Survival Thermos?

Posted by: Rodion

Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 08:23 PM

I've destroyed every single thermos I ever had. After giving up on them for a while, it has come to my attention that my intestines require frequent watering not to tie themselves into knots. Drinking cold water all the time is even worse.

Hence, I need a thermos. But - it needs to be tough. Like, EDC tough. Any ideas?

P.S. Willing to pay about 20-25 USD w. shipping to Israel.
Posted by: benjammin

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 08:48 PM

The best, most durable thermos I've ever used or seen in use by others has got to be the Stanley double wall stainless steel thermos. They generally keep hot coffee hot for a good 6 to 12 hours depending on whether you pre-heat the thermos or not. I've only ever destroyed one, the others I've either lost or given away.

Here's the link:

Stanley Thermos

Posted by: Rodion

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 09:23 PM

They don't ship to Israel...
Posted by: JohnE

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 09:27 PM

I'd be happy to ship one to you but it's gonna cost more than what you're willing to pay. Cheapest prices I've seen on the Stanley thermos' are around 25-30 USD but that wouldn't include the shipping to Israel.

Can't you find an Amazon vendor that will ship one to you? or Ebay maybe?

JohnE
Posted by: Rodion

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 09:48 PM

Thanks for the offer.

Well, Gad Zooks on eBay offers shipping of other people's items with 5 bucks commission. I suppose now that I know what to look for, it's not gonna be a problem.
Posted by: OldBaldGuy

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 09:59 PM

I had a Stanley, didn't really like it, although it is tough. I have a Thermos brand stainless that I have been using since 1975, it is still going strong. I carried it to work just about every day of the year, filled with either hot coffee or iced tea.

Similar to this one. Don't know about the shipping...
Posted by: CANOEDOGS

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 10:23 PM

which ever one you buy i would suggest finding one with a wide mouth..i have the normal coffee thermos but find that the wide mouth really works for things like hot soup..i got myself a spoon that is used for milkshakes so i can eat oatmeal out of it.
Posted by: OldBaldGuy

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 10:30 PM

Good idea. Makes it easier to put ice cubes in too, if you want iced tea...
Posted by: wildman800

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 10:57 PM

I also have used the Stanley thermos bottle. I am rather rough on personal equipment and it is stood up extremely well.

I use the wide mouth soup model for my coffee (easier to fill up).
Posted by: scafool

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 11:05 PM

Thermos makes a pretty good stainless steel thermos.
If there is a UN base near you they should have them, but you should be able to find something suitable in the local kitchen supply stores.

Hey, did you know trying to clean stainless steel thermoses out with bleach kills them, I was so surprised to find that out.

and what is the plural for thermos?
Posted by: OldBaldGuy

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 11:10 PM

"...clean stainless steel thermoses..."

Clean a thermos? Why in the world would I do that? Once it gets a nice patina of coffee in it, you can just add hot water and have a semi-decent cup! laugh laugh laugh
Posted by: Desperado

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 11:14 PM

Google Nissan Stainless. I first learned of them from a gent that does equine fertilization. They also make the insulated containers he uses for business. (make sure you drink from the right thermos with him)

Have had REALLY good luck from them.
Posted by: scafool

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/05/09 11:17 PM

Originally Posted By: OldBaldGuy
"...clean stainless steel thermoses..."

Clean a thermos? Why in the world would I do that? Once it gets a nice patina of coffee in it, you can just add hot water and have a semi-decent cup! laugh laugh laugh


Why do you think I was so surprised by discovering that? After ten years I bought a new one and that was printed on a slip of paper in it.
Posted by: Desperado

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 12:10 AM

Originally Posted By: scafool

and what is the plural for thermos?


Thermi????
Posted by: OldBaldGuy

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 12:14 AM

"thermos's"???
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 12:39 AM

Plural for thermos is: Thermoses

You really can't go wrong with Thermos / Nissan / Stanley brands.

Pre-heat the thermos with boiling water for 5 minutes before putting your hot liquids in,

Also instead of putting on the small plastic cup which comes with the thermos, leave it off and stash it in your kit bag. Take a small (depending on Thermos lid size) piece of polar fleece or equivalent and cut to size so that it fits snugly into the lid of the thermos. Now put the lid on the thermos. If you have a small and thin enough thermos, next take an old (or new) spare wool sock and drop the thermos into the sock.

With the polar fleece in the lid and the wool sock covering the thermos will keep the hot beverages hot for 16-20 hours....and longer if the thermos is rolled into a sweater, pair of pants etc in your kit bag. Often in the warmer months, the coffee or tea is still hot enough to drink the next morning.


A thermos, this size (24 oz) is perfect for this.
Posted by: OldBaldGuy

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 12:47 AM

One more thing...as soon as you remove the stopper, the cooling process starts, the coffee/whatever won't stay as hot as it would without opening it. But not drinking the stuff kinda makes packing it along senseless, huh???
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 12:54 AM

On my thermos, there is no need to remove the stopper. It has a very small popup spout (much like some water bottles) that you can pour the liquid out of.

I usually get a good fill of coffee in the am before I start our hike. Bringing the thermos of coffee is for days where we do not stop for a hot lunch or dinner and it is nice to be savor a cup of coffee at anytime without the hassles of carrying a stove or making a fire
Posted by: benjammin

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 02:01 PM

The Stanley, Thermos and Nissan (also made by Thermos now) are all double wall stainless Dewar Flask designs. For a given volume content, they should all function thermally about the same. They all have oustanding warranties, in different shapes and sizes, and have a number of accessories. I believe Stanley makes the only 2 liter version; I couldn't find one that size on the Thermos website. Stanley also uses a pour through stopper so you don't have to completely remove it to use it. They all come in wide mouth versions for food storage, or as OBG notes so you can put big ice cubes into them.

There should be lots of third party shipping options for Israel. I am surprised that Stanley won't ship directly. Seems a bit silly to limit the market so, but that's their business. Anyways, sounds like you found at least one possibility.
Posted by: Grouch

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 02:21 PM

Originally Posted By: benjammin
Stanley also uses a pour through stopper so you don't have to completely remove it to use it.

These were very popular on construction sites when I was a young grunt on a crew in the 70's. They can take a real beating without being compromised. Many times I witnessed them being dropped to ground level from several stories up. They sustained many dents and scratches and still retained their usefulness.
Posted by: scafool

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 03:28 PM

The only thing I dislike about the Stanley Aladdins is their weight.
Thermos is a bit lighter, I think Nissan is lighter still.
The Thermos Thermocafe line is about as light as the Nissan.

Since I have a few of these stainless steel thermoses in the kitchen I just did a comparison on the kitchen scale.

Sorry that I don't have a one liter size Stanley. Oh well,
These are close enough to compare.
They all have their stoppers in them but no cups on them.

Stanley, wide mouth, 741 ml size = 2 lbs.
Themos, 1 liter, NATO issue = 1 lbs. 6 oz.
Thermos, 1iter, Thermocafe = 1 lbs.


The 500ml Thermocafe weighs in at 9oz, this is a pretty small thermos

The 2 liter Stanley is 3 lbs. 8oz, this is a pretty big thermos.


So with the Stanley widemouth you carry twice as heavy of a thermos as the Thermocafe but you only get 3/4 of the liquid.
I would expect the one liter Stanly to wiegh about the same as the widemouth Stanley does.

Are the Stanleys less likely to get dented?
Well yes, but only because they are built like tanks.

The Stanleys are fine if they are going in a vehicle, but If I needed to carry one I would take the Thermos or the Thermos Thermocafe.
Posted by: bmisf

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 05:50 PM

I have Nissan and Zojirushi thermoses and recommend both - lightweight, retain heat well, and while not indestructible, they're double-walled stainless and pretty tough. Mine have only a few external dents to show after years of hard use (including snow camping).
Posted by: Kris

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/06/09 06:54 PM

Quick question...

Does anyone have any experience with Sigg's line of thermal bottles?

http://www.mysigg.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=22

Kris
Posted by: Rodion

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/10/09 09:31 AM

Alright, I got this one. Seems like a good choice.

Thanks for everyone's input!
Posted by: oldsoldier

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/10/09 05:32 PM

I have almost the same thing, and have had it for 5 years. IT survived a couple of deployments, and several tumbles from HMMWVs & 2nd flr windows. Dented, but still works great. The Silver Bullet is the best you can get, IMHO!
Posted by: OldBaldGuy

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/10/09 06:35 PM

Good choice...
Posted by: Rodion

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/21/09 11:34 AM

Yep, good choice indeed. Bullet? This thing's an artillery shell. eek



Just got it in the mail. Seller was very friendly, highly recommended.

Posted by: mark161

Re: Survival Thermos? - 01/21/09 02:09 PM

I have the Stanley Stainless widemouth and it has lasted through many hunting, camping, and long double shifts at work. I also own the thermos brand with the pour through top and it works great but I like having the widemouth because for hunting season I always make a boiling pot of beef barley soup to put in there to keep me going and it works and has taken the beating from me (including several high falls from tree stands) good luck.