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Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Cook Sets > MSR Titan Cup > Owner Review by Ray Estrella
MSR Titan Cup
June 22, 2014
TESTER INFORMATION
I've been backpacking for over 30 years, all over California, Minnesota, and many western states. I hike year-round in all weather, and average 500+ miles (800+ km) per year. I make a point of using lightweight gear, and smaller volume packs. Doubting I can ever be truly ultralight, I try to be as light as I can yet still be comfortable. I start early and hike hard so as to enjoy the afternoons exploring/chilling. I usually take a freestanding tent and enjoy hot evening meals. If not hiking solo I am usually with my brother-in-law Dave or my twin children. The Product
Manufacturer: Mountain Safety Research, Inc. (MSR) Quick & Dirty, Nitty Gritty The MSR Titan Cup is 2 oz (57 g) of drinking (almost) perfection. It has been a long-time hiking companion holding everything from energy drinks, hot coffee and cider to scotch and water. It is also my measuring cup after a quick modification. It could really use some permanent measuring markings though. Please read on for the details. Product Description
The MSR Titan Cup (hereafter referred to as the Titan or cup) is a compact titanium cup aimed at the gram-counting Ultralight crowd. It is gray in color. The same as the skin on an F-18 fighter, and I like to think helps me hike as fast. (I wish.)
It consists of a cylindrical body made of, that's right, titanium. It has two body-hugging bent wire handles that fold to the sides to keep its svelte shape when not needed. When deployed for use they stick out from the side of the cup 1.25 in (32 mm). The handles are held on by a plate that is spot welded to the body of the cup.
At the top of the cup is a rolled lip to minimize the occurrence of burned lips when imbibing hot liquids and to add strength. On the bottom are a couple of stampings. One of the MSR logo and the other is of a bird with the words "Seagull Brand" above it, and "Made in Thailand" below. Field Conditions
The Titan Cup has been on many trips above 14,000' (4,267 m) in the Sierra Nevada and White ranges, and has been well below sea level three times in Death Valley. It has been used on frigid 17 F (-8 C) mornings on the John Muir Trail, and on trips that saw highs to 118 F (48 C) in the Kern canyon. (The picture above is at my campsite by an old mine on that trip. I was sunburned just from the reflection off the granite on that scorcher.) I have carried it on about 3,000 miles (4800 km) of trails in the past ten years. It has seen use in just about every park and forest in the Sierra Nevada (like in the picture below) from Yosemite down to Domeland Wilderness. I had it on many trails in other states too, most of which were in Minnesota where I reside full time now.
Observations
I bought this cup in 2004 as part of my weight reduction gear-overhaul that was started in 2003. I had been carrying a REI insulate mug for about 15 years, and still do in the winter. The fact that it would shave two thirds of the (cup) weight from my load was very attractive to me.
On one of my first trips with it I bent it a bit out of round. I have long known how strong titanium is. (My father is a Mechanical Engineer for Lockheed Martin.) I did not factor in the gauge of the metal though. It was no big deal, I was able to squeeze it back into to shape with no problem. A second crushing was a bit more severe. I spent a Halloween night on top of Mount San Gorgonio (11,500 ft/3500 m). When trying to maneuver around my tent in the rock ring I had for protection from the wind I stumbled and sat right on my cup. It smashed it. Dang my big butt… I bent it back again but this time it kept a definite crease in the side. Oh well, it still works fine and is now going strong at 10 years of age. Maybe MSR would like it for their museum? ;-) MSR suggests that the cup can be nestled into the Titan Kettle or 2 Pot Set to help with space issues. I used to have the Kettle and now have the 2 Pot Set (see reviews), but keep my stove and fuel canister in it. Instead I keep the cup with my food supplies. I pack the cup tightly with things like my washcloth and coffee and cider packets to both take up the space inside it and give it support.
I did add two marks inside of the cup to be able to use it as a measuring cup; they can be seen in the picture above. I put them at 4 and 8 oz (118 and 237 ml) and have had to refresh them a couple of times over the years. I think that the only thing that I would do differently about this cup if I were MSR, is to give it some pressed-in indentations at common measuring units. It would not add any weight, and would greatly increase its usability in my opinion. I have used it directly on a stove only once. It was hard to keep the flame low enough to stay in contact with the cup, and not be wasting itself blasting past the sides. The handle got very hot needless to say. (I melted my washcloth on them, doh!) In conclusion I have to say that I really like this cup. What would make me I say I love it? Give it measuring marks, and increase the size to an even 16 oz (473 ml) at the brim. (Most freeze-dried meals take that for reconstituting.) Until then I will keep my Titan cup with me on most of my hikes. I leave with a shot of the Titan at the Backpacker's Campground at Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park. It was being used just as a measuring cup for my post hike dinner. After four days on the trail I found a better use for it and my bear canister…
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