REVIEW – Snow Peak Hybrid Trail Ti-Silicone Cookset
Snow Peak Hybrid Stock Pic.
Disclaimer: This kit was purchased by the reviewer for their personal use & assessment. There was no financial compensation or otherwise from external parties.
In an attempt to lighten my load I began looking into titanium, or Ti, cookwear to replace my stainless steel canteen cup. In my quest, I looked into several brands & decided on Snow Peak as it seemed the best value at the time. I chose the Hybrid Trail Ti-Silicone cookset as it is very close in size & style to the Mini Trangia pot/bowl & lid which I had used in the past. As I was using a Trangia stove at the time, I knew it would nest nicely within the Hybrid. I also have a preference for wider pots, as opposed to the popular tall & narrow pots, because there is more surface area in contact with the heat source, resulting in more efficient heating. I have also found they are more stable & easier to eat from.
The set consists of the following (pictured at the outset):
:Ti pot/bowl 770ml, 73g
:Ti pan/lid 414ml, 64g
:Ti spork
: Silicone bowl
First impressions
: Pot & Pan- Awesome, super light……no surprise there. It does feel a little flimsy, but being used to stainless steel, again there’s no surprise. Both can flex without much effort, but it is only going to be an issue if it’s being abused rather than used.
: Spork- Very small. You’re lucky if you can hold it with two fingers while you eat.
: Silicone Bowl- Very flexible & possibly unstable if filled too much. I leave it home with the less than useful spork.
In light of this I should have purchased the Snow Peak 3 Piece Cookset, which consists of two pots/bowls (one the same size as the Hybrid & one slightly smaller) & a pan/lid all for less money than the Hybrid.
This is how I was running it.
Snow Peak Hybrid atop a Mojo pot stand & Trangia stove, surrounded with a folding windshield. Not the lightest set up around but very effective & easy to use.
Packed & ready to stow
During use there were mixed results when actually cooking, maybe due to operator error, but for boiling water for dehydes & a brew it worked a treat. Ti allows heat to penetrate straight through rather than heating evenly like other metal cookwear. Cooking meals like porridge aren’t so much of an issue as long as you keep stirring, but for things like fried eggs it’s a much trickier affair, not to mention more of a clean up. I’ve since been enlightened of an easier way to enjoy eggs out in the boonies & no longer bother with fried eggs when humping my home on my back. When at a base camp it’s fried eggs every day!
Here’s a couple of comparison shots with a 600ml water bottle for reference.
The left pic shows some purple discolouration on the pan lid from direct prolonged heat. This mark transferred through the pan & is located where the food was predominantly burnt. User error? Maybe, but an example of the direct heat transfer of this metal.
Apologies for the lack of pics from the field, I was too busy enjoying myself every time I was out, which has been less than I care to think about of late!
Final thoughts: I’ve used the pot & pan every time I’ve had the opportunity to venture out since I received it & have been very happy with it for the purpose of heating up water for dehyd meals & a brew. As mentioned the silicone bowl & tiny spork have been left at home on every occasion.
If you’re keen on dropping the coin on Ti I recommend going with the 3 Piece Cookset over this one.
If you’re keen on doing decent gourmet cooking out in the sticks I’d recommend stainless steel cookware, or aluminium, if you can look past the alleged health issues.
If you’re hell bent on Ti then practise your meals before you head out.
Posted in Gear, Miscellaneous Equipment by Benny with 2 comments.
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