A long-lasting camping mug that’s portable and well-insulated to keep your drinks warm can spell success for your camping excursion. Whether you’re a coffee addict, or it’s water, juice, or beer that you’re carrying along to camp, you need your fluids well contained and kept warm, hot, or cold, as you’d prefer. Choosing the right camping mug can be a difficult task. Lucky for you, we’ve put together this list of mugs that are poised to make your next camping trip even more exciting. We’ll also delve into the features that make an outstanding camping mug. Read on.
Best Camping Mugs
Here are some of the best mugs for 2021. These mugs favor many outdoor lovers and would easily feature in the trips you’re planning in the days to come.
1. Yeti Rambler 10 Oz Stackable Mug
Yeti has unleashed yet another classic drinking vessel in the Rambler 10 oz stackable mug. From a distance, the mug looks ordinary, but a closer look reveals that Yeti has considered the needs of outdoor lovers. The mug is insulated from top to bottom, retaining the temperature of your hot beverages or cold drinks from your first sip till you empty the mug. The mug is made in a stackable model thanks to its built-in grooves at the mug base, which allow for packing that saves on space. The stainless steel vacuum-insulated wall is an improvement to its earlier ceramic version. It’s durable, easy to clean, and safe to use since it’s BPA-free. The Yeti Rambler Mug is ideal for all manner of outdoor activities ranging from hiking, mountaineering, camping at the beach, or fishing. It has a capacity of 9.92 Ounces.
2. Tru Blu Stainless Steel Camping Mugs
This mug makes that perfect gift for any outdoor lover that you treasure. With a sleek metal design, the mug’s ergonomics are on another level. It’s comfortable to hold and drink out of. Made with the latest technology, the double-wall vacuum insulated stainless steel mug will keep your drink hot or cold for hours on end. Like the popular Yeti version, Tru Blu Camping Mug also has a no sweat and no condensation surface. Whether you’re hiking in the tortuous wilderness or car camping, these unbreakable mugs are just what you need to make your adventure complete.
3. Life Gear Stainless Steel Double Walled Camping Mug
This lightweight camping mug is ideal for rock climbing, mountaineering, and backpacking, thanks to its carabiner clip handle for enhanced portability. Its double-walled architecture offers perfect insulation that keeps hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. Besides, the mug is easy to clean and durable with a stainless steel structure. You’ll find this mug a worthy addition, if not a constant fixture, on your camping checklist.
4. Hydro Flask Travel Coffee Mug
Glamorous to drink out of, the Hydro Flask Travel Coffe Mug is not only appealing but also efficient with a sturdy stainless steel structure. The mug’s insulation mechanism is exceptional, keeping your drinks hot or cold hour after hour. It’s also BPA-free and features a creative leak-proof lid that’s properly insulated.
5. GSI Outdoors Infinity Backpacker Mug
The GSI Outdoors Infinity Backpacker Mug is an eco-friendly and cleverly-designed mug that’s BPA-free and made out of 100% recycled polypropylene. The mug keeps your contents insulated from the elements by a neoprene sleeve. The mug is not only compact but also readily collapsible for your convenience as you enjoy your weekend outdoors. A brilliant feature is the sealable sip-it lid that keeps out dirt and critters. Featuring collapsible fabric handles, the mug is easily portable for the regular backpacker. Lastly, the mug comes with a lifetime guarantee for manufacturing defects, a sign of confidence by GSI regarding the quality of their product.
6. TeaMaX Collapsible Silicone Camping Mugs With Lids
This mug would be patched on top of the league table when it comes to portability. TeaMax has produced a collapsible mug that can be compressed from a height of eight inches to a mere 2.8 inches. This highly compact mug personifies convenience to the outdoor enthusiast who’s ever trying to save on space in their backpack. Grab this mug and collapse it into an insignificant pile that can be readily stashed away in your backpack. As a bonus, the mug is easily washable.
7. E-Far Enamel Camping Mug
Whether camping, hiking, or backpacking, as an outdoor enthusiast, you’d want this mug. Made from responsibly-chosen material and heavily coated in enamel that’s durable, the mug is itself nostalgic and attractive to behold. Its curled lip makes for a better drinking experience as you sip your hot chocolate from your sleeping cabin in the woods. The 16-oz E-Far Enamel mug is decorated with unfading, aesthetic designs on both sides and fitted with a handle for a firm grip. The huge capacity of the mug enables you to get a satisfying serving of your preferred beverage. This mug would make for that perfect gift item too. It’s easy to clean by hand and is safe for the oven. You’re cautioned against using it in the microwave.
8. Brovino Stainless Steel Camping Mugs
The Brovino Stainless Steel Coffe Mug takes the crown as the most durable mug in a field crowded with worthy contestants. Made from double-walled insulation of high-quality stainless steel, these mugs will keep your drinks at the desired temperature and also comfortably survive the hard knocks of camping life and come out unscathed after years of use. They’re excellent at keeping your beverages from spillages as they’re equipped with a vacuum-sealed lid.
9. TeamFar Tea Camping Mug Set
If you’re looking for a set of cups with a classic feel and suitable for group camping, look no further. The TeamFar Tea Coffe Mug Set has put together a set of four mugs idyllic for such scenarios. The mugs feature a ceramic coating, while the interior is made of enamel for durability. The enamel layer is rust-resistant and gives the cup a shiny visual appeal. Each set consists of four mugs, each with its unique color; blue, red, yellow, and green. With that, you can easily identify your cup from the set. Each mug has a capacity of 12-oz.
Choosing Camping Mugs
Certain factors make a camping mug an irreplaceable inclusion on your camp’s packing list. We’ll look at some of the most critical ones.
Types of Camping Mugs
Before we get to know what to consider when choosing the best camping mugs, let’s explore the common types of camping mugs:
Tumblers – tend to taper downwards, therefore, have a narrower bottom and a broader mouth. It is easily portable, given that it easily fits into cup holders. On the downside, it runs the risk of spilling your drink, although lids can mitigate this problem.Mugs – tend to take the traditional mug design entailing a broad block-like structure complete with a handle. The handle is convenient when drinking out of it but turns into a packing nightmare when it prevents the cup from fitting into cup holders.Flasks – Ideal for keeping drinks hot or cold over an extended time as they’re effectively insulated, preventing any drink spillage.
Here’s what to look for when choosing the best camping mug.
Material
Along with the mug design, the build material is one of the most vital considerations when choosing a camping mug. Plastic, ceramics, stainless steel, titanium, and enamel are materials that cup-makers commonly use. Due to the weaknesses associated with the different materials, manufacturers occasionally combine them to make mugs overcome such shortcomings. Here are the pros and cons of the individual materials:
Plastic Camping Mugs
Plastics are relatively durable, inexpensive, and lightweight. They can survive falls, although they have higher wear and tear compared to other mug building materials. Besides, lower plastic quality tends to scratch easily. Plastics may also impact the flavor of your favorite beverage, and certain plastics have the potential to leach undesirable chemicals into your drink. Plastic mugs have low heat-insulating power compared to the other options and therefore cannot maintain your drink’s heat. Though subjective, plastics do not feel as prestigious to drink out of compared to ceramics, enamel, or stainless steel. If you choose to buy a plastic mug, check for one that’s BPA-free for added safety.
Stainless Steel Camping Mugs
Stainless steel is, doubtless, the most durable of the materials used for making mugs. They’re tough against breakages, corrosion, and degradation. Moreover, stainless steel is inexpensive and can endure years of use without showing glaring signs of depreciation. Stainless steel is, however, poor at heat retention but is fantastic if it’s vacuum insulated like in the double-walled mug. A major drawback is that cheaper versions of stainless steel can impart a metallic flavor to your drink, potentially wrecking the pure taste of your chocolate drink, particularly if you boast of astute taste buds.
Ceramic Camping Mugs
Ceramics easily chip or break, making them the most fragile compared to other materials. A drama-packed camping adventure, particularly with children, can end with your ceramic mugs damaged, particularly if they’re purely made from ceramics. What’s good with ceramic mugs is that they have nil impact on the flavor of your drink. When it comes to heat retention, ceramics are better than plastics but less efficient than double-walled stainless steel mugs.
Titanium Camping Mugs
Titanium mugs are ultralightweight, good insulators, extremely durable and stylish, and do not affect the taste of their content. You can enjoy all these benefits, but you’ll need to afford what’s on the price tag.
Enamel
Enamel mugs are nostalgic and can be extremely colorful. Cupping your arms around them heats you as you watch the morning dew. They’re all that a good mug should be, or so it seems. With a unique aesthetic appeal and that they do not impart any taste to your drink, they’re a near-perfect choice. Their major undoing is that they don’t keep drinks hot, and the enamel tends to chip off.
Portability
Whether car camping or backpacking, easily stackable mugs and collapsable mug versions would make efficient use of space, particularly if you’re camping as a large group. Since mugs are generally small and light, particular design features can make them more portable than others. For example, rigid handles may make it difficult to stack several mugs together or slip them into a cup holder in a backpack.
Design
With multiple mug design options available, the choice boils down to personal preference. Whether you’ll have a handle or not on your mug, the type of lid or insulation required all squarely depend on you.
Mug Handles
Choosing to have a mug with a handle makes it easy to handle your drink. But the handles on the mug may impede your ability to encircle your hands around that enamel cup for additional warmth. What’s more, since space is extremely precious for backpackers, handles may hinder your mugs’ stackability, thus consuming more space. Inventions to overcome these challenges have led to the development of mugs with foldable handles or fabric handles that are easily collapsible.
Lids
The hustle and bustle common in a hiking camp is sufficient notice that you ensure your drinks are tightly secured to avoid spillages. Otherwise, you’ll be left high and dry with your hot chocolate spilling away in the cabin or around the campfire. Investing in a mug with a lid would help keep your drink safe from spilling allover and maintain its warmth. Check out if your lid has a sip hole that’s easy to drink out of. Also, ensure it securely fits into the mug to prevent spillage.
Versatility
Ideal camping mugs should be usable for varying functions. They shouldn’t be too limited in functionality. The mug should help you maintain hot drinks hot and keep the cold ones cold and be appropriate for car camping or backpacking in varying scenarios.
Capacity
The rule of thumb here is to acquire a camping mug that adequately meets your needs while hiking. How much drink will you need to gulp down? Can it handle the intended volumes of soup, cereal, cold drink, or hot beverage? To go for a large capacity mug or a pretty petite one will all depend on your requirements.
Parting Words
Choosing the best camping mug should be much easier by now. Your personal preference, camping needs, packing space, and budget all play a significant role in settling for the right mug from our list of nine of the greatest available in the market at the moment.
