review by Tony Lourens
I’ve long time been a fan of Hydro Flask products. Great flasks that do the job.
At the end of the day, a flask has two important tasks: One, to keep the contents hot or cold for a decent amount of time, and two, to be strong and durable. And Hydro Flask gets full marks for both! And with the new lightweight range, you are now getting the same benefits, but with a lighter flask. We all know that in the outdoors, whether hiking or climbing, weight-saving is always rearing its head when we are packing our backpacks.
If you are out in the hills for a big day, a nice cold drink when the temperatures are climbing always hits the spot. Alternatively, very little beats a cup of hot tea, while having a break and taking in the magnificent vistas around you. And carrying a flask of hot water definitely beats the combined weight of a regular water bottle, stove and gas cylinder, so it makes total sense.
The Lightweight series comes in three sizes: 621 ml, 710 ml and 946 ml (I know, weird sizes, but converted from ounces – Americans still live in the imperial age!). The 621 ml flask weighs in at 285 g, which is only 135 g heavier than a standard lightweight water bottle, which considering what that extra 135 g gives you, is actually quite amazing.
The other thing I really like about the trail series is the narrow sleek construction, which makes it really easy to slide into narrow openings in your pack, and the smaller ones will also fit into most standard cup holders in your car.
BPA-free and phthalate-free, the flasks are constructed from high-grade stainless steel, and together with its thick base, makes it tough and robust. The infrastructure itself consists of a TempShield double-wall vacuum insulation that’ll keep your drink cold for up to 18 hours, and hot for up to eight hours.
While stainless steel is obviously useful for its toughness, the other benefit is that it doesn’t retain or transfer flavours from drink to drink. Want to switch from coffee in the morning, to water in the day, and wine in the evening? No problem.
Also comes with a tough plastic loop on the top for attaching to your harness.
RRP: R899 (21 oz)
Available at: www.adventureinc.co.za
