Your car is your Baselodge

[David Chaus]

Insulated containers have gotten really great over the past decade. I carry a HydroFlask of hot coffee with me for my coaching duties which often take place in sub-freezing shade and it keeps the coffee hot for many hours. Similar containers from Yeti, Kleen Canteen, Manna, and others work similarly well. My 20 oz. HydroFlask fits in a jacket pocket, tho I wouldn't carry it like that for more active skiing. But if you take a light backpack (and I'd think many people will pivot to this model for the coming season given... y'know)? Gold.

OK, I have been looking at insulated beverage containers. Popular Mechanics did a review of a couple dozen, testing how well they minimize heat loss over 24 hours with hot beverages, as well as how well they minimize heat gain over 24 hours with cold beverages.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoor-gear/g3089/best-thermos/

I'm thinking of sticking one in my pack and debating between 18-20oz and maybe 28oz, definitely not 36 oz. I'm liking the idea of the Otter Box with a thermal top but those things get more expensive.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

maybe will go back to uploading with a daypack. used to at Whistler in the 70's and the tree I always hung it on is still there.
I don't recall keeping liquids hot or cold being that big a problem even with the cheap containers we used. A narrow width snug pack that didn't shift during the last run to valley was more important.

 

[LiquidFeet]

...https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoor-gear/g3089/best-thermos/

I'm thinking of sticking one in my pack and debating between 18-20oz and maybe 28oz, definitely not 36 oz. I'm liking the idea of the Otter Box with a thermal top but those things get more expensive.

I've got a great thermos that keeps my coffee hot all day. Last season at 4:00 in the locker room I could still see steam when I pulled it out of my boot bag and opened it. I've thought of carrying that thermos in my backpack as I ski so I won't have to lug my tired old bones back to the car for my necessary coffee. But I think the thermos could break my back if for some reason I fell directly on it. I don't wear a spine protector normally. I'm not planning on falling, but you never know. A hard backwards fall slamming down onto that metal thermos - when the surface is icy and skied-off - could do real damage to the spine. I've looked for a flat flask-shaped insulated thermos but can't find one.

Convince me I shouldn't worry. I want my coffee readily available.

 

[David]

I love my 17oz GSI Microlight when I'm alone or in a pack. In my car or another person I have a Corkcicle.

 

[David Chaus]

Convince me I shouldn't worry. I want my coffee readily available.

When was the last time you fell on your back while skiing? It's not a typical fall for people who know enough to be aware of being in the backseat, and can make adjustments to their fore-aft balance.

So, you're probably awesome. Don't worry.

 

[Wendy]

My car has been my base lodge for various activities. For skiing, I will use:

My heated boot bag
A large-ish, 2quart Yeti thermos and several Yeti drink containers
A Yeti backpack cooler
A folding chair
LL Bean portable ”firepit” with battery-operated fan that burns just one log (only for tailgating)
Ski trax or cat trax ...I forget which ones I have
A platypus flexible water bottle to fit into my jacket pocket
Flask

There’s also a sleeping bag and several space blankets and a fire starting kit in case of emergencies.

 

[LiquidFeet]

Do people regularly carry a cylindrical metal thermos in their backpacks? Is that a thing? I'm talking about a simple backpack meant to save one from walking to the car when leaving things in a lodge is forbidden.

 

[David]

Do people regularly carry a cylindrical metal thermos in their backpacks? Is that a thing? I'm talking about a simple backpack meant to save one from walking to the car when leaving things in a lodge is forbidden.

I never carry a pack skiing a resort. I've seen too many issues on lifts and I'm not taking it off on every lift ride. I also don't leave things in the lodge (without a locker) since a buddy's stuff disappeared. If it doesn't fit in my pockets it doesn't come with me.

 

[KingGrump]

Do people regularly carry a cylindrical metal thermos in their backpacks? Is that a thing? I'm talking about a simple backpack meant to save one from walking to the car when leaving things in a lodge is forbidden.

I am sure one can and some probably do.
I am not a proponent unless I feel an urge to recurve my baby back ribs.

 

[Noodler]

I'm not looking forward to all of the car exhaust that will be pouring out into the air of the parking lots. I already hate walking by a running vehicles up to the lodge. The cool crisp clean air is suddenly trashed by nasty exhaust smoke. Now we're going to have many more vehicles all doing the same. Just my personal pet peeve and I'm not even getting into the environmental impact aspect.

 

[David Chaus]

Do people regularly carry a cylindrical metal thermos in their backpacks? Is that a thing? I'm talking about a simple backpack meant to save one from walking to the car when leaving things in a lodge is forbidden.

I have skied from time to time with my Ortovox pack, with a hydration reservoir, and will likely use it more often this season. I find it’s not a big deal to remove to get on a lift. I’ve had a small thermos on at least one or two occasions when skiing at a leisurely pace with my SO. I’ll see how it goes when I get out there, and re-evaluate.

 

[ski otter 2]

My problem with metal thermoses (stainless steel) is the metallic taste. Many people don't taste it but I do.
Same with the plastic ones.
And the old glass interior ones, like older folks had when kids, are scarce. (I put a cork in mine, instead of the plastic screw lid.)
Picky, I guess.
It's like rancid salad oil. Most people can't taste or smell it, apparently. It's a gene(s), to be able to, I've read.
(They do, at times, sell the old glass-inside ones on Amazon, for example.)

P.S. I have not tried the ceramic-interior ones. They might work for me, dunno.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

While skiing hiking and trips I always have chocolate covered coffee beans on hand.
Certainly not the same as a good cup of coffee but no thermos needed in the backpack.
Searching for an open coffee shop at 3am in a foreign city isn't as urgent either.
And saves a few trips to the washroom.

 

[raytseng]

OK, I have been looking at insulated beverage containers. Popular Mechanics did a review of a couple dozen, testing how well they minimize heat loss over 24 hours with hot beverages, as well as how well they minimize heat gain over 24 hours with cold beverages.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/adventure/outdoor-gear/g3089/best-thermos/

I'm thinking of sticking one in my pack and debating between 18-20oz and maybe 28oz, definitely not 36 oz. I'm liking the idea of the Otter Box with a thermal top but those things get more expensive.

LoL biggest difference for a halfday requirement is your prep and fussiness with the container to prewarm and to raise the starting temp. I can't tell in the article if they had a fatal flaw in their test and did not fairly prewarm the candidates, which then makes the test of the surface area of the inner liner and not about the insulation. They say they started with 190temp water but was that after the first couple min in the thermos or the prepour temp into a roomtemp thermos.
If you do the prewarm steps, I think all the modern ones will perform good enough, and it will split hairs or be a personal preference on other features.

A few years ago i was on a river float (and only 20yr lunchbox thermos with broken glass and you could shake and hear the glass shards. After 4hrs half soaking and getting splashed half in with 50 degree water it still kept hot chocolate hot enough after 4hrs, despite having no vacuum anymore. So even that broken thing was good enough for 4hrs

That being said i go with the original so that is thermos brand thermos,

 

[David]

LoL biggest difference for a halfday requiremenr is your prep and fussiness with the container to prewarm and the starting temp. I think it will split hairs or be a personal preference.

A few years ago i was on a river float (and only 20yr lunchbox thermos with broken glass and you could shake and hear the glass shard. After 4hrs half soaking and getting splashed with 50 degree water it still kept hot chocolate hot after 4hrs, despite having no vacuum anymore

That being said i go with the original and thermos brand thermos,

I love my old school Thermos when I can leave it in the car for lunch. But if I'm going to carry it I like my Small GSI.

 

[tromano]

A foam pad or carpet scrap for keeping socks clean while booting up helps a good deal.

 

[Steve]

I brought a chair and a rubber/carpet mat. Drove in my zip fit liners with rubber galoshes (overshoes), shells in heated boot bag. Liners slid right in.

 

[David]

I brought a chair and a rubber/carpet mat. Drove in my zip fit liners with rubber galoshes (overshoes), shells in heated boot bag. Liners slid right in.

Glad that worked out.

 

[David Chaus]

LoL biggest difference for a halfday requirement is your prep and fussiness with the container to prewarm and to raise the starting temp. I can't tell in the article if they had a fatal flaw in their test and did not fairly prewarm the candidates, which then makes the test of the surface area of the inner liner and not about the insulation. They say they started with 190temp water but was that after the first couple min jn the thermos which would be fussy to calibrate and dial in or the prepour temp into a roomtemp thermos.
If you do the prewarm steps, I think all the modern ones will perform good enough, and it will split hairs or be a personal preference on other features.

A few years ago i was on a river float (and only 20yr lunchbox thermos with broken glass and you could shake and hear the glass shards. After 4hrs half soaking and getting splashed half in with 50 degree water it still kept hot chocolate hot enough after 4hrs, despite having no vacuum anymore. So even that was good enough for 4hrs

That being said i go with the original so that is thermos brand thermos,

Agreed that prewarming the container helps, the manufacturer instructions for the Isosteel I acquired included that recommendation. I bought an IsoSteel .75 liter (25 ounce) flask. I drove 2 1/2 hours to get to Crystal, so drank most of my warm beverage on the way to the mountain, rather than carry it in my backpack. I enjoyed the last cup or so after I was done for the day. I’m happy enough with the container and it was a bargain compared to some of the other brands.

I think a lot of the heat retention of any of these containers has a lot to do with the overall thermal mass (of both the container and the liquid). If you have more liquid in the container it stays warmer longer. A larger container will hold more liquid and more thermal mass, retaining heat longer than a smaller or half-filled container.

 

[raytseng]

Do people regularly carry a cylindrical metal thermos in their backpacks? Is that a thing? I'm talking about a simple backpack meant to save one from walking to the car when leaving things in a lodge is forbidden.

Ive seen a lot of people on hikes use their backpack side bottle holders with metal water bottles some extremely large bottles. But ive not seen it so much in skiing/cold.
Having a solid metal cylinder seems on your back seems ike a bad idea when skiing. Should you fall on it it is going to hurt. Or carrying on the lifts is very awkward.
Some people carrying cans in their backpacks Ive seen a few inadvertently punctures/beerdeaths and the skier now has a wet backpack and beer pants and smells like stale beer for the rest of the day. So its not foolproof to carry metal cylinders of liquid while skiing.