Carlson Knives: Outwell Padres XL Bamboo Top Camp Kitchen Review

What we tested

Outwell Padres XL Bamboo Top Camping Kitchen
Towsure £144.95

Product details

Opens and folds in seconds
Durable bamboo table top
Pull-out holder for washing bowl or rubbish bag
6 Organiser pockets
3 hooks
Mesh ventilation for air circulation
Windshield included
Aluminium frame
Size: 100 x 49 x 82 cm (WxDxH)
Pack size: 100 x 49 x 15 cm
Weight: App. 13.5 kg
Carry bag for easy storage and portability

OUtwell Padres XL Bamboo Camp Kitchen packed in the boot of my car

Arriving at the campsite and unloading, showing the Outwell Padres XL in my boot

When Towsure offered us the chance to review the Outwell Padres XL kitchen unit we jumped at the chance. Our old Field Commander kitchen unit has been in constant use for the past 8 years and had seen better days, so we already had a kitchen unit on our list of things to replace this year.

What we thought

Already big fans of Outwell’s gorgeous Bamboo topped camp furniture, the Padres XL was the perfect choice for us, and last weekend, on our first camping trip of the year we got chance to properly use it.

OUtwell Padres XL Bamboo Camp Kitchen Unit

Ready to be set up inside the tent

The Padres XL comes in a zipped carry bag, and the first thing I noticed was the extra weight compared to our old similarly sized kitchen unit. That said, whilst it is weighty, I was able to pack in into the car and lift it out and into the tent with no issues.

Family campers who arrive on site with a lot to set up will really appreciate the speed of setting up the Padres XL

The biggest benefit of this unit is unlike many other kitchen units, this is all in one piece. There is no assembly required at all, other than slotting two internal shelves into place which takes seconds. I think family campers who arrive on site with a lot to set up will really appreciate the speed of setting up the Padres XL, I know we certainly do.

OUtwell Padres XL Bamboo Camp Kitchen Unit

Slotting the splash guard into place

The kitchen unit has been extremely well throught out, and I particularly like the metal slide out panel on the right hand side. There are hooks provided that allow you to hang things off it, and we found it a good place to hang a tea towel. The really genius thing though, is that the Outwell Collaps washing up bowl, fits the space perfectly and just slots right into it, providing you with somewhere to store dirty plates and wash up.

OUtwell Padres XL Bamboo Camp Kitchen Unit

Setting up the Outwell Padres

OUtwell Padres XL Bamboo Camp Kitchen Unit

The metal pull-out frame is great for hanging tea-towels from and perfectly fits a the Outwell Collaps washing up bowl

OUtwell Padres XL Bamboo Camp Kitchen Unit

The Outwell Padres XL kitchen all set up

Although it was just the two of us camping, we do all of our camp cooking on site and tend to cook three meals a day whilst camping, so we end up taking a fair amount of kitchen supplies with us. On this trip as you can see we’d packed everything we needed for a couple of nights and there was still heaps of space left.

OUtwell Padres XL Bamboo Camp Kitchen Close Up Details

Close-up details, sturdy zipper pulls

One of the things that tends to set Outwell apart is their attention to detail. The unit feels sturdy, well made and like it will provide us with many years of service. However, what I really like are the well thought out extras, like canvas pockets along the outside of the unit which provides more handy storage. I also really like how well thought-out the doors are; instead of unzipping a door and it just hanging open, you can simply roll it up and secure it open using Velcro tabs.

OUtwell Padres XL Bamboo Camp Kitchen Unit

Canvas side storage pockets

Thanks to the Bamboo worktop and sturdy well thought-out design the Padres XL is a little pricier than some other similarly sized camp kitchens, and like we initially did, you might be wondering if the extra cost is worth it. In my opinion, this Outwell Padres XL offered exceptional quality, makes great use of space and will save you time during set up and take down. For these reasons alone, I’d highly recommend this as a camping investment.

You can buy the Outwell Padres XL Camp Kitchen from Towsure, where it’s currently available for £144.95, you can buy it here.

Side shot of our Outwell Padres XL camp kitchen inside the bell tent