MSR Quick 2 Cook System Review
Here you can see the nesting features of the Quick 2 System. Note that you will have to remove the mugs in order to fit much else in the set
When heading into the backcountry, packing space is at a premium in your backpack and you want to make the best of the space you have. This is where an all-in-one cook set comes into play. The MSR Quick 2 System gives you everything you need for cooking, eating and drinking with 2 people. The set includes: (1)1.5L nonstick DuraLite™ DX pot, (1) 2.5L hard-anodized pot, (1) strainer lid, (2) DeepDish™ plates, (2) insulated stainless steel mugs, (1) Talon™ pot handle. There are few scenarios that this set will not get you through.
MSR has been in the business a long time and the fit, finish, and build quality of their products is excellent. The Quick 2 System upholds the company’s reputation in this regard. While using the items in the system during a trip to Moab, I got the feeling that I could use and abuse it for many years to little effect. The strong aluminum used in the pots will resist dents and last a while. The smaller 1.5L pot is coated with a non stick surface that worked great at releasing crispy food remnants and while I don’t recommend using metal utensils in a non stick pot, I didn’t notice any scratches when I did so. I have mixed feelings about the hard-anodized coating of the larger 2.5L pot; while it is bomb-proof and might boil water a little faster, cleaning pots in the backcountry is a pain in the butt and I like the ease that non-stick coatings provide. The pots do not have an attached handle and instead include MSR’s removable Talon pot handle which can attach to any MSR pot or pan. The handle has a nice locking mechanism that keeps it pretty stable when attached. The pots also come with a great lid that has a strainer feature and a heat proof handle. Once you’ve cooked up your meal, you are going to need something to put it in and the Quick 2 System has you covered with two deep sided bowl/plates. The plates are made of a durable plastic and hold a full meal or a nice bowl of soup with their high sides. In addition to the plates, two awesome insulated, metal mugs hold your drinks and have great “sippy cup” lids that are great for lounging by a fire without worrying about spilling.
The beauty of the MSR Quick 2 System and other cooking sets like it is that it is a nesting set. All of the components fit inside of the large pot and lid. If you have a tiny canister stove like an MSR Superfly or Snow Peak Giga Power, you can have most of your eating and cooking equipment inside one 2.5L pot. As I mentioned before, this is a great feature for a stuffed backpack. Everything fits like it’s supposed to.
The MSR Quick 2 System is a great option from a very solid company and should be on your list when shopping for 2 person cook sets. Even if you do a lot of solo camping, it doesn’t hurt to have the option to carry equipment for two and you can always take less then the full set of components. At $99.95, the Quick 2 System is definitely more expensive than similar options from competitors but comes backed by a company with a 40 year reputation of reliability and performance. For more information visit msrgear.com
