GSI Pinnacle Camper Review

The Pinnacle Camper is GSI's top-of-the-line product. This set features a higher-end version of their Teflon-coating, making its cooking performance superior to other Teflon-based sets we've tested. Whether cooking on your tailgate or on a pack-supported base camping trip, this well-integrated set affords the option of whipping up gourmet meals for a group size up to four people. The all-inclusive set has everything you need for the essentials along with a few thoughtfully-designed extras for a more luxurious backcountry experience.

Performance Comparison

Cooking Performance

The Pinnacle Camper offers great cooking performance, thanks to a Teflon coating on the interior of the hard-anodized aluminum pots and frying pan. Two pots and a large frying pan allow you to cook an entire gourmet meal for a group – just as long as you remember to pack essential cooking utensils. The aluminum construction, with pot and pan walls thicker than average, distributes heat effectively and evenly, while the top-of-the-line Teflon Radiance coating releases all but the stickiest of foods. The lids fit securely, hold their shape, lift easily, and have strainer holes for draining pasta and steamed vegetables.

During our egg frying tests, we couldn't help but notice how effectively the Teflon coating prevented eggs from sticking to the pan, requiring very little cleanup. And though the Pinnacle Camper didn't offer the fastest time for boiling water – an average of about 3 minutes and 47 seconds – the capacity is sufficient to boil enough water to serve a party of four at base camp. If you're not averse to using Teflon-coating, this could be the perfect cookware set for your next backcountry adventure.

Features

The Pinnacle Camper has almost everything that you could ever need at base camp. While not fully comprehensive, it includes one 3 L pot, one 2 L pot, one 9" frying pan, two vented lids, four 14 oz mugs, four 14 oz bowls, four 7.5" plates, one collapsible handle, as well as a welded storage bag that doubles as a dish bin.

Though you will have to add a few extra items to complete this cookware set, such as cooking utensils, knives, and sporks, the Pinnacle Camper is a mostly all-inclusive start to your base camping cookware kit.

Ease of Use

GSI does a good job of optimizing the usability of all its cookware sets. The parts all nest well together, work well individually, and complement each other well as a full set. Our testing team appreciated the attention to detail, such as the plastic tabs on top of the lids and the handle that could easily swap between the pots and pans.

Though the handle is light, compact, and secure, it does conduct heat when left attached to one of the pots or pans and requires extra protection for your hands. The weight of the handle can also tip the frying pan off a small backpacking stove, so be careful. Overall, this cookware set is intuitively designed and easy to use.

Durability

Our testing team is happy to report that we experienced no major issues with the hard-anodized aluminum nor the Teflon coating on the Pinnacle Camper. For what it is, the aluminum is quite thick and wasn't dented, even when packed onto the side of a mule string during transport.

It is worth mentioning that the Teflon coating can be damaged if not properly cared for. We recommend minimizing any contact with metal. Metal to Teflon will not only damage your cooking surface, but can also release dangerous chemicals into your food. We also recommend taking extra care of the plastic lids, which aren't as durable as the aluminum of the pots and pans and can be damaged if exposed to high heat.

Packability

The Pinnacle Camper is one of the largest cookware sets we've tested. Considering that it includes so many parts, it's rather amazing that all of them can easily be packed into the largest pot. Because this set will require as much space in your backpack as a compressed down sleeping bag, we recommend utilizing it for pack-assisted trips into the mountains rather than human-powered adventures – that is, unless you parse it down into smaller sets.

The positive side of the packability equation with this cook set is that it is quiet and fully self-contained. The components all nest together such that “metal-on-metal” contact is virtually eliminated. It is all held snugly together by the included storage bag, which also doubles as a water reservoir or dish basin. Overall, the Pinnacle Camper is cleverly packable and perfect for car camping, base camping, or boating trips when you're feeding a crew of friends.

Weight

While the Pinnacle Camper is not the heaviest cookware set that we tested, it is certainly heavier than your average backpacking cook set. At 3.7 pounds, the Pinnacle Camper is still lighter than other all-inclusive sets that offer enough features to cook and serve a party of four.

When considering this cookware is geared towards pack-supported base camping trips or boating adventures where weight isn't as much of an issue, the weight of all the additional features is entirely justifiable.

Should You Buy the GSI Pinnacle Camper?

The GSI Pinnacle Camper is for the avid base camper who wants an extensive camping cookware set that can certainly fill most of the needs for cooking and serving a party of four. Compared to other base camping sets, this one is compact and light. It's ideal when additional weight and bulk aren't as much of an issue, which makes it perfect for base camping, pack-horse or mule-supported trips, or your next river trip. Though it is an investment, our testing team is confident that this camping cookware set won't disappoint.

What Other Camping Cookware Should You Consider?

If the price of the GSI Pinnacle Camper is a bit daunting, the Stanley Adventure Base Camp is a fantastic bargain for a base camping set, though it weighs more than the GSI Pinnacle set. For backpacking, it's hard to top the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist HS. The pot included with the Dualist HS set has a heat exchanger ring on the bottom that practically zaps water. If you're planning a solo backcountry adventure, the Snow Peak Ti-Mini Solo Combo 2.0 weighs next to nothing and is ideal for boiling water and preparing basic dehydrated meals.