Kupilka is Great for Touring and Car Camping

by Igor

We're excited to add several new products from the Finnish campware brand, Kupilka, to the Camp and Cabin section of our website. This selection is great for car camping, tent camping, and especially touring and backpacking!

When we were first looking for dishware to outfit the VO Westfalia Bus, we scoured the internet looking for a lightweight, durable, and aesthetically pleasing dishware set. We finally found Kupilka, and couldn't be happier with its performance both at camp and at home. In fact, as I'm writing this blog post, I'm sipping coffee from my Cup.

A bit of background before we jump into their offerings: the iconic Cup takes its inspiration and design from the original Harakkakuppi aka "Magpie Cup" from around 1775 for tasting home-brewed beverages.

Today, that same design resonates, and includes modern manufacturing techniques. Notably, each Kupilka item is made from a strong and lightweight natural fiber composite consisting of eco-friendly cellulose fibers from certified Finnish forests and reinforced with FDA approved polypropylene. As a result, Kupilka dishware can withstand boiling hot water, sub-zero temperatures, and is dishwasher safe!

So that means you don't have to worry about burning your hands on hot coffee or transferring your hands' heat to frothy home-brewed beverages, and if/when your Kupilka has lived out it's life, recycle it.

Here's a rundown of their offerings:

The Original: Cup

Based off the Magpie Cup, this vessel holds 12.5 fl oz and has a dangling hole integrated into the handle. It's a fantastically balanced design.

A Little Bigger: Bowl

Whether you're having soup or salad, this will definitely hold your contents. It measures 15cm in diameter and 5cm deep for a total volume capacity of 18.6 fl oz.

For Plating: Platters

The Platter comes in two sizes, Large and Small. The Large is suitable for entrees while the Small is better suited for hors d'oeuvres and smaller sized offerings. The Small also doubles as a saucer for the Cup. Large and Small measure roughly 30cm x 19cm and 18.6cm x 12.9cm, respectively.

Picking your food up: Spork and Utensils

Every bikepacker, hiker, and tourist has their preferred Spork. This is mine. While most traditional sporks are not great as either a spoon or a fork, the Kupilka Spork is great as both. The spoon end has a generously sized bowl, while the tines of the fork are exceptionally pokey and hold food well, even while you regale your friends with your touring adventures.

There are two points (zing!) about the Spork that make me love it: 1) no heat transfer 2) its extra length (22.5cm) means your fingers will stay clean when stirring dried-food packages and getting those last morsels in the corners of the bag.

These Utensils are sturdy and lightweight and include (pictured below from bottom to top) a tea spoon, spoon, fork, and knife. The knife, while not serrated, can cut meat without issue. It's a very nice set that will create a bit of luxury in the campsite. Remember folks, forks go to the left of the plate. Knives and spoons go to the right. We keep our campsite to very high standard.

Should we? Yeeeaaaaahhhh: Fire Steel

It's extremely useful to know how to make fire without a lighter or matches. Guaranteed to never run out of lighter fluid.