Review: Sea to Summit X Series

When packing up for a backcountry outing and space is at a premium, the default solution is to trim creature comforts. Great, that's part of what backpacking's all about—but what about a steamy cup o' joe in the morning? I'm not keen to give that up, which is where Sea to Summit's collapsible X series comes in. Their X-Pot Kettle holds 1.3 or 2 liters, depending on size, and weighs only 6.5 oz. and 10.5 oz., respectively. The aluminum base sits safely atop your cookstove, while the silicon sidewalls collapse flat for compact storage. The hard nylon handles rotate away from the pot, so you won't burn your hands, and the transparent lid eliminates constant boil-checks. Either size can be used as a cooking pot for meals, but I recommend getting both—the smaller for coffee, the larger for supper—so that essential morning coffee doesn't taste like chili.

Combine the X-Pot Kettle with the X-Brew Coffee Dripper, and you can take your java experience to the next level. Grind up some beans beforehand (or better yet, grab a can of Roly-Poly), dump 'em into the dripper, and pour the caffeinated contents into a 16-oz. X-Mug, for a complete collapsible coffee kit that's lightweight and space-saving.

$50/$60 for the kettle, $15/$20 for the dripper (depending on color), and $17 for the mug; seatosummit.com.