Flatworld Orikaso Solo Set
Field Report

September 17, 2006

I started backpacking nine years ago, day-hiking in Ile-de-France all year round, and doing several one or two-week trips in more mountainous regions (Corsica, Pyrénées, Cévennes, Lubéron, etc.) each year.

In the past three years, I have gradually lightened my pack load as I changed to a hammock, an alcohol stove, a light pack and running shoes instead of boots.

Nowadays, I am more and more attracted to the outdoor way of living, to the point I have moved to northern Quebec a couple of months ago in order to spend as much time as possible not only backpacking, but also kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, dog-sledding, etc.

Testing conditions

The Orikaso Solo Set has been used during a three-day kayaking trip on the Fjord Saguenay (province of Quebec, Canada), and on numerous occasions when staying at my cottage by a lake. Temperature encountered were in the 65°F-80°F (18°C-27°C) range, and weather mainly dry.

Of the three items, the mug got the maximum of use as I am a heavy tea-drinker. I used the bowl for instant soups and home-made and dehydrated meals, after having rehydrated them in the plastic bag I brought them in. The plate has been less used as I usually don't use any when outdoors, and I either eat my meals straight from the bag (charcuterie, cheese and bread for lunches) or in a bowl (cereals in the morning, soup and hot meal at night); so I used it as a tray, to keep my cooking paraphernalia to avoid scattering it and keep it from dirt.

Observations

As already noticed in my Initial Report, the setup of both the bowl and the plate is very intuitive. It took me a bit longer to assemble the mug for the first time in the field; I hadn't brought the notice and my friends'jibes and advice did nothing for my concentration. But that was the beginning, and I am now quite comfortable with it.

The three items are very easy and pleasant to use. The feeling against the lips of both the bowl and the mug is quite nice. When full with hot beverage or meal, they proved to be steady enough, even laid on uneven, pebbly ground.

I didn't notice any leakage, but little bits of food (rice and cereals especially) tend to hide beneath the folded panels of the bowl, and I find it a bit irritating to chase them around. The three pieces clean as a charm as I only have to take them apart before washing. Even dried soup is washed off in a pinch. As a test, I did use the mug for several days at a time without cleaning it. Sure enough, there were tea stains at the bottom and along the folds, but they washed with just a light Scotch Brite scrubbing; I wish my china mugs were so easy to clean!

The only thing I am not fully at ease with is the shape of the mug: though I have left it assembled for some time, its shape remains irregular as the material doesn't fold easily where there is no hinge. That is not a real problem, but it still feels strange to drink from a container that seems to have one side wider than the other.

As for now, I am very happy with the whole set, that looks as pristine as on its very first day. At the end of this test, both the bowl and the mug will probably have deserved a regular place in my usual backpacking gear. I'm less sure about the plate though: giving my cooking and eating habits, I have no real use for it; but it is so light and easy to pack that I might take it anyway, just in case ...