Have you ever tried to slice a brick of cheese or assemble a tortilla wrap while balancing on an unstable rock with your thighs as the only steady surface? I’ve let a few too many tortillas land in the dirt this way to not consider a better option. Enter: Cascade Wild’s ultralight folding table and cutting board combo. Together, these two products weigh just over two ounces and instantly transform any backpacking kitchen system. Furthermore, on trips where weight isn’t the biggest priority, I can pack whatever food I want with the confidence that I’ll have a clean, steady place to prepare and assemble my meals.
I truly was not sure how much I would use these products once I finished testing them. I’m not much of a germaphobe, and I have no problem with squatting down in the dirt. However, this combo quickly became a staple in my pack. Even after I had taken the table and cutting board on enough trips to adequately test them, I decided to include them both on my Uinta Highline Trail trip. The ultralight folding table is endlessly useful, for everything from assembling lunch to playing cards. Additionally, I love having the cutting board so I can slice cheese, bread, or fruit without potentially slicing through my hand. These two products = two ounces that make a massive difference.
Ultralight Backpacking Folding Table and Cutting Board at a Glance
- Folding Table: $11.99
- Cutting Board: $3.49
- Table: 2.2 oz
- Cutting Board: .5 oz
- Table: 4” x 12” x 3/4x packaged; 8” x 12” x 3 ¼ “ unfolded
- Cutting Board: 7.5” x 5.5”
- Materials
- Table: plastic; reflective tape, #20 plastic snaps
- Cutting Board: Food-grade HDPE (high density polyethylene)
Circumstances of Testing
Over this last summer, I took the cutting board and table together on a handful of overnight and multi-day backpacking trips. I mostly used them both for food preparation, but also found the table to be a great place to set down a cup of coffee or play cards. My personal favorite creative use of the Cascade Wild table was as a prop in my tent to set my phone on for some backcountry Netflix. On the Uinta Highline Trail, I decided to take just the table, as it can actually double as a cutting board.
Highlights from Testing these Products
Nobody’s Perfect…
Final Thoughts
The world of ultralight backpacking gear never ceases to amaze me. The designers at Cascade Wild made a fully functional table and cutting board that together weigh less than half an apple. I’ve found both these products extremely useful when carrying food like cheese, bread, fruit, or anything else that needs to be cut. For trips where I’m not assembling food, I still plan to always carry the portable table for pouring coffee or recreating when I’m done hiking for the day. For just $15.48 altogether, this set transforms any backpacker’s kitchen system.
Katie is a freelance writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. When she's not behind her laptop, you can find her guzzling instant coffee in the backcountry or developing a new and expensive outdoor hobby. To see her adventures and occasional long rambles, follow her on Instagram @katelyn_ali
4 comments
Denningsrogue
Use olive oil, butter or some other high fat content substance to remove the sticker residue. The fats break down the adhesive. Works with pine sap too.
Jaron R Hendrix
I’m glad to see they’ve gone back to the snaps. I purchased two of these (another benefit…They’re made to snap together if you have multiple!), but separately, a year or two apart (got one for my then-SO to use as she had some dietary restrictions that made keeping food prep separate important), and the second one used stick-on hook-and-loop dots instead of the snaps. The snaps are way, way more stable than the Velcro-style attachments.
Kim Kremer
I bought one a while back, and I vacillate between “this is the silliest thing ever” and “this thing is genius!” It goes with me anytime I’ve packed meals that require rolling up a tortilla or spreading something on crackers. It’s earned the space it occupies in my pack – a very tiny space, at that.
Kim Kremer
I bought one a while back, and I vacillate between “this is the silliest thing ever” and “this thing is genius!” It goes with me anytime I’ve packed meals that require rolling up a tortilla or spreading something on crackers. It’s earned the space it occupies in my pack – a very tiny space, at that.