Australian Hiker

Rating

Sea to Summit Alpha Light Long Spoon Review

As someone who is moving towards being an ultra lighter I don’t do full on  cooking on the trail so I don’t really need to do full-on food preparation as one would if car camping. I’m used to eating commercially prepared or home made pre-prepared meals on the trail that just need some form of implement to get food from the container to my mouth and this spoon is a great choice. I have large hands and find many other smaller implements such as Sporks or short handled spoons annoying – I’m either eating with an uncomfortable handle or a short handle covered in food.

If you are eating meals out of bowls or off plates then this spoon works just like any other but where it really excels is for those of us who eat out of commercially pre-prepared foil food bags. With a shorter spoon you need to cut the bag down which tends to create mess or eat from the full bag and get messy hands. The long handle on this spoon ensures  your hands stay clean even when eating out of a full size bag.

This spoon is made from lightweight aluminium so it lightweight and very durable. It also has a matt finish which is one of the few negatives – most of us are used to household cutlery with a shiny finish and is easy to clean. However, the matt finish means you really do need to lick the spoon clean or wash thoroughly otherwise you run the risk of food drying on the spoon which has the potential to become a health issue. Equally this spoon works well for those with small hand so there is no real disadvantage.  Typically when Gill and I hike as a couple we will share this spoon for dinner purely because of the long handle. While not the cheapest implement on the market, it is by no means the dearest so is still very good value for money. The main downside on this spoon is that the head is a matt finish so you have to work a bit harder to clean it at the end of the meal.

This is one of the most readily available pieces of cutlery and you should be able to locate it in just about any outdoor store.

We Like

• Lightweight at only 12 grams. Its so light you won’t even notice this in your pack
• The size of this spoon takes up very little room. Ideal for the ultra lighters who want to lighten their load and increase their enjoyment on the trail
• Large handle suits those of us with big hands or those who don’t want to get themselves covered in food when eating from bags. That means less mess
• Heat resistant construction means you can use it for cooking duties
• Its relatively cheap at under AUD$15.00 RR|P and will last for years
• Can be used to spread things like peanut butter onto to bread.  Why carry a knife?

We Don't Like

• Its a spoon and while it can be used to spread things on bread you can’t really use it to cut up anything like steak
• The matt finish takes a bit of effort to clean and from a health perspective you should ensure that leftover food is washed away

Best Uses

• Ultralight backpacking
• People with either small or large hands

Buy One

You can purchase the Sea to Summit Alpha Light Long Spoon online from Snowys

Disclosure: We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $14.99 RRP

Other Versions

• Spoon
• Spork
• Fork
• Knife
• Cutlery set

Sea to Summit Alpha Light Long Handled Spoon as purchased

This image shows the spoon from the back. Note the white patina (discolouration) forming on the spoon. This is cosmetic only and doesn’t affect the use

I have reasonably large hands and there is still plenty of grip to get comfortable or to reach the bottom of a dehydrated meal bag without getting covered in food

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker

Last updated

29/11/2023

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