Vacuum Flask

Quixoticgeek

Section Hiker
Autumn is well and truly here, which means winter won't be far behind it. I've been pondering getting a thermos for use when winter hiking. What is the current best option for a flask that can keep the tea hot for ages, but doesn't weigh a ton?

Julia
 

happycamper

Trail Blazer
If I want a hot drink on an Autumn/winter day hike I bring my Jetboil Sol. Gives more options than just a flask. No major weight penalty as you can collect water on your walk rather than carrying it.
 

Quixoticgeek

Section Hiker
The other reason for wanting a vacuum flask is to carry some liquid water to make it easier to make up snowball soup. Have you tried melting all your snow/water needs using a Sol?

Julia
 

EM - paul

Thru Hiker
Where is it you are planning on going? Snowball soup is mostly a Scandinavian menu choice where water courses are likely to be frozen solid or you are not carrying an auger to get to it. For UK you wont need it. Ive bought Gucci flasks and ive bought tesco £5 jobs. The tesco ones performed as well as a spendy stanley.
 

Quixoticgeek

Section Hiker
Where is it you are planning on going? Snowball soup is mostly a Scandinavian menu choice where water courses are likely to be frozen solid or you are not carrying an auger to get to it. For UK you wont need it. Ive bought Gucci flasks and ive bought tesco £5 jobs. The tesco ones performed as well as a spendy stanley.

Right now, my main expedition plan is to the local bike shop and then a supermarket for some breakfast.

What's on the planning table? well scandewegia is on that list. I try to avoid double purchasing, so as well as purchasing for a winter walk through the Weald, I also purchase with a ski trip through the boreal forest in mind.

Julia
 

EM - paul

Thru Hiker
Not that ive seen. you can get double wall titanium bottles and flasks but they are crazy expensive, mostly 500ml and mostly China only. They also dont keep stuff warm long from what ive heard. For snowball soup all you really need to do is stop water freezing. Ive found that sticking a 1.5l nalgene in your sleeping bag at night accomplishes that just fine. When walking in the day you can slip a boiling bottle in a neoprene or reflectix jacket and that will do the job fine too.
 

Mole

Thru Hiker
Thermos Ultimate is lighter and better IME. I have a 750ml one which was recommended by loads of people when the subject is discussed on OM.
We work outside and have got through loads of flasks over the years. If they are cheap, and they keep things hot, the lid usually fails. Avoid popup lids/spouts - they will break at some point. For work, Aladdin Challenger have been best and not ever needed replacing . Also, assuming the flask is decent, I've found, the larger the capacity the better the performance.
 

happycamper

Trail Blazer
The other reason for wanting a vacuum flask is to carry some liquid water to make it easier to make up snowball soup. Have you tried melting all your snow/water needs using a Sol?

Julia
It doesn't snow where I live so I have not had to melt snow for water. If I did go somewhere where I needed to melt snow I'd bring my msr wind pro with pre heat and a big pot.
I own one if the thermos flasks the guys are linking to. They are very good but I still prefer to bring a stove.
 

Quixoticgeek

Section Hiker
384g for a thermos ultimate 0.8l. Looks like that will be the best I can find. Given a 1L nalgene is 176g, that's a pretty good weight. Only marginally heavier than my 1L SS nalgene too. Will stick it on the shopping list.

Cheers everyone who replied.

J
 

Teepee

Thru Hiker
Another option is to use a Nalgene cozy. Won't keep the tea as hot for as long but IME it'll stay hot enough for a good few hours. I remember nearly scalding my mouth on one that had spent 4 hours in my mates pack at -20c, wasn't expecting it to be that hot.

A dead easy DIY job too to make one. Some Reflectix/Insulbright/reflective CCF mat would make a very efficient cozy.

I stick to the Thermos 1l stainless flasks, only flasks that haven't broken. Aladdin, Stanley, various others have all died quickly for me over the years.
 

Jacko1066

Ultralighter
Just to wade in a bit, I did a test on a stainless steel Tesco flask before our Estonia trip, filled it up with a litre of boiling water, left it outside all night on a cold winters night, the water was still too hot to drink in the morning!!

Heavy, yes, but great value!! This is also a flask that's easily 9 years old!!
 

shaggystu

Summit Camper
Another option is to use a Nalgene cozy. Won't keep the tea as hot for as long but IME it'll stay hot enough for a good few hours. I remember nearly scalding my mouth on one that had spent 4 hours in my mates pack at -20c, wasn't expecting it to be that hot...

I use a 500ml screw top plastic beaker, from tesco/sainsbury with a neoprene can cozy, it keeps drinks hot for a good couple of hours.
 

JKM

Thru Hiker
Just a note on the Thermos Ultimate.

I have been seriously impressed with this flask. I don't take it into the hills much but I do take it on winter kayak trips, have it in the car for after a day walk, fill it with mulled wine for an evenings punting on the Cam etc...

It's main use though is brewing my tea at work (T2 New York Breakfast, if you are interested)

I just opened a flaskfull that I made at 2pm on Friday and then forgot about.
46 hours later I have drunk it at a perfect temperature (imho) of 57°c.
:)

For the type of tea I make, the flask does not 'stew' the tea either. It only seems to start to oxidise once it has been opened.
 

Nigelp

Thru Hiker
I love the Thermos Ultimate flask for very hot winter drinks. I have just bought the drinking flask/cup version. Works very well indeed because use you have to be careful you don’t burn your mouth!
 
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Lemming

Trail Blazer
A seconder for the Zojirushi travel mug - I have the 600ml one, which weighs 222g and stays very hot for a long time.

Two 480ml ones at 200g each compare well to a 1l Thermos...
 

edh

Thru Hiker
For anyone using the Zojirushi travel mug or similar thermos you can sip from.....how do they handle slightly viscous liquids in regard to how well can you drink from the sipper feature ?

I'm thinking lentil soup (obvs blended) and the ilk ?
 

Lyrrad

Trail Blazer
Looking around this forum I've never seen any mention of Thermos Ultimate 700/750ml. dispatched from Amazon EU. In fact Thermos website seems to make no mention of it on EU/US or UK websites

Is this the 'normal' Ultimate range that people here always recommend?
 
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