My wife said I was right about the desk.
Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I was right about the desk. I told her years ago I needed a portable laptop desk that would collapse down and fit in a carry-on bag, and she said that sounded crazy, and I knew it sounded crazy, but it was true. Then her job went fully remote, and my problem became her problem, and she understood. Travel accommodations aren’t designed for serious remote work professionals. The few that are aren’t cheap, and their furniture still isn’t ergonomics-friendly. The best thing to do is bring everything you need with you. But, a proper desk — not a lap desk — in a carry-on? I searched for a long time, then eventually gave up.
When she admitted I was right, I started searching again. This time, I found it within 15 minutes: The VINTEAM Camping Folding Table.
I had seen this sort of table before. I assume they’re all white-labelled from the same Chinese factory, and had wondered if I could buy two and use the second table’s legs to extend the first up to a usable working height, but wasn’t committed enough to try it. The VINTEAM crew must have understood the assignment, because it seems that’s what they did. The table is supposedly 27.5 inches tall, although I measured closer to 28.
To test it out, I spent a week with it up at my father-in-law’s cabin. I usually use this small Navaris Portable Folding Bamboo Table that folds up small enough to hide in an old wicker chest (but not small enough for a carry-on). Having spent a week with the VINTEAM in its place, I’m here to say…
It works. Not exceptionally well, but as well as anyone can fairly expect from it.
It’s a ~$40 table. Folded up and put in the little travel bag that comes with it, it fits in my GoRuck GR2 34L backpack. At ~12″ x ~16″ x 2.75″ (accounting for the hinges and latches), it takes up most of the main compartment, but still has enough room for clothes. It weighs 5 lbs 4.1 oz, but it’s not like that matters much; anyone prioritizing packing a table in a backpack is going to pay whatever luggage fees the airline charges. The surface area is ~16″ x ~23″, which is enough to set up my laptop with a Roost stand, split keyboard, and trackball.
Again, it does all that you can expect from it.
But man, I wish it could do more.
I want telescopic legs, like my Navaris table has, so I can adjust the height to the exact level I need. I want leaves that flip out to increase the surface area, so I have room to add a second monitor. And I want the whole thing to weight as close to nothing as possible.
But that table doesn’t exist. Maybe it can’t exist (I don’t know, I’m not a product designer), so for the times when I need it, this will do well enough.