www.gsioutdoors.com, three pounds, nine ounces
We all love the latest/greatest in tech that makes up the universe of Gearzilla, but gear obsession really reaches its apex with camping cook sets—in large part because the way they always nestle together is always so darn clever. Witness the GSI Pinnacle Camper, our latest car-camping obsession. This convenient kit gives you everything you’ll need for a four-person outing: three- and two-liter pots, two strainer lids, a nine-inch fry pan, four 14-ounce insulated mugs with sip-friendly plastic lids, four 14-ounce bowls, four 7.5-inch plates, a folded pot gripper, and a sturdy carrying case that also doubles as welded sink. The bowls, mugs, and plates are color-coded so you don’t have kids fighting over which plate was theirs, and the pots and fry pan are made of non-stick, hard-anodized aluminum. The heat-resistant, crush-proof strainer lid makes it easy to drain water from pasta and works with both the bowls and the frying pan, and each lid has a convenient orange thick-cloth handle centered at the top. The folding handle has a trigger that locks into the pots with comforting authority; we’d expected that sliding the handle on before engaging the lock would be tricky, but when you’re cooking the weight of the food makes the action a breeze. During a long-weekend car-camping expedition everything performed well, except one of the top handles did come off and quickly disappeared in the chaotic darkness of late meal prep.  And, as you’d expect, the whole things collapses down like a Russian nesting doll.