Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Range Reviews: Squishy Bowls by Guyot Designs

© 2009 Albert A Rasch
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Squishy Bowls by Guyot Designs

Squishy Bowls and The Utensils by Guyot Designs

The first thing I thought when I opened the packaging of the Squishy Bowls, was how in the world am I supposed to pick these up when full? They're soft and flexible. But we will get back to that later.

Squishy Bowls are food grade silicon based containers that are flexible, compact, and convenient. They'll fit just about anywhere, making them a natural addition to your go bag. Also very convenient for those car or camping trips, where space is at a premium.

I have used these bowls frequently here at home, and I am pleased to report that they are very easy to clean. The bowls clean up with the smallest amount of soap, basically running my hand over the soap dispenser nozzle. A quick inside out rinse with cold water and they come out clean.

Ramen noodles and boiling water.

I was a little concerned about how they would handle hot liquids. I know that food grade silicon can be baked, but as I figured very hot meals and liquids would make the containers too hot to hold. I was right, they get hotter than the devil's own furnace. No problem, I always carry my do-rag, and there is another one in my go-bag. I wrapped it around the bowl and I held it without a fuss.

Wrap a bandanna around the bowl or cup.

They hold their shape well when full of liquid, and conveniently, you can squeeze the cup to funnel every last bit of whatever you are having!

The spork works well!

I also picked up a set of their Utensils™. They're rather longish to allow you to effectively eat out of those tall narrow cook pots, and they are really good at scraping the last bits out of freeze dried food bags. Great for MREs. The spork works well as a fork, and it is adequate as a spoon. It's tough to get alot of thin soup in it, but stew like material scoops up easy. The spatula/knife combo works pretty good too. I wouldn't try to use it to skin and quarter a rabbit, but it will cut cooked meats well. By the way, you can resharpen it with a Sterling Sharpener. The spatula will flip eggs and small pancakes. If you like pretty eggs it will take a bit a of practice to get it right. It is a bit narrow out of necessity. The spatula and spork snap together, and they also have a carabiner loop that allows you to clip it and secure them.

It slices cooked meat with ease.

Overall, I think that the designs are excellent. Easily packed and easily cleaned, they are a great addition to your kit; great for anyone that camps, travels, and for those that like to be prepared. Anyone that has loved ones in the military overseas, these might be one of those things that they will appreciate every day of their deployment. Get them the slate colored ones, unless the team at Guyot Designs comes out with a desert or coyote tan one. If enough folks ask I bet Guyot Designs will make a batch of The Utensils and their Squishy Bowls in tactical colors for our men and women serving overseas!

Guyot Designs Inc.

Squishy Bowls
MSRP: $11.95

The Utensils™
MSRP: $7.95

Available at:
REI $14.95
The Hiking Spot $12.49

7 comments:

Ron Layton said...

Thanks for this revue. I've been wondering about these since I first heard of them. Good job.

jes said...

Got the feeling they ain't worth a flip on cooking on an open fire....maybe a drinking cup, but then you would just be doubling the space you were trying to cut down on...

native said...

Where in the world do you find these things Albert?
I am really impressed that these (plastic?) silicon materials are "not" a petroleum based product.

I have always shunned plastic strictly because of where it's origins are located, and only used any plastic materials out of necessity for lack of a good alternative.

Albert A Rasch said...

Howdy fellows,

Native you can order them direct from Guyot, or through REI. What I like about them is that you can stuff it in any pocket or spare space you have, and you have a convenient bowl to eat or drink out of.

Jes, I should have mentioned that, you are correct, you cannot put them to an open fire. But you could heat up clean stones and drop them in the water to heat water in the bowl.

Another thing that occurs to me is that the ability to be somewhat civilized, even in the outdoors, is a comfort factor. Having a cup and bowl really does make you feel better at the end of a long hard day when you sit down to eat your meal.

Albert

Deer Passion said...

These look awesome! I've never been overly concerned with being civilized while outdoors, but I love the shape, the colors, and (from what I can tell) the ease of use of these products. Good review!

Anonymous said...

Great review! Looks like it'd be really useful to have the Squishy bowls and utensils on hand.

http://preparednesspro.wordpress.com

Gun Slinger said...

Fantastic gear! Do they make it in a desert finish? I looked at their site, but I didn't see one. Those utensils and bowls in a desert tan would be awesome for soldiers in the field.

Shoot Straight,
GunSlinger
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