Thermos

[MadRiver]

I’ve lost count how many times I have broken a glass thermos while hiking. Now I realize that I should use an all metal thermos, yet even if I pour boiling water in it prior to filling it with whatever I plan to drink, it doesn’t stay as warm as the glass. Can someone please give me the name of the absolute best thermos bar none that the Gods use when they are off playing in the snow?? Thanks.

 

[Lefty E]

Well I have been using a COPCO metal thermos, with the push button pouring spout so I don't have to take the top off to pour..I usually put it in a mitten to help keep the heat..also have a thermos metal non push button and it loses heat faster even when in the mitten...but this may not be the best ever, I m sure someone else has a better one!!!

 

[peakbagger]

Well if you look around on Ebay you may be able to find a Nissan Titanium Thermos. They were lightweight and had good reviews but not many folks wanted to layout $190 for a thermos. I have seen used ones on sale infrequently. I dont expect you could find anything much more effective for the weight. They have been out of production for 10 years so the pickings may be slim.

Snow Peak makes (or made one)http://www.snowpeak.com/tableware/flasks-bottles/titanium-350-kanpai-bottle.html

Basically they are both Dewar Flasks made of titanium. The snow peak looks like it has a wide mouth so it may be less efficient than the Nissan as any surface area that isnt insulated by the vacuum is subject to conductive heat loss.

I have always wondered if someone could use the MRE heaters packaged with MREs to make a relatively instant hot drink heater. I can vouch that when they are activated they crank out copius amounts of heat. I expect the muchreviled instant hot chocolate cups that Walmart used to sell uses the same technology.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Rather than spend $190, ( ) I use a EMS metal thermos. It usually does fine for winter trips.

Here is a trick: Boil more water than you need, and fill it up and let it sit for 15 minutes. If you really have a lot of time and water to waste, let it sit in a pot of boiled/boiling water. Then fill it with freshly boiled water. It will be HOT, maybe too hot to handle, but it will last a lot longer.

A few winters ago, I posted on a product that heats itself when opened. It was expensive, but it just might be worth it.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

What stainless bottles have failed you? I've had fine luck with a pair of LL Bean vacuum bottles - one for coffee/hot chocolate and the other for soup. Tempering with boiling water prior to filling with boiling beverage/soup and they have been plenty hot enough late into the afternoon (8-12 hours later). If I open it at 4-6 hours in and drink/eat half, then it's only lukewarm at 8-12 hours later. I have scalded my mouth 4-6 hours into a winter hike.

A tip: they are very slippery with mittens on - I had mine slide away from me once. I wrapped both thermoses with a thin spiral of duct tape to improve the grip.

Tim

 

[MichaelJ]

I have had wonderful success with the LL Bean 16oz stainless steel vacuum bottles. I've found my soup or cocoa still scalding hot several hours into the hike up on the summit. Tempering (pre-filling with hot water to warm up the inside) is key. Mine is an older generation, here's what LL Bean sells now: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/73389?productId=1218037

Sabrina regrettably just had a lousy experience with a Kleen Kanteen http://www.rei.com/product/800102/k...-wide-mouth-bottle-with-loop-top-cap-16-fl-oz that I bought her - lukewarm only a few hours into the hike.

 

[Brambor]

I use a thermos all the time, be it for sea kayaking trips or for winter hiking/backpacking trips. One thermos I have is from LLBean - their regular all silver thermos and last year I purchased the Nissan thermos. Both of these are excellent. I put hot tea in the thermos at 6am and the tea is still scalding hot at 3pm. Case in point last weekend on my Moosilauke loop: My tea was still hot by 3:30PM when I drank the last cup from the thermos.

 

[Scarpy]

I've been using a Stanley thermos for a couple of years with no issues yet. One for beverages and a wide mouth one for stews/chili. (I don't travel light-but I am comfy)

 

[peakbagger]

I am not advocating buying a titanium thermos but it met his criteria. As long as there is a vacuum between the inner and outer wall and a small opening, whats its made of doesnt really make much difference except for a slight reduction in weight.

 

[WinterWarlock]

HydroFlask

Bar none. I have the 40 oz and a few smaller ones. Took it up Algonquin last winter...-10F in the parking lot, hot tea in the flask. Still hot when I returned to the car later in the day...and it never warmed up above that, but kept getting colder out. Similarly, I used the 21oz one this summer on my bike, in the depths of the heat wave. Still had ice in it at the end of the ride.

Last bit - their 17oz food flask is fantastic for keeping soups warm at any temp.

Truly - I can't recommend this highly enough, because they are by far the best I've owned. Or, in more common Northeast parlance - they're wicked awesome.

 

[TomD]

There is a similar discussion on Trailspace about this very topic, with graphs and everything-
http://www.trailspace.com/forums/gear-selection/topics/135917.html#136315

 

[Maddy]

Thus far it appears that Nissan and Hydroflask are winning with Hydroflask in the lead.

I have one from Starbucks and two from EMS. None of them fit the bill but Starbucks is not bad. It's tall, narrow and holds approx 3 cups.
I am going to try to boil water and fill Starbucks about 11 pm the night before. In the am I will fill again prompto ahd heat an already hot thermos with fresh really hot water. Had read a long time ago that this was the preferred method to really end up with good hot fluids. I like that the cap will allow you to pour out your liguid with just a small twist.


I have found that even in early October when camping, I have much difficulty enjoying a really hot cup of coffee. I cover my cup, and have even sat it on my one burner stove. Of course you need mittens not to burn your hands. If it's the least bit cold out it really cools down fast.

I will say that my fluids are HOT in the Starbucks thermos ~8 hrs later, but even indoors at work they cool down FAST as soon as I fill my cup, much faster that the one I make at home. It's just not great.

 

[TomD]

Forgot to mention, mine is made by Liquid Solutions and works pretty well. Cost less than $20, if I remember right. Stainless steel, not very big, 16-18 oz.

 

[Dana]

I don't use a thermos much for hiking but I do for hunting... you can get really cold when you sit absolutely still for hours in the early morning. Anyway, one thing that really helps is to always keep the thermos upright... the lids are much less well insulated than the body and air conducts heat much less than liquid, so the hot liquid contacting the lid or neck cools it much faster than when the lid is contacting only the air inside above the liquid.

 

[Maddy]

Forgot to mention, mine is made by Liquid Solutions and works pretty well. Cost less than $20, if I remember right. Stainless steel, not very big, 16-18 oz.

Tom...this is the one I don't care for. I checked the name after writing my post today. My Starbucks better but not terrific.

 

[MadRiver]

What stainless bottles have failed you?

Tim

I just checked my two stainleess thermoses and to my horror they are single walled with no vacuum seal. Gee, no wonder why they suck.

 

[Maddy]

Now you know. Time to invest!

 

[sierra]

I have a big thermos and a slim one, both bought at EMS and my water stays hot all day in both. That being said, like others I "warm it" with boiling water first.

 

[erugs]

Brian and I each bought ones we liked at EMS last year. They came in colors and two sizes but I don't see them listed in the online offerings. We like how long they keep our beverages hot, but the fact that they don't have a cup was a drawback. You have to remember to bring your own.

Another lesson I learned was not to heat my water in the microwave. Somehow a rolling boil there is not as hot as a rolling boil on the stove top. And preheating the bottle, and having the preheat water sit in the bottle for a while (an hour?), not just pour it in and pour it out, helps a lot.

 

[erugs]

I just checked my two stainleess thermoses and to my horror they are single walled with no vacuum seal. Gee, no wonder why they suck.

Were they called thermoses or did they just look like they should be? Of course, we all know that Thermos is a brand name for a vacuum sealed bottle.