I’m a Freelance Bartender, and This $600 Camping Table Is My Secret Weapon for Both Work and Play

As a career bartender, I’m always building backyard bars where they barely belong. And as an avid outdoorsman, I’ve also found plenty of overlap between the best car camping gear and the best bartending gear, especially when it comes to basic tools of the trade.

Enter the Snow Peak IGT Camp Kitchen Starter Set, a premium camping table known for its lightweight, uniquely modular design. This aluminum and stainless steel kit arrived at my doorstep just in time for a few summertime events, with one busy bartending day in particular that really put it through the wringer. After 30+ hours of rigorous testing, I’d say this bad boy is the best in the land not just for freelance bartenders like myself, but also avid campers, tailgaiters, and anyone who frequently preps food on the road.

Snow Peak IGT Camp Kitchen Starter Set

$600 at Backcountry

$600 at CampSaver

Here’s What You’re Paying for with the Snow Peak IGT Camp Kitchen Starter Set

For the price, you’re probably wondering what a $600 camping table looks like. Short answer? Multiple pieces. This self-contained package comes with the following: an aluminum and stainless steel frame, four detachable 830mm legs, two stainless steel storage boxes, a waterproof gear bag/camp sink, a wooden cutting board (complete with built-in chef’s knife, attached via magnet), a flat burner, and a nylon carrying case for maximum mobility. The steel boxes, collapsible sink, flat burner, and cutting board fit snugly in the center of the table, which can be fully assembled in less than 5 minutes.

Writer TJ Fink setting up the Snow Peak IGT Camp Kitchen Starter Set for an indoor bartending class.

This simplistic starter set is just the tip of Snow Peak’s proverbial iceberg. There are literally hundreds of different attachments, tools, and accessories you can buy from Snow Peak to expand this solitary table into a full-blown mobile bar…or camp kitchen, if you feel like purchasing this kit for its intended use.

Granted, if you buy too many attachments at once, the total price skyrockets in a hurry. However, this Japan-based, family-owned company has been around for over 60 years, and they back their products with a pretty robust lifetime warranty. Which means each time I add an accessory, I’m augmenting an heirloom product that can be passed along to a fellow bartender—or camper.

I Pulled off Two Back-to-Back Bartending Events and Barely Broke a Sweat

In order to execute any bartending event in style, I need the proper infrastructure—and surface area—to keep every garnish, glass, bar tool, and booze bottle at my fingertips. Luckily, my new Snow Peak IGT Camp Kitchen Starter Set was delivered just in time to test it out during an exceptionally busy day of solo bartending, which began with a five-hour backyard birthday party (~30 guests), and ended with an eight-hour engagement party (~50 guests).

Incidentally, my prep process for car camping and mobile bartending is essentially identical. The stainless steel boxes were perfect for storing liquor bottles during service, making them easy to grab—but not easy to tip over once the sun went down. The chopping board was downright ideal for prepping garnishes, and the included chef’s knife was razor sharp, making quick work of my fruit prep. The storage bag insert was also the perfect rinsing station for my cocktail shakers, since running water wasn’t available on the patios.

After an action-packed evening of Aperol Spritzes, Mango Margaritas, Moscow Mules, and other crafty cocktails, I was relatively bushwhacked by 2am. Breaking down this lightweight table took just a few minutes, and it was easy to clean each piece as I returned them to the carrying case and said my goodbyes. (My tired tendons weren’t exactly gentle with that case on my way out the door, either. This table was definitely built to withstand some abuse.)

So, Is This $600 Camp Table Worth It?

Long-story-long: having a lightweight, perfectly portable aluminum table in my inventory is potentially invaluable for satellite gigs, and the Snow Peak IGT Camp Kitchen Starter Set is my new favorite bartending accessory. I would definitely recommend this modular table to mobile bartenders and avid campers alike. What’s more, tailgating season is still in session, and I’ve got this bad boy waiting in the wings to save my bacon when it’s time to fire up the grill. Cheers!

Snow Peak IGT Camp Kitchen Starter Set

$600 at Backcountry

$600 at CampSaver