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Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Utensils > Sea to Summit Delta Cutlery > Test Report by Bob Dorenfeld



Sea to Summit Delta Cutlery
Test Series By Bob Dorenfeld
Initial Report    July 9, 2014
Long Term Report    Dec 8, 2014

Tester Bio
Name: Bob Dorenfeld



I'm an active hiker, snowshoer, skier, and of course backpacker.  Home base is the Southern Colorado Rockies, ranging from alpine tundra to piņon-juniper scrub and desert at lower altitudes.  Many of my backpack trips are two or three nights (sometimes longer), and I usually shoulder about 30 lb (14 kg).  My style is lightweight but not at the expense of enjoyment, comfort or safety - extras like camera, air mattress and basic survival gear make my trips more pleasurable and safer.

Email: geartest(at)sageandspruce(dot)net
Age: 56
Location: Central Colorado, USA
Gender: M
Height: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
Weight: 140 lb (64 kg)


Product Overview

Manufacturer:   Sea To Summit
Website:  www.seatosummit.com
MSRP:  US$9.95
Material:  Food grade glass reinforced Nylon 66
Includes:  Knife, fork, and spoon, plus carabiner clip
Stated weight:  1 oz (29 g)
Measured weight:  1 oz (29 g)
Measured length:  6 in (15 cm)
Colors available:  Pacific Blue (reviewed here), Orange, Gray


 Package

The Delta Cutlery set from Sea To Summit is a very lightweight spoon, fork, and knife with a conveniently attached carabiner clip, allowing each piece to be removed separately from the others.  All but the metal part of the clip is composed of food grade Nylon 66, BPA free, and odor and stain-resistant.  The knife is half-serrated (smooth on one side), the fork has four tines, and the spoon has a large bowl shape that can hold 0.33 fl oz (10 ml).  The entire set is dishwasher safe.


- Initial Report -

First Impressions     

handyEach of these eating utensils fits comfortably in my hand, especially after removing them from the clip, which is how I'd normally use them when eating and preparing food.  They are slightly flexible, but not so much that I fear them breaking or sagging with the weight of a spoonful or forkful of my favorite camp meal.  I like the turquoise blue - it's a pleasant color, but distinctive enough to see when dropped in the pine duff or lost inside my food sack.  Although the set length is too long to fit into my usual solo-trip pot, I like to store my cutlery with my food, so that's not an issue for me.  On my scale I measured the same weight as stated by Sea To Summit on their packaging - 1 oz (29 g).

The Nylon 66 plastic used for the Delta set is smooth and has a somewhat slippery feel, but some friction is provided on each of the handles by a raised honeycomb pattern on one side and the Sea To Summit logo on the other.  The carabiner clip is bent at the smaller end, perhaps this would make it easier to hang over the pot lip and keep the utensil from sliding in (and mucking up the handle with food!).

Until now I've never used plastic spoons and forks because they always seemed too weak to rely on in the backcountry.  And I always carry a pocket knife anyway, so I didn't need an extra knife just for cooking. 

What's Next?     

I'm looking forward to my next backpack meal with the Delta set very soon, and throughout the rest of the summer.  I'll be looking to test the sturdiness of the fork and spoon for preparing and eating my mostly dehydrated meals, and the knife for some of the food cutting tasks I normally consign to the pocket knife.  I'm a bit concerned that the utensils feel too slippery, but field use will tell the tale on that.  In addition to backpacking, I'll bring the Delta set along on some car-camping trips where I do more extensive food preparation.

- Long Term Report -

spoon in useDuring the testing period I carried and used the Delta Cutlery set on ten backpacking trips (morning and evening meals for most days), four car-camping trips, and a number of day hikes.  I've been keeping the Cutlery set in my daypack whenever I'm not backpacking because I like having a good spoon or fork handy in case I pack a meal that requires one.

I'm very pleased with the performance of each of the Delta implements.  It turned out that the "slipperiness" I found initially was not a problem.  The utensils were always easy to grasp and use, and I like the large surface area of the spoon. The knife I used less often than the other implements, but when I needed one I found that it cuts fish (fillets and kippers) readily and proved more than sharp enough for the task.

Meal prep for me while backpacking is pretty simple, as I mostly prepare dehydrated meals, and so used the fork or spoon for stirring and eating.  For several car camping meals I used the knife and fork for more extensive tasks such as cutting and dicing vegetables.  Unlike weaker plastic utensils, I never detected any fragility in the Delta set.

sunriseAll of the Delta pieces cleaned up nicely with just a bit of scrubbing with a pine cone and sometimes a dab of soap.  Occasionally food got left on the spoon or fork after the meal, but even after a day or two water and a light scrub cleaned it off easily.

Although the carabiner clip connecting the handles could be handy some of the time to keep track of the set, I usually left the spoon and fork unclipped and stored in my food bag.


Summary

The Delta Cutlery set has been a great addition to my backpacking kit.  The Nylon 66 plastic has proven to be durable and strong, and the bright blue color makes all the implements easy to find in my pack or on the ground.  I can't find any negative points to add to my review.  Finally, considering its relatively low price I find the Delta Cutlery an excellent value.

Pros
  - strong and durable
  - bright color makes them easy to find
  - cleans up easily
  - feels balanced and well-shaped
  - lightweight

Acknowledgments    

Thanks to Sea To Summit and to BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test the Sea to Summit Delta Cutlery set.


Reviewed By
Bob Dorenfeld
Southern Colorado Mountains





Read more reviews of Sea to Summit gear
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Reviews > Cook and Food Storage Gear > Utensils > Sea to Summit Delta Cutlery > Test Report by Bob Dorenfeld



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