I have decided, that if I were loaded (that’s rich-loaded, not drunk-loaded) I could easily become a gram weenie and let fractions of an ounce hold great power over me in my traipses across backpackerdom.I have also decided that I’m just not a spork kind of girl. When I want a fork, I want something I can spear things with; when I want a spoon, I don’t want mini-tines poking me in the lip or causing soup to dribble onto my fleece.
My husband once bought me this plastic, all-in-one, knife-fork-spoon contraption, and in my quest to pack more efficiently I tried in vain to like it. But it was not to be. The spoon was both too shallow and too wide for my mouth; I kept slicing the corners of my mouth with the serrated ‘knife’ they slapped onto the outer edges of one of the tines of the fork, seemingly as an afterthought. I don’t care how light it is, or how many pretty colors it comes in - It stays home in a drawer now.
In a moment of splurging during a seasonal sale with a dividend check burning a hole in my pocket (cuz let’s face it, who’s gonna pay twenty bucks for weekend silverware, really?) I treated myself to a set of Brunton My-Ti silverware.
Yeah, yeah. I know it’s kinda pricey if you don’t get it on sale. And there are similar slightly less-expensive products on the market made of aluminum alloy, but I like it. For some reason, to me, silverware is as much about aesthetic beauty as functionality, hence the twelve bazillion patterns of Oneida gracing the shelves of Tarzhay. And with this set, I am in love with its form as well as its function.
I love that it is slightly smaller than similar products on the market and fits nicely into my petite hands. Though the handles are textured, the business-ends of each utensil have been polished to a smooth, stainless-esque finish. Unlike my horrible spork, there are no sharp edges on the fork or spoon with which to unexpectedly injure myself in some tragic mastication accident - yet, the knife's serrations are toothy enough to slice even the stubbornest of camp food.
Coming in at a mere 1.7 ounces (48.2 grams, hehe) Brunton’s My-Ti is built of durable titanium that supposedly, under normal conditions, will not rust or melt (not that I’ve left it in the rain or the campfire to test either claim). The three-piece set stacks and packs nicely and is joined together by a locking miniature carabiner.
I’ve found it both durable and pleasantly lightweight. It’s comfortable in my hands and easy to clean. Depending on what I’ve packed to eat, if I don’t need all three pieces, I’m free to leave those deemed unnecessary at home.
Grade: A+
Haha, I've had a Light My Fire Spork in my desk at work for lunch for the past 2 years or so. It's now broken in half and the fork is missing a tine. I still use it though, because, well, we backpackers are cheapskates and use gear until it is utterly destroyed. The serrated fork tine really is useless though, as you point out. You have to use the fork to cut, leaving you forkless; how are you supposed to keep the food stationary while cutting?
ReplyDeleteOn the trail I, just like you, enjoy three separate utensils. It's nice to have hints of civility in the middle of nowhere.
I actually LOVE my LMF spork! To each his/her own, I suppose.... I don't eat too many steaks in the backcountry :-)
ReplyDeleteYou can buy 3 pieces of polypropylene plastic ware for about a dollar a piece and that's as light and cheap as anything. I have that, though I just carry the spoon since I never bring anything that needs cutting. http://www.rei.com/product/781528
ReplyDeleteSo $3, 0.75 oz at REI, for the polypro, for those interested.
ReplyDeleteI heart my all in one spork - especially since it doesn't melt when I cook with it.
ReplyDeleteI mostly freezer bag cook so a spork is a very bad idea. The only utensil needed is a long handled spoon. I prefer Ti but you can find them in plastic as well. It's nice when you finish eating and the only cleanup required is licking the spoon.
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