Up until a few months ago I was of the opinion that vacuum flasks were of no use in relation to bushcraft. I believed they were only useful for taking a hot drink to your place of work. Or perhaps a family picnic. How wrong could I have been? After visiting Northern Sweden in mid winter back in January this year I soon learnt the error of my ways…
In this frozen land of ice and snow it is very important you stay hydrated. It is all to easy to not drink enough, especially when you are outdoors, exerting yourself. Of course carrying a normal water bottle is not an option. At an ambient temperature of minus thirty five it wouldn’t be too long before the bottle and its contents became frozen. It would also be impractical to have to stop and boil water using a stove or fire every time you needed a drink, especially if you are on the move. So, in this situation a vacuum flask is the ideal answer. It can be filled with boiling water at the start of the day. After taking your first drink you can if you wish add snow, this will of course cool the liquid contained in the flask but will in effect give you extra drinking water before needing to stop, boil some more water and refill the flask
You can also fill your flask with boiling water at the end of the evening just before you turn in for the night. This will give you an instant drink anytime you wish through the night and even that first morning drink while you’re still snug and warm in your sleeping bag.
Of course in the past vacuum flasks had their downside. They used to be made of plastic with a glass insert. Not very robust and not likely to stand up to the rigours of outdoor life. Then of course came the leap to stainless steel vacuum flasks which were much more robust but… heavy and quite bulky.
Now though there is a new breed of vacuum flask available. Stainless steel and strong but also lightweight and compact
I bought one of these new types of flask a couple of months ago on the recommendation of friend, and so far I am very pleased with the results.
I bought a Thermos Thermax Lightweight 1L Flask. As you can obviously tell from its title it’s made by Thermos and has a one litre capacity. The flask is very light, about half the weight of a traditional stainless steel flask. it is also much more compact. It has a handle fitted to the side which rather cleverly folds into itself when not in use so it lies flat against the body of the flask making it much more easy to stow in your rucksack. Mine fit’s perfectly in the side pocket of my rucksack making it easily accessible.
Handle closed.
Handle open.
It comes with an integral mug which is itself stainless steel with a plastic insert, making it ideal for cold weather conditions as the plastic insert also forms the lip of the mug which means your lips don’t come into contact with the metal when drinking (quite important in extreme cold for obvious reasons).
The mug screws onto the top of the flask, covering the stopper, The stopper screws onto the flask sealing the filling hole. However, you do not have to remove the stopper to pour your drink. You simply press a button on the front of the stopper and a lid flips open to allow you to pour your drink through a small pouring hole. This certainly helps to save on spills.
Pouring spout open.
Unlike other flasks I have owned in the past I find myself carrying this one on a regular basis due to its lightweight and compact dimensions. It can quite easily be used instead of a normal water bottle and like all vacuum flasks, will keep drinks cool as well as hot. An added bonus if you find yourself in warmer climbs.
Stopper removed ready for filling.
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