MSR Trail Mini Duo Review
Our Verdict
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MSR Trail Mini Duo | |||||
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Awards | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||
Price | $55.95 at Amazon Compare at 3 sellers | Check Price at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $50 List $39.99 at Amazon | $50 List $54.95 at REI | $24.95 at REI Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score ![]() |
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Star Rating | |||||
Pros | Light, simple, just the right set of features | Durable, excellent frying pan for discerning cooks, great lid, great value for the set | Great starter set, stable handles, some versatile pieces | Ultra-light, super compact, boils water quickly | Super durable, simple design, inexpensive, great for meats, fast boiling time |
Cons | Not suitable for sophisticated cooking | Heavy, no non-stick coating | Small bowls, unnecessary accessories | Liquids only, poor durability, small capacity | Limited cooking options, hot spots while cooking |
Bottom Line | A simple pot and basic accessories for ultralight backpacking | A high value camping set, optimized for performance and compact carry, at a high weight | A budget, one stop shop for basic camping menus | A collapsible silicone and aluminum post that is only useful for heating small amounts of liquids | A super durable stainless steel cook set designed for the solo traveller |
Rating Categories | MSR Trail Mini Duo | Stanley Adventure B... | Winterial 11 Piece Set | Sea to Summit X-Pot | GSI Outdoors Glacie... |
Cooking Performance (35%) | |||||
Packability (10%) | |||||
Durability (15%) | |||||
Weight (10%) | |||||
Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
Features (15%) | |||||
Specs | MSR Trail Mini Duo | Stanley Adventure B... | Winterial 11 Piece Set | Sea to Summit X-Pot | GSI Outdoors Glacie... |
Measured Weight | 0.7 lbs | 4.8 lbs | 1.8 lbs | 1.6 lbs | 1.0 lbs |
Material | Hard-anodized Aluminum | Stainless Steel; pot and pan bottoms have additional layers | Hard-anodized Aluminum | Polypropylene, hard anodized aluminum base | Stainless Steel |
Components | 1.2L pot, 28 oz. bowl, lid, pot lifter, stuff sack | 3.5L pot, vented lid, 7" 3ply frying pan, cutting board, spatula with extending handle, serving spoon with extending handle, ⁴ 6in plates, ⁴ 22oz bowls, ⁴ sporks, dish drying rack, heat resistant trivet, locking bungee | 1.9L pot, 6.5" frypan, lid, kettle, ladle, 2 bowls, spatula, scrubbing pad, hot pad | 2-liter hard-anodized pot, a strainer pot lid, 2 deep bowls, 2 12.5 fl. oz. insulated mugs, an integrated pot handle, and 2 folding sporks | 1L pot, 1 folding handle frypan, bowl, 1 cup, 1 stuff sack |
Avg Boil Time (mins) | 4.02 | 4.12 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.05 |
3L Pot? (>2.4L) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2L Pot? (1.5-2.4L) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
1L Pot? (.5-1.4L) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Frying Pan? | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Frying Pan Lid? | N/a | No | No | N/a | No |
Packed Size | 5 x 5.5 in | 11 x 6 x 11 in | 6.75 x 3.5 in | 5.5 x 6.25 in | 6.7 x 6.6 x 3.5 in |
Weight of Pot Closest to 1.5L (With Lid and Handle) | 0.5lbs | 1.9 lbs | 0.6 lbs | 0.6 lbs | 0.74 lbs |
Cooking Surfaces | Hard Anodized | Stainless Steel | Non-Stick Teflon | Hard-Anodized Aluminum | 18/8 Stainless Steel |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Duo is nothing more than a tiny pot with just the right set of accessories for ultralight backpacking. This, plus a stove, spoon, and wide-mouth water bottle completes a fast and light kitchen. In the context of lightweight backpacking, a simple "just add water" meals are the easiest and lightest. The Trail Mini excels in packability, simplicity, and weight and suffers for cooking performance and in terms of versatility. This is, essentially, just a pot for boiling water, with a few carefully chosen accessories.
Performance Comparison
Cooking Performance
You don't choose the Trail Mini Duo for cooking performance.
The tall, narrow shape is better optimized for packing than it is for cooking. It heats water and boils pasta just fine, but try and simmer rice or fry an egg in there, and you are asking for trouble. The issue is that the narrow bottom and tall sides simultaneously focus on burner heat on the bottom and hinder effective stirring and scraping of the bottom. The good news is that the usage patterns of someone that might choose this sort of specialized equipment lean away from extensive cooking and towards simpler "just add water" meals. For these simpler meals, the Trail Mini is optimized.
Packability
Here the Trail Mini Duo excels. The dimensions are optimized to serve two people on a lightweight backpack trip, and the interior is sized to fit an eight-ounce fuel canister and a small stove.
In this configuration, your entire kitchen takes up not much more space than a night of freeze-dried food. This is our top choice for ultralight missions where you need a small pot that'll keep you healthy.
Durability
Anodized aluminum isn't necessarily the most durable construction, but it comes close. Stainless steel and titanium construction are both more durable than aluminum.
However, when you consider cooking performance, the minor durability compromise of aluminum is worth it. The pot will dent with great force, and the anodizing will scratch off with time. Be careful about the metal stuff you put inside the pot (basically, pad the fuel canister and stove with a piece of dishcloth), and don't worry about scratches on the outside.
Weight
We granted this our Top Pick award for its serviceability in lightweight backpacking. Weight is a big part of that consideration. For what is included, and the functionality of the components (not to mention the packability), the weight is great.
It can be stripped down to just under a half-pound. In its full configuration, it is 0.7 pounds. If you're seeking a pot that'll keep your carried weight down on the trail, this is one to consider. That said, because it doesn't boil water as fast as other designs, it does require more resources than others in the long run.
Ease of Use
The Trail Duo is a well-thought-out setup and includes what you need, and nothing more, for preparing food for two on an ultralight backpacking mission. When we select ultralight backpacking supplies, we immediately investigate how we can make it lighter. It is a testament to the ease of use of the MSR that we would leave little to nothing behind on even the rowdiest of ultralight missions. We especially appreciate the rubber ring around the top of the pot that allows for the gloveless and handle-less pouring of all but the hottest of pot-fulls.
It is for ease of use that the MSR edges ahead of other ultralight offerings. For ultralight food prep, there is no set that we have found that does better than the Trail Mini Duo. Of course, for more elaborate food preparation, the MSR will surely suffer. For more "standard" backpacking meal prep, we recommend other options with better overall performance and features.
Features
This cook set includes a basic but thorough set of features for backpacking food preparation. The set is built around a 1-liter pot (filled to the brim it holds 1.5L; effectively, the capacity is 1L) with a nice, plastic lid. The lid features a cut out for pliers gripping and a set of holes through which to strain your pasta water. Around the bottom of the pot, nests a 600ml Lexan plastic bowl. The pot can be moved, even when quite hot, with either the rubber ring (removable for ultralight use) around the pot rim or by using the included ridiculously light pot gripping pliers. The whole package slides into a mesh stuff sack.
For its intended purpose, no product we tested has a better set of features than the Trail Mini Duo. Of course, for more sophisticated camping, whether backpacking or car camping, you will want more features.
Should You Buy the MSR Trail Mini Duo?
The MSR Trail Mini Duo is the right choice for someone who needs a super light and compact pot and bowl for ultralight backpacking. There is not much else to the set other than a lid, a handle, and a sack. If you decide to go with this set, be sure you're okay with your cookware being limited to boiling water and preparing the simplest of meals.
What Other Camping Cookware Should You Consider?
If you're looking for a one-person backpacking set that's very budget-friendly, the GSI Outdoors Glacier 1-Person includes a pot, a bowl, a frying pan, and a mug. If you want top-tier cooking performance and more functionality out of a backpacking cookware set, we can't say enough good things about the GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist HS.
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