MSR Folding Spoon Review

Overview

The MSR Folding Spoon is a 10-gram nylon utensil with a locking hinge. It opens to 20 cm, long enough to scrape the bottom of a dehydrated-meal pouch, and folds to 11.5 cm so it can ride inside an MSR insulated mug or a small pot. It costs about as much as a coffee, and it feels like it. That is the headline trade-off: it saves weight and pack space at the expense of durability.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	10 g
Material	BPA-free nylon
Open length	20 cm
Closed length	11.5 cm
Mechanism	Pinch-to-release locking hinge, two-piece design
Designed to nest in	MSR insulated mugs

Performance

Reach and fit. The reason this spoon exists is a familiar problem: a long-handled spoon that won’t fit in a small cookpot, or a short spoon that leaves knuckles covered in beef stroganoff. Reviewers at Trailspace found the folding spoon nested inside MSR’s 1.1 L Stowaway pot without trouble. At roughly 8 inches open, it reaches the bottom of a freeze-dried bag. A Backpacking Light forum user carried one for a week and reported that it fit inside a Caldera Fosters pot. Folded to about half its open length, it fits places a fixed 8-inch titanium spoon can’t.

The hinge. The design is a “pinch-to-open” lock: unfold the handle until it clicks, then pinch the sides to release it. The lock is oriented so that the weight of food loaded in the bowl pushes the joint toward the locked position. Outdoor Gear Lab’s testers, who evaluated MSR’s folding utensil (the spork sibling, which shares this mechanism), reported it never collapsed mid-bite. Trailspace’s reviewer said the spoon stayed rigid while eating and stirring.

Mouthfeel and cookware. Nylon doesn’t conduct heat the way a metal spoon does, so a scoop of boiling-hot oatmeal won’t burn lips. It is also easy on teeth, quiet against a metal mug, and won’t scratch a non-stick pot. Those are real advantages over titanium for anyone who eats from or cooks in coated cookware.

Durability. This is where the spoon loses points. Folding hinges are mechanical weak points, and owners on Backpacking Light describe the nylon as flimsy next to metal or polycarbonate alternatives. One poster who bought it to save weight over a titanium long spoon said it worked just as well. Another said it was light but flimsy enough that he expected to leave it at home on future trips. Outdoor Gear Lab’s durability score for the folding utensil was a low 4 out of 10. Testers said it was prone to breaking if mistreated and could melt if left near a stove flame. The practical advice is simple: don’t use it to pry open frozen peanut butter, and don’t park it on a hot pot rim.

Cleaning and staining. Food can lodge in the hinge. Trailspace flagged this, and Outdoor Gear Lab marked the folding utensil down for cleaning. Owners also report that the nylon takes on the color and smell of what it last touched. Tomato-based freeze-dried meals and instant coffee are the usual culprits. On a long trail this is a cosmetic quirk. On a weekend trip it means the spoon looks a bit like a crime scene.

Weight. At 10 g, it weighs half as much as a long titanium spoon like the Toaks, which CleverHiker measured at 20 g. In gram-counting terms, you save 10 g for about $5 to $7 and a slightly worse relationship with the spoon.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10 g, about half the weight of a long titanium spoon
• Folds to 11.5 cm, so it nests inside mugs and small pots
• 20 cm open length reaches the bottom of freeze-dried pouches
• Locking hinge holds under load
• Nylon is cool to the touch, gentle on teeth, and safe on non-stick cookware
• Inexpensive enough to carry as a backup

Cons

• Hinge and nylon body are less durable than titanium or one-piece plastic spoons
• Can melt if left against a stove or hot pot
• Food collects in the hinge, making it harder to clean
• Absorbs color and odor from tomato sauces and coffee
• Spoon only, with no tines

Who Should Buy This

This spoon suits backpackers who eat mostly from freeze-dried pouches and want a long reach without giving up pot-nesting space, especially those who carry an MSR mug or small pot. It also makes a sensible spare for a gear drawer or a kid’s kit, since losing one doesn’t hurt. Thru-hikers who put a spoon through hundreds of meals, and anyone who wants a utensil that survives being stuffed loose in a pack, should look at a one-piece titanium long spoon or a sturdy polymer one instead. Those who need to spear food should choose a spork.

Verdict

The MSR Folding Spoon is a good solution to a narrow problem: a long spoon that packs short, at 10 g and a few dollars. Buy it for weekend and section trips, or as a lightweight backup. Hikers covering serious miles should spend more on a one-piece titanium spoon, which won’t fail at the hinge.