Reviews > Cook Gear > Cook Sets > GSI Outdoors ULSoloist Cook System > Test Report by Edwin L. Morse

GSI SOLOIST COOKSET
TEST SERIES BY EDWIN MORSE
INITIAL REPORT
April 05, 2008

TESTER INFORMATION

I started backpacking in 1979 with two weeks in northern Michigan along the Lake Superior shore. My gear was cheap, heavy and sometimes painful. My starting pack weight was 70 lbs (32 kg) with food but no water. Since that first time I have made one and two week trips in Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Late last summer I did a 2 week hike on Isle Royale. My starting pack weight was 32 lbs (14.5 kg), including 10 days of food and 3 qt (2.8 l) of water. I am slowly learning what lighter gear works for me.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: GSI Outdoors
Year of Manufacture: 2008
Manufacturer's Website: GSI Outdoors
MSRP: US$ 29.95
Listed Weight: 0.594 lb 9.5 oz (269 g)
Measured total Weight: 10.0 oz (283 g)
Stuff sack, wash dish: 1.0 oz (28 g)
kettle: 6.5 oz (184 g)
cup: 1.5 oz (42.5 g)
Lid: 0.9 oz (25.5 g)

Other details: According to the website: "dimensions: 5.15" x 5.15" x 5.6" (13 cm x 13 cm x 14 cm)

1.1 L (1.16 qt) Pot, Strainer/Sip-It Lid, 14 fl. oz. (414 ml) insulated cup/bowl, Stove Bag"

Again, according to the website the cup is: "Cascadian™
The recyclable, inexpensive answer to all your outdoor dining needs. This lightweight, flexible material is easy to pack, stack and carry. And it's available in four bold colors, to identify individual settings and brighten up any meal."

and the kettle is:
Halulite™
Say goodbye to scratches, burn circles and ounces. As light as Titanium, Halulite is a proprietary alloy that also conducts heat better and more evenly-so you can leave the extra fuel at home. Plus, every piece is Hard Anodized to create a surface that withstands scratches and abrasions like nothing else. It's ultra light without the sacrifices. Now that's smart."

The lid is: "Crushproof, dual-use lid made of Lexan® resin prevents deformation of your pot/lid while serving as a Sip-It Lid or integrated strainer."

In my view the cup is an orange colored "plastic" material. The sides are slightly flexible. the dimensions inside the cup are: 4 in (102 mm) diameter and 2.5 in (64 mm) high. I filled the cup and poured the water into a 4 cup measuring cup. According to this method it holds 2.5 cups (588 ml) The cover appears to be a thin Neoprene type of material, which is easily removed so I can wash the cup. I took the cover off the kettle and tried (and tried and tried) to make it fit the cup. After getting rather frustrated I handed it to my wife and told her it was supposed to fit like a sippy cup. She just turned the lid over and put it on the cup! With the lid (what I think of as) upside down it becomes a very snug fitting sippy cup.

The kettle is a dark metal that measures 4.75 in (121 mm) high and 4.5 in (114 mm) in diameter. The kettle easily holds a liter (1.06 qt) of water but I doubt that I would heat that much water very often.

The stuff sack is a heavy black material that appears to be coated on the inside. I filled it nearly full of water and it easily holds 8 cups (1.88 l) of water.

There was also a well made black 3 in by 5 in (7.6 cm by 13 cm) envelope with a hook and loop closure in the plastic sack. I have no idea what this is for.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The whole set (cup, kettle and lid) came in the stuff sack in a cardboard box. The box had pictures as well as descriptions in English and French.

My first impression was that the set is more bulky than my previous setup. Then I started looking at possibilities. I separated the Cookset parts to see just what it looked like.


The cup with insulating sleeve and tight fitting lid appears to be a good camp coffee cup.

The insulating sleeve easily pulls off so I can wash the cup.

Then I found that either my alcohol stove or my canister stove will fit inside the cookset with room for my lighter and a camp towel or bandana for padding.

The kettle appears to work with my alcohol stove.


This just might be a more compact set up than I have been using since I can pack everything except fuel inside the kettle.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

The same warnings are on both the website and the brochure inside the box.
The instructions were more warnings and cautions then instructions. The first was the standard warning to wash with hot water and mild detergent prior to initial use at home and dry immediately. I say it is a standard warning because the same instructions are with all dishes and cookware I have purchased.
Then there were cautions:
"Never heat nFORM Ultralight cookware to extreme temperatures or allow it to boil dry.
Pot and strainer lid intended for stovetop use only. Not for use with microwave ovens, conventional ovens or open campfires.
Handle may become hot when cooking. Always use caution when grasping handle. Never expose handle to direct flame."

In my opinion the first caution is the important one. When I started backpacking I used a white gas stove that only had one flame setting, full blow torch mode. The extreme temperature is no longer a problem with alcohol or canister stoves. The caution never to allow the kettle to boil dry will change one of my practices. It always seemed very easy with my other kettles to put them back on the stove carefully to heat dry.

TRYING IT OUT

I tried the Cookset on the deck picnic table. I used my Pocket Rocket canister stove with about a half a qt (47 ml) of water in the kettle. I made soup and coffee. Actually I boiled the water in the kettle, then I poured part of the water in a zipper bag with my dehydrated soup. I used the stuff sack for a cozy. I poured the rest of the hot water into the cup with instant coffee.

I think this system will work well for me with a little more practice.

TESTING STRATEGY

I will first use the Soloist Cook System in the backyard a few more times to begin learning the best way for me to use it.

During the test period I will answer the following questions:
How will the Soloist Cook System fit my cooking style?
Will the Soloist Cook System work with all the different stoves I
have over a 4 month time period?
The design looks interesting, and innovative.
Will the Soloist Cook System rattle when in my pack or will I need to
pad the cup so I hear no rattles?
I do a most of my backpacking food preparation by boiling water and
pouring it into a Ziploc bag with a meal I have dehydrated.
Will the Soloist Cook System work for just boiling water on either a
canister stove or an alcohol stove?
Will the Soloist Cook System cup and sip-it lid keep my coffee hot
while I enjoy the early morning sunrise?
How durable is the Soloist Cook System?
Will the Soloist Cook System stand up to several days at a time of
being stuffed into my backpack and then used to fix 2 hot meals each
day?

SUMMARY

The Soloist Cook System appears to be a well designed system for backpack camp cooking. I will need to change some of my methods and I think the change will be an improvement. I now have a system rather than the collection of pieces I used last year. I am looking forward to using and testing this system out on the trail.

This concludes my Initial Report. The Field Report will be added in about 2 months.
I would like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and GSI Outdoors for giving me the opportunity to test the GSI Soloist Cook System.

Reviews > Cook Gear > Cook Sets > GSI Outdoors ULSoloist Cook System > Test Report by Edwin L. Morse