This post is in homage to our friend Emily who is making her way from London eastwards around the world. The last time I heard she was cycling her way through Iran, mostly staring glumly at her morning porridge, since she has lost her trusty friend, the Spork.
A Spork, for you who are not in the know, is a spoon and a fork joined together. Simply THE best cooking tool when camping or cycle touring, it is truly your best friend when you’re in need.
The benefit to a hungry cyclist is evident: the Spork feeds you. You simply cannot cook or eat without one. That sneaky scoop of peanut butter or Nutella, stirring your pasta or whacking a annoying fly away. It’s all done by your Spork.
The cry from a tourer who has lost his/her favourite Spork is a plaintive one which can be head many miles away. Sometimes it’s good that tents don’t have windows.
In our ever-readyness and over-packing we have not one, not two, but FOUR Sporks in our kitchen. Like the Hitch Hiker’s Guide fan who always knows where his or her towel is, a cycle tourer will always know where his or her Spork is. Unless you’re our friend Emily, of course. Sorry, Em.
Here is a rundown of our Spork Stable:
Orange Spork: was brought in late to the stable, mainly as cover for the other damaged Sporks. She sadly broke down one early morning when Peli was digging into her porridge.
Green Spork: Was brought in to cover for Lost Spork and has been around the second longest in our little stable. Green Spork is holding on strong.
Pink Spork: I not shy to say that I picked the pink one out of a box that was full of Sporks. It was very easy since they all were Pink. We needed one at the time since we were down to one Spork due to the Lost Spork Situation. I’m also at fault for the light damage it has endured: I was cooking on our Trangia while touring in New Zealand and forgot about it while preparing something else. It has a slightly melted tip. Sorry, Pink Spork.
Lost Spork: Now Lost Spork is the Spork that has been around the longest in our stable. So long, indeed, that we have forgotten what colour it is. Lost Spork was tragically misplaced due to one of the Spork’s greatest features: lightness. I didn’t feel it in the plastic bag that I was turning into a bin bag following a picnic, threw the bag in the bin and in one fell swoop our First Spork turned into Lost Spork. Who knows where he is now?
Blue Spork: Joined us as an extra Spork, in “a just in case” Spork position. Blue Spork did a sterling job around New Zealand while standing in for Pink Spork, since she now had retired to more dedicated jobs, such as scraping the last out of the Nutella jar. Blue Spork sustained a minor injury when we were washing him up too enthusiastically following a mini tour in Exmoor.
So, it’s clear to see that one can never have too many Sporks. But, due to the fact that ours are getting used so heavily, it might be time to upgrade to more heavy duty ones, Titanium Sporks. Watch this space.
And, Emily, we hope you are reunited with your old/get a new Spork soon!
UPDATE: Sadly Pink spork committed harakiri upon arrival of our Titanium sporks. It must be the rivalry between them, since plastic and titanium don’t even want to spoon each other.
Only just seen this. Fabulous.