A low folding camp table just inside a tent door.

BS-538

Worth packing

Buy this early

Small tent table

A low folding table that fits inside the tent.

Why it's on the list

The bed is for sleeping. A small table is where the lamp, the cup, and the headlamp live so they are not in the dust on the floor. Look for a compact aluminum camp table with legs that lock, short enough to stand inside a tent. A banquet table is for under the shade, and it becomes a kite if it is left open in the wind.

How we use it

Set it up at home next to the air bed and see if the tent door still closes. Write your name under the top. Shake the dust out of the hinges before you fold it for the drive.

Heads up
A card table left outside the tent is a sail. This one lives inside.

Small tent table

Often $25–60

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In these kits

A dome tent with a full rainfly under a separate shade roof.

Sleep kit for Burning Man

Nights in the 40s and neighbors with subwoofers

Open the list

Often bought for the same camp

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A thick air mattress inside a tent, with a pump and a patch kit.

Sleep

Insulated inflatable bed

A thick insulated air bed, with a pump and a patch kit.

Buy this early

A real camp bed is often $80–200

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Sleep

Tent with a full rainfly

A tent that keeps dust and a surprise rain out. Shade still goes over it.

Buy this early

A tent you trust is often $150–400

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A small lantern glowing inside a dark tent.

Black Diamond

Black Diamond Moji R+

A small rechargeable lantern you can hang in the tent or set on a bin.

Often about $50

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In the same lane

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A synthetic sleeping bag half-stuffed on a cot.

Kelty

Kelty Cosmic Synthetic 40

A synthetic mummy the maker rates at 40°F. The listing opens on the regular size.

Buy this early

Often about $65

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A folded long-underwear top and bottom on a dusty crate.

Sleep

Long underwear base layer

Top and bottom for the night that drops into the forties.

Buy this early

A top and bottom are often $40–90

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A packable jacket half-stuffed into its own pocket.

Sleep

Packable warm layer

A jacket for the fifty-degree drop after sunset.

Buy this early

A packable jacket is often $40–90

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