ALPS Mountaineering Dining Table

The Alps sets up in about two minutes and is wide enough to position our Weber BBQ on one end and still have enough room for the two to dine on the other end. So, it is a kitchen and dining area combo.

Shortly after setting out on our full-timing adventure, we discovered the need for an outdoor table. What an unexpected development! Don’t most campsites come with a table? Why pack a large piece of equipment that is usually provided by the campground?

Still, we struggled along for a nearly a year. Silly us. We learned that many campgrounds do not allow grills on their tables – usually because grease permanently stains the surface of composite tables.  Old wooden picnic tables are often so damaged and/or uneven that we cannot safely balance our Weber grill. Concrete and metal tables are too heavy and dangerous for us to move. Many tables are fastened to the ground in precisely the wrong spot. And some campsites just do not supply tables. So, that first year, we mostly used the tailgate for grilling, but that is not always a viable solution.

So, to grill safely, we needed our own surface area – a lightweight table that we could lift and store in our limited truck space and sturdy enough to hold our cooking equipment. Our research turned up this high-quality portable table. We’ve been using our Alps for three years and we are pleased with its performance.

We use it open-air as well as inside our Clam Quickset Escape where there is enough room to walk around on both sides.

So easy to set up, the Alps is handy for unexpected dinnertime guests and perfect for a dinner party of four – it seats six a bit tightly and, makes a beautiful buffet table for a generous Happy Hour spread.

The Alps also functions as a workbench for inflating the kayaks and other outdoor fix-it projects.

All said, this is a simple, rugged, elegant and lightweight solution for a dependable and versatile outdoor surface.

Our exact Alps table is no longer available, but this Alps is almost identical to the one we’ve been using for three years with excellent results.