Advnture Verdict
A monster-sized flask for big family adventures when you need enough hot (or cold) fluids to warm the bellies or slate the thirst of the whole gang.
Pros
- +
Super-tough build quality
- +
Excellent insulation
- +
Good-sized drink beaker
- +
Lifetime warranty
Cons
- -
Heavy
- -
Handle can snag in a rucksack
You can trust Advnture Our expert reviewers spend days testing and comparing gear so you know how it will perform out in the real world. Find out more about how we test and compare products.
First impressions
The walker nominated to carry the gargantuan 1.4L / 1.5Qt Stanley Classic Vacuum Bottle in his or her rucksack has truly drawn the short straw… until the first drinks break… and the second… and the third!
- Keep your drinks warm or cool on the trail with our best hiking flasks
- Need to carry cool drinks? Browse the best hiking water bottles
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The great advantage of the flask’s double-wall vacuum insulation and generous volume is that drinks should stay unbelievably hot. Stanley claims a ‘stay hot’ time of 40 hours, and if you pack it with ice it will spend up to six days frozen!
• RRP: £50 (UK) / $88 (US)
• Volume: 1.4L / 1.5Qt
• Other available volumes: 470ml / 16fl oz; 750ml / 25fl oz; 1 litre / 1.1Qt; 1.9 litre / 2Qt
• Weight (empty): 1kg / 33.8oz
• Height: 35.8cm / 14in
• Lid-opening style: Screw-in stopper
• Colors: Hammertone Green / Nightfall / Matte Black
In the field
To be fair to Stanley, we are assessing a flask that has seen a lot of use on multiple walking adventures over some years here, against other newer bottles and flasks. However, one of the upsides of this product is that it has a reassuring lifetime warranty.
And time has taken its toll on this test model, after countless family picnics and afternoon walks. Filled with boiling water in our test, it cooled to 55°C after four hours –still hot to drink, but a bit disappointing for such a large volume flask. It may be time to call on Stanley and ask about that warranty.
Taking a flask of this size on a walk is no mean feat, and the robust construction of the Stanley makes it a beast to carry, especially in a daypack. While the collapsible handle is useful for pouring when the flask is full, especially if you don’t have baseball mitts for hands, it can snag on clothes when you pull the flask out of a rucksack. The good news is that the lid beaker is big enough to offer a decent drink.
One final point is that you’ll need a long brush to reach the bottom of the flask for cleaning, although it is dishwasher-proof – if your dishwasher is big enough to accommodate it!
