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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Lightweight Table Idea for CCS Food Pack Users
 
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Jasonf
06/16/2022 07:31AM
 
I do the same thing with our blue barrel. Use a piece of 3/8" plywood that mounts to the top of the barrel utilizing a couple velcro straps to hold it in place. Surprisingly its very stable.
 
Northwoodsman
06/15/2022 08:59AM
 
Great idea.
 
Saintale
06/15/2022 08:41AM
 
I originally posted this information in a post about lightweight tables but I feel it got buried in a fading thread so I thought it appropriate to repost here.

I bring the excellent CCS Deluxe Food Pack on every single trip. It's a fantastic pack and very versatile. When zipped up the top of this pack makes a fairly stable, if not flat or strong, soft platform. This pack is a natural element of a solution to the table problem.

To create a stronger, flatter table top, cut a 16" x 20" rectangle out of ΒΌ" utility plywood. This size fits easily into the pack and causes no issues with fitment or capacity. Glue four large washers to the corners and coat the whole works with 4 layers of matte finish polyurethane, top, bottom and edges. The washers are the basis for a magnetic retaining system.

Remove the foam liner top and attach four strong magnets using short bolts and fender washers, as pictured, and return the foam to the pack cover. I used Gorilla repair tape on the exposed threads to reduce the chance of abrasion between these bolts and the fabric pack lining.

If you have lined everything up correctly, the table top will snap into place on the pack and provide a very flat, stable, and strong surface. The soft bottom of this pack conforms to the ground and it's very easy to level. I tend to remove what I need from the food pack and leave the rest in place so that the added weight makes it more stable, but it's not necessary to do so.

As an optional step, you can place thin sheets of plastic in the side panels of the pack to make it stronger, but the table is very useable and quite strong without.

On my last trip the table was extremely handy and very stable. The top clicks into place securely. You can cook on it with some kind of heat barrier (see photos of my DIY stove base/windscreen) and it serves very well as a stable prep or dining table.

Finally, note that the CCS utility roll and a pair of cheap small carabiners provide excellent utensil access. The only thing tricky to find are the magnets. I found them on Amazon, there are many variations.

I'm happy to provide more detail. If you use one of these packs, it's a great solution. Total weight is about 1lb. 8 oz. More photos are located in a .zip file in the link. Detail Photos of CCS Food Pack Table Mod