Tramping mugs...which one is for you?

What makes for a great camping mug?

One of the great pleasures of tramping and other outdoor activities is sitting around with a group of like minded people and chatting about life, love and the general state of the world. These types of encounters are always enhanced with some kind of drink in hand and make the physically demanding rigors of walking for hours carrying a pack more bearable. 

Hut life...a mixed group enjoying the pleasures of the hut....

The beverage you are consuming could be hot or cold...alcoholic or teetotal but the one thing they all have in common is they need some sort of drinking vessel to hold them in. A cup or mug suitable for holding a variety of liquids is one of the most important pieces of kit you can carry. What is that morning cup of coffee without a sturdy mug to hold in your hands....?

A tasty pre dinner Cup-O-Soup at Wharewharangi Hut

I have used a multitude of different cups and mugs during my tramping adventures and I thought it might be a good idea to look at what makes a great tramping mug. We will also look at some different materials used for cups/mugs and discuss their pros and cons. 

Jon enjoys a pot of tea at North Arm Hut, Rakuira

Finally I will discuss what I personally carry when going out into the backcountry. 

What constitutes a great tramping mug?

Before discussing materials and product options I think we should first consider what makes a great drinking vessel for tramping. Different people will have different criteria depending on the type of tramping they do, the style of their outdoor adventures and how much they are wiling to carry. For example a ultra light long trail walker will probably drink from their cook pot (if they even have one) whilst your cyclist, kayaker, car camper or 4 W/D enthusiast has a vehicle to haul heavier items in. 

Using my cooking pot as a tea cup...John Tait Hut, 2018

I have a hierarchy of criteria based on my own needs which dictates what I am carrying and they fall into the following areas:

1. Weight: How heavy is the item and is it heavier than necessary or can I find something lighter? This will be dictated by your tramping style to a certain degree. You should always try to minimise weight when purchasing new outdoor gear. Extra weight leads to more fatigue, slower pace and a less enjoyable tramp. 

2. Purpose: What do I need it for and can it fill more than one purpose negating the need for extra equipment? What is it going to hold..cold and hot drinks, soup, cold soak, cooked food etc?  Can it be used for multiple outdoor activities? A multipurpose piece of kit is better than one with a limited set of uses...

...multi purpose gear...using a large metal mug as a cook pot.....

3. Material: I mostly tramp/walk which means bashing, drops, knocks and general rough handling conditions. Anything I carry must be sturdy & rugged enough to survive the hard life it is going to endure. Don't go overboard here...it doesn't have to last for 40+ years but it should survive me dropping it on the hut floor a couple of times. 

4. Size: What size of mug do you need for the adventures you undertake? Do you enjoy massive cups of coffee of a morning or just a stronger thimbleful?  Will your mug have a second role as your food bowl? You should probably go for a larger size so that it can be used for a multitude of uses but be cognizant of weight issues... 

BTW: in JonWorld (TM) an oversized tea cup is actually called a BBT or Big Bastid Tea...just so you know...

Now that is one big bastid of a tea mug.....

5. Cost: This is a lesser concern but do I want to spend lots of money on a super-duper branded item or can I buy something similar from a chain retailer for much less. Don't spend big on those ancillary items...plates, cups, basic clothing etc. Spend your money on the essential items (pack/mat/sleeping bag/wet weather gear/boots) which favor using quality brands. 

6. Ascetics: This is not important to me but a lot of people must have the right shape, color, size, design. I could honestly care less...if it does the job I'm quite happy to suck my Lifers Juice out of a pink princess cup.....

What you are looking for should be a combination of all these factors which addresses most if not all of them. You will probably need to compromise as very little equipment is going to perfectly fit all your criteria..just get as close as possible.  

Types of drinking vessels for tramping.....

There are a variety of materials used in the production of outdoor drinking vessels but some materials such as glass, ceramic, bamboo and wood are not suitable mainly due to weigh and durability issues. The vessels commonly used basically break down into three main materials. These are metal, hard plastic and soft plastics (such as silicone).

Enjoying a brew at Totaranui Campgrounds in 2019

 Lets have a look at each of these in turn and consider their good and bad points. 

Metal mugs:

Metal is an excellent material for outdoor cup ware as it is rugged, easily cleaned, cheap and durable. the main problem with metal cups are that they tend to be heavier than plastics and they conduct heat well which means you often burn yourself on them. Many different metals are used: aluminum, tin, stainless steel, titanium and enamelware. Prices range from just a few dollars for cheap enamel mugs up to $50 for a quality branded titanium mug. 

'Brewing up' in the bed of the Blue Grey River back in 2015

One of the iconic items of Kiwiana is the enameled metal cup. These have been a fixture of the backcountry and outdoor living for as long as Europeans have lived in this country. Made by many companies they are great as a camping mug as the enamel makes the metal less likely to burn you. They are also very hard wearing, easy to clean and cheap. 

A typical cheap enamel mug...

You often see people (especially older trampers) using these mugs in huts and at campsites. 

An enamel and a stainless mug at use at Onetahuaiti Beach...

Another option is one of the many different types of cup-canteen used by military forces around the world. Made of heavier grade aluminum or stainless steel they are made to be carried in webbing gear with an integral water bottle. I have one from my Army days which was manufactured in 1972 so it is nearly 50 years old and still as good as the day they made it...

Military style cup canteen (US Army circa 1960-1990)

The handle often folds down or under the cup canteen making them a smaller item to store. These may double as your cooking pot which negates the need for another piece of kit. I have seen modern iterations of this in stores recently...Gerber/Bear Gryyls was one of the brands also Coughlin's, Esbit and no name Chinese knock offs.

A Gerber/Bear Gryyls cup canteen

The most regularly seen mug is one of the many metal camp mugs made by just about every outdoor retailer in the world. If using a metal camp mug it is a good idea to look for a double skin version as they will allow you to drink without burning your lips. They are also slightly insulated so will keep your drink warm for longer. 

A cheap Campmaster brand mug from Mitre 10 Hardware

Any of these mugs would work a treat outdoors but we should also consider the other material camp mugs are often made from which is plastic...

Hard plastics mugs:

Most people today will be using some form of plastic cup or mug when they are out on their outdoor adventures. Plastic is an ideal material for camp ware...it is light, durable, easy to clean and cheap. You can spend as little or as much on a mug as you like.

A white plastic mug I have used in the past...

 

Possibly the cheapest option is to go to a big box store like the Warehouse, Briscoes or even the local supermarket and look at what they have to offer. I have a white plastic K-Mart mug I sometimes take on trips that cost me $3 NZD and it works fine. Have a look around home...I bet you have one of these mugs in the cupboard...

A cheap hard plastic mug from a chain store...

If you wanted to go a bit more upmarket you might look at one of the cheaper outdoor stores like Mountain Equipment or Hunting and Fishing. These stores sell all types of outdoor cook ware...the melamine mug below is from Mountain Equipment and costs only $6. They are usually more colorful and show purpose design features.

Melamine mug from Mountain Equipment

If you are a total gear head then the sky is the limit...you can spend up to $100 buying a outdoor mug (don't...that is stupid money for a plastic cup...) from a brand like Kathmandu, Macpac, Sea to Summit, REI, Marmot, GSI, MSR etc. etc. A Sea to Summit X Mug or Thermo Mug will retail for around $15-$20 and some of these fancy ones will have lids, thermal sleeves, volume graduations etc. 

A Sea to Summit Thermo Mug

Are they any better? No...not really...they are branded but they basically do the same job as that cheap $3 dollar K-Mart mug. If buying a hard plastic mug just be aware that it will get bashed around a lot on trail. Try not to buy very hard plastics like Melamine as they easily shatter. The mug should have a degree of flexibility so a semi hard plastic is the best base material.

Soft plastics:

Aside from hard plastics there is a growing range of softer silicone based mugs and cups on the market. The premium brand in this area is Sea To Summit with their X-Cup and X-Mug range. The body of these are baffled, folding silicone with a hard base and lip. When stored they make a neat round package about a cm thick and they unfold into a 250ml or 480 ml drinks vessel.

Sea to Summit X-Cup

There is a whole range of this folding camp ware from Sea To Summit; cups, mugs, plates, bowls even metal bottomed pots/pans/kettles. The main advantage of this system is the small size of the folded item...it will easily fit under the cook pot in your cooking gear storage bag. 

The whole Sea to Summit X range of camp ware

UCO use a similar idea but with their own particular twist...their cups/mugs have a solid top and handle and a folding bottom. This means they are easier to hold and drink from but with the added space saving aspect the folding bottom provides. 

A UCO collapsible mug in silicone and plastic

Here is another example of folding cup used by the British Army....the top of these silicone mugs fold down into the main body. This makes them smaller and easier to pack into a mess kit or cook pot. Not a bad option...I have used one of these before and it works adequately enough to be considered. 

Collapsible silicone mug as used by British Army

The main downside of all of these mugs is durability...these will not last as long as a metal or hard plastic mug. They can also be more difficult to use as the heat is more readily transferred through the material...you might burn yourself with these. The constant folding/unfolding is likely to cause splits especially on the ones which have baffles. 

Thermo flasks:

We should not forget the thermos flask as a possible outdoor mug...when I talk about thermo flasks I really mean those thermo travel mugs you get for coffee and other hot drinks. 

A Kathmandu thermo travel mug.....

They actually make good camp mugs as most of them are made from light materials, they are durable and most have a lid to keep the heat in. If you are going to use one of these have a really good look around and find one that is as light as possible. 

Thermos coffee travel mug...

You shouldn't discount actual flasks either...there is a bewildering range of them available in many different shops and they work well to keep hot drinks warm and cold drinks cool. 

A metal thermal vacuum flask...

Again look for as light as possible and make sure the inner is metal and not glass as the glass ones break very easily. 

Karen's thermal flask in use in Hanmer Forest Park

Thermos Flasks also have a time and place in the outdoors but they tend to be very heavy so they are not suitable as a mug for trampers and hikers. These are excellent for holding a brew/soup on a day walk or casual stroll...Karen has a quality Stanley flask that will keep the contents warm for up to 6-7 hours....

Classic Thermos flask....

So now we have looked at materials and types of mugs let us look at what I am currently using when I go on my outdoor adventures.

What I use when tramping....

My gear is constantly changing and evolving...I think about how my gear has performed after each trip and if it is not ideal I look for an alternate. I have also started to swap out my initial gear with newer better equipment as finances allow. 

This is my currently gear load:

Sea to Summit X-Mug: 

Karen brought me a new tramping stove for Christmas so I brought myself a new folding X-Mug to go with it. These mugs are made of silicone with a solid base and rim and fold down to a disk about a cm thick and it fits perfectly on top of my stove in its storage bag. Yet to be used in the field....I brought mine from Bivouac Outdoor for around $20.

Sea to Summit X-Cup...open and folded closed

The Sea to Summit X-Mug 

Sea to Summit Delta Mug:

I replaced my metal camp cup with a plastic Sea To summit Delta Cup early last year so it went on all of the overnight trips I undertook in 2020. It is an excellent mug...thick enough to let me hold hot drinks, tough, easy to clean and it has graduations on the inside for measuring hot water for meals. I will continue to use this mug and in fact I have brought Karen one as well....

A hard plastic Sea to Summit Delta Mug...

Here are some photos of the Delta Mug in use...

Its propping up my Cheez-its but you get the idea...

Breakfast of champions...O-Meal Hashbrowns and coffee!

Brew time at Moonlight Tops Hut on the Paparoa Track

A mug of soup with dinner...Luxmore Hut

This is my main mug for overnight and multiday trips using my lite cooking kit...they cost from $12-$20.

Kiwi camping metal mug:

Prior to the Delta Mug I was using a double walled Kiwi Camping metal mug on my outdoor adventures. It had accompanied me on a number of trips over the years but has been relegated to my day pack as a mug for tea, soup etc. when out day walking. 

Morning coffee at Howdon Hut in late 2019...

Having a brew in my Kiwi Camping mug..

Dinnertime at Woolshed Hut in 2020...

A perfect example of why this material makes for a good mug....

Toaks TI 1.3l pot:

In an effort to lighten my load I sometimes just leave the mugs and plates etc. at home and eat/drink straight out of my cooking pot. My main pot is a Toaks Titanium 1.3 liter pot...it certainly fulfills the role of Big Bastid Tea vessel very well...

Boiling water in my Toaks Ti cook pot....Hawdon Hut

My lite weight cook kit in action at Bark Bay Hut, August 2020

I'm getting old now and I prefer the comfort and class of drinking out of a mug and I actually enjoy not burning my lips on the edge of the pot....

Generic thermo mug:

Karen and I brought a couple of cheap metal thermo mugs for use when we go camping and tramping. We have used them a couple of times on day walks...they are excellent camp mugs as they have a lid to keep the contents warm and they keep bugs out of your brew. 

Using my travel mug at the Pororairi River in 2020

Well...hopefully that will help some people decide what kind of drinking vessel they will carry when they head outdoors. 

BTW: I am walking the Paparoa Track next week so come back soon for some new Trip Reports including this Great Walk track...