Keep Your Spices Fresh with the GSI Outdoor Ultralight Salt & Pepper Shaker

While a departure from the normal gear reviews around here at ITS, I wanted to take the time to highlight what’s become one of my favorite things to take backpacking or camping, the GSI Outdoor Ultralight Salt & Pepper Shaker.

I’m never without some seasoning and the GSI Shaker is a perfect lightweight option for carrying enough for a multi-day trip. Made from a clear and thick copolyester resin body, it can take a drop from waist high without question. The lid will also keep the shaker semi-waterproof and I say semi-waterproof because there’s no true gasket system on the lid for complete waterproofing.

GSI Outdoor Ultralight Salt & Pepper Shaker

I tested the waterproofness of the GSI Shaker by dunking it in water and it works as advertised, I just hesitate to call it fully waterproof. One thing you may notice from the photos below is that I’m a fan of putting a few grains of rice in with the salt, it’s an old trick to prevent clumping by giving the salt something to agitate with when you shake it. Some say that the rice grains absorb the moisture, which prevents clumping, but I disagree with that. The rice isn’t going to prevent moisture in the salt, but it will allow you to use the salt when and if it develops.

[flickr id=”7881227564″ thumbnail=”medium_640″ overlay=”false” size=”medium” group=”” align=”center”]

This reminds me of an episode of Big Bang Theory (the only show I watch on TV) where Penny was starting her own business making Penny Blossoms, a type of barrette that used glitter in the production process. During the analysis of her workflow by the guys, Sheldon mentioned she was having a problem with moisture-induced glitter clump. Howard then chimed in with “Oh, I’ve seen this before… It’s a common stripper problem… They dance, they sweat, they clump.” Leonard’s suggestion was to use a desiccant like calcium sulfate. Ok, enough of my tangent, back to the review!

On the bottom of the GSI Shaker, you’ll find a removable orange bottom which hides a filler cap. The main cap has holes on one half and a sealed surface on the other, this is to enable you to turn the cap to shake from whichever of the two columns you’d like. The filler cap has a half-moon opening to easily fill one side at a time.

[flickr id=”7881227748″ thumbnail=”medium_640″ overlay=”false” size=”medium” group=”” align=”center”]

The complete shaker weighs in at just 1 oz. filled and .9 oz. if you ditch the bottom orange cap and filler cap. I usually carry it in this configuration. One thing I have found is that if I screw down the lid too tightly, the shaker cap comes off with the lid when I unscrew it and I have to wind up knocking it against a hard surface to jar it loose. Just something to keep in mind.

I picked up a shaker for about $5 at REI, but I also found them here on Amazon for $8 with free shipping. If you’re in the market for a lightweight way to carry some salt & pepper, look no further than the GSI Outdoor Ultralight Salt & Pepper Shaker!