JETBOIL JETSET UTENSIL KIT

OWNER REVIEW by Richard Lyon

October 21, 2007

 Personal Details and Backpacking Background

Male, 61 years old
Height: 6' 4" (1.91 m)
Weight: 200 lb (91 kg)
Email address: rlyon AT gibsondunn DOT com
Home: Dallas, Texas USA

I've been backpacking for 45 years on and off, and regularly in the Rockies since 1986.  I do a weeklong trip every summer, and often take three-day trips.  I'm usually camping in alpine terrain, at altitudes 5000 to 13000 ft (1500 - 4000 m).  I prefer base camp backpacking, a long hike in with day trips from camp, but I do my share of forced marches too.  Though always looking for ways to reduce weight, I'm not yet a lightweight hiker and I usually choose a bit of extra weight over foregoing camp conveniences I've come to expect.

Product Details

The Jetset Utensil Kit consists of a spoon, fork, and spatula, each made of "lightweight and durable high-temperature nylon."  The handle of each Utensil nests inside an attached grooved piece, allowing the user to extend it for use and retract it into the handle for more compact storage.  To open, apply light pressure to the tab in the notch at the end of the Utensil, grasp the business end of the Utensil, and pull it until the tab slips into a notch at the other end of the handle, locking it in place for use.  Do this in reverse for storage: Push the tab gently and slide the Utensil back inside until it engages in the end notch.

As I describe below, Jetboil has designed the Jetset to integrate into its Personal Cooking System (PCS) and Group Cooking System (GCS).  I encourage the reader to peruse reviews of these products on BackpackGeatTest.org before proceeding with this review.

Manufacturer: Jetboil, Inc.
Website: www.jetboil.com (All text in quotes in this review is from this website.)
Year of manufacture: 2007
Year of Purchase: 2007
MSRP: $19.95  US
Weight, per Jetboil website and as measured: Spoon 0.4 oz (11 g); Fork 0.4 oz (11 g); Spatula 0.5 oz (14 g)
Dimensions: per Jetboil website and as measured: In Use: 8.5 in (215 mm); Retracted: 5.2 in (130 mm)
Related Product: Jetboil also sells the spoon and fork as part of its Cargo Cozy Kit (MSRP $19.95 US).  That kit includes a cozy for Jetboil's Personal Cooking System (PCS) cooking cup that has a special insert for storing the utensils.

Field Conditions

I've used some or all of the Jetset Utensils on many day hikes and backpacks in Texas, Oklahoma, and Montana since I bought the set in April, really every hike on which I scheduled a meal.  Temperatures have ranged from 12 F (-11 C) in Yellowstone Park in September to over 100 F (38 C) in Texas in July.   Most of my use of the spatula has been on a titanium-coated aluminum pot and skillet, but occasionally I've used it on untreated aluminum pots as well.  My backcountry "plates" for the food eaten with the fork and spoon have been a plastic bowl, Jetboil PCS cup, and aluminum or titanium Sierra-type cups.

Observations

Storage.  While the spoon and fork have been designed for storage in the pot of a Jetboil Group Cooking System (GCS) or as noted the special holder on the PCS Cargo Cozy, their small retracted size means they will fit almost anywhere.  Though I'm a big Jetboil cooking system fan I've been trying out two new stoves from other manufacturers this past summer, so I've stored these two Utensils in a Zip-Lock with food, inside a cooking vessel (pot, coffee pot, or cooking system), or with other gear in a small zipped pocket on my pack.  The top pocket on my day pack and the hip belt pockets on my backpack are frequent storage spots. 

I've taken the spatula on every trip on which I planned to cook with a skillet (rather than just boil water).  When retracted it fits neatly into the bottom of another Jetboil accessory, the FluxRing® Fry Pan.  Like its mates the spatula also stores easily inside other cooking containers.  I like storing my cooking gear together so that's where the spatula usually goes even if I'm not packing a Jetboil system.  All three Utensils will fit inside the GCS with its other system components and fuel canister. 

Features.  Jetboil also designed functional details of the Utensils for its cooking systems, but most features are useful for any backcountry cooking.  At 8.5 inches (215 mm) extended the fork and spoon are noticeably longer than their at-home counterparts.  I verified that all the Utensils when extended for use are "long enough to comfortably reach the bottom of the PCS or GCS;" the extra length makes it easy to get to the bottom of any backpacking pot I own.  This length fixes the only functional shortcoming I've found in the PCS, whose long and somewhat narrow cooking cup sometimes makes it tough to get food that's stuck in the lower corners.  Also, as Jetboil claims, the extra length makes it MUCH easier to get every last bite from an add-boiling-water-and-serve packet of freeze-dried or dehydrated food without using my fingers or smearing my knuckles with food. 

When the cuisine is more than freeze-dried a spatula is a very handy cooking utensil on a backcountry trip.  Many of my trips are planned to include fly fishing, and sautéed trout is on the menu whenever my angling skill and local regulations allow.  Pancakes for breakfast are a major food group anytime.  The Jetset spatula is terrific when cooking these treats.  As with the spoon and fork, extending the handle makes the spatula slightly longer than other backcountry counterparts.  The front edge has a slight bevel to make it easier to get under a sticky piece of food (often the case with trout), and the slots on the blade allow hot fat to drip back into the skillet rather than spatter into the fire or onto the cook. 

Durability.  Despite their light weight and being made of nylon all the Utensils are quite stout.  The tab-and-notch lock adds longitudinal strength to an extended Utensil.  I've noticed no bending and I haven't had to lighten pressure to avoid a break.  All three have so far withstood occasional hard scraping on a pot or skillet without a scratch or a crack.  I've been careful not to leave any of them on a hot surface so I cannot report on what it takes to melt one.

Care.  I clean the Utensils in the backcountry with soapy water.  If I've waited too long to do the dishes and food has congealed, it's come off after a few minutes' soaking in hot water.

Bonus.  I appreciate one last detail.  While orange is far from my favorite color, the bright handle on each Utensil makes it always easy to spot among my kitchen paraphernalia.

The Jetset Utensil Kit scores high with me on all counts.  Each piece has come in very handy on every hike I've taken.

What I Like

Light weight and small pack size

Length

Integration with other Jetboil products for storage.  The design for storing the spatula     on the Fry Pan is particularly ingenious.

What I'd Improve

I wish the Utensils were available separately from a set.   As it is now I'll have to spend another twenty bucks to complete my Jetboil collection with a storage cozy, or to replace a Utensil if one is ever lost or broken.

As I'm often camping with a large group, I'd like to see the spatula also available in a larger size.