GEAR: SNOWPEAK MINI TI SOLO COOKSET

under construction :)

GEAR: GSI INFINITY 4 PERSON TABLEWARE KIT

Picked up the GSI INFINITY 4 PERSON TABLEWARE SET intending to use it on a camping trip with the GF and the 2 kids.

Basically the kit contains everything needed for 4 people to eat and drink off of and out of. No cutlery though. Everything is made of BPA free plastic (GSI calls it INFINITY), an alternative to poly-carbonate plastic. There is a plate, bowl with cover, a insulated hot drink cup and a water cup for each person. All in different colors so you do not mix up your tableware with your camp mates.


PHOTOS HERE: GSI INFINITY 4 PERSON TABLEWARE SET

POSITIVES: cheap (less than $60 CDN), bang for the buck, the entire kit stacks and nestles neatly in the included drawstring bag, hard to crack, color coded, hot drink cup keeps your drink hot during the meal.

NEGATIVES: my only beef with the kit is the bowl lid....it is supposed to snap tightly onto the bowls to keep food and liquids in.....sadly it does not even stay on the bowl, despite many repeated attempts to get it on the bowl. I even exchanged the set for a new one but it too had the same lid fitting problem.

I give the GSI INFINITY 4 PERSON TABLEWARE KIT a BUSH LAB rating of 7/10

GEAR: STANLEY 1913 STORMTROOPER COFFEE MUG

The STANLEY 1913 STORMTROOPER COFFEE MUG is a rather innovative design. Stanley PMI designed this series to be fully recyclable once the product reaches its useful end life. The 1913 commuter coffee mug is comprised of an outer stainless steel removable cup, the main cup is made from recycled food grade plastic. There is a lid that twists to seal it from spills and the seals are all made from medical grade silicon. A handy plastic loop lets you attach the mug to your pack.

PHOTOS HERE:  STANLEY 1913 STORMTROOPER COFFEE MUG 

POSITIVES: - inexpensive, very well made, recyclable, can be used to mix boozy drinks, outer SS cup can be used for many things after the cup itself reaches its end life. Slim low profile packs easily. Holds 16oz of coffee or spirits. Quite a stylish design. 

NEGATIVES:  - does not really keep drinks hot for very long due to no insulation. However if you drink the amount of coffee like i do, this is a moot point.

Great mug, i use it for both camping, commuting and home use. The removable SS outer cup is just a bonus...you can heat up water in it over a heat source , this makes this mug valuable for a survival situation...you can boil water in the outer SS mug and pour it into the main mug! (please note that the paint will peel off the outside SS mug if you subject it to fire)

I give the STANLEY 1913 STORMTROOPER COFFEE MUG a BUSH LAB rating of 9.5/10

GEAR: CAMELBAK ARMORBAK

Another addition to my pack, the CamelBak ArmorBak hydration system & carrier. Not much to review here, its a water bladder with a cordura carrier that attaches to any pack or vest that uses the MOLLE / PALS attachment system.

The ArmorBak carrier is made of tough Cordura and is lined with insulating foam to insulate the water bladder. The ArmorBak carrier attaches via 4 fastex buckles to a backpack or load bearing vest, and cinches down snug. The bladder itself, the venerable Low Profile OMEGA Water-Beast holds 3 Liters of water, and has a wide mouth fill lid for rapid filling and easy adding of ice cubes.  These bladders are tough and hold up to a lot of abuse when hiking or in a military or tactical field. A drinking tube with CamelBaks famous BIG BITE valve and HYDROLINK BITE VALVE COVER come standard with the kit.

PHOTOS HERE: CAMELBAK ARMORBAK (including a photo of the ArmorBak attached to my pack exterior)

POSITIVES: - 3 liters of cold water on demand, constant quick hydration, bombproof carrier and bladder construction, multi attachment points for attaching to backpack. Makes a fine pillow at night.

NEGATIVES: - None

My unbiased and uncensored review: As with all of CamelBaks hydration bladders and carriers, the ArmorBak is Good To Go. It just works and is reliable, period. NO negatives here. I have used the ArmorBak for about six months now, both at work and in the mountains of BC Canada. When you fill it with chilled water and add ice cubes, you can expect about a good 10+ hours of icy cold water, DEPENDING of course on how rapidly you consume the 3 liters of water. Even when I was hiking in LYTTON BC Canada, where temps in some of the rock canyons can get to a blistering 40 - 45 Degrees Celsius, with heat radiating off the rockfaces and ground around you, and the sun beating down from above, I still enjoyed ice cold hydration all day. (I carried two ArmorBaks with me, for a total of 6 liters of fluids).

I give the CamelBak ArmorBak a BUSH LAB rating of 10/10