Yep. I like to have a spoon in the truck, in the backpack and several other kits...

Mine is titanium -- lightweight, tough and will not corrode -- and is stored with a fork (fork with an F, not a spork).

Or you can just have a bunch of free plastic ones from your favorite fast food eatery. Which reminds me that titanium will also not melt at normal cooking temps.

+1 on titanium. Both a spoon and a fork.

I have a titanium spoon/fork combo the wife got me a while back. But I also always keep a regular spoon in the truck to eat my Chunky soup with.

I use titanium spoons on a daily basis - probably the best application for the metal- very tough and easy to clean.

Several different types that I use:

[list]
- Titanium folding spork that occassionally collapses and isn't long enough at times.
- MSR folding plastic spork that is extra long (great for mre's and my deeper pot) and is my current fav.
- Jetboil plastic collapsible spoon and fork (too many bits to clean and sanitize and doesn't stay extended)
- MRE long plastic spoons (occassionally break)
- Steel interlocking utensils (who needs the knife?)
- fast food joint plastic spoons (free but too short)

I prefer plastic to prevent any damage to my non-stick pot.

Ahh, non-stick pot surfaces... I don't use non-stick. Burned up too much Teflon in my days and even though the new stuff isn't Teflon, I still won't go back -- ever. I have a full set of titanium pots & pans; actually a couple sets depending and a couple odd single pieces that get more use. Ti does clean easy and I don't have to worry about scorching a non-stick surface.

One passing thought -- A spork is not a spoon. I've stuck myself too many times thinking it was a spoon and as a fork it won't hold the food on those short tines. In short it fails at both -- IMO. YMMV -- I'm sure a lot of folks must love sporks because they seem to sell so well.
MontBell spoon & fork set. .53 ounces for both and you have the benefit of a real spoon and a real fork.

I have a spork that is a fork on one end and a spoon on the other. Much better than the kind that tries to merge fork and spoon into the same end of the utensil.

http://ilbob.blogspot.com/2012/12/light-my-fire-spork.html

Yeah, I've seen those and you're still stuck with using either a spoon or a fork. If you use the spoon end for one thing and then need to use the fork end, the end you just used is now the handle. These sporks and spoon/fork combinations are all compromises which seem like good ideas on paper, but in practice my opinion is that they are not worth the loss of dedicated utensils. What is saved? -- at most .53 ounces.

I would much rather have both a fork and a spoon with dedicated handles. again, YMMV

I mostly use the spork to stir the sweetener up when I make tea while hiking.

I agree it is a compromise.

here is another compromise.

http://www.crkt.com/EatN-Tool---Spoon-Fo...biner-Clam-Only

+1

We sometimes have breakfast outside. Those restaurants have plastic forks, knives, and spoons. I usually take the extra ones and scatter them in my kits and bags. In addition, I have bought a dozen normal cheap spoons , and scatter them around. They are medium size , not the full size. They do the job OK for tea/coffe, or cup-a-soup type of food.

I have found, like Russ, the spork or knife/fork on each end is a great idea on paper but has limitations in practice.

I prefer to use HoBo knives. I can live with the extra weight.

If nothing else, I'll fall back to my GI days and carry a stainless steel spoon in my pocket and use one of my knives as needed to eat.

No problem - I never use the fork (except as a handle)

If all you need is a spoon, get a Long Spoon with a real handle. If I had a non-stick pot, this is what I'd use for preserving the surface when cooking.

I have one but it doesn't see much use. It's one of the older ones and is a bit over 9" long. I've had it for years, probably predating the BPA-free requirement.

While the concept, and especially the name, seems silly (and can provide some humorous comments from camp mates), I really like my GSI Kung Foon (there are stainless & titanium versions, I have the former).



Used alone, the metal "foon" does a really good job. It is nice & deep and makes a good soup spoon and the tines are sharp / long enough to eat a full sized meal salad without causing any frustration (I've been using it at Cub camps to try out how it does on a variety of foods, not just my normal backpacking fare). The added benefit of the chop sticks is primarily that when put together it provides a great way to eat directly out of a Mountain House meal bag.



That said, it also gives me something to stir with in a non-stick pot (but I don't typically "cook" when backpacking).

Utensil choice aside, one thing I've learned to do is to keep one in my food bag that rides at the top of my pack when backpacking. I've run into situations where I didn't and was left with the choice of either digging through / unpacking the pack to get the utensil out of my cooking kit to eat my cold meal or try to improvise and/or use my hands.

Hardly high tech but I like the Hobo knife.Had my Dads old one when I was a kid,wish I still did.

I've had one of these on my spare keychain for over a year and use it almost weekly. Attach it with a carabiner thru the largest hex opening. Albeit a compromise, i like the fact that it's compact and readily available. I have a dedicated fork in my GHB and always have my leatherman wave with me. Not often i use a spoon, i can do most things i need to with my fork.

I think Colemans sells one like this.

The Case Hobo is on the knifeworks website.

this link better? In my case sure loved dads as it was an old knife,old things appeal to me.History,build quality,materials,the fact its a survivor,all things that make a possesion valuable to me vrs a titanium spork,no character to me.

Different strokes for different folks,all OK,not intended to slight anyone just what I like.

http://www.knifeworks.com/search.aspx?find=hobo

This will be my second forum today and second forum expounding my love for the long handled spoon. In my mind the MRE spoon is only second to the Army Poncho Liner in perfect military execution of a product.

Aside from my hands, the long handled spoon is my preferred weapon of choice in eating.

The handle is long enough to fit in a shirt pen pocket and not fall out. It is also the perfect extension of your arm to snake a bite of food from your buddy plate or pouch. The bowl, wide enough to hold a decent bite of food but narrow enough to get in your mouth before your pilfered provision is smacked out your hand by a disgruntled owner.

I have several, and I mean several, civilian spoons that mimic the MRE spoon. The titanium, the lexan, the aircraft aluminum. The stainless steel. The list goes on I suppose. I like the steel and titanium versions best simply because they don't have any texture to the bowl, just a very slick and mostly shiny surface.

I used to have a bunch of those plastic neon sporks but they break easily in cold weather. And depending on the container, they are not long enough to reach the bottom of a pouch and you end up with food on your hand scooping the bottom.

A spork is fun to pull out for laughs but when it comes down to serious eating, my Top 3 utensils in order: Hands, Long handle spoon. Stick.

Never heard of an MRE spoon, but it sounds good. Do you have a link?

The longest Ti spoon I've seen is the Sea To Summit Long Titanium Spoon. I have an earlier one marked "Ti WARE" from REI, but the went to aircraft-grade 7075-T6 aluminum alloy, which is lighter, but not Ti.

I like the spoons that come in bathe Canadian MREs, I just wish they had a bigger bowl.

I like my titanium spork, but prefer using a regular fork and spoon so my spork usually gets relegated to just in case duty.

I've heard that the MRE spoon will begin to soften and bend when stirring your tea made with boiling water..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4m7pbv9shA @2:15

Just as an aside. Open the MRE the long way, not across the top. It's much easier to get to the food, the pouch opens wider, and you don't struggle so much.

And the MRE spoon is 3d, after the poncho liner and the P38.

Check out your local second-hand stores. They often have real stainless steel utensils for super cheap.

I have been carrying a large stainless steel spoon for over 50 years. Sort of large soup spoon size. Doubles as cat hole shovel, holder of very small parts during field repairs, ice scraper and other assorted tasks. Very useful item.

Nomad.

Touche

Russ, while in service the MRE spoon is great. The Ti spoons that are long handled are almost identical.

My favorite surplus items would be the Mountain cookset and bearpaw snowshoes,although modern snowshoes are now far superior.

Normally I am not in a situation to need a spoon or other eating utensils. A year ago November, my family went to a themed restaurant/show where eating utensils are not optional.

When dinner was served, I had a problem. The only thing I had were the tweezers from my Ultralight / Watertight .3 first aid kit. That miserable night I had to eat dinner with tweezers. When we arrived home, the tweezers went into the dishwasher.

Jeanette Isabelle

Speaking of which, we grabbed some fast food on the way to our motel room. They gave us a plastic fork when a spoon was definitely needed. I'm going back to carrying a SS SPOON as my regular EDC again!!!

Wow, lotta posts on this!

+1 on the Sea-to-Summit / REI Ti long handled spoons. Shape-wise, they are a significant improvement on the MRE style / Lexan MRE style.

When I'm out, one of those (REI) Ti long handled spoons is in my shirt pocket - on a neck lanyard with a tiny S 'biner.

I use an MSR Ti spoon and fork set every day at work for bkfst and lunch (unless at a business lunch). We really like those sets, but no longer carry them because the long handled Ti spoon is more useful.

The lexan stuff is OK and I used it for years - drilled a hole in the handles for lanyard use / keeping sets together.

Tried a Ti spork on several campouts - whaaat??? Count me in the "hatem" group - sucks for most uses - YMMV. Have seen many "Light My Fire" sporks (foons? those short double-ended things) self destruct in routine use by scouts.

A plain old stainless steel tablespoon works great and they're cheap (Good Will). I used one of those for too many years when I camped with our rich uncle and wouldn't bug me to go back - except I REALLY like those REI / S-t-S long Ti spoons.

I rarely (never) carry a fork these days - spoon + one of my EDC knives. One spoon on me + a spare in the pack if it's an extended trip. IF I'm feeling especially like "gourmet" cooking, I add a bamboo "wooden spoon" kind of thing - rounded on one edge and straight on the other. It works to stir, flip, serve, etc. and is a ton easier to keep clean than a traditional wooden spoon. Cheap, too.

I have no issues with Ti spoon and non-stick coated cookware. It's the operator, not the equipment... with the better grade of coatings. Cheap stuff like the coated cookware patrol cooksets, yeah - I think I could scratch that stuff with a wooden spoon.

I mostly use hard anodized cookware these days (poor man's Ti). Some SS (well, my old style MSR kettle) unless I'm whining about my pack weight. ETA - I don't leave home without a USGI SS canteen cup + type I stove.

Spoon is the indispensable utensil, without a doubt.

I've purchased just about every spork I could find (except the Kung Foon). Here are my thoughts:
http://adventurereports.blogspot.com/2012/12/spork-shootout.html

Hmmm, the Ti fork & spoon set I use has polished eating surfaces and I prefer them to any spork or foon on the market, in spite of their incredibly heavy 0.53 oz weight Since I normally have better knives, I opted to not go with a utensil set that included a Ti knife.

Russ: your Montbell set looks quite nice! The polished ends are key and as you pointed out - the knife is redundant.

I'm on the hunt for a long handled spoon for my MH meals. I love my MRE spoon and it's holding up well. Maybe I'll hit a restaurant supply store and see if I can get some more without having to buy more MREs. (Not that I don't like MREs. They just don't fit on the financial priority list right now.)

I was disappointed when I made the trek to Sail and they didn't have any long handled spoons. They've got an MSR fold-up spoon that looks deceptively long, but really isn't, and that's it. They did have a really nice titanium spoon by GSI (I think), with a big bowl that was angled like those Japanese soup spoons, but it was short handled too.

I've got a couple ice ice cream sundae spoons that are nice and long, but the bowl of the spoon is too small. I feel like I'm eating one nibble at a time. I can either eat fast like maniac or my food is cold by the time I'm done.

I really want to find one of those Guyot Designs Micro Bites sets. They look sweet, and come in small and long handled versions. We're going to Ottawa next weekend and I'm going to hit the outdoors stores there to see what I can find.

http://m.rei.com/mt/www.rei.com/product/765204/guyot-designs-microbites-utensils

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___82460
Roughly 8 1/2 inches long.

My son has the GSI Stainless 3 piece ring cutlery set. He quite likes it. It fits his small hands perfectly and it's pretty light weight. Same problem with his MH meals though, they're too short and he'd gets messy hands. I've started making him use a cup/bowl to eat out of so he can eat half a meal and I don't have to have Mac n cheese every time.

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___82088

FWIW, the Coleman meals come in a smaller, more manageable package but they're not as good, IMO. My local Can Tire stopped carrying them anyway and have moved onto MH.

I've do a LMF plastic spork but it's dedicated to my brew kit. It's too light weight for much if anything but it works well for hot drinks. It's perfect for the brew kit when that's all I'm planning. If I'm going to eat though, I bring along something serious.

Stamped out stainless steel flatwear is lightweight and cheap. I bought a matching fork and spoon at the Salvation Army store for a nickle apiece. I drilled a hole in the tops and clipped them together with a small carabiner.

Thinking camping sporks - either metal or plastic, not Titanium