Cascade Wild Ultralight Backpacking Table and Cutting Board Review

Gear ReviewsKatie Kommer
Cascade Wild Folding Ultralight UL Backpacking Table Cutting Board Review


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

Cascade Wild Folding Ultralight UL Backpacking Table Cutting Board Review

  • MSRP: $15.48
  • Weight: 2.25 oz 
        • Table: 2.2 oz
        • Cutting Board: .5 oz
  • Dimensions
      • 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 

    Cascade Wild Folding Ultralight UL Backpacking Table Cutting Board Review


    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 

    Cascade Wild Folding Ultralight UL Backpacking Table Cutting Board Review

     
  • Table is built to withstand boiling water. I have a scar on my leg to show that my aim with the Jetboil isn’t always perfect. The plastic used has a melting point of 324 degrees Fahrenheit — well above boiling water. Therefore, it’s perfect for setting down two coffee mugs as they await hot water.

  • Both are easy to clean. Even with spilled coffee (whoops), both of these products are easily cleaned with a damp camp towel. I used my ultralight pack towel to do a quick wipe-down after every use. I will note that even after cleaning these products, I still store them in bear canisters when backpacking in bear country.

  • No extra pieces. Most ultralight backpacking tables have a few different pieces and a complicated assembly. The unique design of this table makes it so you just snap it together, and then just as easily velcro it back shut.
     
  • You can stop for lunch literally anywhere. Huddled under a cluster of trees and crouched next to a river, I was still able to assemble my cheese and tortilla wrap with the table. There’s no need to search for a flat rock or nice tree stump whenever midday hunger strikes.

  • So many creative possibilities. As already mentioned, I had the stroke of genius to use the table as a phone prop in my tent. More uses include a card table, backcountry wine night holder, tent side table, or even a laptop prop at home. If you have any other fun ideas for me to try, let me know!  


  • Nobody’s Perfect… 

  • Table isn’t super strong. For 2.2 ounces, you’re not going to get a table that can withstand a feast over 10 pounds. Though in some of the product pictures there are shots of backpackers firing up their Jetboil atop the table, I didn’t quite feel comfortable doing that. The snap together design doesn’t feel incredibly stable, and I am always overly cautious when using my stove in the backcountry.

    Cascade Wild Folding Ultralight UL Backpacking Table Cutting Board Review


  • Cutting board stickers are a bit tricky to remove. The logo sticker on the cutting board wasn’t an easy peel off. A bit of glue residue was leftover until I got home and could clean it with hot water. I recommend removing the label at home (this gripe is probably on me). 


  • Final Thoughts 

    Cascade Wild Folding Ultralight UL Backpacking Table Cutting Board Review


    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. 

     

     

    Cascade Wild Folding Ultralight UL Backpacking Table Cutting Board Review
    Ultralight Folding Table by Cascade Wild

     

     

    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

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    4 comments

    Denningsrogue

    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

    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

    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

    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.

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