Sea to Summit AlphaLight Spork
Owner Review
by Brian Martel
April 25, 2012
Tester
Information
NAME:
Brian
Martel
AGE:
22
GENDER: Male
HEIGHT: 6
ft (1.83 m)
WEIGHT: 155
lbs (70.3 kg)
EMAIL: brian.martel@maine.edu
LOCATION: Orono,
Maine, USA
I’ve been backpacking for about two years now. I try to keep my pack light. I go to school in Maine and during the winter I enjoy
getting out on winter hikes so warmth and water resistance and weight are the factors
I look at when looking for new gear.
I’ve camped with different setups using hammocks tents and tarps. I enjoy backpacking because it gets me
away from the crowds. I also like
to make my own gear and I’m always trying to improve and lighten the gear I
have.
PRODUCT
INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Sea to Summit
Year of
Manufacture: 2010
Manufacture’s
Website: www.seatosummit.com
Spork
Listed
Weight: 0.3 oz (9 g)
Measured
Weight: 0.29 oz (8.5 g)
Carabiner
Listed
Weight: NA
Measured
Weight: 0.09 oz (2.5 g)
Total Weight
Listed
Weight: NA
Measured
Weight: 0.38 oz (11 g)
Dimensions: 6.5 in x 1.5 in (16.51 cm x 3.81 cm)
The Sea
to Summit Spork is made from hard-anodized aircraft-grade 7075-T6
aluminum. It comes with a
small carabiner that I use to clip it to other utensils or my pack. The spork has four
tines. The inner two tines each measure 0.38 in (0.95 cm) in length. The two outer tines measure 0.31 in
(0.79 cm) in length. It is 0.25 in
(0.64 cm) deep and 1.63 in (4.13 cm) wide. The combination of the depth and width of the spork make it easy to eat soup with.
FIELD USE
I
have used the Sea to Summit Spork for all my backpacking trips and day-hikes
for the past year. I have used it during a four-day backpacking trip in
Yosemite California as well as a two-day trip in the White Mountains of New
Hampshire. I also have used it on
around 20 day-hikes when I bring a meal for lunch. During the Yosemite trip it was sunny the whole time. During the trip in the White Mountains
of New Hampshire it rained one evening. The rain
did not affect the spork. The texture of the anodized finish gives it enough grip that it does not become slippery and hard to hold. During the winter I have used it on day
trips while snowshoeing in the forest surrounding my house. The cold does not make it brittle or
weaken it at all and it performed fine.
After a year of use there are no dents, as the aircraft grade aluminum
is extremely tough. The anodized
finish also helps to prevent scratches.
After
a meal I clean the spork with a camp towel and water
and then store it in the top pocket of my pack wrapped with a camp towel, which
prevents any damage from occurring while I am on the trail. When I get home from a trip I hand wash
the spork with soap and hot water. I use it to cook and eat my meals. I do not use this spork
on nonstick pots because it could scratch the surface. Typically my meals consist of rice, hot
chocolate, oatmeal, and sometimes freeze dried meals.
It
can be difficult to eat the freeze dried meals out of the package with this
spork because of the relatively short handle, however I usually roll the
package down to shorten the sides, which makes it easier to eat. The length also makes it easier to pack
than a spork with a longer handle. The spork is
very strong and I have not had any problems with it bending at all. The handle has a curve down the center
of the handle, which helps to give it extra strength. The fork does have its limitations because of the width of
the teeth. The fork struggles most
with small pieces of meat. The
tines tend to split the meat so I end up using it as a spoon primarily.
SUMMARY
The Sea To
Summit Spork is a great addition to my camp kitchen kit.
THINGS I LIKE
Lightweight
Durability
Included
carabiner
THINGS I DISLIKE
Fork tends to
split food
Too short to easily
eat freeze-dried meals
SIGNATURE
-- Brian Martel --