The last few years I've been using the top of my Plano Sportsmans box as a table, but since I like the table close to the stove for setting cookware and food items, and the box is made of plastic... it hasn't been ideal.

Anybody have some favorite packable metal tables? Seems most these days are made of plastic. I'd like it to be lower profile, so I can use it while sitting/kneeling.

A google search provided This one, I like the look and concept, but prefer made in USA and not $200... Maybe I'm just that out of touch? Snowpeak tables are nice too, with metal tops, but are closer to $300...

Am I crazy to consider just making my own from a cookie sheet and some foldable legs?

No, yer not crazy. Do it, knowing that you are probaly making version one.

I made something similar to the Schwarze Biene Best Buddy using an aluminum grill pan like this.

Telco: "I made something similar to the Schwarze Biene Best Buddy using an aluminum grill pan like this. "

What did you use a for a base? I've seen this concept and would like it for Summer camping, or perhaps Winter if I fixed some sort of auger to it. But if I'm camped out on the lake, I'm not sure how this would hold up.

” Simply insert the ground spike into the ground, screw the aluminum table on it and start relaxing.”

Spoken like a German engineer/backpacker who has never tried to drive a stake into the Canadian Shield in January. ;-)

What did you use a for a base? I've seen this concept and would like it for Summer camping, or perhaps Winter if I fixed some sort of auger to it. But if I'm camped out on the lake, I'm not sure how this would hold up."

I have it on a small tripod that has a fixed mount (rather than a ball that swivels), two large washers and nut. I would like to figure out how to mount it so the nut is not in the middle of the table but it's stable enough that i have no issues using my stove and boiling water on it while i'm in the hammock. I don't use it in the summer.

I can't remember where I found it but I think this setup is pretty smart:

Telco: "I have it on a small tripod that has a fixed mount (rather than a ball that swivels), two large washers and nut. I would like to figure out how to mount it so the nut is not in the middle of the table but it's stable enough that i have no issues using my stove and boiling water on it while i'm in the hammock. I don't use it in the summer. "

I think you might be describing a tripod without a head attached. A smaller one would have a 1/4-20 stud sticking up from the top that you would normally mount a ball head or pan-tilt head onto for photography. It would certainly make a good base for a diy table. Small backpacking tripods are pretty light and compact.

To solve the nut getting in the way in the middle of the table, maybe you could use one of these round T-nuts instead of a regular hex nut. (you could probably find a smaller quantity somewhere)

If you made the table out of a nice piece of thin plywood, you could even make a shallow counterbore with a spade drill so that the base of the T-nut (which would be upside down from what's shown in the picture in the link) didn't stick up above the table surface.

Great suggestion with the t-nut. I'll have to try that out.