GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Hiker Cookset
July 13, 2009
So I run in a social circle full of people who climb mountains, swim in muddy lakes and freezing rivers, and grub around in the dirt sleeping in tents for fun. During a big party weekend, where are we? In the woods, in tents, swatting bugs, and cooking on open flame. What could be better? But there’s always that one girl who has to wash her hair in the creek and put on her makeup before she’ll be seen in public. Huh, I don’t really get it. Getting AWAY from societal expectations is what makes camping appealing. Aside from her, I knew that my camping partners were my kind of people when they had more questions about the camp cookware I was using than about what I did for a living. I fielded more “How do you like that GSI pot?” and “How does that handle work, it looks cool!” than I ever expected. Of course, I was camping with over thirty people, so that alone will result in more questions than average.
Still, when I got the Bugaboo kit to check out I wasn’t expecting it to be much different than any other camp pot I’ve ever used. I was even a bit stressed about how to write a feature article about it; I mean, it’s a pot, it holds water, as long as that part is successful that’s pretty much what you need to know, right? So I was relieved and delighted to find that the Bugaboo is actually a very clever cookware kit, complete with multipurpose, er, holdy things that can be used as cups, bowls, or food storage. They’re super cool; they even have lids that help keep your drink warm while keeping campfire ash out of your drink. There are four containers shaped like Trivial Pursuit pieces, and they just snug back into the pot for storage and transport. The removable handle clips onto the pot securely and easily; no more balancing a heavy pot of boiling water with one of those pincer-type handles.
Best of all, the pot really did help boil water faster! Strange, but true. I’m used to leaving a pot of water on my stove for 20 minutes, waiting for it to boil, but the Bugaboo did the job in less than 5! And yes, I was using the same stove. Now I understand why all my camp partners were so interested in it. One of my partners even said he knew a guy who had a friend who used the Bugaboo on Denali. Which is not really that big of a deal considering all the stuff people haul up there, including toilet seats, lawn chairs, blenders, you name it. But it IS pretty cool for GSI to be making a name for itself; it was certainly recognizeable by many. And it’s definitely a hit with me; finally cookware I actually get excited about using! This is a first. Even at home I don’t use my cookware. Hmm, maybe if I use the Bugaboo at home I might be more excited about cooking…
