GSI Outdoors Halulite Minimalist Cookset

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

I needed a pot to boil water for freeze dried meals when I do the wonderland trail this year. I'm doing the trail in 4 days so weight was and functionality were important. The great thing about this set is that it is only 6 ounces all together, and it doubles as a cup with a sip lid and neoprene sleeve meaning I can also have a cup of tea without having to bring an extra cup. The "foon" (most of us would call it a "spork") is neat, though seems slightly flimsy, is remarkably handy.
The price was excellent in my opinion. It might be nice to see a titanium version of this pot to save even more weight, but of course, the trade off would be a more expensive pot, which I personally can't afford right now.
I tested this pot yesterday on a 22 mile day hike in Mt. Rainier NP. I use an alcohol stove I made out of a can of compressed air. It sat very well on the stove and is just the right size that the flames cradled the bottom round edges just right. Use the gripper to pick up the pot and slide in the sleeve. Much easier to handle that way.
As far as the lid is concerned, it does fit tight, meaning no leaks! It may be somewhat difficult to get off but let me give you this tip: holding the pot with both hands on either side of the pot, use your thumbs to press the plastic portion (not the rubber seal) of the lid in a horizontal and slightly up direction and it will come off reasonably well.
In conclusion, if you're looking for simplicity and functionality along with weight efficiency and low cost, this is a must buy for a soloist.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

I bought this product along with the new Soto stove that won the Backpacker 2010 award for being the best stove. The cookset is shown to be able to carry a stove, like the Soto, along with a canister of fuel and the spork that comes along with it. I initially tried to put everything in the cookset, including the smallest canister of fuel that is available from REI, before I headed out to the Mt. Hood area and found that for the Soto stove to even possibly fit, it could not be placed within its pouch. That is not very nice before no one wants to scratch the cookset or damage the stove. When I did get the stove in, without the cover, I found it very hard to place the spork in the cookset. After I was able to get everything in to the cookset, I also found out that the removable seal that is used keep the lid on did not keep the loaded contents of the cookset from spilling out into my bed. I bought this cookset for absolute lightness. While I love the Soto stove I was very disapointed with the Minimalist. I am taking it back after having it for just one overnighter since I bought it. While weight is a great pro, the overall pain I had putting the basic, advertised gear into the cookset and keeping the lid on was too much of a hassle.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

I recently purchased this as a backup to my titanium cook set. While it is not as light it is much more compact. The pot is narrower and taller than my ti-pot which slowed my boil time by a minute and a half.(with an alcohol stove.)

I found the pot gripper can get my finger tips really hot if I'm holding onto the pot for too long. Instead I use the gripper to put the pot in the cozy and pour the boiling water into my meal.

The sip-it lid is super tight and doesn't leak at all when drinking coffee or tea.

It is a perfect little setup for a two day or over-nighter.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

I had been using the GSI Haulite with a MSR pocket rocket. I purchased this for a week long solo trip and used a home made cat can alcohol stove to cut weight and bulk. The set worked great, 20 ounces of water is perfect for a cup of coffee in the morning and two packs of oatmeal. I re-hydrated single serving dinner meals right in the pot with no issues. As for pouring water I used the gripper to put the pot into the sleeve then poured, worked fine. I also put the lid on upside down while boiling so I did not have a stuck lid issue that others have mentioned. I also brought the cup from my other GSI kit and it fit perfectly on the bottom of the sleeve and stayed together in my pack. This is a great kit for the money, really even for two person trips just bring an extra bowl and utensil and save the space.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

I recently got this cookset to go with my Esbit pocket stove. I really like that the Esbit stove fits inside this cookset. It makes for a very compact little cook set. The cup easily holds two cups of water, and I have been able to boil two and a quarter cups of water in it. The spork that comes in the kit is very durable. It did not collapse when I was eating with it. The little finger "hot mitt" is also useful. It grips the edge of the cup well and my fingers have not been burned. The insulated sleeve slides on and off the cup very easily. I just really like how compact this whole cookset is. I have a Jetboil stove that I use on long hikes or camping trips, but the combination of this GSI Minimalist cookset and my Esbit stove is awesome. I do little more than boil water with my cookset/stove, so this kit works great for me. This cookset seems very durable and I will be using it a lot more.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

I was headed out to Mt, Rainier NP for a 4 day hike. I planned on cooking for myself ( hiking with a small group ). I bought the Halulite Minimalist pot for its simple design and ability to pack fuel and stove in the same container. ( Snow Peak 110g fuel can, Snow Peak GigaPower stove ) The cup cozy and lid were a good selling point too. It worked great for me. Able to boil half a liter of water for my dinner and some hot chocolate. The pot gripper didn't make my fingers hot, the lid didn't cause liquid to spill and my stove didn't scratch the cook ware. Why pack your stove case its just extra weight! It is true I could not fit the spork stove and fuel in the cup. big deal. I almost went with the Snow Peak titanium cup but this just seemed like a better idea.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

For the price it can't be beat. Durable, multi-purpose, and relatively lightweight. Lid works flawlessly, cozy is well made, magnetic pot gripper is quite "handy". Weak link is the spoon - because it doesn't really fit inside! I replaced mine with a folding titanium spork and now it's complete. Alternatives might be the Snowpeak 700 or the Snowpeak 600. They are both lighter weight and have foldout handles. BUT, no cozy, no sippy lid (no lid at all for the 600), and more expensive. They are all good, though, each with advantages and disadvantages. This kit lacks measurement markers, but if you rest the pot gripper on the rim of the pot, two cups of water will pour right up to the bottom of the gripper, genius! Altogether the GSI minimalist is everything it claims to be, replace the spoon and it's quite perfect.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

Light, compact, easy to use, what is there not to like? I am able to fit a small fuel cartridge and my Soto stove inside with the pot holder, minus the provided spork. I'm sure the spork is fine, but it feels a little flimsy and I'm not sure if I would want it to be my only utensil in the field. Otherwise the best [$] you'll spend on gear.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

I bought this product at the Sacramento REI for use in the Sierra of Northern CA. It comes with the pot, a lid, a pot cozy, a rubber pot lifter, and a telescoping spork(foon). GSI calls the metal of the pot Halulite, but it is essentially anodized aluminum. I use it for lightweight backpacking in conjunction with a Zelph Stoveworks Alcohol Venom Super Stove. Freaky looking stove, shaped like a ring with no center, but it works great in this application. You need a stove with a tight flame pattern for this pot because the pot is only 4.2 inches across the bottom. I do freezer bag cooking, so I mostly use the pot to boil water, however it can double as a mug for tea/coffee. The supplied pot cozy is very effective at keeping drinks warm. The pot comes with a unique and effective orange rubber pot lifter with a built in magnet that you could attach to the concave bottom of a canister stove cartridge and store both in the pot. Even though it would be easy to lose the pot lifter, it is a good solution for me because I prefer a handle-less pot. I can fit my stove, pot lifter, windscreen, Mini Bic, telescoping spork, (GSI calls it a foon,) and fuel bottle with enough fuel for three days, in the pot. My long handled REI titanium spoon for the freezer bags does not fit in the pot, but that is just basic physics. The lid is very tight fitting, and it stays on inside the pack without a rubber band or stuff sack. The lid can be hard to remove in the tight position, but I find if I pinch the pot around the top like a gorilla, the lid comes off easier. When boiling water or cooking, the lid is turned upside down to the loose position to prevent heat damage to the flexible seal on the lid. This aluminum pot is a little heavier than titanium, but at 1/3 the cost, it's a viable alternative for the frugal backpacker. This is a well thought out, useful, and cost effective cookset for the individual lightweight backpacker. The only slight criticism I have is that there are no measuring marks,(at least I can't see any), but they would be hard to see on the dark metal in any case, and I have learned to estimate the volume. Good job GSI.

Comments about GSI Halulite Minimalist Cookset:

Used this kit for the first time this weekend on an overnight backpacking trip in Southern Indiana. I cooked for two, using it to boil water for freeze dried meals. The lid is a great feature, helping to boil the water quicker and keeping coffee warm in the morning. I like the pot gripper/coozie combo better than a pot handle, as it takes up less space in the bag and the coozie helps protect it in your pack. They advertise being able to store a pocket stove inside it with the fuel canister, but I think it's limited to very few super-small stoves. I use a MSR Pocket Rocket, and it's too long to fit. Not a big deal though, as I use the extra space to store small stuff like a lighter, instant coffee packets, etc. Only downside I saw was that the underside of the foon seems to collect bits of food in the track where the foon slides up and down, but cleaned up fairly well in the field.