Reviews > Cook Gear > Cooking Accessories > Flatword Orikaso Solo Set > Wayne Merry > Long Term Report

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 here. My Field Report can be found here.

Item Long Term Performance: I have used the Solo Set on my trips for all three meals. My meals were similar to those reported in my Field Report, such as cooked oats for breakfast, crackers for lunch, rehydrated dinners and hot drinks. During my testing, I used a range of criteria, and these were my results: How convenient is the flat pack? Does it really take up 3 mm with all three items? The flat pack is convenient, taking up much less space than a decent sized mug and bowl. If I was using conventional crockery, I would only take a mug and bowl, but the full Solo Set takes up less room. I would say that the flat pack is 1 cm (0.39 in) rather than 3 mm (0.12 in) thick for practical purposes. How easy is it to assemble each item? In particular the cup looks a bit complicated. Initially I found it a little complicated, however once I had used the Solo Set a few times, I quickly got use to using it. If I use a conventional mug, it is ready right away as it does not need unfolding, but it takes me only 15 seconds or so to prepare each of the items for use. This is the price to pay for the benefit of flat packing.   How strong is the assembled item? Could it easily come unpacked with food, especially liquids inside? Looking at the bowl, there are four folds. This looks the most vulnerable to this happening. Are my suspicions to be confirmed, or does the pressure of liquids keep the folds securely in place? The folds represent a secure mechanism. At no time did I have even the slightest doubt that the mechanisms would fail and I would end up with hot soup or drink in my lap. The folds on the bowl and cup are quite large and seemed very secure. The folds on the plate are smaller, but even they seemed to hold together well. I did not specifically test putting soup on the plate (the plate is like a shallow bowl) to test the strength of these folds, as the plate does not appear to be designed for this use. The manufacturers web site suggested that the cup could leak if overfilled, but the only leak I could produce is liquid escaping over the top!   Does the bottom of the plate or bowl sag excessively? No. How does the material transmit heat? If I am holding a bowl of hot soup, do my fingers get burnt? Heat does get transmitted through the material, and as the material is fairly thin (and therefore light), this can happen more quickly than conventional crockery. That said, I never found this to be a practical problem. The bowl can be held near its edges, while the handle on the cup tends to remain reasonably cool. I never found myself uncomfortable using the Solo Set with hot food. Is it easy to handle the bowl with two hands?. Does the bowl threaten to fold in the middle when held with two hands? Does one side sag when held with one hand? None of these were a problem with the Solo Set. Do the sides sag if the bowl or plate are placed on a solid surface? No. Does some of my soup get lost in the folds? Yes some does, but it is a very small amount that can be accessed as the bowl is disassembled. How easy are the three items to clean? Is water and a wipe good enough? Is there any odor retention? All 3 items are easy to clean once disassembled because they are then flat. A water and wipe is good enough for me, and my cleaning standards are fairly high. Is the bowl or plate big enough for my generous end of day serves, or do I have to leave some in the pot getting cold for a second helping? Yes, my serving sizes are generous (even though this adds to backpack weight), and yes the bowl and plate are big enough for big servings. How resistant is the material from scratching from knives and forks? Am I going to see hundreds of scratch marks after a few months? I could not see any scratches after my 4 months of use. Does the polypropylene weaken with the constant folding and unfolding from use? Do the folds become resistant over time? The manufacturer claims that the opposite will occur. Even after 4 months I remain undecided about this, but I do admit that I believe the manufacturer more now than I did at the start of the test. The folds have not failed during the test, and do not look like failing any time soon. Does the material change by being exposed to heat? Does it crack, bubble, flake or any other unwanted effect occur? I have not seen any of these effects. How does the Solo Set survive the usual rumble and tumble of being in a pack? I am still using the retail packaging to carry the Solo Set in order to avoid things getting caught on the folds. This retail packaging is clearly not going to out-survive the Solo Set, so I am going to have to stop doing this at some stage. My feeling is that I have been too cautious about this, and the folds will handle the pack quite happily. The retail packaging is starting to show a number of small rips, caused by the rumble tumble of being in a pack. As highlighted in my Field Report, the cup could be improved by having a hole in the handle, which would allow holding of the bowl and cup with one hand. This is very handy in a bush walking camp setting where there may be no facilities such as a table or chairs provided. I often eat standing up, and this means that one of the cup or bowl is left on the ground, where it is vulnerable to being kicked over or dirt being kicked into it. Overall, I have been happy with the performance of the Solo Set so far. It's not perfect, but it is quite good, and I will continue to use it.

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.

Reviews > Cook Gear > Cooking Accessories > Flatword Orikaso Solo Set > Wayne Merry > Long Term Report