collapsible picnic table
Ellen Silverman

Ellen Silverman was picnicking with family and friends in Riverside Park in New York City when she saw some folks nearby serenely sitting at a pop-up picnic table, which had they’d unfurled out of a case in just a few moves. From Ellen’s not-terribly-comfortable vantage point sitting on a blanket on the ground (which was a little damp from recent rain), it looked pretty swell.

It’s like having a portable back yard. You could bring a little bunch of herbs: rosemary, lavendar or thyme, or mint for iced tea or lemonade,  and arrange it in a paper cup on the table…or decorate it with striped table runner…

…and you could store the flat case under the bed…”

We hunted down the model Ellen saw, and then found other great options:

The Picnic Time Portable Folding Picnic Table with Seating for 4 comes in red, black, blue, green for about $79.00.

For a few bucks more, you can get in in aluminum or wood:

What we’re thinking is even BETTER, is the Coleman Pack-Away Picnic Table for $76. It’s about 7 pounds lighter than the Picnic Time, and at 35-x-24-inches, it looks like you could fit three people snugly on each bench.

Coleman PackAway aluminum picnic camping table

…although it’s a little more work to assemble…

Coleman PackAway picnic table assembly

They’re so cheap, you could buy two to make a banquet. You could add a folding stool at either end to expand the seating. We’re partial to this folding stool and carryall that has pockets for implements:

folding stool carryall with toolholder

…and these lightweight folding chairs:

lightweight folding camping picnic chair

…then you’d be really comfortable watching the sunset…

Ellen Silverman photography sunset
Ellen Silverman

Ellen Silverman black and white sunset
Ellen Silverman

Thanks Ellen!

Related posts: al fresco music lessons and practice (what do you do in your park?)

a perfect portable knife for errant cooks

survival guides + other apps/books for the great outdoors

perfect kid’s book: mud pies and other recipes

tart-o-matic…improvising fresh fruit tarts

improvised street kitchens + utensils

If you’ve found illumination, joy, or inspiration in this post, please consider supporting Improvised Life. It only takes a minute to make a secure donation that helps pay our many costs. A little goes a long way towards helping Improvised Life continue to live ad-free in the world.

Support Improvised Life ♥

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *