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Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Cook Sets > GSI Outdoors Halulite Minimalist > Owner Review by David Wilkes

Owner Review by David Wilkes

GSI HALULITE MINIMALIST 

April 24 2016

Tester Information

Name: David Wilkes
E-Mail: amatbrewer@yahoo.com
Age: 50
Location: Yakima Washington USA
Gender: M
Height: 5'11" (1.80 m)
Weight: 200 lb (90.7 kg)

Biography:

I started backpacking in 1995 when I moved to Washington State. Since then, I have backpacked in all seasons and conditions the Northwest has to offer.  I prefer trips on rugged trails with plenty of elevation gain. While I continuously strive to lighten my load, comfort and safety are most important to me. I have finally managed to get my basic cold weather pack weight, not including consumables, to under 30 lb (14 kg).

Product Information

Manufacturer:

GSI Outdoors

Year of Manufacture:

Unknown

Manufacturer’s Website:

http://www.gsioutdoors.com/

MSRP:

27.95 US$

Listed
Weight 
Dimensions
Volume

6.3 oz (179 g)
4.2'' x 4.2'' x 4.6'' (10.5 x 10.5 x 11.5 cm)
0.6L

Measured weight:

3.5 oz (99 g) Pot only
5.75 oz (163 g) Pot/sleeve/lid
0.4 oz (12 g) Pot gripper

Product

Product Description:

The HALULITE MINIMALIST COMPLETE consists of a 0.6L (20 oz) aluminum pot/mug with plastic lid and insulating sleeve (aka “cozy”), telescoping “Foon” (aka spork), and silicone pot gripper. It is intended as a compact, lightweight all in one, 1 person cooking set.


Review

Graphic
I don’t know exactly when I purchased this cook set only that I have had it for a few years. Over the that time, I have used this cook set many times during my outings in Washington’s southern and central Cascades in all 4 seasons, as well as in the eastern foothills of the Cascades and central Washington plains/desert including solo and group climbing trips up Mt Adams. It is one of my favorite pieces of gear. Aside for having to replace the insulating sleeve due to a tear developing in the bottom I have had no problems with it.

I will start by describing the pot/mug, which I will refer to as pot or cup interchangeably.  The pot feels thick and sturdy but not excessively heavy, and has a grey somewhat rough surface inside and out. The insulating sleeve fits snuggly on the pot. So snug that it can be somewhat difficult to remove. The lid contains two openings; one larger for drinking/pouring and one smaller to let the air in when drinking/pouring. The lid is reversible. Normally the lid fits snug and seals tightly. With the lid in the first position, the pot can be used as a cup allowing me to drink from it without my skin being exposed to the (possibly hot) metal of the pot. There is a bit of an extended lip by the larger opening that further protects my lips from touching the metal as well as to assist with removal. Reversed, the lid sits loosely on the pot. This is the position used for cooking to allow the lid to be easily removed while on the stove. Printed on the outside of the pot is a diagram showing the order in which to assemble the pot for storage, including a stove.

With lid and sleveA unique item that comes with the minimalist pot (and so with this kit) is the silicone pot gripper. This is a simple and ingenious device. It consists of a small silicone pouch with an attached flap. By placing two fingers in the pouch of the gripper and my thumb on the flap, I can grip the edge of the pot and safely pick it up when hot. This makes a handle unnecessary, which in my experience on this type of pot often just becomes hot from the heat of the stove anyway. The gripper includes an internal magnet intended to stick it to the fuel canister when not in use. NOTE: the gripper is intended to be used to hold the pot (e.g. while stirring food during cooking) or to remove the pot from the stove. It should NOT be used to pour hot contents of the cup, that is better done AFTER placing the pot into the sleeve…and yes I did have to learn that the hard way.

The system also contains a “Foon”. The foon is a combination of a fork and spoon, often referred to as a “spork”. What makes this one unique is that the handle of the foon has a telescoping design allowing it to be shortened for storage in the pot and extended to full length for use. The foon feels rather flimsy and my first attempts to extend/collapse it, I found if I were not careful it would just come apart. I tried using the foon a couple of times at home and found it to be rather useless, so I quickly disposed of it in place of my preferred utensils (long handled plastic spoon and wooden chopsticks).

Most of my solo meals consist of some type of broth with stuff added. For example, chicken broth with dried vegetables and dried cheese tortellini. I also like to make oatmeal (real not instant or quick). The design of this pot works well to help me save fuel. While heating water or food I use the lid inverted to help retain heat. Note in the normal position, the lid fits quite tightly and it is necessary to hold the pot while trying to remove it. Obviously when the pot is on the stove this is not a good idea, so I strongly recommend to never put the lid on the pot in the normal position while cooking. After my food heats or water boils I remove the pot from the stove and place it in the insulating sleeve where it will remain hot. To save fuel I use this as part of the cooking time as the food will continue to simmer. I have found this to be an excellent way to make real oatmeal (as well as other foods that need to simmer) without using any more fuel than it would take me to boil water.Inverted lidGripper1

Another thing I use this cook set for is making hot drinks. Even when I am carrying larger group cookware (or even on day hikes) I will often carry this cook set. I can quickly heat water for a hot beverage, then simply place the pot in the sleeve, attach the lid, and now I have a no spill cup that keeps my drink warm.

Most often I use the pot with one of my small canister or alcohol (commercial and homemade) stoves, but I have used it with larger camp stoves, some compact wood burning stoves, and a few times with a campfire. Being made of aluminum the pot conducts heat well and evenly. Some of my lighter stoves tend to produce a small flame in the center of the pot. I find that highly conductive materials like aluminum tend to distribute the heat across the bottom helping to minimize hot spots. This tends to make the pot more energy efficient for this type of stove as well as helps to prevent scorching my food. The heat conduction of aluminum can also be helpful for indirect heating. I have even placed this pot on a rock next to a campfire, and was able to cook my dinner and boil water by heating the pot from just one side.

Gripper2As for cleaning, I normally carry a piece of green scrub pad cut down to a circle that will fit inside the pot. Most often, a quick wipe with this and some water is all it takes to clean this pot. When possible I prefer to use a handful of fine wet sand for cleaning my pots. I have found this to be the most effective method of cleaning my pots and after disposing the sand (I bury it in my latrine along with my food scraps) I am not left with scrubber that smells of my food. With wood/camp fires, the outside of the pot will become covered with soot and this also is easily removed with wet sand or the scrub pad.

I have been quite satisfied with the durability of the pot in general as well as the outer coating. Despite the above-mentioned cleaning methods the coating has not worn off. I have no fear of this pot becoming damaged in my pack regardless of how carelessly I might stuff it in or how tightly I tighten the compression straps. When removing the sleeve I often put my finger into the bottom hole and pull that way. I believe this is what damaged my original sleeve, which resulted in my replacing it. I ran into a GSI representative at a trade show and when I mentioned the problem, they gladly provided me with a free replacement. The lid and pot gripper show little to no signs of wear. I expect to get many more years of use out of this cook set.

 



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Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Cook Sets > GSI Outdoors Halulite Minimalist > Owner Review by David Wilkes



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