer.

brought this one once too. smaller and lighter, not as stable though.

These are the GSI tables people mentioned:
GSI Macro table (3lbs, 5oz)
GSI Micro table (1lb, 11oz)

ok, have done the table thing, the rule is there has to be 4 or more of us to justify it.

We are spades freaks.



It's a small folding table similar to the folding chairs you see everywhere.

Got it on clearance for $3 somewhere.

We also use our blue barrel for food prep & playing cards.

I have the coleman stand and really like it, have had it for many years, when we took the green monster in with it for cooking, that was a load. It folds up small, and if you can find the right top, makes a nice table.

I also made this one, like Kanoes, lighter and more compact, out of old timberline tent poles. Fun for base camp type trips.

quote tonyyarusso: "These are the GSI tables people mentioned:
GSI Macro table (3lbs, 5oz)
GSI Micro table (1lb, 11oz)"

Just got one, will come in real handy thanks for the info.