Spoon or spork?

[Pondjumpr]

I finally decided to get a long handle spoon for freezer bag eating. Currently I use either a long plastic spoon or a light my fire spoon/fork combo (plastic/lexan or whatever). So, I went tot he local hiking shop today to pick one up and noticed they had three hangers with the Sea to Summit spoons. One a regular size spoon and fork combo then 2 long spoons... or.......... wait??!!?? No, it's not 2 hangers of long spoons, it's a long spoon on one hanger and a long spork on the other. Oh, no... what do I do? Decisions, decisions...

So I ask, any real reason to get the spork? I feel like this will be a more versatile piece of equipment but... unless I'm at KFC, I would never use a spork.

So what say you? By the way, I bought both to try but thought you guys may have some insight! My kids or wife will end up with one of the two I am sure. TIA

[DuneElliot]

I tried a spork...it left me irritated that I couldn't scoop up all the dregs of the food in the corners. I have yet to find a need for a spork

[Sarcasm the elf]

A spoon does one thing well. A spork does two things poorly

I still use a spork because it's what I bought when I started. I keep hoping I lose it so that I can justify buying something different.

[blw2]

My son just HAD to have one of those spoon/fork/knife things when we were outfitting him for the scout troop.
I rank that up there as just a bit better than a spork. You have a decent spoon + a fork that is ok but we know have a knife that cannot be used with the fork!

In case you can't tell, I am not a fan of the spork. (Not a good spoon) + (not a good fork) does not equal a good tool

[swisscross]

I loathe the spork.
Makes for a poor spoon and fork.
I am NOT a LD hiker...never more than 10 days at a clip.
But if I were I would carry a spoon AND a fork (or chopsticks).
I sometimes carry out steak for the first night out. Eating steak with a spoon is just weird.

[gbolt]

I had a folding titanium spork that I used for a year. I hated not being able to get deep into the freezer bag so I went Optiumus Long Handled Spoon for the last two years. I don't miss the spork and have never thought, "Gee, I wish I had that fork part to my spoon". I do know that I often think, "Man, am I glad that I got the shiny smooth part to the spoon. Feels so much better on my tongue". I also appreciate the light weight of the Titanium.

[tiptoe]

Spoon. No need for a spork.

[nhartmann1]

Started with a plastic LMF spork. I was a little careless one night and ended up melting the darn thing. Bought a long titanium spoon and haven't looked back since.

[AtWokman]

spoon, Titanium, with a long handle to eat out of Mountain House bags and such

[JC13]

Spoon, long handled to get all the white chocolate peanut butter out of the jar.

[Kaptainkriz]

I hate my spork....harder to scrape up the last bits of food and clean my cup. Also I find it harder to mix powdery spices settled to the bottom of food I'm rehydrating or cooking.

[nsherry61]

Oh, come on. There's gotta be someone in these forums that likes sporks! How could they be so popular if nobody here likes them? :-?

Here's my spiel: Eating raman with a spoon sucks. Eating ramen with a spork works reasonably well. And, that goes for other longish noodles as well.

So there, if you like noodles, you'll likely appreciate a spork, at least some of the time. The rest of the time, go with a good spoon. A metal spoon with a nice polished bowl rocks. I hate plastic spoons only because they bend when they're hot, so if you ever need to stir a boiling pot of noodles, you'll desperately wish you had a metal spoon. And, as for the polished bowl, you'll never now the mouth-feel joy you are missing until you try it. Then, you'll never go back. There is a reason your expensive dinnerware is polished!

If you want ultra-light, aluminum spoons are lighter than titanium. Titanium is a heaver and stronger metal than aluminum. Since an aluminum spoon is plenty strong, don't pay the weigh penalty for having a titanium spoon . . . unless of course, you are going for the polished bowl which is probably worth the extra weight. :eek:

[Engine]

Long handled spoon.

[Ercoupe]

I had two sporks they both snapped in half for no apparent reason. Might have been the boiling water.

[rocketsocks]

leeky spoon

[MtDoraDave]

Sea to summit long handled aluminum spoon. Has a sort of rounded square edge that contours cups or pots to help get the last bits of food and helps with the "washing" process.

The long handle keeps your fingers out of your food if you eat from a bag... or if you don't.

[rocketsocks]

Sea to summit long handled aluminum spoon. Has a sort of rounded square edge that contours cups or pots to help get the last bits of food and helps with the "washing" process.

The long handle keeps your fingers out of your food if you eat from a bag... or if you don't.i just bring the same flat ware that I use at home, and fold the bags lip over.

...never leave a morsel begins.

[colorado_rob]

+1 on spoon vs. spork, but my trail diet does not include noodles. I've never done any sort of poll on the trail, but I don't personally see that many sporks out there. If I did eat noodles, I'd still carry a spoon (long handle, lexan plastic is my choice) and a tiny little plastic fork.

[DuneElliot]

My long-handled titanium spoon is one of only two pieces of the original backpacking gear I was given that I still use.

[rocketsocks]

My long-handled titanium spoon is one of only two pieces of the original backpacking gear I was given that I still use.
I gave my long handled spoon away, nothin' wrong with em, tried it...wasn't for me.

[Secondmouse]

Oh, come on. There's gotta be someone in these forums that likes sporks! How could they be so popular if nobody here likes them? :-?

Here's my spiel: Eating raman with a spoon sucks. Eating ramen with a spork works reasonably well. And, that goes for other longish noodles as well.

So there, if you like noodles, you'll likely appreciate a spork, at least some of the time. The rest of the time, go with a good spoon. A metal spoon with a nice polished bowl rocks. I hate plastic spoons only because they bend when they're hot, so if you ever need to stir a boiling pot of noodles, you'll desperately wish you had a metal spoon. And, as for the polished bowl, you'll never now the mouth-feel joy you are missing until you try it. Then, you'll never go back. There is a reason your expensive dinnerware is polished!

If you want ultra-light, aluminum spoons are lighter than titanium. Titanium is a heaver and stronger metal than aluminum. Since an aluminum spoon is plenty strong, don't pay the weigh penalty for having a titanium spoon . . . unless of course, you are going for the polished bowl which is probably worth the extra weight. :eek:

sporks are from the debbil...

[Sandy of PA]

Short handled spoon, fits inside my cookpot. I have a long handled one and I kept losing track of it because it didn't fit. I even tried just clipping it to my pack, but I don't like stuff making noise and dangling.

[nsherry61]

Short handled spoon, fits inside my cookpot. I have a long handled one and I kept losing track of it because it didn't fit. I even tried just clipping it to my pack, but I don't like stuff making noise and dangling.
Try clipping your long handled spoon onto that hook on your pack that is supposed to hold the top of the water bladder. Then the spoon will be tucked into your pack in a way it won't rattle around outside, be protected from too much crunching damage, and be readily available to eat with whenever it's needed.

[Pondjumpr]

Thanks to you all for the responses. As mentioned, the spork was something I had not considered but since they seem to be popular, I figured I would try one. I bought the spoon and if I don't like the spork, I will use the spoon and give the spork to one of my kids or wife. Both are long handle so eating from the bag should be much improved for me. The current one(s) I use are both a type of plastic so I look forward to the switch to aluminum for durability. At $9 each, it wasn't a spendy purchase.

[Sandy of PA]

Try clipping your long handled spoon onto that hook on your pack that is supposed to hold the top of the water bladder. Then the spoon will be tucked into your pack in a way it won't rattle around outside, be protected from too much crunching damage, and be readily available to eat with whenever it's needed.
I will keep this in mind, my pack is homemade so does not have bladder thingy. I could sew a loop in for a mini carabiner to hook to.

[Secondmouse]

I gave my long handled spoon away, nothin' wrong with em, tried it...wasn't for me.

yeah, long handled spoon is too long to fit inside my kit and the bowl is too small. I replaced it with Keith titanium folding spoons. 7.3" long and 4.7" folded, they fit inside my Snowpeak Solo Cup with 100gr canister and BRS 3000T stove.

these are great. very sturdy, excellent finish, and the bowl is bigger than my soup spoons at home.

2 for $20 -- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NA9TZLP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[DuneElliot]

Short handled spoon, fits inside my cookpot. I have a long handled one and I kept losing track of it because it didn't fit. I even tried just clipping it to my pack, but I don't like stuff making noise and dangling.

I just shove mine in the back mesh pocket of my pack with my maps, InReach and shovel

[Miner]

As a freezer bag cooker, sporks puncture holes in the bag. I can eat anything with my long handle spoon and it keeps my dirty hands out of my food. I store my spoon in my food bag with the food that needs it. Pointless to store in my pot as I use it with my peanut butter jar which is in my food bag.

[gbolt]

I throw my long handled spoon into the DIY Cook Pouch and put both along the side of my food bag. I am kind of OCD with organization.

[Secondmouse]

As a freezer bag cooker, sporks puncture holes in the bag. I can eat anything with my long handle spoon and it keeps my dirty hands out of my food. I store my spoon in my food bag with the food that needs it. Pointless to store in my pot as I use it with my peanut butter jar which is in my food bag.

yah. a long handled spork with a pointy end, designed to dig around on the bottom of tall dehydrated meal bags, really illustrates the phrase "confused on the concept"...

[lebackpack]

I must be the only one that likes my spork!

[4eyedbuzzard]

I carry both a spoon AND a fork. If you eat the kinds of foods where a fork is convenient, he extra weight of a Ti fork isn't going to break anyone's back.

[Elaikases]

I carry both a spoon AND a fork. If you eat the kinds of foods where a fork is convenient, he extra weight of a Ti fork isn't going to break anyone's back.

The lexan fork on one end, spoon on the other is even lighter though. ;) Sporks didn't really grab me, my wife has transitioned to the long handled titanium spoon. I expect I might follow.

[Old Grouse]

Somebody's gotta ask: since the "belly" of the device is usually larger than the tines, why is it a spork and not a foon? Or am I a foon for asking?

[Ender]

A spoon, 100%. I can not stand sporks. They suck at two different tasks. They're terrible at being a spoon, and even worse at being a fork.

I actually carry a spoon and a fork (titanium) just because I want to have both.

[4eyedbuzzard]

The lexan fork on one end, spoon on the other is even lighter though. ;) Sporks didn't really grab me, my wife has transitioned to the long handled titanium spoon. I expect I might follow.I once had one of those double ended devices. Kind of messy if you're trying to use both ends during the same meal. Stuff tends to drip or run down the handle, from the spoon especially. Not particularly hygienic either, not that I worry all that much about that aspect, but it is a concern. The 15 grams of extra weight for the fork is a pretty small "luxury" item.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Somebody's gotta ask: since the "belly" of the device is usually larger than the tines, why is it a spork and not a foon? Or am I a foon for asking?GSI markets some of its sporks as "foons".

[nsherry61]

A spoon, 100%. I can not stand sporks. They suck at two different tasks. They're terrible at being a spoon, and even worse at being a fork. . .
Well, maybe you're going about your thought process all wrong. My windscreen sucks at generating wind, hell it blocks it, and is a lousy screen, crap the mosquitoes go right through it, but, that doesn't mean it's not a lovely windscreen.

Think of the spork as the iconic backpacking identity symbol. What could be better. You'd have to be a dork to use a spork in daily living. But, a spork is like an almost drilled out spoon, the ultimate in multi-purpose, multi-use, and ultra-light. If you are seen using a spork, it is a sure sign you are either hiker trash or trying to pretend to be. And, no spoon alone, or fork and spoon combination, will give that identity as clearly and unambiguously as a spork.

Go sporks!!

[Ender]

What could be better.

Literally anything.

[Dogwood]

You're not a REAL hiker un less you have a foldable titanium spork. :p

Chopsticks anyone? They work well too. Slows folks down so they can chew and taste their food rather than inhaling it like a pelican. All you with no teeth ignore.

[Traveler]

Once one masters not stabbing their tongue with the spork, life gets good again.

[Hosh]

Went from LMF spork to long handled lexan spoon, REI variety. Works best for FBC, although I do miss licking my knuckles

[Dogwood]

Went from LMF spork to long handled lexan spoon, REI variety. Works best for FBC, although I do miss licking my knuckles

LOL Could cut a few spork slots in that long handled lexan spoon.

[kayak karl]

you can take my fork, you can take my spork, but DON'T touch my long handled spoon. :)

[bikebum1975]

I kind of always hated the spark yet oddly I like a titanium on I have for certain things. I still grab a spoon or fork over a spark most anyday. Yes I'm one of the odd ones that actually tales a spoon and fork

[wildernesswoman]

One of my favourite pieces of gear is my Light My Fire spork, it's durable, light, and I love it to death! It's not really a spork, more of a spoon with fork/knife utensil but I love it

[DownEaster]

Sporks are poor at two jobs, as has already been mentioned. I'm happy to have separate lexan spoon and fork. I can eat my meal while making my hot chocolate and not have to deal with chocolate mac & cheese or cheddar cocoa tastes.