Review on G4Free 13-Piece Camping Cookware Mess Kit: Non Stick Pot, Knife & Spoon Set For Hiking And Backpacking Picnics by Darryl Montagna

My rating is not a quality issue, it's a functionality problem. From my experience these pots are just fine, just as described. They nest nicely and are not bulky in a backpack. It wasn't until my first trip out with them that I realized how big a waste they are.I had always been a car camper, so when I got into backpacking I wanted a compact set of pots that provided versatility first and foremost. Problem is you simply don't need versatility when camping. Mostly you need to just boil water quickly, and these pots don't help much there. Part of the issue was my stove, which was a cheap one from China that was highly reviewed. Don't buy one of those either ;-)First meal of my first trip with these pots proved how foolish I was to bother. After a day of hiking I made camp and set to "cook" dinner before crashing. I was exhausted, and just needed food to refuel before bed. 10 minutes went by, no boil. Then 20.nothing. Took nearly 30 minutes to heat up about 2.5 cups of water, which is pretty useless. By that time I had resorted to eating some trail snacks out of convenience and barely touched my dinner, which still needed to cook after the water boiled (basic Mountain House meal-in-a-bag). The next morning I completely skipped breakfast since I only brought along oatmeal, and wasn't about to spend 30 minutes waiting to boil water for that. I mention all of this to illustrate the main reason why these pots are unnecessary. I just needed one small pot (2-3 cups) and a lid, not 2 big pots + 2 small pots that doubled as lids. Even if you wanted to cook food in the pots themselves you probably wouldn't bring multiple dishes that required several pots to make a multi-course meal (which would require multiple stoves anyway). That's just not how camping works. Also, cooking in and eating out of the pot means cleaning the pot, which is a different headache in itself.Next time out I went with a friend who had a JetBoil Solo and my world changed. I initially scoffed at the $80 starting price tag for a JetBoil system, and felt so proud of myself for getting 4 pots and a stove for about a quarter of the price of a JetBoil. But then I carried these (relatively) heavy and bulky pots for miles, and practically cried as it took forever to heat water when I needed it the most, and suddenly I didn't feel so smart. When my buddy fired up his JetBoil I was astonished by how fast it boiled 2.5 cups of water.literally 2 minutes. In fact, he heated up water for his meal and for mine in less than 1/4 of the time it took me to boil just one pot. Apparently the key is in the coil design of the JetBoil, but that's commentary for a separate review. Point here is that if you're wondering whether the "expensive" option is worth it then ask no further.it definitely is.The JetBoil (as with similar higher-end options) is smaller, significantly lighter, burns like 10x fast while using LESS fuel than my cheapo stove, comes with its own nested serving bowl, and even has a neoprene sleeve w/ handle for easy and burn-free handling, not to mention a snap-on silicone lid complete with strainer. It's literally all you need, even if you're keen on whipping up multiple dishes. I cooked a full box of Velveeta shells and cheese in it, all at once, and it tasted as good as it would from my kitchen. Surprisingly versatile while remaining very compact.Please don't buy this product, or if you do want it then just contact me and I'll sell you my once-used set for half price. If you go car camping then just bring a full sized iron skillet or pot with you in the trunk since you'll actually be able to do some cooking there as opposed to these mini pots, which are smaller than they look. I swear I don't work for, nor have I been paid by, the JetBoil folks. I just learned the hard way that some things are worth a little extra cash, and it's not just a convenience thing. When I backpack it's to be outside in nature and to hike. Cooking is a necessity, not an enjoyable activity on the trail, so wasting any time and effort there is a travesty and can even cause you to miss a meal, which can really ruin your trip by preventing the replenishment of calories.