plates/bowl suggestions

[scscout]

I"m gearing up for my first backpacking experience. I will be going with my son and his Scout Troop. I need suggestions on what people use for plates and bowls? I have looked at the lexan and the ones that fold up.

[Skidsteer]

Have a look at ZipLoc bowls at your grocer. Lots of shapes and sizes to choose from. Also Wal-Mart has a baby plate with turned-up edges made from polypropylene(same as ZipLoc bowls). Very light, heat resistant(microwavable).

[envirodiver]

Most will tell you that they eat out of the pot, but if more than one person is eating from the same pot that doesn't work so good. You can get all that fancy stuff, but you are better off just going to the grocery, walmart, Dollar General or Target, etc. and find the lightest plastic bowl you can find. It will be cheap (get a cereal bowl size) and I have one that weighs just over an Oz. Don't need a plate, take only a spoon, you have no need for a full set of cutlery.

Enjoy backpacking, just don't get tricked into carrying too much stuff and look at everything that you put into your pack and ask yourself if you really, really need it.

[jesse]

What will you be eating, and how do you plan on preparing it? On our backpacking trips, each person is responsible for their own food, unlike our car camping trips, where we cook by patrol.
I mostly do freezer bag cooking, cause I don't like messy clean ups. I dehydrate my food at home, and put it in a ziploc bag. Then in camp I boil water, pour it in the bag, wait 10 minutes then eat. I place the bag in the cook pot. I have a .9 liter titanium pot. I only take a spoon (a frosty spoon from Wendy's) If I need a knife, I use my pocket knife, If I need a fork, I use my fingers.

[88BlueGT]

You can do as posted above and get something cheap from the dollar store, etc. but there are also a few other options.

1) You can go Lexan, which definitely takes up the most room.
2) There are the fold together cups, bowls, and plates made by Urikaso (or something like that). I have this set and its worth it. I don't use them for myself but if others come along that aren't fully equipt I let my friends use these. I have only used them a few times but so far they had help up well. They are super light and also very easy to clean since you can just fold them flat.
3) Its pretty much the same thing as number two but the plates, bowls, etc. snap together instead of fold together. Not sure if they are more expensive or not but I would assume that they would be more durable since when plastic is folded on the same crease so many times its bound to snap eventually.
4) Not sure of the brand but they have squishy bowls that I see at EMS all the time. Not sure about them though, I have no experience with them but just from checking them out int he store they seem to be a little unstable when filled... like I said though, no personal experience.
5) Recently discovered, I found a bowl at EMS that compresses flat and than uncompresses back into a bowl. Seems pretty sturdy. I'm sure you can find all this stuff on EMS's website (thats where I see it all at).

As for spoon/fork/knife, there are many sporks, etc. out there but I use a basic GSI knife/fork/spoon set. They are super light, durable, etc. And since they are so light there is no reason not to take all of them.

[88BlueGT]

suggestion for cultery: http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=8455 24442592513&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302875744&bmUID=1208985807758

I belive this is the squishy bowls that I was talking about...
http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=8455 24442594583&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302875744&bmUID=1208985943353

Orikaso fold together cup/plate/bowl:
http://www.amazon.com/Orikaso-Folding-Solo-Set/dp/B000MWDP5I

this is the snap together set just like the Orikaso made by Fozzil:
http://www.fozzils.com/SoloPack.html

[Grinder]

I have a set of "origami" dishes. They are made of plastic, pre-creased at the fold joints. That means they fold flat and weigh next to nothing.

I have to say that the coffee cup is a real puzzle to assemble/erect.

here's a link to one supplier.My packaging looked different, so there are other sources.
http://www.plentypupule.com/foldflat.htm

Miles of Smiles
Tom

[russb]

I usually eat out of the pot but I also carry a frisbee. It serves double duty as a plate if needed (among other things). Some recylced take out containers from restaurants work very well as very light plates/bowls. Other suggestions have already been mentioned. My frisbee is my favoririte plate though.

[Appalachian Tater]

Some recylced take out containers from restaurants work very well as very light plates/bowls. That's the best suggestion--free, food-grade plastic, come in different sizes. They're good for taking leftovers to work for lunch or freezing them, too. They nest, and you can use the bottom as a bowl and the lid as a plate.

[mudhead]

I"m gearing up for my first backpacking experience. I will be going with my son and his Scout Troop. I need suggestions on what people use for plates and bowls? I have looked at the lexan and the ones that fold up.

1st trip? Raid the kitchen. Ziplock/rubbermaind storage stuff. Lexan utensils, about $.50 each at store. You will want a fork and knife, because you think you need them and have not yet gone animal. Who am I to tell you different. I will say the small lexan spoon is useless.

Don't be afraid to throw a couple paper plates in a big ziplock bag. You won't need them, but if it makes you happy, have at it!

Look for smooth sided containers without notch like indentations, unless you frezzer bag it, because they clean waaay easier.

[Wags]

i use a 16oz SS mug i got at a flea market for $1.50. it's light, won't break, has a nice little handle so i don't burn my hands, and attaches easily on the outside of my pack so room/space isn't an issue. my gal uses the same style mug. we cook out of a 1.3 L pot. going out in a pair is sometimes really nice for weight b/c you can split it. a 5 lb 2 person tent is only a 2.5 lb tent per person. same deal w/ cooking.

[mkmangold]

I love my titanium spork but lexan ones are cheaper. I have the Orikaso bowl, mainly cuz it folds flat but I'm beginning to like the idea of a frisbee (multi-use). Use knives from a multi-tool: the pliers make a great pot grabber, too.

[Tennessee Viking]

Just go with freezer bags.

Mahonney Outfitters in Tennessee at one time had those oragami plates and bowls which folded almost completely flat.

Walmart and Target carry Coleman's aluminum cookware. I found it good for about a couple uses before the pans and handles started bending and breaking off. Be great for a short section or boy scouts, only about $5.

[take-a-knee]

Those Glad screw-top bowls are cheap, you can put boiling water in them, and use them at home when you get back.

[envirodiver]

There is another alternative that I've used. Cut the top off of a Country Time Lemonade canister and it makes a great bowl with a screw on top.

[88BlueGT]

If its going to be a one time thing than I would obviously try and spend the least amount as possible and see what you can put together from the house. If its something that you plan on doing alot, than thats a different story.

[rpenczek]

the squishy bowl/cub set (guyot designs at REI) mentioned. I like the bowl, but the cup is too small for my AM coffee. I use a Ti 12 oz mug (Snow Peak?) in its place and round out my set with a Ti spoon (Snow Peak?).

The squishy bowl can be turned inside out and licked clean (Human Sump) so there are no food scraps in the wash water. The bowl can get a bit hot with hot food, but not as hot as a freezer bag or Ti bowl.

Finally, I have an Asst. Scout Master who uses a Frisbie for a bowl/plate. It also serves him as a sink to wash up in (bit o water and camp suds) and he can engage in a game if he has the same energy as our youth after a days walk in the woods. (Of course, he has to wash his frisbie before dinner too :)

[Camping Dave]

I"m gearing up for my first backpacking experience. I will be going with my son and his Scout Troop. I need suggestions on what people use for plates and bowls? I have looked at the lexan and the ones that fold up.

Forget the fancy stuff.

Grab a Ziploc / Glad / Tupperware / Other brand container from your kitchen cabinet. Grab a plastic fork, knife and spoon from your kitchen too.

The sandwich sized containers are really good. They're big enough to hold a whole meal and also big enough to hold your utensils.