Owner Review by Mark Roberts

Owner Review - MSR 775 ml StowAway Pot

Reviewer Information:
Name: Mark Roberts
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Height: 6’ 1” (185 cm)
Weight: 180 lb (82 kg)
Email address: mroberts AT biol.sc DOT edu
City, State, Country: Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Date: 03/14/2004

Backpacking Background:
    I have been backpacking since I was about 15 years old. A lot of early outdoor experiences, however, involved canoe camping. Because of that, I rarely took the weight of my camping equipment into consideration. I have been trying to break that habit since I was about 25 and am finally starting to get better at it. I am not an ultralight, and probably not even a light, backpacker but I do try to buy the lightest equipment that I can find. Since I have really only had a decent income for the last few years I am slowly replacing my old, cheap, heavy gear with bright, shiny, fancy, light new gear. My typical excursions are long weekends (3-4 days) but they sometimes go longer. My wife and I hike together a lot with our two dogs and are hoping to build up to much longer hikes sometime after our first child is born in May 2004. Most of our nearby hikes are either in the Congaree National Swamp or on the Foothills Trails of the Appalachian Mountains, so our hiking conditions can vary considerably.

Product Information:
Manufacturer: Mountain Safety Research
Year of Manufacture: 2002
URL: http://www.msrcorp.com/
Weight: 13.0 oz (365 g)
MSRP: $14.95 (US)
Size: 17 cm (6.7 in) diameter x 8.9 cm (3.5 in) high

The MSR StowAway line of pots come in a variety of sizes: 475 ml (14.4 oz), 775 ml (26.2 oz), 1100 ml (37.2 oz), and 1600 ml (54.1 oz). All are made of lightweight stainless steel and feature an attached, hinged handle that locks the fitted lid into place. According to the MSR website, it features:

Rolled Lip
...reduces the pots’ tendency to warp, assuring a consistent lid fit.

Rounded Corners
Shape helps heat travel up sides of pot more quickly, boosting efficiency 5% and makes cleanup easier.

Durable
Scratch and dent resistant 18-10 Stainless Steel stands up in the most rugged conditions.

Picture 1. Overall view of the MSR Pot.

Field Review:
    I have owned the MSR StowAway pot since October, 2002 (16 months) and have enjoyed every minute of it. It is rugged, easy to use, has no parts to lose (other than the lid), and is relatively lightweight.

    This pot is supposed to be a 775 ml (26.2 oz) pot; however, I can actually fit about 900 ml (30.4 oz or about 4 cups) of liquid if I fill it to the brim. Of course, 775 ml (26.2 oz) is a more functional size since I don't want my water spilling over the sides, but in a pinch I can squeeze a little more in it. It holds enough water to rehydrate a standard freeze dried meal for two and then have enough left over for a cup or two of instant hot chocolate or dessert. I have found that it cleans very easily and I have not dented it yet despite treating it as if I didn't like it. I have used the pot both on the trail and off to cook almost everything including eggs, canned raviolis, rice, vegetables, oatmeal, grits, sausage, macaroni and cheese, and various forms of pasta. It cleans easily and I cannot see any discernible signs of warping. Some other pots have detachable handles that store inside the pot.   I wound up losing these things or burning my hand on them because they are often very short and my hand winds up very near the pot. This has a nice long handle (17 cm [6.7 in] from pot to tip of handle) that never gets hot and gives my hands plenty of room to avoid the heat. The lid fits very snugly without being difficult to take off or put on. The handle folds over the top of the pot and across the lid very easily and locks firmly into place; there is no worry about the pot opening up.   It is a very simple way to securely keep the lid in place. Because of this, it is very convenient to store all sorts of things in the pot. I typically store my seasonings, some camp soap, a wash cloth and similar items in the pot. They stay dry in the sealed pot, however, the pot does take on some water if submersed. I submerged my pot in the kitchen sink for one minute and found that it tends to float (I had to hold it under the water), and it took on about 1 tbsp (0.5 oz or 14.8 ml). So, while it is a pretty dry place inside the closed pot, it isn't likely to stay dry if I dunk my pack. The lid has a small raised handle on the top of it that tends to stay pretty cool and gives just enough clearance to avoid burning myself on a hot lid.

Picture 2. Handle open

open

Picture 3. Closeup of lid

lid

Picture 4. Closeup of latch closed

latch

PROS:
1. Secure fitting lid.
2. Permanently attached handle that won't get lost.
3. Handle is plenty long so I don't have to get near the heat.
4. Lid securely closes in place making it a very safe storage area for all sorts of things.
5. Resists dents and scratches.
6. Cleans easily.
7. Relatively inexpensive

CONS:
1. Not 'ultralight'.
2. Doesn't transfer heat quite as well as aluminum so it takes just a tad longer to get the action started.

Summary:
My StowAway pot has served me well. I bought this one and a larger one, for when more people tag along, at the same time. They have both proven to be very durable and user friendly. One thing that this pot is not, is 'ultralight'. However, since I usually only camp with one pot, this was a fine choice for relatively little money. I usually only bring one stove along anyway, so one pot (and a lightweight bowl to share my bounty) is all that I really need. If my main concern was being as light as possible, then I probably would think twice before buying this pot. Since I wanted to balance weight with usability and durability, I consider this pot to be a great choice.

Read more reviews of MSR gear
Read more gear reviews by Mark Roberts

Reviews > Cook Gear > Cook Sets > MSR Stowaway Pot > Owner Review by Mark Roberts

All material on this site is the exclusive property of BackpackGearTest.org.
BackpackGearTest software copyright David Anderson