GSI HALULITE MINIMALIST
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Tester
Information
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| Name:
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David
Wilkes |
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E-Mail:
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amatbrewer@yahoo.com
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Age:
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50 |
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Location:
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Yakima
Washington USA |
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Gender:
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M |
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Height:
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5'11"
(1.80 m) |
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Weight:
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200 lb (90.7 kg) |
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Biography:
I started
backpacking
in 1995 when I moved to Washington State. Since then, I have
backpacked in all seasons and conditions the Northwest has to
offer. I prefer trips on
rugged trails with plenty of elevation gain. While I continuously
strive to lighten my load, comfort and safety are most important to me.
I have finally managed to get my basic cold weather pack weight, not
including consumables, to under 30 lb (14 kg).
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Product
Information
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Manufacturer:
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GSI Outdoors |
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Year
of Manufacture:
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Unknown |
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Manufacturer’s
Website:
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http://www.gsioutdoors.com/ |
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MSRP:
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27.95 US$
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Listed
Weight
Dimensions
Volume
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6.3 oz (179 g)
4.2'' x 4.2'' x 4.6'' (10.5 x 10.5 x 11.5 cm)
0.6L
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Measured weight:
| 3.5 oz (99 g) Pot only
5.75 oz (163 g) Pot/sleeve/lid
0.4 oz (12 g) Pot gripper |
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Product
Description:The
HALULITE MINIMALIST COMPLETE consists of a 0.6L (20 oz) aluminum
pot/mug with plastic lid and insulating sleeve (aka “cozy”),
telescoping “Foon” (aka spork), and silicone pot gripper. It is
intended as a compact, lightweight all in one, 1 person cooking set.
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Review
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I
don’t know exactly when I purchased this cook set only that I have had
it for a few years. Over the that time, I have used this cook set many
times during my outings in Washington’s southern and central Cascades
in all 4 seasons, as well as in the eastern foothills of the Cascades
and central Washington plains/desert including solo and group climbing
trips up Mt Adams. It is one of my favorite pieces of gear. Aside for
having to replace the insulating sleeve due to a tear developing in the
bottom I have had no problems with it.
I
will start by describing the pot/mug, which I will refer to as pot or
cup interchangeably. The pot feels thick and sturdy but not
excessively heavy, and has a grey somewhat rough surface inside and
out. The insulating sleeve fits snuggly on the pot. So snug that it can
be somewhat difficult to remove. The lid contains two openings; one larger for drinking/pouring and one smaller to let the
air in when drinking/pouring. The lid is reversible. Normally the lid
fits snug and seals tightly. With the lid in the first position, the
pot can be used as a cup allowing me to drink from it without my skin
being exposed to the (possibly hot) metal of the pot. There is a bit of an extended lip by the
larger opening that further protects my lips from touching the metal as
well as to assist with removal. Reversed, the lid sits loosely on the
pot. This is the position used for cooking to allow the lid to be
easily removed while on the stove. Printed on the outside of the pot is
a diagram showing the order in which to assemble the pot for storage,
including a stove.
 A
unique item that comes with the minimalist pot (and so with this kit)
is the silicone pot gripper. This is a simple and ingenious device. It
consists of a small silicone pouch with an attached flap. By placing
two fingers in the pouch of the gripper and my thumb on the flap, I can
grip the edge of the pot and safely pick it up when hot. This makes a
handle unnecessary, which in my experience on this type of pot often
just becomes hot from the heat of the stove anyway. The gripper
includes an internal magnet intended to stick it to the fuel canister
when not in use. NOTE: the gripper is intended to be used to
hold the pot (e.g. while stirring food during cooking) or to remove the
pot from the stove. It should NOT be used to pour hot contents of the
cup, that is better done AFTER placing the pot into the sleeve…and yes
I did have to learn that the hard way.
The system also contains
a “Foon”. The foon is a combination of a fork and spoon, often referred
to as a “spork”. What makes this one unique is that the handle of the
foon has a telescoping design allowing it to be shortened for storage
in the pot and extended to full length for use. The foon feels rather
flimsy and my first attempts to extend/collapse it, I found if I were
not careful it would just come apart. I tried using the foon a couple
of times at home and found it to be rather useless, so I quickly
disposed of it in place of my preferred utensils (long handled plastic
spoon and wooden chopsticks).
Most of my solo meals consist of
some type of broth with stuff added. For example, chicken broth with
dried vegetables and dried cheese tortellini. I also like to make
oatmeal (real not instant or quick). The design of this pot works well
to help me save fuel. While heating water or food I use the lid
inverted to help retain heat. Note in the normal position, the lid fits
quite tightly and it is necessary to hold the pot while trying to
remove it. Obviously when the pot is on the stove this is not a good
idea, so I strongly recommend to never put the lid on the pot in the
normal position while cooking. After my food heats or water boils I
remove the pot from the stove and place it in the insulating sleeve
where it will remain hot. To save fuel I use this as part of the
cooking time as the food will continue to simmer. I have found this to
be an excellent way to make real oatmeal (as well as other foods that
need to simmer) without using any more fuel than it would take me to
boil water. 
Another
thing I use this cook set for is making hot drinks. Even when I am
carrying larger group cookware (or even on day hikes) I will often
carry this cook set. I can quickly heat water for a hot beverage, then
simply place the pot in the sleeve, attach the lid, and now I have a no
spill cup that keeps my drink warm.
Most often I use the pot
with one of my small canister or alcohol (commercial and homemade)
stoves, but I have used it with larger camp stoves, some compact wood
burning stoves, and a few times with a campfire. Being made of aluminum
the pot conducts heat well and evenly. Some of my lighter stoves tend
to produce a small flame in the center of the pot. I find that highly
conductive materials like aluminum tend to distribute the heat across
the bottom helping to minimize hot spots. This tends to make the pot
more energy efficient for this type of stove as well as helps to
prevent scorching my food. The heat conduction of aluminum can also be
helpful for indirect heating. I have even placed this pot on a rock
next to a campfire, and was able to cook my dinner and boil water by
heating the pot from just one side.
 As
for cleaning, I normally carry a piece of green scrub pad cut down to a
circle that will fit inside the pot. Most often, a quick wipe with this
and some water is all it takes to clean this pot. When possible I
prefer to use a handful of fine wet sand for cleaning my pots. I have
found this to be the most effective method of cleaning my pots and
after disposing the sand (I bury it in my latrine along with my food
scraps) I am not left with scrubber that smells of my food. With
wood/camp fires, the outside of the pot will become covered with soot
and this also is easily removed with wet sand or the scrub pad.
I
have been quite satisfied with the durability of the pot in general as
well as the outer coating. Despite the above-mentioned cleaning methods
the coating has not worn off. I have no fear of this pot becoming
damaged in my pack regardless of how carelessly I might stuff it in or
how tightly I tighten the compression straps. When removing the sleeve
I often put my finger into the bottom hole and pull that way. I believe
this is what damaged my original sleeve, which resulted in my replacing
it. I ran into a GSI representative at a trade show and when I
mentioned the problem, they gladly provided me with a free replacement.
The lid and pot gripper show little to no signs of wear. I expect
to get many more years of use out of this cook set.
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