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Flatworld Orikaso Solo Set
Initial Report July 9, 2006
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| Complete Set
in Carrying Case |
Tester's Information
Name: Liz Neely
Age: 38
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 145 lb (65.8 kg)
Email address: liz at armory dot com
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Tester's Background:
I've been day hiking for many years, and started backpacking in 2005.
My hiking and backpacking has been primarily in the San Francisco Bay
Area of California,
on designated trails, with occasional stream crossings. My backpacking
trips have ranged in length from two to four days and have all been in
state and national parks in the San Francisco Bay area. The
temperatures I encounter range from 25 F (4 C) to 80 F (27 C), the
elevations are between sea level and 7500 ft (2286 m), and my pack
weight is between 28 to 36 lbs (13 to 16 kg).
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Flatworld
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: http://www.orikaso.com/
Listed Weight: 5 oz (142 g)
It's not specified what this is the
weight of, but based on my own measurements, this seems to be the
listed
weight of the three dishes without the carrying case.
Measured Weight: mug: 1.75 oz (50 g); bowl: 1.375 oz (40 g); plate: 1.5
oz (43 g); entire set in carrying case: 6.75 oz (191 g)
Listed Capacity: mug: 12 fl oz (400 ml); bowl: 22 fl oz (700 ml)
Measured Capacity: mug: 16 fl oz (473 ml) to brim; bowl: 32 fl oz (946
ml) to brim
Measured Dimensions: mug: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) deep; bowl: 3.25 in (8.3 cm)
deep; plate: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) deep by 6.5 in (16.5 cm) square on the
bottom and 8.75 in (22.2 cm) square on the top
Available Colors: Red, Blue, Orange, Green
MSRP: Unknown
Product Description:
This is a very unique set of folding dishes. The set consists of a mug,
a bowl, and a plate. All three pieces unfold to completely flat pieces
of plastic with creases in them. They are then folded up, similar to
folding a piece of Origami paper, to form the respective dish. They are
held together solely by the way they are folded, with tabs inserted
into
spaces formed by the folds to hold everything in place.
Flat
Dishes
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Folded
Dishes
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Plate
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Bowl
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Mug
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The mug has markings on one side for 1/2 cup, 1 cup, and 1 1/2 cups,
and the corresponding 4, 8, and 12 fl ozs markings. On the other side,
it has markings for 100, 200, 300, and 400 mls. I found these markings
to be very accurate. The mug also has a handle on it, which makes it
easier to hold.
The bowl is tapered, narrower at the bottom and wider at the top, and
it is fairly deep, which makes me think food will not slosh out of it
easily
as it might with a shallower bowl.
The plate is square, and it is a generous size. It has 1.75 in (4.4
cm) sides all the way around, which I believe will keep food from
sliding off the edges.
These dishes are advertised as superlight, ultracompact, easyclean,
non-stick, and unbreakable. They are also dishwasher safe.
Initial Impressions:
The Orikaso Solo Set arrived on July 7, 2006. The three dishes were
packaged in a flat carrying case that measures 10.75 in (27 cm) wide by
11.5
in (29 cm) tall. The thickness of the carrying case with the flat
dishes in
it is negligible. The carrying case is made of a thin but sturdy
feeling plastic and it seems like a handy way to store and transport
the dishes.
The instructions for folding together the plate and bowl are on a sheet
of paper that was included in the package; the instructions for folding
together the mug are printed on the outside of the carrying case. The
instructions for each dish consist of several steps and illustrations.
I found the instructions fairly difficult to follow, especially the
instructions for the mug, which is the most complicated dish to fold.
It took me 20 minutes to get all three pieces folded properly the first
time I tried. However, the second time I tried, about eight hours
later, it only took me a minute or so to get all three pieces folded up
and I did not need to reference the instructions. I believe this is
because I now understand the folding techniques used.
Once folded, the dishes were sturdier than I expected. I filled the cup
and bowl with water and they held their shape well. They did not show
any signs of unfolding under the stress of holding the water. I put
some fairly heavy items on the plate and picked it up by one side, and
it also held its shape well and did not unfold.
Test Strategy:
I will test the Orikaso Solo Set in the Central California coastal and
inland
areas on backpacking trips as well as at home for some of my regular
meals. The
elevations
will range from sea
level to around 6500 ft (1981 m) and the temperatures will range from
45 to 80 F (7 to 27 C).
Most of my backpacking meals involve measuring boiling water and adding
it to dehydrated food, then letting it sit for 10 minutes to rehydrate.
I will use the marked measurements on the mug to measure the boiling
water, then I will mix that with the dehydrated food in the bowl and
let it rehydrate in the bowl. I will also use the bowl for milk and
cereal for breakfasts on my backpacking trips. In addition to using the
mug as a measuring cup, I will it for mixing and drinking Gatorade and
for steeping and sipping hot tea on my backpacking trips. I believe the
plate will see less use on my backpacking trips, but I will use it for
foods such as breads, cold cuts, and finger foods. At home, and
possibly on picnics, the plate will see more use, for items such as
sandwiches, pizza, chips, and cookies.
These are the questions I will be focusing on answering while testing
this set of dishes:
Usability: How useful are the
bowl, cup, and plate? Are there any
difficulties eating or drinking out of them? Do they come apart while
I'm using them? Does the food ooze out the sides at all? Can I hold the
cup when it's full of hot tea or soup, or does it get too hot to hold?
Can the plate be carried around when it's full of food, or does it flex
too much due to being made out of a thin flexible material? Is it
comfortable to drink out of the cup, or is the edge uncomfortably sharp?
Durability: How do these hold
up after being set on dirt and rocks many
times? Can they be scrubbed when food gets stuck on them? Do they
develop cracks along the seams? Do they get damaged if they get bent or
crushed in my pack? When I put boiling water into the cup or bowl, does
it retain its shape, or does it become very soft due to the heat?
Convenience: Will I remember
how to fold these dishes up in the future,
or will I forget and have to refer to the instructions again? How easy
is it to eat out of these; do they require extra support so they don't
collapse? Does most of the food stay where it can be gotten by a
utensil, or does a lot of it ooze into the folds where I can't get at
it? When using the cup as a measuring cup for boiling water, how easy
is it to pour out of? How easy are these to wash? Do strong odors, such
as garlic, wash off easily or do they absorb those odors and remain
smelly even after washing?
In addition to the questions I will focus on above, I will report on
any other issues and features I encounter while testing these dishes.
Thank you to BackpackGearTest.org
and Flatworld for giving me the
opportunity
to test the Flatworld Orikaso Solo Set.
Read more reviews of Flatworld gear
Read more gear reviews by Liz Neely
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