It’s been a long time since I bought myself a new pot set to try out.
Why?
A short period was between 2002 and 2014 when backpacking gear was amazing. There was so much innovation happening. And then, it just stagnated. Times changed. I had bins of great gear and wasn’t as apt to buy new stuff for a while. To be honest, so much sold now is cheap ripoffs from China, which doesn’t make me want to buy it. If I do buy items, I want them to be well designed and somewhat innovative. And I want a name behind it. Not a casual fake on Amazon.
Then I saw the Sea To Summit Frontier Ultralight Pot in the 1.3-liter size at REI and was tempted. But that’s a story right there—that REI location had so little actual hiking and backpacking cooking gear. I’ve noticed this the past few years. The gear they carry is more appropriate for camping and van life. Which is fine, but it is jarring when you note how little smaller/lighter gear is sold now. The times have changed for sure. Ultralight had its moment and that day is gone.
Sea To Summit Frontier Ultralight Pot. It comes in 3 sizes: 1.3, 2, and 3 Liters. The 1.3 Liter is $64.95.
It’s hard anodized aluminum with a ceramic non-stick liner. Its handle is beefy and clicks in place to keep the lid on in transit. It works opposite of how I am used to with handles that lock on pot sets.
I decided to compare it to a similar pot, a 1.3 Liter MSR. The pot I use the most is an older model of the Trail Lite™ (the modern version has a plastic lid instead of the old-school metal, which I see as a negative personally). The newer version sold for around $39.95, so it was a lower price. It, however, has a recall currently due to the handle. A few of the handles wouldn’t click into place properly – I have one of those handles on a different Trail Lite pot. My handle works fine, so the recall doesn’t affect me personally, on my 1.3 Liter pot.
The Trail Lite was a great series when it first came out. This pot has seen serious miles—multiple stoves—and many boil times. It takes a beating and looks relatively new, even after 14 or more years. So I hold new gear up to it.
They are side by side and very similar in size and shape. Both pots have metal lids with strainer holes, a locking handle, and an easy-to-grab lid handle.
So, how does the weight look?
228 grams
208 grams.
The Trail Lite came in lower, but it’s close enough, and the weight wouldn’t concern me. Honestly, I gave up my UL Hiking crown many years ago. Twenty grams isn’t going to break my game.
The only downside I noted was the handle—it’s heavy. Empty, the pot wants to tip, and more so, the handle is opposite of all my pots’ handles for installing and removing. But that is just something you learn to deal with. Eventually it’ll become second nature.
The Frontier in action. I used an MSR WindPro II, which is my go-to stove for nine months of the year.
The Frontier pot sat fine on it, with no rocking.
Knowing the temperature is important when testing. It was 52° with winds of 2 mph, so it was a very calm day, entering spring. I was in the forest, not along the water, which kept the wind down.
Setting up test, I boiled 2 cups water in each pot, using the same stove. The Frontier came in at 4 minutes, 10 seconds.
I was oddly intriqued at how much longer the Trail Lite took, coming in at 5 minutes 51 seconds.
I then cooked a meal in the Frontier pot:
With the ceramic coating, cleanup was a snap. Overall, I’d rate this pot as a solid choice, and I can see it becoming a regular in my totes of gear.
~Sarah
FTC Disclaimer: We purchased all gear used in this review.