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GSI Halulite Boiler
TEST SERIES BY KEVIN
HOLLINGSWORTH
November 20, 2007
Initial Report (June 28, 2007)
Field Report (September 18, 2007)
Long Term Report (November 20, 2007)
Tester Information
Name:
Kevin Hollingsworth
Age: 42
Gender: Male
Height: 6’ 1” (1.9 m)
Weight: 195 lb (88 kg)
Email address: kholling55@yahoo.com
City, State, Country: Williamsburg,
Virginia. USA
I started backpacking and camping when I was in the Scouts. I spent 20 years in
the military, which curtailed my personal outdoors adventures. While
day-hiking, I normally carry a light load, a waist pack with mostly food and
water, with a few other things. On three to four day trips, I will carry a pack
weighing about 45 to 50 lb (21 to 23 kg). I prefer to hike in the mountain. I
have been hiking in Colorado, Korea, Egypt,
and most recently Eastern part of the United States.
INITIAL
REPORT
June 28, 2007
PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: GSI Outdoors
Year of Manufacture: 2007
URL: http://www.gsioutdoors.com
Listed Specifications:
Weight: 11.8 oz (334.5 g)
Capacity: 2 qt (1.9 L)
Dimensions: 5.81 (dia) x 6.81 in (14.8 x 17.3
cm)
Note: All measurements are mine (unless otherwise specified)
Weight: Boiler, lid and storage sack:
11.8 oz (335.7 g)
Boiler
and lid: 11.1 oz (317.5 g)
Boiler:
8.5 oz (240.4 g)
Lid:
2.7 oz (77.1 g)
Capacity: 2.3qt (2.1 L)
Dimensions: Boiler: 5.3 (dia) x 6.2 in (13.5
x 15.8 cm)
Lid: 5.5 x 1.0 in (14.0 x 2.5 cm)
Warranty: Unknown
MSRP: $ 27.95 US
 
Product Description
(paraphrased from manufacture)
GSI
Halulite Boiler is a 2 quart (1.5 Liter) boiler that was designed for
ultralight backpacking, fast packers and alpinists. It
is made from a hard-anodized Halulite alloy, and sports dual pour
spouts. The Halulite alloy was designed to evenly distribute heat and
to
be extremely lightweight and abrasion resistant. The lid is made
from lightweight Lexan® polycarbonate and is nearly indestructible. It can be inverted for use as a bowl or
warming dish. The lid has a flip-up tab on top for easy removal. A mesh storage sack is included.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
I
received the GSI Halulite Boiler packed in a cardboard box. Printed on the
outside of the box, there was the boiler specification and key feature. It was
printed in English and French. Opening the box, I found the boiler, and the Lexan®
lid, wrapped in plastic. Inside the boiler, I found the nylon mesh storage
sack, also wrapped in plastic. Sewn onto the sack, was a label that has the
boiler name, manufacturer’s information, and boiler care. This is printed in
both English and French.
 
The
boiler itself is a darkish gray, with two wire handles riveted to the side. The
handles are approximately 4.0 in (10.6 cm) long and will intermesh together. At
the top of the pot, the material is rolled over. This seems to give the top
edge some strength. The lid is made of a clear Lexan® polycarbonate and has a
1.3 in (3.3 cm) red flip-up tab. The lid fits loosely inside the boiler and sits on top
of the rolled edge. The boiler and lid fits snugly inside the enclosed storage
sack, which is closed through the use of a nylon-like cord with a black plastic
tightener.
The
boiler has the following (manufacturer) cooking and care instructions:
Before using any GSI Outdoors Cookware for
the first time, always wash with hot water and mild detergent at home and dry
immediately. Always allow your cookware to dry thoroughly before packing it up
and never attempt to rapidly cool any GSI Outdoors cookware. Hand wash with
mild detergent in hot water. Use only non-abrasive cloths and cleaners.
Due to the lightweight
nature of outdoor cookware and the difficult to control, high temperature
design of most backpacking stoves, the pieces are much easier to overheat than
your pots and pans at home. When cooking, never heat GSI Outdoors cookware to
extreme temperatures or allow it to boil dry. Typically, medium and low heat
work best. Do not allow the flames from your stove to extend beyond the base of
the cookware. Glacier Stainless steel cookware and other uncoated cookware are
safe for use with all utensils. Do not store acid foods or liquids in boiler.
My initial impression of the boiler was that it is a nice looking pot. The boiler seems to be soundly manufactured. It is quite
large, but lightweight. Because of its lightness and its wall height, I was concerned
about how easy it would bend and become misshaped, especially at the top. But when
I tried to see how easily it would bend, I found that the walls are pretty
stiff and do not bend easily. By the size of it, it seems that I will be able
to pack my stove, gas, and another small pot/cup inside. I am looking forward
to seeing how the boiler will do with different types of stove.
SUMMARY
I
would like to thank both, BackpackGearTest and GSI Outdoors, for the
opportunity to test the Halulite Boiler. This concludes my Initial Report.
The Field Report will be amended to this report in approximately two months from
the date of this report. Please check back then for further information.
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FIELD REPORT
September 18, 2007
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I
took a multi-day trip to the Smokey Mountains National Park. The terrain was
mountainous with the elevation around 2000 to 3000 ft (609 to 900 m). The
weather on was cloudy with scattered showers, mostly in the late afternoon or
evening. The normal daytime temperature was 75 to 85 F (24 to 29 C), with a
drop to approximately 65 F (18 C) after sunset.
I
also took a multi-day trip to Shenandoah National Park. The terrain was
mountainous with the elevation around 3000 to 4000 ft (900 to 1200 m). The
weather on the first day was cloudy with rain. The rain switched between a
light drizzle and heavy showers. The weather cleared at midday on the second
day and the rest of the trip was sunny. The average daytime temperature was 75
to 85 F (24 to 29 C), dropping to approximately 75 F (24 C) after sunset.
I took a multi-day trip to Jefferson National Park. The
terrain was mountainous with the elevation around 4500 to 5000 ft (1372 to 1524
m). The weather was clear, with some occasional patches of clouds. The average
daytime temperature was 75 F (24 C), dropping to approximately 60 F (16 C)
after sunset.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
The Halulite
Boiler was very large stove. During the packing process, I was able to pack a
large 80%
isobutane-20% propane mix canister, a backpack stove in its plastic container,
and another pot/cup (w/lid) into the boiler. I still had a little extra room
for some matches, lighter and other small things, such as baggies of tea and
instant coffee.
I have used
the boiler on two types of stoves. I have mainly used a lightweight canister
stove using an 80% isobutane-20% propane mix. I have also used the boiler on a
small butane camp stove. Even with the stove difference, I did not notice any
obvious difference in the boiler cooking performance. I did notice that after using the canister
stove at on a “medium high” setting, a purplish ring formed on the inside of
the pot.
Another
obvious difference was stability. I really did not have any stability problems
as long as the ground was somewhat level. But because of the height of the
boiler and the width of the camp stove’s arms, it seemed to be more stable on
the camp stove, than on the canister one. Overall, the boiler seems to be suitable
for both stoves.
In addition
of boiling water, I have used the boiler to cook ramen, different types
of pasta, soups, and couscous. I haven’t seen any difference between using the
boiler or another pot in the cooking process. Using the same amount of ingredients,
both the boiler and my other pots cooked the food at about the same rate. I did
find that the boiler seemed to keep the food warmer longer. I also enjoyed the
size of the pot. Because of the volume of the pot, I found that it was easier
to cook for two people. It was also
easier to mix ingredients in the pot during the cooking process.
Even though
the pouring spouts are on the side of the pot, I found that the handles did not
seem to keep the pot stable enough to pour from the side spouts. If I held the
handles and poured from a point across from where the handles are mounted, the
pot seemed more stable. At times, the
handles also seemed to get hot during the cooking process. I would need to use
a piece of cloth to grab the handles.
SUMMARY
So
far, I am pleased with the performance of the GSI Outdoors Halulite Boiler.
This
concludes my Field Report. The Long-Term Report should be completed by November,
20 2007. Please check back then for further information.
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LONG TERM REPORT
November 20, 2007
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
I took a multi-day trip to Shenandoah National Park. The terrain was
mountainous with an elevation of around 3609 ft (1100 m). The weather
on the first day was cloudy with a light drizzle. The drizzle changed
to snow, with total cover of approximately 5 in (13 cm) for the rest of
the trip. The average daytime temperature was 35 F (2 C), dropping to
approximately 30 F (-1 C) after sunset.
I also took a car camping trip at a local park. The terrain was
wooded at sea level. The weather was clear. The average daytime
temperature was 75 to 80 F (21 to 27C), dropping to approximately 50 to
60 F (10 to 16 C) at night.
PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD
Overall, I was pleased with the performance of the Halulite boiler. It
performed well in many different types of environments. I found that
the boiler could handle different type of stoves without any type of
problem, although it was a little bit wobbly on the smaller backpack
stoves. I did not find any difference in the cooking times when I used
different stoves.
Even though it was light weight, the boiler was strong enough so that I
did not have to worry about it getting bent or deformed inside my pack.
I did not find any corrosion on any part of the pot. The Lexan®
polycarbonate lid was more than strong enough. It did not crack, get
scratched and did not show any sign of grazing. Overall, I found
the boiler and lid to be quite durable.
There was enough room to hold a large isobutene-propane mix canister,
my stove, another cup/pot and other cooking odds and ends. I found that
the boiler was more than large enough to adequately cook for two people, and
slightly small for four. I did find that the boiler was a little
too deep to eat straight out of, especially from the lower 1/3.
Surprisingly, the lid did not get noticeably hot during cooking.
It was nice to be able to see inside the pot during cooking to check on
food. I did find that during cooking, the handles would get hot,
unless they were all the way folded out.
One thing that I found aggravating was using the handles with the
pouring spouts. The spouts are located on the “side”
of the boiler, not in line with the handles. I found that when I
would try to pour some liquid from the pot using the pouring spouts,
the boiler would usually swung to one side. I found it a lot
easier just to pour straight across from the handles; even then I had
to be careful to keep the pot from swinging.
The boiler is very easy to clean, everything washes easily away. I have
cleaned the boiler with regular dish soap, a soap bar, and just sand
and water. I have never had a problem cleaning the boiler. The
boiler has never retained any type of soap residue or soapy flavor.
SUMMARY
Overall, I am very satisfied with the performance of the GSI Outdoors
Halulite Boiler and plan to continue to use it on my outdoor adventures.
I would like to thank both, BackpackGearTest and GSI Outdoors, for the opportunity to test the Halulite Boiler.
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