The Portal Outdoor Folding Table is a great camping table to bring on any trip.
I’ve had mine for over 3 years, and it’s still going strong as my favorite camping table.
It’s sturdy and portable, and you can fit your knees under it!
As you may already know, I have been using the Portal Outdoor Folding Table as my camping work desk for working remotely.
What you may not know is that it’s useful on many occasions.
A very versatile, durable, and functional camping table. I primarily use it as a remote working desk, but it's great for any trip.
The Portal Outdoor Folding Table – Overview
The Portal Outdoor Folding Table packs into a bag about the size of a classic adult camping chair. Maybe a little longer and a little narrower, depending on what you’re used to.
Within the bag, it has a divider.
One half is where you put the foldable/roll-up aluminum table top and the other is where you put the frame/legs of the table. There is also a piece of mesh you can attach to store things underneath the table.
The table is roughly 35 inches long, 21 inches wide, and has a max height of 27.5 inches.
When the legs are not extended, the height is roughly 17 inches.
The legs extend easily using a simple lever system.
To collapse the legs, you flip the lever and push them back in.
However, I have had trouble occasionally and you have to jiggle it around sometimes to get the legs to collapse – at least in my experience.
The Many Uses of the Portal Outdoor Picnic Table
The Camping Couple
The Portal Outdoor Folding Table is a great camping table for two people.
With two people, you could sit across from each other and your legs would fit underneath the table. It has enough space for a few dishes and two large plates if you’re making a fancy camp meal.
It’s also big enough to throw a tablecloth on and play cards or smaller board games.
The Small Family
The table doesn’t work as well as a dining table for more than 2 people because the legs will get in the way. It can be done, but the people on the ends may have to reach for the table since they can’t tuck in their legs.
For a small family, it may be best used as a preparation and serving table. It’s sturdy enough to handle the weight of various pots and pans and stable enough that a little bump won’t tip the table over.
The Group Trip
Table space can be a big deal on group trips especially if everyone is arriving in different vehicles and there isn’t a precise plan.
This is a great table to bring on most trips because it’s so packable and easy to set up.
It’s one of the first things I take out of my car when I go camping because I end up setting all my other gear on top of it as I unpack.
Then I leave it out for the weekend and we use it for food, drinks, or games.
The Portable Work Desk
I work remotely while camping and have used this desk for my laptop, extra monitor, keyboard, and mouse for over a year.
In addition, my girlfriend used it as a temporary desk when her office was shut down. We didn’t have a spare desk at home and we didn’t have a ton of extra space.
This portal table was able to give her a spot to work instead of using the coffee table and couch.
Foldable Tailgating Table
This table has also made a tailgating appearance and held its ground.
A great spot to put cocktails, appetizers, or serving plates before the big game.
How to Set Up the Portal Outdoor Foldable Table
It’s very simple. The table comes packed in the carrying case.
One half will be the accordion-style foldable tabletop and the other half will be the table frame.
Unfold the legs of the table frame and extend the legs by adjusting the lever.
Then you’ll place the table top frame. One end of it will have a circular hole to connect to the frame. Attach that end first.
Then unfold the tabletop so it is flat. There will be two spots on the end of the frame to connect the table top to – if you’re having trouble snapping them in place, it could be from the frame not being straight underneath it.
The Benefits of the Portal Outdoor Folding Table
It’s super versatile. I’ve used it as a desk, camping dinner table, drink table, serving table, gear table, etc.
Yes, it’s a table, that’s what tables do.
However, I’m mostly pleased with this table because it’s one of the few tables this size that I can fit my knees under. It doesn’t have the “X” frame on every side like many camp tables on Amazon.
When tables have an “X” frame on every side, it’s easy to accidentally bump over when you naturally put your leg under it. Without the “X” frame, it also allows it to be more functional and two people could sit across from each other with their legs underneath the table rather than having to reach and hunch over to their food.
The frame also hasn’t bent. I’ve had an issue with a smaller table where the frame started bending in the middle. The legs have never randomly given out (actually the opposite when you read my negatives… sometimes they are TOO hard to collapse!).
I trust having my laptop on here and hot plates. It has never failed me in terms of stability.
A very versatile, durable, and functional camping table. I primarily use it as a remote working desk, but it's great for any trip.
What I Don’t Like About the Portal Outdoor Folding Table
It can be difficult to collapse the legs when putting it away. Once some sand and dirt get in there, you need to wiggle them sometimes and put a lot of pressure to get them to go back in.
After the first few times of doing this, it becomes natural. However, no one else will be able to fold it easily without knowing the nuances. (also, this might just be because I have taken this to the desert and other areas where fine sand will get into the crevices).
This annoyance is amplified when it’s cold since most of the table is aluminum. There have been several times I thought I could just take it down quick, but because of the above issues, I had to stop and warm up my hands before giving it another try.
Conclusion: Is the Portal Foldable Table Worth It?
The worst answer… it depends.
It’s going to be more useful for people traveling in groups of 4 or fewer.
I made this purchase after a ton of research and it paid off more than I expected.
I’ve used it for over 30 weekends and have only had a few times where I was annoyed with it because of the legs properly collapsing. It typically stays set up for several days so an extra 2 minutes of annoyance is worth it for the 2-3 days of usefulness.
I’ve used this table in so many situations that it’s been worth the price in just one year.
Even if it fails in the next year or two, I will probably go back to this table over others I’ve seen.
A very versatile, durable, and functional camping table. I primarily use it as a remote working desk, but it's great for any trip.
