Spork or utensil set?

Posted by: Tye

Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 03:24 PM

Spork or set? 'Kinda thinking spork would be all that is needed.
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 03:30 PM

I just use a spoon. It doesn't put holes in freezer bags like a spork will. If I need to spear something, I use my pocket knife. That's what everyone used instead of forks until a few centuries ago, when the "runcible spoon" was invented.
Posted by: sjohnny

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 04:04 PM

I use these:
http://www.industrialrev.com/spork-original.html
I don't see the need for tines on the spoon but sometimes they're nice to have and this way they're on the other end. They make it in Titanium also but it's over twice the weight.
Posted by: mana

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 04:46 PM

I've used sporks and they seem to work well with my cooking/eating needs. But now I'm liking the utensils SJohnny put up, thanks!
Posted by: finallyME

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 06:58 PM

I have been using what sjonny put up as well. It hasn't melted or broke, so it must be good.
Posted by: dkramalc

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 07:40 PM

Me too for the Light My Fire spork. I really only use the spoon end, and before getting this I used a spoon only on trips.
Posted by: lori

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 08:30 PM

GSI long handled spoon.
Posted by: Steadman

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 09:49 PM

YMMV, as usual. The primary choices here are spoon (in many varieties) or spork.

If you're in for freezer bag cooking, you may want something longer than the light my fire spork (which I use, but I still use a bowl). Many of the smarter folks here will recommend freezer bag cooking to you.

However, unless you are picking up a spoon from goodwill for less than $1, it is hard to beat the price on a light my fire spork. Also, it is hard to LOSE a light my fire spork given the color choices.

In a massive, but related, disgression, if you're going base camping with a kid's scout troop you may want a knife, fork, and spoon because the meals are more like what you'd cook at home, and (while I haven't tried it yet) sawing apart a hunk of meat with the light my fire spork or just a spoon might be inconvient and (cue Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves ) it will probably hurt more.grin

However, you probably don't have to worry about that style of eating OR cooking when you are backpacking. However, if you are carrying the steak, I'm more than willing to come smirk crazy
Posted by: aimless

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/27/11 11:47 PM

I use a spoon. I carry a pocket knife, too, but rarely use it in conjunction with eating on the trail, unless I'm day hiking and brought an apple I want to core.

Recently I bought a Sea-To-Summit aluminum spoon. Before that I used an REI "lexan" plastic soup spoon and it worked very well, except that once I got a hairline crack in the bowl of it in the middle of a weeklong hike. Now with the aluminum spoon I don't worry about breakage or meltage. The broader bowl of a soup spoon seems to be nicer than a teaspoon for me.
Posted by: Ewker

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/28/11 10:41 AM

Originally Posted By lori
GSI long handled spoon.


ditto, works great
Posted by: balzaccom

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/28/11 10:56 AM

Originally Posted By aimless
I use a spoon. I carry a pocket knife, too, but rarely use it in conjunction with eating on the trail, unless I'm day hiking and brought an apple I want to core.


Same here---although we use the knife for slicing cheese and salami for our lunches. And every once in a while for cleaning fish.

Can't think of a use for a fork....
Posted by: Blue_Ridge_Ninja

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/28/11 12:51 PM

Love my MSR folding spork. Just have to pay attention when stirring so I don't inadvertantly fold it. Heh. http://www.campmor.com/msr-folding-spork.shtml
Posted by: Tye

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/28/11 01:24 PM

Interesting that no one listed they use a traditional "set." Funny, after reading what guys here use, each meal at lunch or dinner, I find myself thinking, "could I eat this with only a spork or spoon?"
Posted by: Samoset

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/29/11 06:56 PM

I'm the spork and pocketknife kinda guy myself. Don't forget if need be you could always widdle some chop sticks.
Posted by: frediver

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/30/11 05:01 AM

I have a Ti spork and it does work but I think next trip I will just use a long handled HD spoon. The cheap GSI "chow" set has a spoon with a large bowl and handle that is just a bit shorter than the "fancy" $$$
spoons. I could also use it in place of a shovel so the extra oz. weight is worth it. I see no real need for a fork with boil bag cooking, a pocket knife is Std. equ.
Posted by: sarbar

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/30/11 10:50 AM

Btw...I noticed that coming up in 2012 those heartless jerks at GSI are discontinuing the GSI ReHydrate spoon! AGH! I have stocked up for my store (since they go into the FBC Cozy sets) but that leaves no one making that style of spoon. Oh yeah, and it is being replaced by.....a duo of over priced sporks (metal) that go onto chopsticks. I am not kidding either.....
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/30/11 03:45 PM

The REI Campware Soup Spoon works out just fine for me! It's an inch shorter than the GSI spoon, but plenty long enough to get to the freezer bag bottom without getting hands into food. Retail price is also a dollar cheaper!
Posted by: oldranger

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 09/30/11 09:56 PM

OM, you are right on target. Sporks are silly.
Posted by: GrumpyGord

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 10/01/11 07:12 AM

A couple of years ago I was at Salvation Army and they had a bunch of long light spoons which must have come from a malt shop because the spoon was nicked from hitting the beaters of the mixer. They were 10/$1 so I have enough to last for my grandkids lifetime. They reach the bottom of a freezer bag just fine and the nicks do not bother their use at all.
Posted by: newyorkteg

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 10/10/11 02:22 PM

spork to eat. pocket knife to cut.
Posted by: intrek38

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 10/22/11 06:30 PM

I had one of those titanium sporks, but left it behind while hiking the JMT, it was unfortunately left behind at a site that I may someday revisit. I ended up having to carve a spoon out of some wood and have been using a cheep spoon ever since. So much easier keeping things simple.
Posted by: wandering_daisy

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 10/26/11 01:36 PM

I also have lost expensive titanium sporks. I now tie a short florescent cord on the end and have not lost it yet! You could also paint the handle with a florescent paint. I also have the spoon-fork set but do not use it. The titanium utensils were given to me as gifts. I would never pay the price for them. Actually a spoon is really small and you do not gain much by the expensive titanium kind. I also have several cheap light spoons that work just as well.
Posted by: rio nueces

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 06/22/17 03:18 PM

Originally Posted By Samoset
I'm the spork and pocketknife kinda guy myself. Don't forget if need be you could always widdle some chop sticks.


Or the chopsticks from places like PeiWei. They're real light wood and in a sealed bag.
Somehow I can't get used to the idea "spearing" with a sharp knife and sticking the same into my mouth!
Posted by: the-gr8t-waldo

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 06/24/17 12:45 PM

I've found it to be a very good practice when packing up for the days hike- after all is packed to step back and do a search of the camp site. it gives me a chance to get that utensil, sock or trash, forgotten. I tether my only ti spoon to the pack, just like I do for my maps and compass.
Posted by: connor45

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 06/27/17 02:53 AM

After a few holes made by spork, it's spoon and knife is all I pack.
Posted by: Adventurejus

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 11/13/17 03:34 PM

Sea to summit Handle folding ti spork, love it. Yet to encounter a reason to need anything else.
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 11/13/17 07:11 PM

Long handle spoon--yes, it's lexan, but used only for packpacking so I doubt I'm being poisoned. If I have to stab something, I use my pocket knife. Forks tend to poke holes in plastic bags, and I do "freezer bag cooking" (really rehydration, not cooking).

For anything small, and easily lost, I tie a tinypiece of reflective tent guyline to it. It's wonderful how it bright glows after dark when you shine your headlamp on it!
Posted by: the-gr8t-waldo

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 11/22/17 03:43 PM

I would only add....I also use a small s-biner to attach my spoon to the back pack, and stuff the spoon into some pocket. about the same security measure that i do for my compass
Posted by: haan9953

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 04/20/20 07:21 AM

You can try things like Gerber Compleat Tool
It’s a fork! It’s a spoon! It’s a spatula and tongs! Incredibly, this nesting set of convenient utensils is all of the above, with a lot of functionality built in for such a compact setup.
Posted by: a_gunslinger

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 08/23/20 07:42 PM

This is all you will ever need ;^)
Toaks titanium spoon
Posted by: nwguy

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 07/15/21 05:07 PM

wooden spoon you made yourself
Posted by: DustinV

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 08/23/21 10:20 AM

I grabbed a long folding spork by Soto that has a slight S-bend. It makes scooping out of food bags a lot easier. The little tines are okay for the rare, but occasional spearing of a chunk of broccoli.

If I lose that one, I'll go back to the MSR folder.
Posted by: Josesv

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 12/01/21 11:19 AM

I don't see the need for tines on the spoon but sometimes they're nice to have and this way they're on the other end.
Posted by: DustinV

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 12/01/21 01:19 PM

I've been vegetarian for almost 30 years, so I rarely eat anything that couldn't be cut and eaten with a spoon. I realized I was grabbing spoons more often than forks, so I was pretty happy when sporks became popular a few years ago. I collected a bunch of them and tried them out.
What I figured out was that a long, folding utensil was important for me, because I wanted it to fold short enough to store it in my cook kit, but long enough to reach down into dehydrated meal bags. I could probably go with a folding long spoon and not miss the tines, but they're nice once in awhile. The bowl on my current favorite is more bowl- than tine-centric which works out for my usage. It's subtle, but that's the one I keep reaching for, for now. I'll probably keep collecting...
Posted by: JustWalking

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 12/01/21 10:06 PM

Originally Posted By DustinV
... What I figured out was that a long, folding utensil was important for me, because I wanted it to fold short enough to store it in my cook kit, but long enough to reach down into dehydrated meal bags. ...


Since I like shorter spoons and don't really like folders, I started cutting my meals open horizontally instead of vertically, so I didn't need anything long to get to the bottom of the meal.
Posted by: aimless

Re: Spork or utensil set? - 12/02/21 01:15 PM

You have a bright future as a QA tester!