Lightweight Camping Cups
I was walking through an REI
store, and I noticed that they offer a plethora of different camping cups. They caught my eye, because when I’m traveling lightweight, I tend to just carry along lightweight platypus bottles, but I like to drink a cup of hot chocolate spiked with a little Baileys Irish Cream and in the morning, I like to start the day with Java Juice
I just couldn’t stomach the titanium options, because they were so expensive–they ranged in price from $25 to whopping $40. They ranged in weight from 2.4 ounces to the 1.9 ounce MSR Titan Mug. Although I liked the weight, the price was just too high.
I was about to walk away when I ran across the REI Polypropylene Cup. This lightweight camp cup weighs 2.5 ounces and costs $1.95. At only 0.1 ounce heavier than the heaviest titanium mug and only 0.6 ounce heavier than the lightest, this mug is a bargain.
Then I remembered that I already have a cup similar to REI’s plastic cup, so it must be close to the same weight. I went home and put my GSI Camping Cup
Sometimes the lightest and best isn’t the most high-tech and expensive.
Know any items where the less expensive version trumps the high-tech high-end version?
Buy me a beer if you liked this article.
January 29th, 2010 at 1:14 am
Hi
I use a coffee cup like you get in star bucks. On my daily commute people leave loads of these lying about and last a few trips before falling apart. Weigh about an ounce or so
Nigel
February 1st, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Bryan, the weight saving in a titanium mug as you have pointed out is negligible.
I have used plastic cups for years and then bought a Ti one.
My rational was that I could “cook” in it as well.
Well, I never really do
One problem with Ti as cup: the metal transfers heat well and the edge of the cup become rather hot when used for a hot drink.
Plastic is better: cooler lips but hot content for sipping.
For a lightweight Ti cooking system: http://gnarlydognews.blogspot.com/2009/07/cooking-with-gas-lightweight-style.html
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Nice breakdown of a Ti cooking system. Mine is similar. Lately, I’ve been using a Jetboil stove for solo trips; it’s heavier than my old Ti system, but it’s so efficient that on longer trips, I’d guess it’s a wash in weight saved in fuel.
I’m still a big fan of pop can stoves and stove systems, but I’m getting lazy in my old age and the simplicity of the Jetboil keeps me coming back to it.