It’s taken us a while to get hold of a set of these Orikaso Folding Dinner Set, mainly as they were just too expensive for what you got. Finding them for under three quid online, we decided to give them a go as that works out even cheaper than budget bowls and cups by the like of Gelert.
The Orikaso Folding Dinner Set is basically a set of flat pack plastic containing a bowl, plate and mug. This set contains two of each, but an Orikaso solo set is also available for £1.99. Being flatpack, they can slide into your pack and take up virtually no pack space as they’ll fit down the side of the most well packed pack.
That’s all well and good, but what you’ve essentially got is a flat sheet of plastic that’s not much use other than as a chopping board until you do a bit of origami. I’d imagine as white most most people, this filled me with dread. I can’t make a swan from a napkin, so depending upon those skills for my bowls on the mountain didn’t fill me with much confidence.
It’s highly recommended that you practice before leaving for the hill. If you don’t then don’t worry too much, give one of your camping companions the cup with the promise of using it to sup a generous measure of Laphraoig, if they’re successful of course. Even if it may be fiddly, it’s worth it just to see their baffled expression, and it’s all good fun! The main tip is to pre-fold along the seams to loosen them up a bit. They go together much easier after that.
Once you’ve made them up, we found that the cups are a bit flimsy and unstable, though that could well have been the whisky by the end of the evening. While the bowl is deep and useful, as are the plates, taking a generous breakfast with ease.
Overall the Orikaso offers both a budget, ultralight and quirky option for backpacking both for the main purpose of eating as well as having great entertainment value. The cups are OK – if nothing special, but the plate/bowls are much more useful – you could use a set if camping with others, and then save weight by carrying just the one pot.
