Not Just For Camping!
Written: Feb 01 '09 (Updated Feb 01 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 100% Stainless Steel, Durable, Tip Proof, Easy to Clean, Shiny Polished Exterior
Cons: Thin lip and small handle takes some getting used to, but not a big deal.
The Bottom Line: It's a durable stainless steel mug that will last a lifetime. Great to use everyday, not just camping.
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| robotnut's Full Review: Texsport Insulated SS Mug 14 oz. Camp Cookware |
Although the Texsport Insulated Stainless Steel Mug is marketed as camping gear, I use it as my everyday mug at home.
My everyday drinkware used to be a standard 16 oz glass tumbler that I got free from a Getty gas station with a fill-up. Remember when gas stations gave out freebies like that? Those were the good ol' days.
Well, last year, I accidentally knocked the glass, which was half full of water (I always see the glass as half full), over on my dining room table. It didn't initially break but then it rolled off the table and smashed into a hard wooden chair. Broken pieces of glass were scattered all over the chair and the carpet in the surrounding area. As I was trying to sponge up the water in the carpet, I ended up getting cuts on my hand from tiny shards of glass that were too small to see. So then I decided to just let the carpet dry out by itself and then I vacuumed the whole area thoroughly.
I now needed to find a replacement for my broken drinking glass. This time I wanted something that was unbreakable, so glass and ceramics were out. I also ruled out plastic because I'm not a baby. So that left stainless steel as my only remaining option. Most of the stainless steel drinkware are made in the form of a travel mug which is fine for travelling but not for home use. I found other more traditional looking stainless steel mugs but some had foam or rubber glued to the bottom which made them unsafe to put in the dishwasher, and there were other "designer" mugs which were far too expensive.
Then one day while browsing my local Dick's Sporting Goods store, I found the Texsport Stainless Steel Mug for $9.99. Of course, it was in their camping goods section. I debated for a while whether something intended for camping use would be suitable for everyday home use. But hey, a mug is a mug and I figured the stainless steel would go well with my stainless steel cookware and stainless steel flatware, so I went with it.
And I'm glad I did. This is now what I use to drink from every day. I use it to drink everything: water, juice, milk, tofu smoothie, and hot tea. It's pretty attractive looking with a shiny polished exterior and a brushed finish on the inside. The mug measures 3.5" in diameter and 3.5" tall. The wide base makes it very stable and virtually tip proof. The wide opening also makes it very easy to clean as you can easily reach your hand in all the way to the bottom to give it a good scrubbing when needed. Or, being that it's entirely stainless steel, it's completely dishwasher safe. It has a loop handle, similar to that used on some pot lids, which is spot welded on. The loop handle is just large enough to fit 3 of my fingers in. That might be an issue for some people, but it's just about the same size as the handle on a standard ceramic mug. The Texsport SS Mug has a double wall insulated construction which tapers towards the lip. The lip of the mug is quite thin compared to a glass and it did take some time for me to get used to, but I'm used to it now. I think the double wall insulation is there mostly to keep the exterior of the mug from getting too hot. It doesn't really keep hot beverages hot longer because all of the heat is going to escape through the open top. When I drink hot tea in this mug, the exterior still gets hot but I can keep my hands on it without getting burned. The handle though, always stays cool.
Whether for camping or everyday use, you can't go wrong with this mug. Heck, these days they're even making jewelry out of stainless steel, so stainless steel is IN!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
robotnut
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Location: NJ
Reviews written: 30
Trusted by: 3 members
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