Camp Chef Sherpa Table Review
Cons: Short, small and narrow table top.
Editors' Rating:
Unfolded Dimensions (inches): 27.4 x 17.5 x 28 in
Folded Dimensions (inches): 27.4 x 17.5 x 18.6 in
Manufacturer: Camp Chef
Our Verdict
The Camp Chef Sherpa Table is a unique design from one of the leading manufacturers in camping stoves. This table is designed to organize and port your camping kitchen as a whole, which we loved. However, this is one of the smaller tables we tested, and our testers would have preferred a taller table top for cooking, as well as a larger surface for cooking and preparing food. Overall, we preferred the larger surface area of our Editors' Choice winner, the Alps Mountaineering Dining Table Regular, to this model.
RELATED REVIEW: The Best Camping Table Review
Our Analysis and Test Results
Review by:
Gentrye Houghton
Gentrye Houghton
Last Updated:
Monday
November 16, 2015
Monday
November 16, 2015
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The Camp Chef Sherpa Table is designed primarily to keep your camping kitchen together and organized whether you're out in the wild or have it stored at home. Fully assembled, the table stands a little over 27 inches long by 17.5 inches wide with a table top height of almost 28 inches. It weighs around 11 pounds by itself, and is the most complicated and time-consuming table during initial setup. However, this table comes outfitted with telescoping legs so that you can leave the frame completely intact during storage, which decreases your setup time significantly.
Inside the red canvas storage compartment, this table also comes with four organizational bins in red, yellow, green and blue; the blue bin is lined and can be used as a cooler or wash basin. The lower divider in the storage compartment can also be unzipped in order to store longer items, such as a camp stove.
With a combination of both a compact footprint, as well as thinner legs, this table has the necessary components to be very wobbly. However, the extra support used to keep the storage compartment rigid, as well as the added weight of your camping kitchen, makes this table well above average in the stability department.
Before loading this table down with cookware, utensils or your stove, it is pretty lightweight and easy to move around. Even with the frame left intact, and filling your organizational bin full of your camp kitchen, this table remains sturdy and rigid, and the handles on either end of the table make it easy to move around. However, we did knock this table down a couple points because it is the bulkiest table to store. Once you collapse the legs, this table measures about 27 inches long by 17.5 inches wide and over 18.5 inches tall.
During the duration of our testing, we did not experience any issues in durability with this table. However, there are lots of parts included in setup, which leaves room for them to be accidentally left behind or individually bent. The oversized zippers in the organization compartments are bulky and difficult to navigate smoothly, especially when everything is full of pots, skillets and other kitchen accessories.
This table has the longest and most complicated initial set-up. After having to consult the instructions several times, we finally got our set-up time, while completely putting the frame together, down to about six minutes. This is significantly longer than the 30-60 seconds it took to put most of the other models together.
There are two options when deconstructing this table: you can either leave the frame constructed and remove the table top and collapse the lower portion of the legs, or you can completely deconstruct the table for storage in slightly tighter spaces. It took around two and a half minutes to break it all down, however, if you leave the frame constructed, it only takes about 30 seconds to pull the legs out and attach the table top, making the set-up much faster.
This table excels at keeping your camping kitchen together both at the campsite and at home in your closet, and we loved that about this table. Everything you need is at your fingertips, in one place, and ready to go once you arrive at your destination. However, the table top is more applicable for dining, as well as it being rather small and narrow. The tabletop holds your camp stove, but only with the propane tank hanging off the back.
We found this table's most applicable use to be for organization, and as a companion table that can be used for extra counter space. Also, if you collapse the legs, it's a great side table between chairs around the camp fire.
This is the most expensive table we tested, and is not a great value. We feel that you'll most likely wish you had a second table along with this one, and at $135 for this model, that doesn't leave much room in your wallet for a second table.
If you're looking for a secondary table with lots of organization options, then this is a great option to consider. However, if you're looking for a highly versatile table with ample surface area, you'll be better off with our Editors' Choice winner, the ALPS Mountaineering Dining Table.
Inside the red canvas storage compartment, this table also comes with four organizational bins in red, yellow, green and blue; the blue bin is lined and can be used as a cooler or wash basin. The lower divider in the storage compartment can also be unzipped in order to store longer items, such as a camp stove.
Performance Comparison
The Sherpa Table easily stores everything you need for your camp kitchen, and the lower divider unzips to fit your camp stove.
Stability
With a combination of both a compact footprint, as well as thinner legs, this table has the necessary components to be very wobbly. However, the extra support used to keep the storage compartment rigid, as well as the added weight of your camping kitchen, makes this table well above average in the stability department.
Portability
Before loading this table down with cookware, utensils or your stove, it is pretty lightweight and easy to move around. Even with the frame left intact, and filling your organizational bin full of your camp kitchen, this table remains sturdy and rigid, and the handles on either end of the table make it easy to move around. However, we did knock this table down a couple points because it is the bulkiest table to store. Once you collapse the legs, this table measures about 27 inches long by 17.5 inches wide and over 18.5 inches tall.
This table is by far the bulkiest table we've tested, and as you can see is much larger than this camp chair.
Durability
During the duration of our testing, we did not experience any issues in durability with this table. However, there are lots of parts included in setup, which leaves room for them to be accidentally left behind or individually bent. The oversized zippers in the organization compartments are bulky and difficult to navigate smoothly, especially when everything is full of pots, skillets and other kitchen accessories.
Ease of Set-up
This table has the longest and most complicated initial set-up. After having to consult the instructions several times, we finally got our set-up time, while completely putting the frame together, down to about six minutes. This is significantly longer than the 30-60 seconds it took to put most of the other models together.
There are two options when deconstructing this table: you can either leave the frame constructed and remove the table top and collapse the lower portion of the legs, or you can completely deconstruct the table for storage in slightly tighter spaces. It took around two and a half minutes to break it all down, however, if you leave the frame constructed, it only takes about 30 seconds to pull the legs out and attach the table top, making the set-up much faster.
Best Applications
This table excels at keeping your camping kitchen together both at the campsite and at home in your closet, and we loved that about this table. Everything you need is at your fingertips, in one place, and ready to go once you arrive at your destination. However, the table top is more applicable for dining, as well as it being rather small and narrow. The tabletop holds your camp stove, but only with the propane tank hanging off the back.
We found this table's most applicable use to be for organization, and as a companion table that can be used for extra counter space. Also, if you collapse the legs, it's a great side table between chairs around the camp fire.
Value
This is the most expensive table we tested, and is not a great value. We feel that you'll most likely wish you had a second table along with this one, and at $135 for this model, that doesn't leave much room in your wallet for a second table.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a secondary table with lots of organization options, then this is a great option to consider. However, if you're looking for a highly versatile table with ample surface area, you'll be better off with our Editors' Choice winner, the ALPS Mountaineering Dining Table.
—
Gentrye Houghton
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Most recent review: November 16, 2015
Summary of All Ratings
OutdoorGearLab Editors' Rating:
(3.0)
Average Customer Rating:
(0.0)
Rating Distribution
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