We’ve finally put our heads together and written all our thoughts on the various articles of gear we brought with us to Jamaica for two months! Overall we were pretty pleased with everything we used, and would recommend them to the average backpacker except where it’s clear that we weren’t very satisfied.

GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist Cookware Set:

Justin:  This cookware set has some big pro’s and some big con’s.  The fact that everything fits nicely together, and the entire unit is lightweight is definitely a plus.  However, a rogue surge of flame from our stove one night that came up high on the sides of the pot caused the pot to warp in shape (which is surprising because of its constant tolerance to high heat from below).  Therefore the lid never fit correctly again.  The bowls are solid and the two that come with a foam/elastic band around them are effective in keeping you from getting burned from hot contents within.  The folding handle of the pot is hazardous – perhaps there is a locking mechanism that we are unaware of or did not receive.  The two retracting sporks that come with the set are complete garbage.  The minute you attempt to ‘pierce’ a piece of food, the spork will retract and become useless.  Best to pawn these sporks off as a gift to a friend that you really don’t like much.

John: Hey, Seth, want a spoon?

Seth: Heck yeah! … … … hey, Justin, want a spoon?

 

Bodum Brazil 1-Liter 34-Ounce French Press Coffeemaker, Green:

Justin:  This French press will be a friend for life.  I’ve nicknamed it the ‘Freedom Press’, because, well, you know…..America is great, and we pretty much invented coffee.  She’s robust, simple to use and clean, and guarantees a full cup of coffee for three individuals when filled to the top.

 

Front Runner 27L Canvas Water Bladder (Sierra Expeditions):

Seth:  These 27-liter bladders, reinforced in a canvas cover, served their purpose as reserve sources of water fairly well. The main problem we had with them was the secondary spigot or air-valve in the opposite corner from the main bladder orifice. These hidden spigots pop in and out of the bladder plastic rather than screw in; when placed on the back of a moving donkey, the pressure may lead to these parts accidentally popping off.

 

2-Gallon Coghlan’s Expandable Water Carrier:

Seth:  The spigots on these jugs pour very poorly. The flow is so slow and irregular that we always ended up unscrewing the cap entirely instead. They also tend to fall over since they don’t have enough support on the bottom, but this is understandable since they’re designed to compress when empty.

Justin:  I grew up in Western NY.  There the people know better and use the word ‘spicket’, not ‘spigot’.

 

MPOWERD Luci-lux Inflatable Solar Lantern (Inflatable):

Justin:  Luci is a sexy little catch.  She doesn’t need much attention, yet she gives so much in return for just a little sunshine.  It’s nice to have her warming glow surrounding me at night.

 

Deuter Aircontact 75+10:

John and Seth both bought these packs for the trip. Although this model is a little heavier than average, it’s also pretty sturdy and could take a beating. The built-in rain cover is great, with lots of extra space to cover anything strapped to the outside of the pack. The constantly adjusted straps (i.e. hip straps, load-lifters, etc.) could use elastic bands to take up the slack left over after buckling or cinching tight — though in some cases this is rectifiable with rubber bands. The pocket at the bottom of the pack, which we dubbed the rump pocket, has a very difficult zipper to open, because the surrounding fabric is too tight around it. In reviews we read before leaving the US, a common complaint was that the velcro strip designed to hold up water bladders inside the pack is extremely weak; Seth found it adequate, albeit imperfect, and not as bad as people said if you can partly support the weight of a 2-3 liter bladder with other objects in the pack.