Tritensil Review

[Roger Caffin]

Companion forum thread to: Tritensil Review

This Tritensil Review features a knife/fork/spoon set done in hard plastic. You can reassemble to make a long-handled spoon or fork.

[Ken Thompson]

3 years ago…

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/tritensil-a-better-spork/

[MJ H]

Seems like a potential answer to wanting a spoon that fits in my pot but is long enough to reach the bottom of the pouch.

[Kevin B]

Maybe i missed it in the reviews, but what is the extended length and/or did any of the pics show the utensil in its most extended set-up mode?

Also, nice use of BPL members for crowd-sourced reviews! (even with the embedded hemispheric bias;)

[Shelley C]

<h1 data-ui=”product-information-title”><span style=”font-family: Helvetica;”>humangear GoBites Duo Fork and Spoon Set</span></h1>
https://www.rei.com/product/108030/humangear-gobites-duo-fork-and-spoon-set

Just bought this and seems basically same without knife (I think better as agree with above comments).  Weighs 22g.  Spoon bowl could be deeper but still good.  Fork nests well so won’t catch on gear/pack.  Can cut food with tapered side of fork like would at home with regular fork.  Long handle when clipped together (and overlaps less so overall length clipped together is longer I bet).  I think they should make “sturdy enough” by making handle thinner to cut 1/3 of weight so I would replace my long titanium spoon but only my opinion

[Jeff B]

I would like to thank Mr. Caffin and the BPL members who tested the Tritensil for their thorough and honest reviews.

While I could go on for some time discussing the concepts that went into designing the Tritensil, I will just say that the original intent was to provide the end user with the full capabilities of a Fork, Spoon and Knife in a light weight/durable, minimalist design.

While Stainless and Ti models are planned, we started by searching for the most eco-friendly polymer material we could find.  After sending most of our competitors models to an independent laboratory, we were surprised to find that many of them were not made from food grade materials, as were claimed.  While I can not name specific brands for obvious litigious reasons, I can personally guarantee that our material exceeds all FDA and EPA food grade requirements. Our Proprietary material is also RoHS Compliant and 100% Free of: BPA, BPS and BPF, Natural Rubber Latex, Synthetic Latex, Heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium, PBB, PBDE, PVC, Phthalates and Phthalate Esters (DEHP, DIBP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIBP, DIDP, DNOP, DMP, DNPP), Halogenated organic chemicals (HOC’s), Carcinogens and Reproductive Toxin according to “California Prop 65”, Materials on SVHC list (Substances of very High concern) According to REACH 01/12/2017.

We are also excited to announce that we have recently developed a new capability which does not currently exist in the industry.  Once final approval has been given from the appropriate regulatory agencies, I will make the official announcement here at BPL!

V/R

Jeff Busboom
President, JMBC LLC

Attached is a more comprehensive spec sheet:

[Roger Caffin]

Variable length. The Tritensil can extend up to 10.5″ when clipped together, or you can have it shorter.

And unlike the traditional spork, the spoon DOES work with liquids.

Cheers

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Very interesting.

I have a range of Ti things from over the years. My “best” spoon is a BPL Titanium Long handled spoon. Comes in at 9.97grams. I think from memory this was the “light” version, I have a heavier version that is 12.45g. For comparison, the Sea To Summit one I have is 14.95g…so quite a difference. Because they are all basically the same design, with ridge down the handle, they are all more than strong enough. The “heavy” BPL spoon I once used as a second tyre level on a bike tour…its end is slightly bent haha.

These three spoons are 8.5 inches long… it would be interesting if Tritensil could come up with a version that forgoes the fork (could be optional?) the beats 9.97grams. The advantage being that with the split handle it could go much more easily in smaller pots. 8.5 inches fits in basically nothing that any ultralight or lightweight hiker would carry.

8.5 inches is plenty long enough to get into most bag type meals. Could probably lose half an inch on that without missing it, maybe. I think the real niche here is for tall pot users. In this scenario, one needs a spoon that is a couple of inches longer than the height of the pot, in order to eat from the bottom corners (and stir effectively while cooking to help avoid burning food). A one piece spoon is thus longer than the pot. Yes, it could go in on an angle, but pythagoras is usually not that kind… as an example with the BOT 700 pot, the hypotenuse would only allow (maximum…would be less than this with the spoon’s 3D shape) 1.8 inches of length above the pot depth… so marginal (you not only need additional length to grip with, but also additional length to be able to use the spoon on a bit of an angle to get underneath food/liquid). Storing spoons in the pot on an angle also reduces usable inside space for other items to be packed nicely. A tritensal type spoon with or without knife/fork but with a handle that could be easily cut down to the perfect size for the user, could be quite good. Then people could customize their own lengths. Plastic is pretty easy to hacksaw :-)

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Looking at the Mini….I could probably cut off all of the knife section, then cut off the fork head. This would probably achieve a spoon like I describe above for BOT 700 users, that would come in somewhere around maybe 7 grams, and would be less than 4 inches each piece, allowing them to fit vertically inside the bot, while also giving hopefully over 6 inches in diggable length. Assuming that the connection is strong enough???

[Kevin Babione]

My twins have been using the Tritensil for a couple of years now every day in their school lunches.  I’ve not seen any noticeable change in the “lock” functionality that clips them together.  I think that as long as you trimmed the spoon right where the knife begins to maximize the connecting surface area you’d be fine.  For eating the connection works really well, but don’t expect it to hold if you’re trying to scrape the burnt stuff off the bottom of your pot.

You’re not out much if it doesn’t work out…

[Jeff B]

Adam, if you removed the knife and fork you would end up with approximately 6in of useable length for the spoon. The connectivity is based on friction between the two pieces and does not lock up per se.  The friction is more than sufficient for normal spoon use but as Kevin mentioned, will slip slightly if used for scraping and such. That being said, we have tested the interconnectivity of the two pieces and have not noticed any change in friction in over 3k assembly procedures.  The only reason we did not push past that number was because my fingers were sore. 😊

[David Thomas]

10.5″ is a nice long spoon – great for freezer-bag and Mountain House meals in a pouch.

IMO, forks are kind of pointless (hah, hah) while backpacking.  I rarely bring a salad along.  If you do Ramen noodles, I can see the reason to bring a fork.

I’m impressed by the reviews of the knife’s cutting abilities – salami and cheese and bread – I wouldn’t expect that much performance from a plastic knife.  If I was trekking in Europe and getting traditional foods from locals – uncut salami, blocks of cheese, unsliced bread – then that would be a benefit and getting the plastic Tritensil through TSA, etc, must be easier than with a metal knife.  But I shop at Walmart for backpacking food and pre-sliced salami and cheese is always an option that makes meals on the trail easier and less dirt-encrusted.  If I need a knife, it’s for filleting fish or gutting a caribou and then I’m bringing a 17-gram Little Vicky paring knife.

The Tritensil seems like a nice option for some people and the price is reasonable.  I’ll stick with a $1, 11-gram, 8-inch, bamboo spoon for getting into pouches of FD food, Pasta Sides, and instant mashed potatoes.  Stronger, cheaper, lighter, and easier to clean.  Write-up at: https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/104912/

[Jeff B]

David, thank you for your observations. I would like to add that the Tritensil knife will actually cut steak as well as salami!

While you may not always need a fully functional fork, spoon or knife, one of the interesting things that we have discovered is that many of our customers are carrying their Tritensils daily whether to school or work and not just on their outdoor adventures.

One of the benefits is that they no longer need to use inferior disposable plastic utensils that end up in our landfills or waterways. It turns out that the Tritensil makes a great eating utensil anytime you find yourself on the go away from home.

Attached are some photos that a few of our customers have shared with us.

[Roger Caffin]

My current use for the Tritensils is to make a really long spoon to scrape the last of the home-made yoghurt out of tall Nalge bottle without getting it all over my fingers. So far I have not found any spoons quite as long as the combo.

Well, yes, I could carve a long bamboo one but I think I would prefer a non-absorbent surface for yoghurt. Ours is a live culture which my wife makes every few days.

Cheers

[Roger Caffin]

Tritensil Silver

The Tritensil cutlery set has evolved a new version: Tritensil Silver, both full size and mini. To quote from the brochure:

The new Full and Mini-sized Tritensil Silver models are the first outdoor eating utensils to contain Agion Antimicrobial Technology, which provides a continuous and long-lasting release of Silver ions (Ag+) to control the growth of odor causing bacteria.

However, the fine print on the card in the packet adds:

This product does not protect users against disease causing organisms. Always clean thoroughly after use.

The cutlery is exactly the same as the previously reviewed stuff (both full size and mini) except for the ‘silver’ (ghost grey) colour. The prices for the Silver versions are a little higher: US$10 and US$12 per set.

The basic design works fine, as previously noted. However, I am left unsure about the value of the silver treatment. You will still need to do the washing up after use, but we do this after dinner every night anyhow. We have never noticed any odor from the original cutlery – or for that matter from our other Lexan cutlery either.

Cheers

[Roger Caffin]

An email from a reader from the UK:
I came across your site https://backpackinglight.com/tritensil-review-knife-fork-spoon-set-caffin/ and really enjoyed reading it. It even inspired me to write an article about the grades of tool steel. It contains a handy comparison chart towards the bottom.

Let me know what you think: https://sheffieldgaugeplate.co.uk/blog/tool-steel-grades-comparison/

Now, I know there are many grades of steel, some loved more than others for knife making, but this is not one of my skills. Well, FWIIW.

Cheers

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