ProView – GSI Stove Kit Review

I’m getting old. I’m not a guide anymore; I often work at a desk, and I have three kids at home. But when I think of trying out new gear my mind still goes deep into the backcountry. So when I got this car camping kitchen and cook set I traded in my backpacking tent and climbing gear for the family tent and s’mores supplies.

The fam and I went out for a camping trip in the nearby Joyce Kilmer memorial forest. After a full day of hiking around and craning our necks up at all the huge trees we came back to our campsite by the river to break in our new GSI camp kitchen appliances. The kids were eager to try out all the new gear and ended up doing a good bit of the set up and cooking that night. Everything from the stove to the pots and pans to the utensils are so simple to use, which was perfect because we had some serious card games to play and the s’mores weren’t going to roast themselves.

The way I always think about reviews is in relation to what the product is best suited for. This kit, in my opinion, is a small group, car camping setup, so all of my opinions are based on this assumption. I will go ahead and say that if you are thinking about buying this stove or kitchen set for a Himalayan expedition then 1) you probably shouldn’t be going on a Himalayan expedition and 2) don’t buy this stuff for your trip.

Features

I love the details that GSI put into the different parts of these products. I have genuinely never used a stove as simple as the Selkirk 270. I showed all my kids (8, 10, and 12) how to use it and then let them use it to cook and heat water whenever they wanted. The auto light, the super sturdy base, the temperature control, everything is perfect for a simple car camping stove.

The Bugaboo Base Camper is also genius! It packs together perfectly and the attention to detail is so evident. The pot grip folds up small but is more sturdy than many I have used; the lids are soft, have integrated strainers, and little flippy tabs that don’t get hot, and the nonstick coating is top notch—easy to clean up even if your kids burn stuff.

The Destination Kitchen Set 24 is awesome. It has more than everything you need for a few nights out with friends or family. It has utensils for 4, so be ready to share if you have a family of 5 (like me). I’m a little confused as to why it has a cheese grater and a whisk; in all my years of camping I have never thought to myself, “Shucks! I left the cheese grater at home again!” Other than the few unnecessary items I think this kit is perfect for small groups.

Weight/Packability

The Bugaboo cookset and Destination kitchen set are actually really lightweight, and you could easily pull out a few utensils and a pot and make a really decent backcountry cookset. My ounce counter buddies would scoff at me for that, but it really is a great set that can easily be paired down. The way the Bugaboo cookset fits together is very clever. Everything fits into the largest pot (2L) and does so in a way that always keeps metal from rubbing on metal. I thought this was really clever and keeps your gear working for years to come.

The Selkirk 270 stove legs pack into its body where the butane canister connects and is a pretty sleek package, but it weighs a ton! Ok, actually it weighs 3lbs. 10oz. but you get the idea. 

Function/Performance

Almost everything functioned exactly as I hoped it would. The Bugaboo pots and pan heated up, cooked food, and were very easy to clean thanks to the ceramic nonstick coating. My family was able to cut, stab, and stir their food and clean everything up afterwards with everything in our Destination Kitchen Set. The only real let down here was the stove. 

The Selkirk 270 is beefy and burly but only puts out a claimed 8,000 BTUs. To put this in comparison a Pocket Rocket weighs less than 3oz. and boils water faster. I was pretty bummed at the lack of heat the Selkirk put out, but I still appreciate its build quality and stability, especially when thinking about cooking on picnic tables with my kids around. So while the boil time is not ideal, the trade offs aren’t that bad. 

Durability/Construction

The Selkirk 270 is really solid and over-built. The Bugaboo cook set is also really well built. Normally I am skeptical about non-stick coated cook sets, but way GSI designed this set to pack up without touching metal on metal give me more confidence than normal. With just a little care this cookset should last my family and I for many years of camping trips.

Similar to my wariness about non-stick coating is my apprehension towards folding utensils. I just think they are bound to break at some point. That being said, when my eight year old couldn’t figure out how to fold up the serving spoon and was just bending it hard, it held up fine. So maybe all my durability worries are for not. Nothing has broken yet or shows any signs of it.

Who is this product for?

The pieces of this kit from GSI are definitely for a particular person.

The Selkirk stove lacks the BTU’s that many other stoves have, but my 8 year old daughter set it up and boiled water for hot chocolate by herself in the morning. So, if you are willing to trade weight and BTU’s for ease of use and stability than step on up.

The Bugaboo cookset isn’t going to be the best option for your next thru hike, but it is a solid cookset for a great price that will work well in a variety of situations.

The Destination Kitchen set is a one stop shop for everything a group of four would ever need (even a cheese grater). Does it have stuff in it you might never use? Yes. Does it also have stuff in it you think you’ll never use, and then you find out is super useful? Yes. (That little blue scrubber thing is the jam for cleaning up mac n’ cheese).

The Final Word 

If you are counting ounces, guiding clients, or packing your bags for an oversea expedition, then you probably haven’t made it to the end of this review, and this kit is not for you. But if you are wanting to get your family or a small group camping then this really is a great setup. The Selkirk stove, the Bugaboo cookset, and the Destination Kitchen set all make a wonderful kit for simple car camping. And anything that makes getting outside easier is a win in my book.

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