Reviewer  information

Name	Marie-Noëlle Augendre	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.
Age	48
Gender	Female
Height	about 5 ft 2 in (1.57 m)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Email address	augendre.bgt@gmail.com
City, Country	Lac-Kenogami (QC), Canada

Product information

Manufacturer	Flatworld
URL	http://www.orikaso.com
MSRP	not provided

	Listed	Actual (full to the brim)
Plate Bowl Mug Total weight	22 fl. oz. (70 cl) 22 fl. oz. (70 cl) 12 fl. oz. (40 cl) 5 oz. (142 g)	41.4 fl. oz. (122.5 cl) 31.3 fl. oz. (92.5 cl) 15.2 fl.oz. (45 cl) 5 oz. (142 g)

Product description and assembly The Orikaso Solo Set  consists of three foldable Polypropylene pieces: a mug with measurement, a plate, and a bowl, packed in a 10.6 x 11.4 inches (27 x 29 cm) flat envelope of the same material. Setting instructions are provided on an additional card for the plate and the bowl (setting is similar for these two pieces), and on the rear of the envelope for the mug; in any case, it is only a matter of folding each item along the creases and tuck some tabs in the right spaces. To clean and store after use, just unfold each item, and the whole set takes almost no room in any backpack, provided there is a more or less flat 9.8 x 9.8 inches (25 x 25 cm) area somewhere, along the back for example. Some critical remarks about the setting instructions the font color is orange against a black background, making the instructions awkward to read (my eyesight is not what it used to be ...) the partition between English and French doesn't contrast enough, and my eyes always seemed to go to the wrong place the pictures are small and not contrasted enough, making them difficult to understand; as a user of a former version of the bowl, I think the drawings provided on the previous packaging were much easier to understand

With 3 panels, and 3 tabs to be tucked in-between them, the bowl is rather easy to set up. The resulting item is a 3.1" (8 cm) high and about 7.1" (18 cm) diameter bowl, standing on a triangular base with a 3.5" (9 cm) side length. It is quite steady when empty on flat  surface, but I still have to see how it'll do in field conditions.

As previously stated, the setting up of the plate is similar to that of the bowl, but with 4 panels and 4 tabs. Once set up, the plate is about 8.9" (22.5 cm) large and 1.8" (4.5 cm) high, with a more or less square base 6.3" (16 cm) large.

The mug setup is less intuitive: it has 4 panels with only one tab and some kind of  "tongue" that has to be folded several times to form the handle. I didn't find the instructions very helpful, as they didn't tell up from down, nor right from left, sides; so I "played" with the thing a bit till I got the result that can be seen on the right picture. The resulting mug is 3.9" (10 cm) high and stands on a 2.2" x 2.4" (5.5 x 6 cm) rectangular base. I managed to get the graduations on the outside, so fl.ozs and cups measurements can be read on the left side of the handle and mls on the right side. Though it appears to be quite steady (still empty and on a flat surface), the mug shape is not so consistent as the other two pieces; I suspect this is due to its asymmetrical shape, but might improve after some use.

Testing plan

During the four-month testing period, I will use the Orikaso Solo Set as my main (and probably only) crockery for all my overnight outings, either backpacking, kayaking or canoeing, and even car-camping. I intend to make several short trips in the next months, exploring the trails and lakes of the region Saguenay – Lac St Jean (province of Quebec) I’ve just settled in. The ground is mainly composed of forests with plenty of lakes and rivers. Altitudes usually remain under 1475 ft (450 m), but can sometimes reach 2460 ft (750 m) in some hilly areas. From what I’ve seen last year during two two-week stays (in June and August), the weather conditions might be very changing from cool (45°F / 7°C) to almost hot (95°F / 35°C) temperatures, sometimes heavy showers and/or quite strong winds.

When testing the Orikaso Solo Set, I intend to address the following issues:

1) Assembly and use:

Is the Solo Set easy to assemble and take apart? Will it tend to dismantle by itself? Are the bowl and the mug steady enough when full? Does any piece tend to leak? How does the plastic feel against the lips (mug and maybe bowl)? Is it possible to use a knife in the plate without damaging it?

2) Maintenance and care:

Are the pieces easy to clean? Will the mug remain stained by tea? Or the bowl and the plate by food like tomato sauce or blueberries, for example? Does fat tend to stick to the plastic? Will a teabag be efficient enough to remove remaining fat? What about leaves, sand, etc? Or will I need dish soap to clean them properly?

3) Durability:

How will the Solo Set stand up to the four-month test? Will it still look as pristine as on its first outing? Will there be food or beverage marks? Will any piece tend to cut along the hinges?

4) Use in microwave:

As the manufacturer says “the dish has been tried in the microwave successfully, although we haven't done enough testing to endorse suitability”, I intend to use the plate a few time in the microwave during the last weeks of the test.

In addition, I will report on anything else I might observe that could be useful for a potential user / buyer of Orikaso plate, bowl or mug.

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I would like to thank Flatworld and BackpackGearTest for giving me the opportunity to test the Orikaso Solo Set.