Introduction
Fozzils Solo Pack Ultralight dishware is a unique, folding, compact set of dishes which at first blush are a luxury-seeking, ultralight backpackers dream. But we ran into problems when testing them with hot liquids.
At a paltry 4 oz (115 g) and $14.95 for a cup, bowl, and plate, which pack flat, the Fozzils Solo Pack is a full set of dishes unlike any other on the market. The dishes snap together in origami style and unsnap to flat sheets of food-grade, heat-safe polypropylene and silicon.
The Test
The Fozzils Solo Pack has rattled around my backpack for about three years (usually only one part of it at a time, though.) Fozzils are the lightest, most compact and innovative dishware I have ever seen.
What I like is the fact that they are light and pack completely flat. I thought the snaps would give out after a few months but so far have held out. Also, the bowl and cup have measurement marks, making them perfectly multifunctional. The propylene also makes a decent cutting board with gentle use. I also love how easy Fozzils are to wash once they are unsnapped and flat.
The Issues
They are flimsy and even flimsier with hot liquids inside. The irregular lip-height on the dishware and tendency to squish and overflow (sometimes overflowing boiling liquids on my hands) relegates all but the Fozzils bowl and plate to my pile of inconclusive experiments.
I still use the plate on occasion if I need a cutting board and a small plate. It holds about half-to-three-quarters of what I want to eat when I’ve had a hard trek day (I’m on the small side of female backpackers. The plate holds about a quarter of what most gentlemen would like to eat at the end of a hard trek day). The plate has the best stability of all the pieces in the set, with its wide base.
The cup is too small and is the worst offender for overflowing simply by holding it gently. It can hold 4 ounces (150 ml), which is slightly more than its 10 ounces (275 ml) of capacity without overflowing by gentle pressure. The cup is the lightest dish, with the smallest base, the most likely to contain a hot liquid, and therefore the most likely to overflow boiling liquid. I have completely abandoned the cup and it could be thrown out as far as I am concerned.
Because of its wider base and larger capacity, the bowl is more forgiving than the cup and less likely to overflow when held, but again it holds only about 8 ounces (250 ml) of its 18 oz (525 ml) capacity. I rarely opt to pack the bowl, but when I do, I use it as a cup and only fill it up to the 8 ounces (250 ml) mark.
Conclusion
In short, I love the idea of Fozzils dishware, but the implementation is somewhat lacking. For the money, Fozzils might be worth playing with. They are especially worth playing with if you don’t put hot hot liquids in them. However, I suspect, due to their flimsy nature with hot liquids, they won’t appeal to a large section of the backpacking community.
DISCLOSURE (Updated April 9, 2024)
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Discussion
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Fozzils Solo Pack dishware is a folding, ultralight set of dishes which appear to be an ultralight backpackers dream.
I’ve used the bowl for years and love the thing. Forget the plate and cup. Who needs a plate anyway? Go with the Fozzils bowl and a real mug (like the GSI Infinity) and you are set.
They look a lot like the old Orkasu (so) stuff. I always had trouble with the snaps and certainly never trusted the cup. The bowl was better. I never had much use for the plate.
Saying all this if I’m to carry dedicate cup and bowl I’ll take the weight of Sea to Summit X-bowl and x-cup.
What Philip says.
We’ve used the similar (but snap-free, which I prefer) Orikaso bowls for years. Flat for food prep, bowls for eating/mixing etc.
The plate has limited use and the mug is a joke.
Tried x mugs. Too tippy for my clumsy self.
For less weight, a Wildo fold-a-cup large is more stable, greater capacity and slides over the base of (quite common sized) 95mm diameter pots for packing.
I also tried the similar Orkasu years ago for less than 1 season. Cool idea, but was too easy to spill, and snaps became difficult to work over time.
We take a fozzil bowl for our dog bowl. I usually leave two snaps undone and run some needle stakes through the holes to keep my dog from pushing it around when she eats.
Good article – it gives enough objective and subjective data that I know I’m not interested.
That’s a lot of snaps and origami and weight and money for a task that has better solutions.
$15 and 4 ounces?!? Use the bottom 3 or 4 inches inches off a HDPE gallon jug of windshield-washer fluid. Free at the recycling center (in the #2 bin). 1 ounce. Larger capacity. Never leaks. Bomber. Dishwasher-safe when you get home. If it doesn’t nest around your quilt’s dry bag, then pick some other HDPE container from the trash such that it nests around your quilt, pot, fuel canister or something so it’s about zero volume (and potentially protects something else like the fins on your HX pot).
I must have an Orkasu bowl or something similar that has since been discontinued. It has tabs that fold in at the top 4 corners rather than snaps. It seems to hold together well. I normally bring it along when I do little trips with my Grandson. I think it’s a little more user friendly for him to eat out of than a 750ML Titanium pot. It also doubles as a cutting board as mentioned.
I like David Thomas’s idea of re-purposing a windshield washer fluid container, except for the part where it doesn’t fold flat to use as a cutting board.
The fold flat feature is nice. It does make it easier to stuff into a pack, usually against the back panel.
I’ve got a buddy who uses one and I agree with the group consensus. The bowl is mildly nice as a bowl. Food gets trapped in the corners and crevices but it is not a problem because you flatten it out when you clean it. It really shines as a cutting board/charcuterie platter that is also a functional bowl. Fold-flat packability is also a nice feature.
The bowl makes a nice makeshift visor in rainstorms when halfway snapped up.
speaking of foldable, I like these. I’ve been using them for about 1 year so far:
https://www.wildo.se/products/the-orignal-fold-a-cup/
Our troop used the bowls for both Philmont last year and Northern Tier this year. We did not use the cups.
They worked fantastically well. They are light, cheap and pack so well. Also, they are easier to clean. We unsnap them and lick the bowls clean which made washing them quick with almost no residue.
For an individual, you can eat out of the pot you use to heat water/cook. Group patrol cooking makes these a great option.
Another +1 for the bowl.
It’s small and holds my pint Ziploc bag up for my meals. It folds flat which makes it much easier to pack.
-Barry
I only use the plate and bowl when camping but not backpacking. My plate has always had one poor snap that tends to come loose.
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