Sea to Summit Frontier Camp Kitchen Review For Climbers
For the last decade my long crag days and nights under the stars have been fueled by a mini stove and 1L pot. My love of food has combined with the ache of my muscles, and I was so easily sated by the simplest of heat and eat meals. But when the Sea to Summit Frontier Camp Kitchen found its way into my pack, I quickly realised my outdoor culinary experience had been quite deprived.
The Frontier range was designed for those who have a passion for remote locations, and a hunger for adventure meals worthy of MasterChef. While the truth is that my busy life means I only dabble in both of these realms, I am still completely in love with this camp kitchen.
Firstly, as climbers we are already packing an array of gear that so often tips the scales, so if we are going to bother taking a camp kitchen it better be light. The use of materials such as hard anodised aluminium and glass-reinforced polypropylene, create products that are ultra-light and durable. The ‘One Pot Set’ weighs in at just 526g, and includes a 2L pot, two bowls and two cups. The cutlery is also feather-light. I picked up the fork and nearly tossed it over my shoulder, then marvelled at how it felt like I was levitating food into my mouth.
When comparing this range to other ultra light brands I found it hard to match sets apples for apples, but using the 8 inch ‘Ultra Light Pan’ as a base proved helpful. Our Sea to Summit pan weighs in at 366g, JetBoils 10” pan is 380g, and the Primus Litech 8” Frying Pan is just 300g.
Secondly, the whole series is incredibly packable, with each set nesting perfectly together. The ‘One Pot Collapsible Set’ in particular is so compact thanks to BPA-free, food grade, heat resistant silicone. Including a 2.2L pot, two 400ml cups, two bowls, and all weighing 527g.
The silicon sides are easy to fold down once you sort out the beta, and I was surprised at how sturdy everything was when expanded. My fears of boiling water escaping from a wonky vessel were quickly quelled. I was impressed by the fact that the whole collapsible set fitted snugly into the ‘Ultra Light Pan’, creating a great two-person camp kitchen. This is all locked into one package by the removable ClickSafe handle which allows for secure handling, can be reversed for easy storage, and is standard across the Frontier range.
Thirdly, they are gosh darn delightful to cook with. My simple meals have always found a way to stick to my little pot, so I was happy as a climber sending their project with such an enhanced cooking experience. No matter what meal I threw into these pots, the ceramic coating provided a truly non-stick surface. The other feature that really impressed me was the effective heat transfer. Even while using my micro stove the pots were evenly heated and provided much more temperature control than I expected.
Other designed elements that I found helpful were the measurement scales, and the built-in strainer. When empty, the pots in this range are a bit heavy toward the handle, which did create a slight challenge when cooking on the small supports of my micro stove. I had to balance the pots correctly, and take care when adding ingredients. This is the tradeoff of having a super light weight pot, with a really sturdy handle.
Overall the range is light, functional, and such a joy to use, that it’s been well worth adding to my overweight climbing pack. I’ve swapped out half my stuff sack of snacks for delicious and nutritious crag meals worthy of sharing with my epic climb crew.
