When opened up, the tabletop surface is very smooth which enables wine glasses to be placed on top without any fear of spillage. In fact, this is the smoothest table top we’ve reviewed and it would be possible to pen a letter on it (do people still do that?).

We should definitely emphasize the beauty of the Japanese bamboo used for the table top. It is sublime and exceptionally smooth but with a lovely grain. You can mentally picture the bamboo shoots swaying in the Japanese breeze! The Atepa Folding Bamboo Table is a wooden-topped offering in our roundup and an absolute peach of a design. Often in the world of camping, it’s the simplest ideas which are best. Nothing could be simpler than this bamboo spike table from Zempire and yet it elegantly solves a perennial problem of camping. How to conveniently secure wine glasses near to your camping chair without spilling the wine. We have recently discovered some delicious bamboo tables which cost slightly more than comparative aluminium or plastic alternatives but perform in a very stylish and practical manner. Bamboo as a material is extremely environmentally friendly and sustainable and so worth considering for that reason alone. But it’s the bamboo which is the star of the show here. It provides a highly stable surface with a real quality feel. I much prefer using a table with natural materials like bamboo – it feels much more tactile and rustic than metals or plastic.

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Underneath the tabletop a useful net can be suspended (included in the bag) which adds a second layer of storage for say laptops or magazines. This certainly improves the functionality and flexibility of the Nestling versus some of the other similar-sized tables. There are two pairs of legs which open outwards away from each other in a U shape, and the height of these legs can be switched between two settings. One thing we did notice is that there is a spring-loaded pin which requires pushing in to change the height of the legs, and this can easily catch the skin on your thumb as you press it. Probably the only negative about this table, and only a minor problem at that. Summing up

OK, we hold our hands up – this Nestling folding camping table is a budget offering and probably not the highest quality piece of furniture you’ll ever buy – however, it covers all the basic features that we consider essential in a camping table. Trekology have released a fantastic folding table which uses aviation-grade aluminium as the tabletop material. The colour of the metal top needs to be seen to be believed – a gorgeous electric blue sheen which attracts a lot of attention.

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The table top then connects securely onto the top of the spike and hey presto, you’ve got your own personal drinks table! Where the Zempire excels over other drinks tables is that there are four indents carved into the bamboo top. These support up to 4 wine glasses very nicely indeed. There is also a handy bottle opener on the underside of the table. Our first ‘luxury’ choice is the Outwell Kamloops which is a gorgeous camping table which uses premium, sustainable bamboo wood as the folding top section. This is a big table and can seat four with ease, and potentially up to six people. Key specs (2 cupholders): Dimensions: 56 x 43 x 39 cm / Folded dimensions: 60cm x 7 cm / Weight: 1.2 kg