Crafty Camping Creations - Tree Table

When you're out on a camping trip, working around the campsite, setting up, taking down, cleaning up, cooking food, you often wonder if there's a better way to do things. We're constantly on the lookout for a better way, better tool. One of the things we discussed this past summer was having some sort of a table.

I did pick one up at Cabela's in Phoenix, Arizona. But it's a heavy one and if we're doing a long trip with a lot of portaging, we'll probably leave it behind.

I imagined a piece of fabric that would be suspended between two trees. Somewhat like some of the existing wooden tables built at some campsites.

It's really nice to get stuff off the ground. Things get dirty, stuff gets tipped over, foreign objects get dropped into things, especially if you're walking around.

I saw the fabric as being stretched in a way that would make it stable and have a pocket flap along one edge. The other edge could have a ribbon of hooks to hang things too. It would be lightweight, easy to pack.

Without further ado, here is the alpha prototype version. It didn't work quite as expected. I decided to stabilize the length of the table with my walking poles. I created a casing area to hold the poles, obviously this would only be one usage of the poles, not a permanent solution. I also haven't added the ribbon with hooks on the other side.

Basically the whole table is just a rectangular piece of fabric doubled up and folded in a way to get the pockets. I created two casings to hold my trekking poles, extended to the 125 cm length. I also ran a string of paracord through each of the 2 casings and tied loops on the ends. Then I took two bungee cords to suspend the table between two trees.

Here's a view from the other side without the pocket.

It also needs some way to prop it open as it tends to fold on itself, much like a hammock. In the photos above, taken in a local park, I found small sticks on the ground that I broke into the right length and stuffed at either end. Maybe we could whittle a couple of twigs into the role on the trip. Hmmmm.

I'll have to brainstorm a little more with LT. He hasn't seen it yet.