Tiyastun Folding Camping Table

Compact and lightweight small folding table.

This little folding table is the sort of item you find on Amazon and Ebay—cheap, bearing an odd-sounding brand name you've never heard of before, yet decently made and genuinely useful. It is not for weight-conscious hikers, but it can be useful for car or bike camping trips or simply picnics in the outdoors.

It is not a table you can sit at and eat from, but more of a small platform on which you can set things down without fear that they will tip over on rough ground. Each side of the table is about 14 inches long.

The table consists of a set of hollow aluminium slats joined by means of plastic hinges at the ends. There are also a pair of hollow tubes which attach to the underside of the table and to which, in turn, short legs are attached. There is an elastic band to hold all the components together before they are packed away in their carry-bag.

The table can be folded accordion-style for packing away or unfolded flat for use. When unfolded, it is held rigid by means of the tubes which must be attached underneath. The legs can then be opened out and the table is ready for use.

The table sits very low on the ground. This makes it a little inconvenient to use but gives it stability in windy weather and on rough ground. Each leg must be opened out separately, which is again inconvenient, but it means that one or more of the legs can be closed if necessary to keep the table steady and level on uneven ground.

The leg tubes fit in lugs beneath the slats at each end of the table. To make the fit easier, the lugs have pins which correspond to holes in the tubes. One of the holes in each tube is elongated to provide some leeway when attaching this end of the tube to the underside of the table. The idea is that you should fit the other end of the tube first and this end (the one with the elongated hole) second. The tubes fit securely in the lugs, so much so that you have to exert some force to insert and remove them. 

The table and carry-bag weigh 832 grams in all, slightly more than the advertised weight of 800 grams, but still very lightweight. The table is strong and sturdy thanks to its aluminium construction, but its hinges and lugs are made of plastic. The hinges in particular look a bit fragile and you have to be careful to avoid exerting force on them when fitting the leg tubes into the lugs. It is the durability of the table's plastic components that will determine its useful life.

Background

I have had this item for six months.