Thursday, April 23, 2009

GSI Soloist Cookware

I saw this little cookkit at the local sporting goods store this weekend while picking up some new shoes. For $40, you get a 1.1 liter pot (1100 ml) teflon coated aluminum pot which is quite bigger than a range of the 600 - 800 ml ultralight backpacking pots (often titanium) out there.

The kit also comes with a BPA-free mug/bowl with a lid for sipping, a telescoping spoon (they sell the spoon separately too), and a stuff sack for it all. This completes the 10.8 oz package.

The pot has a rubberized, and incredibly sturdy, locking handle that keeps your hand away from the flame. The handle swings and locks the pot lid in place, securing the contents (the bowl, spoon, and, as advertised, your gas canister and stove.)

I really like GSI's focus on the ultralight sector. The packaging was EXTREMELY detailed with ounces and fractions of ounces that each piece of the kit weighs.

All in all, I think the GSI Soloist kit would be great for a pair of ultralighters needing a tall, sturdy pot (the hard aluminum being preferable to the sometimes flimsy titanium) for trail soups and other recipes, with the added conveniences of the mug/bowl and a collapsible spoon. It'd make a great buy for those trying to save some space by nesting their stove and fuel canister in the pot.

For comparison, take a look at Snow Peak's 900 ml Ti Pot, selling for $44, and weight a mere 5.7 ounces. The snow peak is probably the option I would go for if you're in the market for the lightest possible thing.