How Snow Peak Redefined Cooking at Camp

If you’ve ever watched a Japanese camping video and wondered how everything looks so calm, organised, and effortless, chances are you were looking at some version of the IGT system.

IGT stands for Iron Grill Table, a modular camp kitchen concept pioneered by Snow Peak. While it’s often described as a “table,” that undersells what it really is. IGT is a standardised platform that allows campers to build a kitchen around the way they actually cook outdoors — not just a flat surface to dump gear on.

This article is a beginner-friendly introduction to the IGT system: where it came from, why it works so well for car camping and real meal preparation, and how modern IGT-compatible systems — including the Campingmoon range distributed by Nimble Camp — make this style of camp kitchen more accessible than ever.

Where the IGT system came from

Snow Peak didn’t invent IGT as a design experiment. It grew out of decades of observing how people behave at camp — how often they bend over, how much time is wasted moving between surfaces, and how quickly “relaxed camping” turns into frustration when cooking gear is unstable or poorly laid out.

The solution Snow Peak arrived at was deceptively simple:

Standardise the dimensions of cooking and work surfaces so they can be combined, rearranged, and expanded as needed.

By the early 2000s, this thinking became the Iron Grill Table system, a modular framework that could support burners, prep surfaces, storage, and accessories — all at ergonomic heights and in repeatable layouts.

Rather than selling a single table, Snow Peak introduced a system that could evolve with how people camp.

Why IGT feels different to normal camp tables

Most camp tables are designed around transport first and function second. IGT flips that priority.

1. It’s built around cooking workflow

Cooking at camp isn’t one action — it’s a sequence:

prep ingredients
cook
plate and serve
clean and pack away

The IGT system allows these tasks to live side-by-side at the same height, rather than scattered across different tables, tubs, or improvised surfaces.

2. Modularity replaces compromise

Instead of accepting one fixed surface, IGT uses standardised “units”. Each unit can hold a:

burner or cooking insert
solid prep surface
tray or storage module

You decide the layout. Swap components in or out depending on the trip.

3. Height is intentional, not accidental

IGT legs are designed for different cooking styles:

low for ground-style camping
mid-height for seated cooking
high for standing meal prep

For car campers preparing proper meals, this means less bending, less strain, and better control when cooking.

The core idea: frames, units, and inserts

At its heart, the IGT system is made of three concepts.

Frame

The frame is the backbone. It defines how many units your kitchen can hold side by side.

Units

A unit is a standardised rectangular space within the frame. Everything is designed to fit these dimensions.

Inserts

Inserts are what turn a frame into a kitchen:

cooking modules
prep surfaces
storage boxes
trays and utility components

Because the unit size is standardised, you’re never locked into one layout.

Why this matters for car camping

For car campers — especially those who cook real meals — the IGT approach solves problems that show up on almost every trip:

unstable stoves
prep surfaces that are too low or too small
cluttered tables
gear spread across the campsite

With an IGT-style setup, cooking becomes predictable and repeatable, regardless of campsite terrain.

You arrive, assemble the same layout every time, and start cooking.

Enter Campingmoon: IGT-compatible without the all-or-nothing buy-in

While Snow Peak pioneered the IGT system, the ecosystem has expanded. One of the most respected manufacturers producing IGT-compatible components today is Campingmoon.

Campingmoon designs frames, surfaces, storage modules, and accessories that follow the same unit-based philosophy, allowing campers to build modular kitchens without committing to a single premium brand from day one.

Nimble Camp distributes the Campingmoon range specifically because it:

respects the original IGT concept,
allows gradual upgrades,
and supports real-world cooking needs for Australian car campers.

What makes an IGT-style kitchen so practical

Across both Snow Peak and Campingmoon systems, the advantages are consistent:

Stability: frames are designed to handle heat and weight
Efficiency: everything has a place
Scalability: add units as your setup grows
Longevity: components don’t become obsolete when your needs change

Rather than buying multiple tables over time, you build one system that adapts.

Starting simple is the whole point

One of the biggest misconceptions about IGT is that you need a complex setup to begin.

In reality, most campers start with:

a frame,
a cooking insert,
and a single prep surface.

From there, storage or extra workspace can be added later — once you know what actually annoys you at camp.

That philosophy is exactly why the system works.

The IGT Camp Kitchen System: