Field Report: Flatworld Orikaso Picnic Set

Personal biographical information

David Posalski
31
Male
5’11", 180 cm
265 lb , 120 kg
dposalski at msn.com
Aloha, Oregon, USA
07/18/05

I started backpacking as a kid in the Boy Scouts doing overnighters. In the last few months, I have had a desire see things that relatively few people have seen. This has drawn me back to backpacking. I have found it to be the most enjoyable thing I know. I have gotten my wife involved and we get out and hike at least once a month. I have my pack weight down to about 20 lbs (9 kg) when it is loaded for a weekend.

Manufacturer’s data

Manufacturer- Flatworld Ltd.
Website- www.flatworld.co.uk
Model- Orikaso Picnic Set
Color- Red
Weight- 6.7oz (190 g) as weighed,
MSRP- $24.00 from retailer, as mfr. Website does not list price.
Measurements: Included in initial report

Test Conditions

I have used the picnic set on two overnight trips during this portion of the test period.  One of the trips was an overnighter into the Ramona Falls area on Mt. Hood in Oregon.  This trip was taken with my wife and son, who is 7 years old.  I also took one of each piece on a solo overnighter to the Cairn Basin on Mt Hood.  Elevation at Ramona Falls was about 3500 ft (1067 m) and Cairn Basin is about 5500 ft (1676 m).  The temperature at Ramona Falls varied from 80 F (27 C) during the day, down to about 45 F (7 C) at night.  Cairn Basin was 70 F (21 C) during the day and 45 F (7 C) at night.

The Bowl

The bowl has worked as expected on each of the trips.  It was used for eating dehydrated backpacking food after preparation.  I scooped out one serving into each bowl on the Ramona Falls trip and then ate from it with my Lexan fork.  I found the bottom of the bowl to be pretty warm, though not scalding.  I held the bowl in my hand during eating and had to move my hand around for a few minutes until it cooled enough to hold comfortably.  When placed down on a flat surface, I had no problems with tipping as the food was not very runny.  It was stable enough to hold my meal, though the plastic did soften slightly in the heat.  After the meal, I cleaned the bowl with plain water and a towel and did not experience any noticeable residue on the bowl.  This bowl has worked as expected, and I have had no problems with it.  It does not show any cracks as was one of my concerns with the design.

The Plate

I have used the plate on each trip as a cutting board and as a funnel.  I used it as a funnel for adding the hot water from my kettle to the pouches of dehydrated food.  It worked well for this purpose, but it is kind of awkward and not really necessary for my purposes.  My kettle can pour water into a pouch like this with no problem.  I have used the plate as a cutting board and it has served that purpose well for cutting apples and peaches on the trail.  I have not left any marks in the plate.  I have not used the plate for eating off of due to my fear that food would spill onto my lap because it only has three sides.  In the bowl configuration, I was concerned that the bowl wasn’t too deep, yet the corners were flared and if any soup was held, it could easily slosh out the corners.  The studs that hold it into different configurations are easily opened and do not hold very well.  When the plate was cold, early in the morning, it took some extra effort to get the studs to hold in a given design.  The stiffness of the plastic when it was cold did not lend to my feeling comfortable with hot food due to fear of a stud opening.  I would hope there could be a stronger stud or snap used for more stability and less of a likelihood that it would open unexpectedly.  I would also like to see the plate configuration with a fourth side.

The Cup

The cup has worked well for me when I have used it for hot cocoa and tea.  It is a useful design and I did not have any trouble with my ability to grip the handle when it had liquid in it.  The cup can only be filled about 2/3 full, based on the line inside the cup that tells you that it is a max line.  This volume is adequate for making cocoa or tea.  I would not use this for water as I would be filling it so many times to quench my thirst.  I simply drink directly from my water bottle or bladder.  I found the plastic softened with hot liquids, but the snap on the cup is more substantial than those found on the plate and my fear of spillage subsided after some use.  The effort in constructing the cup is slightly more than the other items and the handle is an extension off of the main piece.  In my hiking, I don’t know that I would trade a solid cup for this folding one.  Having to fold and unfold my cup each time I want to use it may be more trouble than its worth.  Perhaps, if there was a way to attach the folded cup to the outside of the pack with a carabiner or such, then you could leave it folded and it would be handy.  I found it easy to clean, just like the other items that were tested.

The Set

I found the set to be adequate for my uses.  It was very packable and could be placed just about anywhere in the pack without taking up very much room.  I found the bowl to be the most innovative design and probably the most useful for my packing use.  It has a very robust design, with little to go wrong.  There are no snaps on it, it is easy to assemble, and is very packable.  Some slight design variations on the plate with regards to the snaps would make it more user-friendly for me.  The cup does its job; though, I would prefer a solid cup for ease of use and accessibility.

I intend to carry the set on a trip around Mt. Hood in August for four days and will be testing the set at that time.