Vargo Bot One Liter Backpacking Cookware Evaluation

Backside Line

Should you suppose that the Vargo Bot seems like a thru-hiker invented it, you’d be proper. Brian Vargo realized that his cookpot and water bottle have been primarily the identical and could possibly be mixed into one light-weight piece of drugs. Voilà, the Vargo Bot.

We examined the Vargo Bot within the Rocky Mountains, with varied cooking types, and in a managed lab setting. Whereas area of interest ultralighters will love its distinctive design, the Bot shouldn’t be the pot for foodies.

The screw-on lid is great for cold-soaking and further meals or water storage and doubles as a succesful cookpot. The lid creates a watertight seal and helps protect the pot’s form when it’s stuffed in your pack. It does nevertheless, lack options that some take into account essential, corresponding to drain holes and a pour spout.

Though it’s not the worst pot for cooking, the Bot favors weight financial savings over cooking efficiency. It weighs simply 5 ounces and its tall, slim design accommodates two 4-ounce gas canisters and simply slides into facet pockets.

Whereas culinary fanatics would possibly respect the complete function units of different backpacking cooksets, the Vargo Bot supplies a novel answer for ultralight backpackers.

How We Examined

We examined the Vargo Bot each in a managed lab setting (aka our kitchen) and on our backpacking trails within the Rocky Mountains. We examined its cooking efficiency and usefulness with many various cooking types and evaluated its sturdiness, weight, and packability towards related cooksets. Our perspective on this piece of drugs is knowledgeable by lots of of nights cooking within the backcountry.

Cooking Efficiency

Though titanium isn’t recognized for its superior cooking efficiency, the Vargo Bot did surprisingly effectively throughout our testing, notably in boil time and warmth distribution.

As a result of thinness of the titanium, the Bot heats up extremely quick. It’s greatest to have some water in your pot earlier than you even flip the range on. A quick warmth switch means a quick boil time, however it additionally normally lends itself to uneven warmth distribution and hotspots.

With the Vargo Bot, hotspots are mitigated by its comparatively slim footprint. Since a range’s flame can cowl extra floor space on the underside of the pot, it’s much less more likely to be hotter within the center and cooler on the perimeters.

This flame distribution additionally helps stop burning meals, which could be notably annoying and generally devastating within the backcountry. Though the titanium lacks a non-stick coating, in case you prepare dinner with care, it’s really fairly simple to scrub.

As a result of this design is supposed to additionally carry out as a 1-liter water bottle, the Bot is taller than it’s extensive. Some might discover it inconvenient and troublesome to warmth meals evenly with out fixed stirring. We extremely suggest pairing this pot with long-handled utensils.

Weight & Packability

The Vargo Bot 1L matches simply into the ultralight backpacker’s equipment with an general weight of solely 5 ounces – the third lightest prepare dinner set on our checklist. It additionally achieves a formidable capacity-to-weight ratio of 278mL per ounce. The distinctive weight financial savings come as no shock from a titanium pot.

The slim form doesn’t permit for an 8-ounce gas canister, however it does accommodate two 4-ounce canisters stacked on high of one another with loads of further area for a small backpacking range and a lighter. 

With its sizable 1-liter capability, the Vargo Bot does occupy a good quantity of pack actual property – 108.4 cubic inches, to be actual. However its tall, slim physique permits it to simply slide right into a facet water bottle pocket, increasing its stowing choices and setting it aside from different 1-liter pots. Once more, this pot is designed to exchange one among your water bottles or act as a cold-soak container whilst you’re logging miles.

Usability

The Vargo Bot has a minimal function set, particularly designed to be used a number of occasions a day. It deliberately lacks issues like drain holes, pour spouts, and strain launch valves. 

One of many solely designs within the cookware world is the silicone gasket screw-on lid. We couldn’t get a single drop of liquid to flee the Bot’s watertight seal. This stand-out function makes the Bot uniquely fitted to cold-soaking, storing leftovers, or as an extra water bottle. 

Nonetheless, as a result of the lid seals so tightly, it may be troublesome to take away underneath sure circumstances, corresponding to freezing temperatures or growing altitude. Additionally, you’re in for a puzzle in case you cross-thread the lid. Utilizing your titanium spoon or perhaps a bank card can assist. Vargo has an entire web page on unstock your Bot as a result of it’s gonna occur.

Personally, we don’t normally use this pot as a water bottle (though it’s nice for lengthy carries). We principally use it to cold-soak and prepare dinner in a single container. Not like plastic cold-soaking containers, which require frequent cleansing or substitute, the Bot could be sanitized with warmth, offering further peace of thoughts. Should you use it on this manner, the Bot could be very multi-purpose and saves packing area.

This design does include a number of sacrifices. As talked about earlier than, there isn’t any handy solution to drain issues like pasta water, and it additionally lacks handy handles. Though Vargo does make a dealt with model of the Bot, this model is designed for max weight financial savings. We additionally seen slight cupping on the underside of the pot, which may trigger it to wobble on flat surfaces and a few stoves.

Sturdiness

Titanium has a naturally distinctive strength-to-weight ratio, however most backpacking titanium pots are very skinny, making them vulnerable to warping and bending. Fortunately, the Bot’s sturdy screw-on lid helps the pot hold its form even after years of use. Additionally, the rim of the opening includes a sturdy, bolstered collar to spice up its sturdiness.

In typical ultralight streamlined designs, the Vargo Bot lacks movable elements which might be prone to breaking. This explicit model lacks handles on each the pot and lid. Whereas these are useful (get it?!) options, the minimal design probably will increase the general longevity of the pot.

One factor to regulate with the skinny titanium building is cupping on the underside of the pot. We’ve already seen some cupping with reasonable use, which might worsen over time.

Ought to You Purchase the Vargo Bot Cookpot?

The Vargo Bot 1L uniquely fits the ultralight backpacker who values simplicity and flexibility. Its revolutionary screw-on lid makes it an ideal cold-soaking container or further water bottle. Multi-use gadgets corresponding to this are invaluable for minimalist backpackers as they liberate precious pack area. The titanium pot can also be extremely light-weight.

Though the Vargo Bot lacks handy options corresponding to foldable handles, drain holes, and pour spouts, the minimalist design will increase its sturdiness and packability. The pot simply slides right into a facet pocket with out the necessity for a stuff sack and is much less vulnerable to warping than different titanium pots.

The fundamental backcountry prepare dinner, principally boiling water to rehydrate meals, might be impressed with the Bot’s expanded cooking efficiency for a titanium pot. It’s simple to scrub and has comparatively good warmth dispersion and non-stick properties. Nonetheless, anybody cooking extra concerned meals for themselves or a number of folks will really feel the constraints of this tall and slim pot.

What Different Backpacking Cookware Ought to You Take into account?

The Vargo Bot is admittedly a distinct segment design, however don’t fear, we’ve included cooksets for each type of backpacker in our full information to backpacking cookware.

Evernew Pasta Pot 1L Evaluation: One other 1-liter titanium pot with a decent lid, however providing an alternate form and added options. The Pasta pot is shorter and wider than the Bot and comes with pot and lid handles, drain holes, and a pour spout.

Toaks Titanium 750mL Evaluation: This pot is as ultralight because it will get. It’s titanium and cooks equally to the bot however has a number of further options and weighs about 4 ounces. 

Snow Peak Titanium Mini Solo Evaluation: The Mini Solo is a titanium set that includes a tall pot and a smaller cup with a mixed capability of 1450mL. It has a easy lid just like the Bot however it doesn’t screw on.