Profile: Travel Mugs And Thermoses

There's a cheap way of hydrating your body sans lotions, moisturizers and the like. Go natural and carry fluids with you whenever you're having urges to quench your thirst or wet your skin.

Backpackers, campers, vacationers, joggers, office workers, workout fanatics, even kids…these different types of people do own something in common and that is a portable drinking utensil which goes by several names -- travel mug, personal bottle, hydration kit, tumbler, portable beverage dispenser.

You yourself probably own one already; but if you're planning to purchase one for yourself (again) or for your friends or co-members in a team or committee, you may find the following information useful.

Capacity. You'll be bringing provisions for and quenching the thirst of one to two people only, yourself included. Don't expect to let ten people drink to their fill, because no miracles are on the way. Mugs can typically contain 10, 12, 14, 16, 17 or 18 ounces of fluid (or roughly 1 or 2 regular glasses of liquid). Mega versions of the mugs have almost the same capacity as thermoses: 25 to 34 ounces of fluid. Thermoses can typically contain 0.5 to 1.5 liters of fluid.

Take note however that water is not the only fluid you can lug around with you (although it probably still is the wisest choice). You can fill your portable drinking utensil with your favorite soup, juice, tea, coffee or chocolate drink. Carbonated drinks are a no-no, since these fluids might react with your utensil's interior; you can easily get these carbonated drinks from a vending machine anyway.

Make. The interior of your portable drinking utensil says a lot about its intended purpose. For one, those made of plastic are intended for cold beverages only. Placing hot fluid in plastic containers is unadvisable; the container might melt. For another, those made of glass are intended to keep heat vacuumed hence keeping your beverage as hot as the time you poured water out of the kettle and transferred it to your portable drinking utensil. You might also want to check out some models whose interior is made of glass that can keep beverages either hot or cold.

The exterior of your portable drinking utensil is designed for aesthetics and convenience mostly. Mugs and thermoses sporting the stainless steel look are in today, projecting a sleek and lightweight feel. Others are plastic or rubber-coated, projecting an image of durability and reduced propensity for cracks and breakages.

Portability. You can practically bring one with you wherever you want to go. Most models are leak-proof, but check the manual or product description just to be on the safe side. In most cases, the weight of your travel mug or thermos depends on the make and the capacity of the container.

Price. Prepare to spend between 9.95 and 34.95 dollars. What's great is that you get to spend less than 40 dollars on the item itself. You even don't have to spend a fortune on gift wrapping because these portable mugs and thermoses can fit in ready-to-use gift bags.