Sea to Summit

£60

436g

collapsible

care needed, durability concerns

Capacity: 1.4 litre pot, 600ml bowl, 480ml mug Materials: hard anodised aluminium base, heat-resistant silicone walls

Components: pot, mug, bowl seatosummit.co.uk

The idea of collapsible cooking pots is intriguing and, I must admit, slightly worrying, so I was curious to try this cook set. I was pleased to find that the pot does function okay and feels quite solid when expanded and filled with water. It has two small silicone handles that clip on the lid for packing. The lid is transparent and has strainer holes. The pot is designed for the solo camper, but the capacity is given as 1.4 litres, which is high for one person. On the volume markings inside 1 litre is marked as the maximum safe fill, which is much more suitable for solo use. The pot is wide and shallow, and I can see that if filled with more than a litre the contents could easily spill or splash. It weighs 279 grams with lid, which isn’t light for a solo pot.

Collapsing for carrying is the only advantage I can see to this pot and it doesn’t counteract the disadvantages, some of which are described on the lid and on the base in case you forget them. The main one is that flames mustn’t come into contact with the silicone. The pot base is wide so this shouldn’t be too hard to do with a small stove. Even so I’d rather not having to worry about it. The instructions also say to wait 30 seconds after turning the stove off before handling the pot. I guess this is because the handles are short and flexible. Care is needed when lifting the full pot. Again, I’d rather not have this as a concern. I’m also a little concerned about durability – how often can those walls flex before any cracks or splits appear? Hopefully a very long time. The walls could be cut too if in contact with anything sharp. Neither of these is a concern with metal pots.

Inside the pot are a bowl and a mug. I like the bowl, which has a hard base and only weighs 83 grams. I’d happily use this when camping with others and sharing food. The mug has a stiff rim for drinking from but does feel a little wobbly. There’s no handle so it has to be cupped in the hands.

£58

124g

ultralight

non-insulated handles

Capacity: 900ml

Materials: titanium Components: pot, strainer lid robens.de

Robens’ pot is a simple titanium one for lightweight solo campers who aren’t going to do any fancy cooking. It’s a little wider than it is tall and the right shape to use as a large mug as well as a pot. There are two fold-out handles. These are quite secure but also short and uninsulated. They do get hot so need to be held with a cloth or gloves when taking the pot off a stove. The lid has a small fold-up handle that also gets hot.

The weight is very low and the cost is reasonable for titanium.