Kupilka Review

I like titanium cups and bowls just as much as the next guy. But there are times when the elegance of something makes it that much sweeter.

Kupilka is a company from Finland and produces some of the most unique campware I've seen. The cups, bowls, and utensils look as though they are carved from wood. Something you bushcrafter's can appreciate.

The word "kupilka" means "little cup"

For this review we tested out the Kupilka 21 (cup),  Kupilka 55 (bowl), and Cutlery Set.

My most favorite item is the Kupilka 21 and resembles a Kuksa. A Kuksa is a hand carved cup usually from the Sami people of Northern Scandinavia. True Kuksa's cost upwards of a $100 and look fantastic. However I can't justify paying that much for a cup. For those of you that want an affordable Kuksa, that's where Kupilka comes in. Kupilka's products are made of a revolutionary material (I'll go into that later), where wood sometimes cracks and is heavier.

Left to Right: Kupilka 21, Kupilka 55, and Kupilka Cutlery set

The bowl is known as the Kupilka 55. It can hold just at 19 ounces, with a weight of 7 ounces. I like that the handle resembles the Kupilka 21 handle. It's pretty much a multi-purpose item and can be used as a mess dish, soup bowl, or larger water container in a survival situation.

The Culinary Set comes with a fork, spoon, knife, and small tea spoon. They are made from the same composite material as the bowl and cup. The set has lanyard holes to keep them from straying away from one another. I will also mention that the bowl and cup has lanyard holes also.

(on the material) From the Kupilka website:

"KUPILKA products are made of a Biomaterial. The Biomaterial used for KUPILKA products is a Thermoplastic Natural Fiber Composites material. It is made up of 50% pine fiber (wood) and 50% plastic.

If you compare it to plastic, the benefits of Natural Fiber Composites are a better heat endurance and a higher durability thanks to the stiff structure. Another advantage when comparing the material to plastic is that it enables the use of engraving techniques. If you compare it to wood, the benefits of Natural Fiber Composites are that it doesn't require maintenance, doesn't "absorb" smells and is insensitive to humidity.
All KUPILKA products are dishwasher safe. 

KUPILKA products are also recyclable. At the end of its life-span the product can be grinded and casted again into new products. All KUPILKA packages & Label cards are made from recycled cardboard. The leather strap of KUPILKA 5 is made from Reindeer leather.

The material was developed by Puugia, the Centre for Wood Technology in Joensuu. The material is manufactured by Kareline® in the same region of North Karelia."

In use I did notice a slight transfer of heat, however not as much so as stainless steel or titanium camp ware. The paddle style handles are comfortable with no heat transfer. The set is easily cleanable and is dishwasher safe, once you get back home of course.

Overall I like the look of the Kupilka gear. It will definitely set the tone for your outings. I've even started using it at home, a sweet reminder of the outdoors.

Check out Kupilka: www.kupilka.fi/en/home/#