I do all my woodery outside 'cos I've got no shop and the tiny house is full of no-room. My "fancy" bench is a beech laminate job, cost me £30.00 in a sale at B&Q. It's quite sturdy and very pretty (it looks just like a big version of a kid's toy workbench( and is ideal for hand tool work. Next to it I've a couple of knocked-together ply-topped benches and an old desk on which sit sliding mitre saw, drill press, belt sander, a very basic saw table, band saw and a scroll saw. Then there's a couple of saw horses with my router table top sat on it. (I usually keep the routers inside.) I've got a _massive_ record vice (vise ?) out there too, wrapped in greasy plastic and waiting for installation, but so far I've been using the toy workbench vice quite happily.
The whole lot lines up against a fence to which I've stapled good quality plastic tarp. The tarp hangs over the tools and benches to near the ground at the front. The front edge has pieces of mdf (about 4 by 2, 3/4) stapled to make a sort of hem weight. This is absolutely essential to prevent blowing around and works very well. Before I attached the weights I had terrible problems keeping anything covered. Now it's fine in all but the strongest winds when I'll chuck a plank or two on top for extra ballast. There's a sort of drip strip at the top edge to try and prevent water creeping down between the tarp and fence. It seems to work.
To use it, I just lift the front edge up to uncover whatever sections I need. It keeps dry, though there's slight surface rust on the cast iron drill press top so I WD40 any exposed ironwork now.
In heavy rain water sometimes pools on top because the tarp is not dead flat as it drapes over the tools, but with the weighted hem, most of the hollows pull out and it's not really a problem. Without the weighted hem, this was a MAJOR hassle.
For occasional use, it works out very well. Unfortunately it nearly always rains whenever I plan to do anything at all, so if it ever stops raining enough to undertake the work, I intend to build a shop. I'll still be leaving a bench by the fence though.. I like working outdoors.
oh - if all I've needed to do is chop a length of wood or drill a couple of holes, I have been to known to go outside - damn the rain - and just stick myself under the tarp long enough to do the job. No good for anything protracted (dust) but OK to trim the odd stick. Everything's floodlit on intruder sensors and that's enough light to work anytime, noise allowing.
BTW the benches rest on bits of brick etc. on the ground. I _was_ going to sit them on pressure-treated "skids," running fore to aft but so far there's no sign of anything rotting. I suppose I ought to, though, if it ever stops raining for long enough for me to fit it in.