What's your favourite? How do you like to make it? Any short cuts the rest of us can try?

Carnation Creamy hot chocolate is a must for me. When it comes to marshmellows, I can take them or leave them but I like tiny. The big ones are for the campfire. Kaluha is my favourite addition if I'm not out with my Scouts.

I really like hot chocolate but I need coffee in the morning. Starbucks Via Columbian is my favorite instant, but I really prefer fresh brewed. If you're in Canada Timmies is probably a staple in the pantry, but every year I start with a fresh ground vacuum-pack from Second Cup, often a Columbian, just for my brew kit.

My go-to way to make it is to put a couple of scoops of grinds into a patch of bandana or t-shirt, tie it off with a little pararcord, and the let it sit in your hot water (I like my old fashioned enamel camp mug best) and steep like a tea bag. I hate grinds in my coffee if I can avoid it. Cowboy coffee works, as does a metal tea ball, but a bandana keeps all the grinds out. it's also lightweight, reusable, and takes up no room in a pack.

Starbucks Via for me, Tea for DW.
I carry a Pocket Rocket and small pot for a quick boil-up.

I take the Via black; DW carries milk for her tea.

My smallest trail tea rig is a Sierra cup, lump of esbit, and a small titanium holder, plus some foil for a windscreen. I can usually get the water hot enough on about 1/2 of an esbit. Works great on day hikes.

Simple tea for me. "Tea - Earl Grey - hot!"

Other likables are hot apple cider, mulled wine, hot chocolate and the old standby - coffee.

I won a new GSI Halulite kettle in the fall that I loved instantly. I'm sure that I'm going to carry it regularly. It's ultra light and holds about 2 cups, so just right for a quick brew-up. It's also got a pretty wide opening so I can store some stuff inside. A pocket esbit stove, a couple extra esbit tabs, lighter/matches, bandana and a collapsable cup fit in nicely, so you can make a nice little brew kit out of it.

GSI Halulite Kettle

The honest truth, though, is that I'm not picky. I'm just as likely to use an old spaghetti sauce can to boil my water in. I do always carry a water bottle & SS mug or my canteen kit as my primary kit.

Mostly Nestle coffee 3-in-1, or some sort of Cup-A-Soup. I mix a few together like ( little French Onion + little Mushroom + Vegetable + Lentils ) . Makes very tasty and fullflilling mix.

For boiling water I use a homemade Esbit, and pour the water and stuff in an insulated mug.

On the trail: Starbucks Via, Yorkshire Gold, etc (Whatever I feel like that day)

In camp: French press or cone filter. Hot chocolate with medium size marshmallows

Very nice,bookmarked it.What in particular do you like about it?

Anybody own any other halulite gear?

it's small, lightweight and nestable - three things I liked right away. It seems pretty durable too but I haven't had it long enough to know for sure. It's a good base for a brew kit, along with a bottle of water and my trusty camp mug, everything I need for a brew up for a couple of people can fit inside. It boils pretty quickly too.

Princess Auto (sort of a non-military surplus store that sometimes carries military surplus too.) Is carrying a knock-off (Fire Maple brand, I believe,) for $15. Have to admit that i'm tempted.

I wonder if you can cook with it....