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Field Report: Flatworld
(Orikaso) Fold Flat Solo Set
1 October 2006
About Wayne Merry,
the tester:
Age: 33
Gender: Male
Height: 1.8 m (5' 10")
Weight: 90 kg (200 lb)
Email address: wayne underscore merry at yahoo dot com dot au
City, State, Country: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Backpacking Background: I started backpacking about five
years ago, although I did day walks in childhood. I hike in various
terrains from moderate/hard track walks to some off track (including
river walks). I generally like the temperature to stay above freezing,
and have not camped above the snow line during winter. I enjoy going on
multi day walks up to about a week as well as day walks. I carry a
moderate weight pack to enjoy a few creature comforts at camp. I use a
tent for shelter. I would
normally do at least 2 overnight or multi-day walks every three months,
in addition to a number of 20 km (12 mile) or so day walks.
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Field Test Locations:
I have tested the Solo Set on the following walks. Walks are multi-day
unless otherwise noted:
- Lerderderg Gorge - a river that forms a deep narrow george
with surrounding hills. The entire area is forested. Elevations varied
from 200 m (650 ft) to 500 m (1650 ft). This walk was mostly on track
in mostly dry conditions. Temperatures
ranged from 5 C (41 F) to 15 C (59 F), with moderate humidity.
- Mt Torbreck - a mountainous area that the peak is normally
above the snow line. Some lower areas are logged. Most areas I walked
through had not been recently logged. Elevations varied from 800 m
(2600 ft) to 1500 m (4900 ft). Most of this walk was off track in damp
/ wet / icy conditions. Temperatures ranged from 0 C (32 F) to 10 C (50
F), with high humidity.
- Ferntree Gully - a hilly national park area with regrown
native forest. Elevations varied from 200 m (650 ft) to 500 m (1650
ft). This day walk was on track in dry conditions. Temperatures
ranged from 10 C (50 F) to 15 C (59 F), with moderate humidity.
- Churchill/Lysterfield: - a hilly national park area with
forested and clear areas. Elevations varied from 200 m (650 ft) to 400
m (1300 ft). This day walk was on track in the rain. Temperatures
ranged from 5 C (41 F) to 10 C (50 F), with high humidity.
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Product Details:
- Manufacturer: Flatworld (UK) Ltd trading as Orikaso
- Web site: http://www.orikaso.com/
- Year of manufacture: 2006
- Place of manufacture: China
- MSRP: Not available
The Orikaso Solo Set is a cup, bowl and plate sold as a set that fold
flat when not in use.
Specifications and my initial impressions can be found at my initial
review
by clicking here.
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Item Field Performance:
I have used the Solo Set on my trips for all three meals. My breakfasts
are generally cooked oats with sweeteners such as honey added, which I
use the Solo Set bowl. Lunches usually consist of crackers with
cheese and meat, which I use the plate. Longer trips (eg 5 nights or
more) would use soups, but my trips during the test are shorter than
this. Dinner is normally heated rehydrated ingredients, for which I use
the bowl, and wine. Later, I normally have a hot drink to finish off.
I found assembly of the Solo Set reasonably easy. It does become a
little irritating though, compared to bowls and plates that are ready
to go. Such is the price for flat packing, which does save space in my
pack. Once I unpacked/packed the Solo Set a number of times, it became
second nature. It does however, take a finite time.
All three items had sufficient strength to handle the food that I
placed in them. I like good sized meals, and my big dinners where not
too much for the bowl. One evening, my dinner was more soupy than
normal (a little too much water added), but the Solo Set bowl handled
this fine. Small amounts of food can find their way into the folds but
this is not too great an issue. It is hard to access this food while
the bowl is still assembled, but when disassembled, easy to access. The
manufacturer suggested that the cup can leak when filled beyond a
certain level, but I filled the cup to a point where any more would
have spilt over the top, and I could not see any leaking. I could see a
small amount of red wine make its way into folds, but this drains as
one consumes the contents (yum).
I was initially concerned about sagging of the bowl or plate. Both seem
to handle food contents well, although I have tested the bowl more
fully than the plate. The folds on the plate are smaller, and therefore
may bear less load, but if consuming a heavy soup or rehydrated mix,
the bowl works better. None of the bowl, plate or cup looked like
failing or sagging, even with my generous serves that filled the cup
and bowl to full.
My hot drinks were quite hot, but the handle on the cup did not seem to
warm up excessively. I did however feel some heating. This was more
noticeable with the bowl with a hot dinner inside, but again was not a
problem. Hot contents do not seem to cause handling problems beyond
what I would normally experience with conventional mugs or bowls. I
would think that the Solo Set outperforms some conventional mugs in
this area.
The edge of the material is a little sharp. Not so much that it feels
uncomfortable against the lips when using the cup, but I think it would
be better if the edges were rounded rather than the polypropoline
simply being cut during manufacture.
The handle of the cup could also be improved. A normal cup allows
fingers to wrap around the "D" shaped handle, while the Solo Set handle
has no hole for the fingers to go through. This does feel a little
weird, but also prevents me from holding a cup and bowl with one hand,
while using a utensil with the other. This means if I'm having a wine
with my meal, I have to either put the bowl or cup down on the ground
as I can only hold one of them with one hand. With a conventional bowl
and mug, I can hold both with one hand. Being able to hold both is
handy when camping where no facilities, such as a table, are provided.
Cleaning of the Solo Set is straightforward. Once disassembled, they
can be easily rinsed, or even just wiped clean if camping dry. Red wine
did not stain the Solo Set, unlike what it does to my teeth!
Over the last few months, I have not noticed any surface
scratching of the Solo Set. There also does not appear to be any
changes as a result of heat being applied through hot food. In my
initial report I was concerned about whether the material will weaken
from folding and unfolding. This does not appear to have occurred at
this stage, although all folds have "whitened" since the initial
review. I still remain nervous about the ongoing strength of these
folds. I have been storing the Solo Set in the pack that it was
supplied in (see above). This is done to prevent protruding folds
getting caught on other things in my pack. If this whitening is normal,
I think that the manufacturer should mention it in the card that comes
with the product.
Overall, I have been happy with the performance of the Solo Set so far.
I think it could be made even better with the changes I described above.
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Likes and Dislikes:
Things I like about the Flatworld (Orikaso) Solo Set:
- Flat packing certainly saves space in my pack.
- With practice, I can quickly assemble out in the field.
- Easy to clean.
Things I dislike about the Flatworld (Orikaso) Solo Set:
- The cup should be redesigned to allow fingers to pass
through the handle.
- The plastic edges (particularly on the cup) are a little
sharp.
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My Long Term Report will be available late November.
Read more reviews of Flatworld gear
Read more gear reviews by Wayne Merry
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