Stanley Vacuum Flask and Mugs

It goes without saying that a hot or cold drink (depending on the time of year) and certain food items are necessities for the longer session hunter; especially if hide shooting – a technique that requires you spend quite some time watching and waiting for your quarry to appear! While there are many thermos flasks and insulated containers available to transport and keep your drinks at the required temperature, many agree that there are few more respected brands than Stanley.

Stanley Flasks are an iconic brand with a 100-year pedigree in the manufacture of containers designed to keep fluids and food such as soup hot. In fact, it was company founder William Stanley Jnr, who in 1913, was responsible for changing the way hot drinks were stored for outdoor use, by fusing vacuum insulation with the strength of steel in one portable vessel; and so was created the all-steel vacuum bottle we now take for granted.

Huge range

The choice they offer is a large and varied one; however, I’ve chosen items that I feel of most interest to the hunter, from what is known as the ‘Classic’ range. All products in this range share a commonality of build, being manufactured using 18/8 rustproof (BPA free) stainless steel and have a distinctive green coloured ‘hammer-tone’ tough outer finish

First up are the Thermos Flasks: graded by the amount of liquid they hold, the flasks are available in 0.471L, 0.74L 1L and 1.3L – the larger two having foldaway handles, while the smaller pair does not. They feature a strong, screw-on top cap, with an air tight seal, plus a screw-on insulated stainless steel cup. They’re rated as being able to keep fluids hot or cold for 24-hours; however, what must be noted is that every time you unscrew the flask to have a drink, the temperature of the fluid inside is open to the elements, so in real time usage – your ‘brew’ does lose its temperature accordingly.

That nicely brings me to the latest addition to the range; these being the ‘One Hand Vacuum Mugs.’ As the name clearly implies, they can be operated one-handed. After filling from a flask, the uniquely designed top is screwed back onto the mug. On one side of the cover cap is a large rectangular button, that when pressed inwards, opens a small oval shaped mouthpiece on the opposite upper side of the cap, allowing you to take a sip of your drink. Releasing the button seals the aperture again, keeping your beverage’s temperature sealed inside. This lessens exposure to the outside while open, resulting in the liquid retaining its temperature far longer than if continually opening and closing a conventional flask and certainly keeps the contents far warmer than if they’d been poured into an open topped insulated mug.

Two sizes are available, with the 0.35-litre keeping liquids hot for four-hours and cold for 20-hours; while the 0.47-litre mug will keep drinks hot for six-hours and cold for 24-hours. For foods, such as soup or chilli, there’s the very useful 0.5L ‘Classic Food Jar.’ Similar in design to the flasks (including handle), it obviously has a wider neck and screw on Stainless Steel serving bowl and is capable of keeping suitable food items hot for 12-hours.