GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Soloist Cookset - 2009 BCS

Good pot, bowl/cup is a little small

Works well for a quick one pot meal

I would recommend to a friend!

My boyfriend and I used this set for about 5 weeks on the A.T. this summer and had very few complaints.

The pot itself is a pretty handy size. On most nights, we cooked both of our dinners in it at the same time. This might make it a bit big for actual Soloists, but, on the other hand, we often ate with lone hikers who were eating the same amount by themselves as the two of us ate together. It'll do a box of mac and cheese and have room to mix in a couple packets of tuna. It can also fit 2 servings of Ramen, if you use a bit less water. The only time that we had to cook twice was when we needed 4 cups of water along with whatever we were making (for instance, in order to make Knorr sides in the Stroganoff flavor).

The pot will hold your 4 or 8 oz fuel canister, and a lighter, along with the handy plastic measuring cup/bowl that it comes with. We ate out of the pot itself, drank tea from the cup in the mornings, and the two of us never needed a second bowl.

The spork is a piece of crap, and broke within a week, but add a couple lexan spoons, and you've got a full kitchen for 1 or 2.

I purchased this set a year ago - and it's a great set. I cant testify to the quality of the foon however since my set was prefoon. anyway the construction is solid. the lexan lid is thoughtful - no wasting fuel since you dont need to lift the lid to see a boil. the cup is practical and the insulation is considerate. all encased in a a sack that doubles as a basin. A complete system - I gave mine away to my best friend after I decided to go with the the titan kettle - but honestly it was by no means an easy decision. My buddy loved the gift and he uses it till this day. Its really a great light cook system - so while i decided it's not for me there is no denying its charm

Packs down super small, and works awesome! My stove and canister fit perfectly, so it minimizes wasted space.

I have zero complaints about this setup. It is easy to use. It actually cools down very fast, so you can get on your way quickly. The only tanks I have found that could fit in it are the MSR ones. Coleman makes some tanks as well, but they are just too tall.

At first I was going to buy something similar to this only titanium. What a waste that would have been. This pot is nearly as lightweight with a nonstick coating and more even heat dispersion compared to titanium. The included spork is junk so you mine as-well throw that away. I didn't use the cup it came with or the wash bag. The way the handle locks the lid in place is genius though and the strainer holes are a huge bonus. Definitely a great buy and for those of you considering titanium, buy this instead.

Have had this for quite some time now and it is really a nice little system. I can fit my entire cook system inside of the pot which really makes orginization a breeze. The pot is easily big enough for two people and the halulite seems to be holding up very well. The weight is a bit heavier compared to straight up Ti cookware but it is much cheaper and is very durable. Great cookset2 hikers, a bit heavy for 1 hiker but overall very versatile. I love it.

Light weight. Packs up really small. Durable. The pot grabber is stable and doesn't get hot. This is the best pot set I have owned.

I am very satisfied with this cook set. I specifically purchased this size set because the main pot is perfect size to boil up water and fill 1 nalgen bottle. Its also big enough for cooking up for one. I use my MSR stove with this set so that left me room inside the cook set when packed to also add in a GSI small thermo cup with lid. I like to use that for coffee!

I used this set this past Memorial Day weekend. What a great little lightweight set! My Brunton stove and fuel container along with the spoon all fit inside the pan and carrying case. This is an "A" for me who is so space-conscious.

Even he liked my set and was jealous. Lucky me.
The handle didn't get hot while the gas was on. My husband's old set requires a separate holder which is a pain to carry.

This was an awesome buy! definitely recommend this. I backpack in utah almost every weekend and have used this now for about six months with no probs. durable, lightweight, not bulky.

Very happy with this unit so far. Taken it out on a few shorter hikes. It's light, compact and it works great for me. I use it primarily for boiling water. Not a big fan of cleaning up dirty pots in the field. The spork kinda sucks. I used it once..then went with my old spork. I've heard people talking about having difficulty opening the set..read the directions you chowderheads. It's not rocket science. :)

I used this system on the entirety of my solo Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Works like a charm. I got rid of the flimsy "foon" (spork) before even using it, and instead carried a Lexan spoon separately. Over the course of months while using the pot with an alcohol stove, I managed to melt a little of the insulation on the handle closer to the pot, but nothing too significant.

You can carry a good bit inside the pot. In addition to the included bowl, I had a 1-cup plastic mug, a small bottle of Dr. Bronner's soap, a tiny salt/pepper shaker, and my dish towel, with room to spare. In a separate mesh bag, I carried my spoon, sponge, scrubbie, and toothbrush/toothpaste/floss.

Take note that this pot does have a Teflon-like non stick coating on the inside. That means that you shouldn't use metal utensils, although it does make it easier to clean.

I loved the folding handle to keep the lid on while stored, and the pasta strainer built into the lid was helpful on the rare occasion that I actually used more water than was needed. The lid also includes a slot to leave your spoon sticking out of the pot, but I usually just watched the water through this slot to see when it was boiling.

This was indeed the most popular cook system for solo hikers on the AT, and for good reason.

In my opinion, the best compact cookset available today (for the money). Sure, you can get a 1 liter pot that is lighter, but you will pay close to 30 bucks more for it. For me, this has been awesome on every outing. After over 3 years of use and still no residue build up on the bottom from flame contact.. still looks new. Heats up water very fast and distributes heat evenly. Be careful with the rubber handle, it melts easy near heat. When I bought mine, it didnt come with the spork, so I cant comment on that, but ive heard it was not very good. Very lightweight for a pot and a cup/lid. Everything you need for simple backcountry food prep. Recommended.

Man I love this thing. Light, cheap, fits together like a dream, a lot of good usage. I dig how the carrying bag can double as a sort of wash bag or whatever. Super durable and just a top notch cooking set. Spork seems like it will break within the next few uses, but whatever, no biggie. Only complaint I have is my stove is supposed to fit inside, well it's not happening. I have the pocket rocket, and the set easily has enough room for a fuel canister and a shorter stove when put together, but the MSR pocket rocket is just to long to fit inside the bowl. I've tried multiple different ways to get that thing to fit inside, but it just won't happen. Certainly an annoying downside to the set considering I have a lot of room left for storage then the set is integrated, but I still have to find a case for my stove. Perfect set if pocket rockets could better fit inside, but close to perfect nonetheless.

The pot, bowl and wash basin are nice. Like every one else has stated the foon is garbage. Would not fit my MSR Pocket Rocket into the pot, it is to long

I loved this little set-up. Went out on a five day hike and thought this cookset worked perfect! I also have a little GSI cup I added to it, so I could have coffee and oatmeal for breakfast at the same time.

The pot/lid combo is great! Boils quickly, pours easily and cleans up nicely. I can easily fit a MSR pocketrocket and a 110 fuel canister inside. I also like the included stove pouch, the pocketrocket fits nicely, and both the stove and the pot get some added protection. I like the relative campactness, and for an average outdoor enthusiest, this was a great purchase. I ended up ditching the spork, too flimsy, but i would have bought the set up w/o it, so no big deal.

I have used this set only one weekend, but already love it. It is extremely lightweight and snugly stores my entire cookset. The strainer/sippy lid is very convenient. My only complaint is the spork, which tends to get food stuck in the handle and feels flimsy in general. Would suggest replacing that piece with something more substantial.

Great little set! Ive had mine for a year now, and have taken it up to the mountains several times. I little heavier then others, but everything packs into it. Great buy!

I can rave all day about the handle design; Great handle when opened (even when hot) and locks the lid down snugly when flipped closed, easy containing my entire cooking system packed inside. The bowl is also a great addition, it fits like a glove into the bottom of the pot. I don't typically use the included spork, but prefer the Brunton My-Ti (http://www.backcountry.com/store/BRU0134/Brunton-My-TI-Folding-Spork.html).

I used this set for a few days on a backpacking trip in the Uintas and it was great. My stove and fuel (jetboil canister) can fit into it, so it packs down really small and saves space in my pack. The flip up/lock handle is a great feature, super easy to use, and worked great. Also, the little stuff sack that doubles as a basin to wash your stuff in was quite useful too. The included spork isn't the sturdiest, but I would get one of those 3 in 1 knife/fork/spoon combos anyway.

I've been using my soloist for three years now and with decent care everything still looks new and cooks great. A sort of aside: I don't carry the basin with me when hiking alone but I do use it about 5 times a week as it makes a perfect dog bowl for hiking or mountain biking - much better, lighter and more compact than dog specific options.

Dear All, I purchased the Pinnacle Soloist and wanted to give some product feedback. A couple of things could be done to improve the set:
1. Eliminate the gap that exists on the underside of the rim on the plastic cup. I understand that the plastic is molded this way to add rigidity, but why not make the rim a solid rounded bead. The current design only serves as a place that you can't get dry and a little cranny that accumulates food and debris. Here comes the bacteria right where you put your mouth to drink.
2. The telescoping spork that comes with the set I threw away. Again too many little spaces that never get dry and crap accumulates in those little crevasses. Why not add a solid smooth polycarbonate spork that cleans in a snap and that gets dry. I added an old one that I have that measures 5 3/4" and fits inside nicely with no interference.
3. The stuff sack - sorry guys I ditched it as well. You could easily provide one that covers the set entirely made of a thinner material and achieve much better results. This sack that comes with the set is advertised as dual use also serving as a wash basin. Guys come on, who in the hell is going to fill their stuff sack full of water, how will you ever get it dry in reasonable time to get back on the trail… The common theme here being ABILITY TO DRY…

The pot and lid are great though. It pours easy with no leakage around the sides and the pot came to a boil quickly with excellent heat dispersion so well done there. I hope all receive these comments in the spirit that they are intended. I'm on the trail a lot and I appreciate a smooth/clean design that is easy to use. Why take extra steps cleaning if you don't need to…