Bottom Line
After wolfing down dozens of meals with the GoBites Uno at home and on trail in the Rocky Mountains, it’s earned a place in our backpacking kit as one of our favorite utensils. It’s functional, easy to clean, and comes in a variety of lengths and designs to fit every preference.
HumanGear’s proprietary plant-based Bio material is a major upgrade from traditional plastic for both the eater and the environment. Made from plants instead of petroleum-based plastics negates single-use plastics and offers a more sustainable and mindful option. It’s comfortable to use and easy to clean thanks to the minimalist design and lack of logo-stamping. Plus, the Bio material is impressively durable, and inexpensive – that means if it somehow breaks or gets left behind, replacing is easy.
For lightweight backpackers, the 14-gram weight of the GoBites Uno is on par with some of the lightest camping utensils we’ve tested, and has varying levels of packability depending on which option you choose.
With its decent reach, easy cleaning, and comfy yet functional design, the GoBites Uno rivals high-tech alternatives at a fraction of the price. We think it offers the most value out of any plastic (Or in this case, plastic-adjacent) spoon and fork combo, but don’t take our word for it. Compare it with our other favorite utensils in our full guide to camping utensils.
How We Tested
We consumed many meals with the Humangear GoBites Uno at home and on the trail. We particularly enjoyed the long handle version on a multi-day backpacking trip in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness. We tested its cleanability, functionality, and even its breaking limit over the course of 10 weeks from summer into fall.
Quick Specs
Humangear GoBites Bio-Uno
Best Budget Camping Utensil
CleverHiker Rating: 4.8/5.0
Price: $4
Length: 6.5 in
Measured Weight: 14 g
Material: Bio material (Plant-based “Plastic”)
Pros
- Many color options
- Ultralight
- Comfortable
- Plant-based construction
- Price
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Not as durable as metal
- Handle is a utensil
Functionality
Regardless of the meal, the GoBites Uno offers excellent functionality with dedicated spoon and fork tips. Unlike a spoon with tiny prongs cut into the end, we can actually get a full scoop of liquid with the spoon and sufficiently skewer meat and vegetables with the fork.
The spoon has plenty of capacity, easily holding about 6mL of liquid. The tapered, 2-inch-long shape is shallow, ergonomic, and comfortable to use. Instead of a perfectly round or oval shape, it’s made with flat, low-angle sides that are perfect for cleaning a pot.
The fork is made with four 1-inch prongs, offering plenty of stabbing power. The Bio material feels like regular plastic, though, and this material never feels quite as satisfying as metal – although this one gets the job done.
Our favorite feature of the GoBites Uno line is its variety of options. The standard version has 6.5 inches of usable length, which is sufficient for most backpacking cook pots. If you tend to eat out of freeze-dried meal pouches often, the Uno-Long comes in a whopping 8.5 inches long for easily reaching into the depths of any meal pouch. For optimum packability, the GoBites Uno Spin features a spinning mechanism for collapsing the 6.5-inch utensil to half its size.
Design
The GoBites Uno-Bio is by far our favorite design among plastic-adjacent utensils. The fork and spoon ends are made with ergonomic angles and depths that are comfortable and easy to use. The wide handle allows for plenty of purchase and leverage for heavy bite-loads.
Utensils made from traditional plastic can feel cheap and have a rough texture that’s hard to clean. The texture on the plant-based GoBites Bio-Uno, however, is smooth thanks to it’s unique plant-based construction. In fact, it’s the best we’ve seen from plastic-like camping cookware, and represents an evolution in sustainable and mindful materials that we’d like to see across this category.
We especially like how Humangear has kept the design very minimal without problematic ridges and stamping that catch food, making it difficult to clean. There is one small and shallow logo stamp on the back, but it doesn’t cause any issues.
The downside of a dual-ended design is that you’ll inevitably be touching one of the eating surfaces when in use. That means either getting your spoon or fork dirty or risking getting food on your hands if you decide to flip the utensil mid-meal. This downside can be mitigated with a little extra hygiene effort, though.
Construction
The GoBites Bio-Uno features quality construction despite the inherent downsides of “plastic”. Their plant-based material has exceeded the performance limits of most plasticware.
The GoBites Bio-Uno is much stronger than your typical nylon utensils and can withstand higher temperatures for cooking. Although it snaps under pressure instead of bending, it requires significant effort to break the thick, dense plastic.
The overall quality of the GoBites Bio-Uno is immediately apparent. The machining is impeccable with no burs or sharp ridges.
Weight & Packability
The lightest utensils in the Bio-Uno line are the regular and the Spin, both weighing 0.49oz (14g). The Uno-Long adds 2 inches of length and is barely heavier at 0.63oz (18g). All versions are some of the lightest utensils available.
Due to its collapsibility, the Spin is by far the most packable, with a packed length of just 3.75 inches. The Uno-Long is definitely the least convenient to pack away, but the smooth Bio material’s texture doesn’t catch on fabric or gear. Just be careful not to stab any mesh with the pointy fork prongs.
Should You Buy the Humangear GoBites Uno?
If you like having a fully functional spoon and fork in a single, ultralight package, the Humangear GoBites Bio-Uno is for you. This plant-based spoon and fork combo is available in myriad designs and colors to appease every preference. We love the Bio-Uno Long for deep meal pouches and the Bio-Uno Spin for optimum packability.
The overall design of the Bio-Uno line features high-quality material and machining that make for a smooth texture and ergonomic comfort. Subtle design features like minimal logo stamping is especially appreciated as it makes the utensil easier to clean. The fork and spoon are intelligently designed, functioning equally as an eating tool or cleaning cookware tool.
For a very small investment, you can try out several different GoBites Bio-Uno designs to find out which one best suits your needs. The only backpackers we would steer away from Humangear are those who are fond of metal utensils – but even then, the Uno is still a stellar backup and could easily become one of your go-to’s.
What Other Camping Utensils Should You Consider?
Our full guide to the best camping utensils has everything from durable titanium utensils to full utensil sets.
UCO Utility Spork: The Utility Spork is extremely similar in design to the GoBites Bio-Uno, with the same price point as well. It’s just a tiny bit longer, lighter, and has a different overall feel.
Toaks Titanium Long Handle Spoon Review: We love this titanium spoon just as much as the Bio-Uno Long, but for different reasons. Titanium doesn’t snap under pressure, lasts a lifetime, and feels more like a spoon you have in your kitchen drawer at home.
Toaks Titanium 3-Piece Cutlery Set Review: The Cutlery Set has dedicated spoon and fork functionality, but with the addition of a knife. If you’re looking for an ultralight set with the same familiarity and functionality of home silverware, look no further.
