I am of two distinct camps when it comes to bikepacking and cooking. When traveling light & fast, I pack my Snow Peaks SOLO II and a spork which is good enough for my simple one-pot calorie-dense meals without much gourmet action happening. Yet, when I’m out on a relaxing tour, I enjoy the cooking process by stopping at small farm stands or markets to gather ingredients to satisfy any impulsive roadside cravings. For those occasions, I gather items from a hodge-podge collection of mismatched utensils I've acquired over a lifetime. Many of them have disappeared into the depths of a Rubbermaid bin ...forever.
What I want is a simple multi-tool that can complete a variety of simple cooking tasks. Who do we know that makes great multi-tools? GERBER. Their reputation for creating useful knives and hand tools precedes them. So, when I received a Gerber ComplEAT Utensil Set as a recent present, the first thing that went through my mind was, "This is what I was looking for! I'll never carry a spork again!"
The Perfect Size & Shape
I'm sure you’ve experienced the shortcomings of a “short-spork” while attempting to capture that last noodle from your tall JetBoil, or almost up to your elbow in a bag, scraping out some oatmeal concoction. You only need to do that once before you run out and buy a long-handle spork. My Sea To Summit long spork is the perfect length but even at that, the spork shape comes up short when trying to clean out all the glue-like oatmeal from the bottom corners of my pot.
For a length comparison, you can see the difference between an ordinary Bic pen which is 15cm (6 in) pictured on the left next to Humangear GoBites Uno Spork, Light my Fire Spork, Sea To Summit Alpha Light Long Spork, and the Gerber set. I found the 20cm length of the Gerber utensils perfect for all my pots. When all nested together the complete set creates a slim package that slips into my frame bag or down a few voids in my fork bag. My set weighed only 61 grams which was 10 grams lighter than the advertised 71 grams (2.5 oz) — a perfect size for bikepacking.
Bit & Bites
The ComplEAT is just that—complete. It has everything you need from a utensil set.
The spoon: Sized for a good mouthful of soup, shaped with slight angles that help retrieve every morsel from the bottom of those awkward one-bag camping meals or scrape the sticky morning oatmeal from the corners of any pot.
The fork: It’s essentially a long-tined spork that will make quick work of anything from noodles to beef stroganoff ... and yes, even bacon.
The spatula: It may be a little small, but it works wonders for most of your flipping and scraping needs. One side has a flexible, heat-resistant silicone edge while the other is serrated to help pry apart things while cooking or cut once cooked. But, it is not meant as a real knife.
The tongs: What's cool about the ComplEAT set is that the spatula and utensil fit together to make a convenient set of tongs.
The multi-tool: Then we have the nifty multi-functional tool that features a bottle opener, a can opener, a sharp package opener, and even a small veggie peeler.
Design & Durability
The spoon and fork are made from stamped 7075 T6 aluminum with a textured handle for a nice grip. Weighing 11 grams each they are colour anodized with a slight matt finish. Some may find this a little different to get used to, but it's no different than most other aluminum camping utensils on the market. Reports from users say that harsh cleaners found in dishwashing soaps can cause the anodizing to peel off. While there is no mention I found on Gerber's website that they are dishwasher safe, they don’t instruct us to handwash either. The 24-gram spatula is made from high-temperature nylon with a heat-resistant silicone edge and the handle has the same textured patterns as the aluminum utensils. The multi-tool is made from 15 grams of steel because the peeler and package opener need to stay sharp which could not happen if it were made from aluminum. The multi-tool is a clever little device, but as you can expect it's never going to be as good at each task as a dedicated tool would be. I would take a small flat file and sharpen an edge on the can opener for better performance ~ if I were to carry canned goods often. One of the downsides to this design is that it's an all-or-nothing package, as the multi-tool is the last shim to keep all the utensils locked in place. You could get around this by using an elastic band (or two) to keep them bundled together. Or you could bring one utensil for those minimalist trip meals.
In The Camp Kitchen
My first meal with my new Gerber ComplEAT was to cook a bacon & eggs breakfast. Call me nerdy, but I have a thing for having neat bacon strips. The utensil set comes apart quickly and feels comfortable in hand with not much slip thanks to the stamped pattern. The fork and spatula fit together to create tongs that have the right amount of “spring” and don’t become limp noodles when you set them down balancing on a rock.
The spatula may look awkward with the bulbous end however, you'll get used to it. As mentioned before, the flipper size is a little small, but it made quick work when cooking the scrambled eggs. The high-temp silicone glided along my frying pan, unlike my usual scraping and messing about with a spork.
I found the small multi-tool a bit awkward no matter how I held it because there was always something sharp on the opposite end. I would prefer to see a different design that keeps all the pokey bits at one end and also them facing toward the utensils while in transit so there is no chance it could cut a bag thread or what have you. It would be helpful to be a bright color because I lost it a few times after putting it down.
Options
The ComplEAT set comes in four colors—Burnt Bronze (pictured), Onyx, Flat Sage, and Burnt Orange. All of these are listed at $35 USD on Gerber's website, however, be aware that many online sellers have jacked up the price on select colors... especially the orange that all of us love so much. Gerber also makes a ComlEAT Multi-Fork at $20 USD (same colors) which is a hybrid spork with multi-tool featuring a serrated package opener, can opener, bottle opener, prybar, and (2) sized flathead screwdrivers. Some of those multi-tools features may be a stretch however, this is when I would pull out a 'real' Gerber Multi Tool for the job. The pry bar-styled can opener becomes another 'pokey-bit' when mated to the spork and would make quick work of your toothpaste tube while flying down the rugged trails.
Conclusion
I don’t think the $35 USD price is a deterrent when considering the versatility of the Gerber ComplEAT utensil set — it goes well beyond the typical offerings on the market. The clever sleek design is simple, light, and simply works. The spoon shape will ensure every morsel of food stuck in your pot or bag will make it to your tummy. The spatula may be a little small but works well enough and when mated to the fork provides a set of tongs that you would normally have to pack separately. And of course, the Gerber quality. So, I’ll ask again: Why bring a spork when you can have a ComplEAT utensil set on every trip?
| ✓ Pros |
|---|
| Four essential utensils + bonus tongs |
| Versatile multi-tool |
| Gerber quality construction |
| Ergonomic design |
| Compact & lightweight |
| No more one-spork cooking |
| ✕ Cons |
|---|
| Must carry all 4 parts |
| Multi-tool is easy to loose and has sharp parts at both ends |
| Reportedly NOT 100% dishwasher durable |
