SIGG Switzerland Bottles sent us this product to test out and review.
A flask is a tricky thing to review. If you want all the technical specs then try the SIGG website , but at the heart of it a flask either keeps things hot, or it doesn’t, so I thought I’d talk about how a flask could help us out on the trail.
We have a bit of a routine on the trail. I’m always the first to leave the warm embrace of my sleeping bag and keenest to get packed up and start knocking off some miles.
Hazel and the kids are a little different and have to be “persuaded” to get up and about. For Hazel, the biggest factor is the presence of tea. She really will not get out of her bag if her cuppa isn’t made. So that’s the first job every morning. Get the stove out and brew up.
Once she’s has a lovely, warm beverage, I put the stove back on to boil water for our little SIGG flasks, which keep a brew lovely and hot all day. By the time we’ve packed up we’ve had our tea, AND got the next one sorted out already.
Here’s the first problem. Hazel is a tea monster with an asbestos tongue. So while my little flask can last all day, hers is usually empty by lunchtime. The other issue is the kids. Clearly we’re not sharing my coffee with 3 kiddos under 12 but we do carry some hot choc powder for them. So by the time lunch rolls around I’m brewing up again. So maybe a larger flask is a good idea.
We haven’t as yet taken the Gemstone out on a long trail, that’s in the planning stages, but we have taken it out a couple of times when we’ve headed up the woods or on a little day hike and the access to a litre of hot chocolate has really gone down well with the children. It’s also saved time as I haven’t had to carry and set up the stove and all the gubbins required to brew up mid hike.
The last time I reviewed SIGG products I gave a list of reasons why I liked them, so here’s something similar for the Gemstone.
- It looks really cool. Ours is silver and I could probably use it as a shaving mirror (If I also bought a razor), although I’m sure it’ll get battered over coming months. Which brings us to …..
- It feels really solid and robust. The lid is sturdy and feels like the leakproof claims will hold up and I feel confident that it’ll take a fall or get kicked about at the crag without taking anything but superficial damage.
- It’s light. Which should be number 1 really as it’s a massive factor when packing for a long trail. Now the kids are bigger I’m sure one of them will mange it for the promise of hot choc.
- Sustainability. This is a massive thing for us as we continue to aim for plastic free hiking and a product that helps us reduce our footprint is always a plus.
We’re heading off on the South West Coast Path in the coming months so we’ll give this a real thorough test on a long trail and let you know how it performs.
Just Up The Trail 