For those wanting to find out how you can take your 16oz stainless steel travel coffee mugs on your 12 hour flight to Malaysia, don’t bother reading on. This article is about the various shapes, sizes and styles of coffee mugs you can find for your road trip, camping trip or backpacking adventure.
There’s something about drinking coffee (or tea) when traveling, even coffee that is not as good as what we have back home. For some mysterious reason it just tastes better when we’re away, whether it’s being brewed outdoors in our campsite or we’re sipping it as we head out for the morning leg of our cross country road trip.
Instead of just using those cheap plastic travel mugs available from your local dollar store, let’s look at a few quality travel coffee mugs that look nice, function well and will last you a long time.
Backpacking Mugs
Mug with folding handles
If you are camping, especially if you’re backpacking, you will want to consider specs such as weight, size, and thermal capabilities. A large volume heavy travel mug is likely not what you want. Look for titanium insulated mugs which can be almost half the weight of stainless steel. The insulation keeps your coffee warmer a bit longer for those chilly mornings up on the mountain.
You’ll find 14 oz mugs to be common. Some will have folding handles that minimize storage and packing space. These titanium mugs aren’t cheap though with single wall mugs around $20-$30 and double wall around $40-$50.
Good 'ole enamel Mug
You will also find BPA-free insulated, lidded plastic mugs. With cool colors, lightweight and non leaching plastics used, this may be a good option for those that aren’t fans of stainless steel and titanium. These can be very affordable, around $5-$10.
An old standby is the venerable enamel mug. This can be found for a few dollars at many department and hardware stores and is still the preferred material for many campers and backpackers. The blue speckled mugs are reminiscent of days gone by and are still pleasing to sip coffee from, although the thermal properties are not great.
Insulated Mugs
For road travel you will be considering a few factors when shopping for a travel coffee mug:
- shape
- size
- material type
- insulation
- spill resistance
You will be looking for a mug that fits nicely into your vehicle’s cup/mug holder. In years past “chubby mugs” were popular because not as many cars had mug holders. These wide bottom mugs would sit on your dash or on the floor and would not spill except for violent manoevering.
Travel coffee mug with handle
Nowadays most travel mugs are designed to fit into a round cup holder. There are variations of size though and the area surrounding the holder can impact the type of mug you use, so check it out before you leave for your road trip.
A common shape is larger at the top and tapers or sizes down to fit the mug holder. They are found with or without a handle. Most often they have a lid to prevent splashing and spilling. Sometimes there is a button which opens a flap over the lid for drinking, and other times there is simply a small hole, which remains open for drinking.
Quality foam insulated travel coffee mugs will keep your hot drinks very hot for often a few hours so care must be taken, especially if you are driving and sipping at the same time.
Heated Mugs
Also available are heated mugs which can be plugged into your car’s 12 volt system. These are not recommended for a couple of reasons. One is that the insulated mugs do such a nice job of keeping coffee hot, plugging them in is not necessary. The other reason is that by applying heat to your drinks over a period of time, your coffee or tea won’t taste as good.
Which Type to Choose?
What is the best travel coffee mug for you? That completely depends on how and where you will be using it. You’ll find them in all shapes, sizes and colors. Choose one that you enjoy holding and sipping from, one that does not affect the taste of your coffee or tea.
As you travel with your new mug on your vacation, your tea and coffee will remain “good to the last drop.”