Great Bowl!!!
I think its fantastic myself. Its lightweight and holds an entire Mountain House 16oz meal with room to spare. I also like that the sea to summit mug fits into the center of this bowl when collapsed. The two combined take up almost no room in my pack and can fit into so many places. I mostly use this over 2-4 day trips. I have not had any of the issues others have reported about smell/stain/taste with this bowl. I have been with others using this on my trips and they all love it too. With that all said, I think its a toss up between this and the guyout squishy bowl/cup which has the advantage of being .2 ounces lighter and $11 cheaper but holds significantly less than the sea to summit cup/bowl (22oz oz vs 16oz for bowl, and 16oz v 6oz). Plus the sea to summit has the convenient measuring marks in the bowl and cup. So the size plus measuring marks made the difference for me, but I don't think you're wrong with the Guyout either. It depends on your wants/needs.
Sully28 at
REI on
08/08/2009
Awesome piece of gear
I day trip and take extended (5-14 day) backwoods trips, and I love this bowl for both. It packs flat, which is huge when day tripping or hunting with just a patrol/butt pack, and tho it weighs more than a titanium bowl, the Ti bowls don't pack flat. Coupled with my canteen cup, its perfect for a day hike to the top of Mt. Washington. I used to cook and eat with my cup, but now I can keep my cup clean for boiling water in and use the bowl for eating. If you're a minimalist like me, there isn't a better product out there for the money. I've eaten at least 50 meals out of it, most using boiling water (ramen, oatmeal, condensed soup, fresh venison stew) and it still works like a charm. The only downside is it is too hot to hold when adding hot water, which is why I give it only 4 stars. In the end, I'll never use any other bowl again.
The Maestro at
REI on
10/10/2011
X Marks the Spot
I first got the X-Bowl to see how well it was constructed, how well it cleaned and how well it packed for backpacking trips. It was so perfect I got the X-Mug and X-Plate to complete the set. The plate goes only on short trips where weight is not a problem and the meals are bigger. My fellow Scout leaders and boys all wanted to know where I got these after I used them on the first campout. Many of them purchased the set within a month. When getting and drinking a hot drink, hold the X-Mug at the top lip because the folding body gets very hot, thus the drink does not stay hot for long. Use the outside surface of the plate and bowl bottom for cutting so the inside surface stays smooth and more sanitary. I have used the Xs for three years and have not found an equal for packing and ease of use.
better for travel than camping
I once went on a vacation with a small (12 L) backpack. This (and a spork) was my only "kitchen" utensil. It worked great for cereal in the morning, or (with the 'walls' not deployed) a small plate for a bagel/muffin.
Then, I took it camping. It worked ok for that, but I had soup in it, and ate it standing up. The walls transfer heat well enough that I had to wait for the soup to cool down before holding it comfortably.
Lastly, the seam between the base, and the walls is difficult to get at- in order to clean it, I had to run water on it for an extended period of time- I am not fully convinced that it isn't a breeding/hiding ground for mold/germs/bacteria.
All in all, a decent piece of equipment, and something I will definitely bring along with me whenever I travel.
jehan60188 at
REI on
10/10/2009
Great bowl for any situation
This bowl rules. I also have squishy bowls and they do cram a little better into any nook, this bowl has a freaking cutting board!! I don't know about you but many a trip bushwhacking escapade i've found myself cutting my veggies on a stump and while I don't mind getting forest into my food (hair, socks, etc.) its really nice to have a solid, sterile (enough) work space to prep meals. It has measurements on the inside for cooking, but its in metric so everyone in the US be prepared to do some conversions. Plus is will fit into most pots (unless you're doing solo jetboil or something like that). It also works great as a bowl and plate, so don't waste money getting the set that has all three, its just added weight. Not too sure if it leeches anything as its a weird silicone...Great product though.
Warmonger at
REI on
11/11/2009
Solid addition to the pack
I'd like to use the good-bad-good sandwich for this one:GOOD - This thing is very compact and light which makes it awesome for traveling with and easy to store.BAD - It's a little expensive in my opinion [$]and I'm not sure I would have bought it with my own money (I asked for it as a present). There are always sales going on at EMS at least. I wish that it held just a little bit more but overall the size was alright and not something I would avoid buying it over. GOOD - This thing is pretty sweet and I would recommend it to minimalists or people just looking for the added convenience of not worrying about where their bowl is going to fit into their pack. It's also very easy to clean and durable (cut up cheese on it to try it out).Satisfied customer.
Excellent Product
I have been using these bowls for a few years and they have held up beautifully, though I haven't used the bottoms as an optional cutting board. They have held up well to hot food. Perhaps they are a little bulky for some, but their profile design fits well in the storage bag for my camping cook set.
My only knock on this product is that one really has to clean these bowls diligently to get certain scents from them (Ramen noodles, soups, etc.). Perhaps this has something to do with the materials used. That being said, though, they are not very difficult to clean. I have taken good care of this product and it has done the same in return.
Since they are dishwasher/microwave safe, according to the manufacturer's website, I am thinking about picking another one up to use at work.
Plinska at
REI on
04/04/2012
Good, but not perfect.
I bought this bowl for a four day backpacking trip and it worked quite well. It packed down small, and was plenty large to make two packs of oatmeal or eat a healthy bowl of ramen with craw-fish tails fresh from the river! My only concerns are that the bottom of the bowl gets rather hot if you pour boiling liquid into it, and that the material holds scent. Even after running the bowl through the dish washer after returning from a trip, it smells like brown sugar from the instant oatmeal. I’ll be keeping this in my bear can hanging from a tree from now on. Still a good product. I’m glad I bought it, and some of the other people on the trip are sure to buy one too.
Who wants to go camping? at
REI on
06/06/2008
Great product
This is yet another great product from Sea-to-Summit.
The bowl is pretty sturdy and does not collapse while eating soup or cereal. Yet if packs perfectly flat and fits in the bottom of my pot. The cup nests inside the bowl. That means my stove, bowl, and cup all fit inside the pot, which save a huge amount of room.
The bottom is really durable, and I use it as a cutting board. Never have I noticed any odor or taste from the bowl itself.
The bowl sometimes is a bit hard to clean if you don't have it all the way extended, but not that bad.
Compact and pretty handy
I like this bowl because it is so compact and fits well in my my pack. I have used it for day hikes as well as overnighters. It may not be as light as some titanium stuff out there, but it sure is cheaper. I do find these are a bit hard to clean because food will stick to the plastic and rubber surfaces more than it will to metal surfaces. Overall though, this bowl works well and I like it. I also have the Sea to Summit cup too.
Ian D. at
REI on
07/07/2011