Company: Sea To Summit
After literally climbing from sea level to the summit of Mt. Everest, founder Tim McCartney-Snape and partner Roland Tyson thought the name "Sea to Summit" was fitting for their new outdoor gear company. The vision was to create "truly ingenious, well-made but affordable outdoor equipment". This vision and outdoor brand has since spread to all parts of the world and is still creating some of the most innovative products in the outdoor industry.

The Review

In this review we will be testing and reporting on the multiple award winning Sea to Summit X-Set 31. This dinnerware set includes the X-Pot 2.8L & (2) X-Bowls & (2) X- Mugs .

features

Tall, flexible, and collapsible silicone walls
Multi-award winning product (Backpackers Editor's Choice 2015, Gear Institute's Best New Gear 2015)
Translucent lid with built in strainer
X Bowls and X mugs collapse inside the X pot for easy storage
Built in measuring markings
Rigid, reinforced nylon rings keep the rims sturdy for spill-free drinking

Specs

Liquid Capacity: 2.8 Liters
Dimensions: 14 x 8 x 2.5 inches
Material: Silicone/Aluminum
Weight: 1 lb. 5 oz.

When I first heard about the idea of a collapsible cooking pot my first reaction was, "gimmick". Then I tried it, tested it, beat it up, and came to realize collapsible cookware is not only here to stay but is a complete game-changer in the backpacking world.
The main draw to this product is the flexible, food-grade silicone walls that allow backpackers to save massive amounts of precious space in their packs. The X-Set 31 comes with a 2.8L/3-quart pot, two X-Mugs, and two X-Bowls, which all collapse into a single neat, spaceship like disk. The X-Pot also comes with a food-grade transparent lid complete with a built in strainer (brilliant) and attaches by silicone handles.

The base of the pot is made from anodized aluminum which is corrosion-resistant, durable, and lightweight. When cooking, it is important to remember that this system was designed to be compatible with small backpacking stoves. It shouldn’t be used over larger burners nor should it be used over an open campfire.

Casi and I took this on our latest camping trip to the Mogollon Rim in Arizona. We set up camp and got right to cooking dinner. We wanted to make a meal that only used one pot so we decided on a Pho soup recipe we created. Cooking the dish was so easy in the X-Pot because of how large in diameter the pot is. We easily added long strands of rice noodle, vegetables, and thin slices of meat to the soup. When the soup was finished we poured the soup into our X-Bowls which didn't spill or drip down the sides. We enjoyed our first meal in our new cooking set and cleanup was just as easy as making dinner.
We have since taken the X-Set 31 on several trips including our latest 2 month long road trip to Canada and the Pacific Northwest. This set was our exclusive cooking setup which proved to work fine for just about any meal we decided to make.

What We Liked

1. The Space Savings: Total game-changer in the backpacking world. The titanium cup/pot has always been an awkward fit for our backpacking ventures. This changes everything.
2. The Volume: Casi and I boiled enough water to make Pho for the both of us and have a whole bowl for second dinner (for me). If you are cooking for a group this larger 2.8 liter pot is plenty big. The smaller 1.4 liter pot would work just fine for two or if you are just boiling water.
3. Durability: I've owned collapsible silicone products in the past. I typically don't like them because they rip at the seams too easily. The Sea to Summit X-31 Set is made of heavy duty materials and has withstood the beating I've put it through.
4. Cool Features: There is a lot of value in the details. The translucent lid has a built in strainer. The X-Mugs have internal gradient markings that help you measure in cups and milliliters. The nylon rings around the rims make the products more rigid and easier to pour liquids. The X-Bowls have food-grade nylon bases and are tough enough to double as cutting boards. The little things go a long way!

What We didn't like

Backpacking Stove Setup: I was nervous about tipping over my dinner the entire time I was cooking our meals in the larger 2.8 liter X-Pot. It felt like balancing a golf ball on a tee. Although I like the size of the pot, I didn't care for having to place it on the tiny prongs of my backpacking stove which is clearly designed for smaller cookware.
Cleaning: Really not a big deal but worth mentioning. With so many creases and crevices it's easy for food to get stuck and makes wiping down surfaces a little tougher when we cooked anything other than a water based soup. Food remains such as dried oatmeal and pasta sauce made cleaning the pot walls more difficult. I will say, however, that I had no problems with cleaning the aluminum base.

Conclusion

I think the multiple awards for this product says it all. It completely changes how my wife and I pack our cook system and has saved us some serious real estate inside our packs. The added features really sold me with this product. I'd recommend this product to anyone who regularly cooks for two or more on camping or backpacking outings. Going forward I'd probably stick with the smaller 1.4 liter pot as it fits my needs a little better but the larger pot is nice to cook up veggies, pasta, or other one-pot dishes.

Buy an X Set Here

Some of the pictures used in this review came straight from Sea to Summit.

*Disclaimer: Although this product was given to me complimentary for this review, it in no way influenced my testing or opinion of the product or company.

Gear Review | Sea To Summit X Set 31