GSI Cook Pot Comparison: Halulite Soloist vs Halulite Boiler

Which GSI Cook Pot works best for the solo backpacker? The Halulite Soloist and Halulite Boiler, each with 1.1 liters of capacity, are both well-sized for boiling water or cooking large meals for one person. The main difference is what comes in the kit.

This review compares the two GSI cook pot kits and evaluates them for cooking efficiency and packability.

Photo above: The GSI Outdoors Soloist pot includes a 1.1 liter Halulite pot, 1 plastic lid with strainer holes, 1 14-oz. plastic bowl with insulated band, and one welded sink that holds water for washing up.

Photo: With the GSI Outdoors Halulite Boiler pot, all you get is the pot and metal lid with a mesh stuff sack.

GSI Cook Pot Similarities: Boiler & Soloist

Cooking Capacity

At 1.1 liter capacity, the Soloist and Boiler pots are sized in between the .6 liter GSI Minimalist pot and the 1.4 liter GSI MicroDualist pot.

Volume markings are stamped into the pots in milliliters and ounces.

A large-sized dehydrated meal takes up about half of either pot’s capacity, so there is no worry about a boilover. In a smaller pot like the GSI .6 liter Minimalist pot, you need to bring water to a boil before adding the dried food, but with the 1.1 liter GSI Soloist and Boiler pots, you can add the dried food to the water before lighting the stove. That extra soak time improves rehydration.

Size

With the lids on and the handles locked over the lids, the GSI Soloist and GSI Boiler are both 5¼ inches tall by 5 inches wide.

Weight

GSI 1.1 L Boiler Pot:

Pot & Lid: 211 grams. (7.4 oz.)
Mesh bag: 14 grams. (.5 oz.)
Total Kit: 225 grams. (7.9 oz.)

GSI 1.1 L Soloist Pot:

Pot & Lid: 218 grams. (7.7 oz.)
Bowl & Insulated Band: 42 grams. (1.5 oz.)
Stainless Steel Folding Spoon*: 36 grams. (1.2 oz.)
Welded Sink: 27 grams. (1 oz.)
Total Kit: 323 grams. (11.4 oz.)

* Earlier versions of the Soloist pot had a plastic folding spoon with a weight of 9 grams.

Handles

Both pots have the same sturdy handles that lock over the lids when stowed. Newer versions of GSI cook pots have the same handle design, but the material is copper instead of stainless steel, and the orange insulation has been left off.

Photo: Newer GSI pot handle without insulation. Handle does not get hot.

If you’re wondering if a GSI pot handle without insulation will get too hot to handle with a bare hand, I tested a new GSI pot by boiling one liter of water in it. The pot got very hot, but the handle stayed cool. There was no problem grasping the handle with my bare hand.

Material

Halulite: GSI’s brand of hard anodized aluminum without a nonstick coating. Earlier versions of the Soloist Pot had a nonstick coating.

A nonstick coating is not needed for boiling water or rehydrating dehydrated meals.

Both pots are sturdy, an advantage over thinner titanium pots, although similar-sized titanium pots weigh less.

Hard anodized aluminum conducts heat evenly and faster than titanium.

Time to Boil

Boil times were similar and satisfactory for both GSI cook pots starting with cool water without turning the GSI canister stove up to full blast.

½ liter (16.9 oz.) 3 minutes, 20 seconds.
1 liter (33.8 oz.) 5 minutes.

Boil times will vary depending on the starting temperature of the water, weather conditions, elevation, how open you turn the flame adjustment valve, and the amount of fuel remaining in the canister. It takes longer to boil water with a fuel canister that is near empty.

GSI Cook Pot Differences: Boiler & Soloist

The Lids

Photos: Left, Halulite Boiler lid. Middle, Soloist lid on pot. Right, Soloist lid flipped over on the mug.

The Halulite Boiler lid is made of aluminum and has no vent or strainer holes.

The Halulite Soloist lid is made of plastic with an opening for pouring water, plus it has strainer holes on the opposite side. The Soloist lid is designed to flip over and sit on top of the plastic mug.

Lid Evaluation:

1. Having no strainer holes on the Boiler lid is of no consequence unless you are cooking pasta from the box and pouring off excess water. If you precook and dehydrate pasta at home, you only need to rehydrate it on the trail, eliminating the need to boil and pour off lots of water.

2. The Soloist lid is suitable as a pot lid, but it performs poorly as a mug lid. It does not fit snugly, so you must hold the mug and the lid with both hands, pushing down on the lid with your fingers to hold it in place while you sip a hot beverage from the sippy hole. It’s easier and safer to drink without the lid. If you are using the mug as a bowl for something like oatmeal, then the lid is useful for keeping the oatmeal warm while you are finishing up other camp chores.

The Kits

The Halulite Boiler Kit includes the pot, lid, and a mesh bag.

The Halulite Soloist kit includes the pot and lid, a 14 oz. mug with insulating sleeve, a folding spoon, and a water-tight “sink” that the pot stows inside during transit.

The Soloist’s sink/sack, weighing 27 grams compared to the Boiler’s 14-gram mesh bag, seems extravagant for potentially washing one mug, but its functionality can be extended to personal hygiene.

Imagine you’re dirty and sweaty after the day’s hike. You don’t want that grime transferred to your sleeping bag. Pour a liter of water into the sink and take a nice sponge bath using biodegradable soap and a micro cloth. Then pour another liter of water to rinse off. For the ultimate in camp luxury, heat the rinse water on the stove.

GSI Cook Pot Packability: Boiler & Soloist

The Boiler and Soloist backpacking pots will both hold a large 230 gram ISOPRO fuel canister and stove, as well as a folding spoon and lighter.

However, if you pack the mug that comes with the Soloist pot, then only a smaller 110 gram ISOPRO fuel canister and stove will fit inside.

Photo: GSI Boiler pot, GSI canister stove, 230 gram fuel canister, GSI folding spoon, GSI windscreen and support plate, and homemade 2-piece pot cozy.

A GSI windscreen can be used with a GSI canister stove for either kit. The windscreen support plate is too wide to fit inside the pot, but it fits at the bottom of a homemade pot cozy, or at the bottom of the Soloist pot’s sink, with the windscreen wrapped around the pot. A GSI windscreen improves stove efficiency when cooking in breezy conditions.

The photo below shows a 2-piece pot cozy I made to transport either of the GSI pot kits. I made it wide enough to accommodate a GSI 1.4 liter MicroDualist pot, so there is room to pack the “kitchen sink” that comes with the Soloist pot inside the cozy.

A pot cozy keeps meals warm while they finish rehydrating, and it also makes the pot easier to hold in your lap while eating a meal. The Soloist pot’s sink does not work as an insulating cozy, because you cannot place the hot pot into it with the handle extended.

Packing a GSI Halulite Boiler pot with windscreen and pot cozy.

Photo: GSI Boiler pot with stove, 230 gram fuel canister, folding spoon, and lighter packed inside. Windscreen wrapped around pot, and windscreen support plate packed under pot.

Cooking a Large Dehydrated Meal in a 1.1 Liter GSI Cook Pot

Photo: Kickin‘ Veggie Mac & Cheese ingredients. Powdered ingredients are packed separately.

Kickin‘ Veggie Mac & Cheese

1 Large Serving

Ingredients:

¾ cup precooked & dried macaroni (70 g)
⅔ cup dried mixed vegetables (40 g)
2 Tbsp. cheddar cheese powder
1½ Tbsp. milk powder
1 tsp. taco seasonings (or more)
Pinch salt & pepper
1¾ cups water to rehydrate (414 ml)

Cooking a backpacking meal in GSI Boiler pot.

Photo: Dried ingredients soaking in GSI Boiler pot before lighting stove.

Steps for Cooking in the Pot:

1. Place dried ingredients, excluding cheese, milk, and taco powders, in pot with required water. Let soak 5 minutes.

2. Light stove, bring meal to full boil, then turn off stove.

3. Transfer pot to homemade insulating pot cozy if using one.

Stirring cheese powder into backpacking meal.

Photos: Powdered ingredients are stirred in after meal is taken off the stove while there is still liquid for it to mix well.

4. Stir in cheese, milk, and taco powders, and place lid on pot. By adding powdered ingredients after taking the pot off the stove, the pot will be easier to clean.

5. Wait 25–30 minutes. Eat right out of the pot

Mac & Cheese cooked in pot and freezer bag.

Photos: Kickin’ Veggie Mac & Cheese cooked in pot on left, or cooked freezer-bag-style on right.

Steps for Cooking in a Freezer Bag or Mylar Bag:

1. Pack meal in a 1-liter freezer bag or Mylar bag.

2. Carefully pour boiled water into bag containing the dried meal, including the powdered ingredients. Stir well to dissolve dried ingredients.

3. Place bag in pot, close bag, and put lid on pot.

4. Wait 25–30 minutes.

5. Open bag and stretch opening over top of pot as best you can. The bag may not quite stretch all the way over the edges of the pot, but it will be close enough to form a decent bowl in the pot.

GSI Boiler and Soloist Pros & Cons

Pros

The GSI Boiler and Soloist pots are big enough at 1.1 liter capacity to cook large dehydrated meals in the pots, or to boil water to rehydrate meals in freezer bags or Mylar bags.

Volume measurements are stamped into the pots.

A large, 230 gram fuel canister will fit inside both pots, but you will have to pack a 110 gram fuel canister if you want to also pack the mug that comes with the Soloist kit.

Halulite, GSI’s hard anodized aluminum pot material is an excellent conductor of heat for fast boiling times. Aluminum conducts heat better than titanium.

Both pots have sturdy handles which are easy to grip when pouring a liter of boiled water. The handles lock in place over the pot lids when packed.

The sink/sack that comes with the GSI Soloist kit, while not really needed for cleaning the mug, is a useful accessory for taking sponge baths. The sink fabric is made using recycled plastic.

Cons

The lid of the Soloist pot, while functional as a pot top, fits too loosely when used on top of the included mug. It is difficult to hold the lid on while drinking a hot beverage.

Hard anodized aluminum is heavier than titanium, but you get faster heat conductivity and crush-proof pots for the extra weight.

The new stainless steel folding spoon that comes with the Soloist kit weighs 36 grams, which is 19 grams more than the folding plastic spoon used previously. However, you won’t have to worry about a plastic part breaking, and kudos to GSI for reducing its use of plastics.

Conclusion

Both the Soloist and Boiler pots cook dehydrated meals efficiently. The 5¼ inches tall by 5 inches wide dimensions of the pots offer just enough internal space for packing a fuel canister, stove, and lighter inside, as well as the folding spoon and mug included with the Soloist kit.

Which GSI cooking pot do I like best? It’s a close call, but I give the nod to the Soloist over the Boiler. The Soloist costs $15 more than the Boiler, but it includes the mug, folding spoon, and sink—which could also be called a “sponge bath tub” for personal hygiene. The sink can also be used as a water collection device, making water filtration easier if using a pump-style water filter.

The Soloist mug works better without the lid, or if you don’t need the mug, you can leave it at home. When you leave the mug out, the Soloist pot will hold a larger 230 gram fuel canister, giving you a longer fuel range for a multi-day backpacking trip.

The Boiler is still a solid and lighter-weight choice for efficient cooking and boiling if the sink/sack and mug are not important to you. A folding spoon can be ordered separately from GSI Outdoors.