Yeti Rambler 14oz mug review: a meaty mug for car camping and festivals

Yeti Rambler 14oz mug: first impressions

The Yeti Rambler 14oz mug is made for those who are serious about their beverages. This hefty camping mug features a carrying handle and holds a lot of liquid for those early starts at camp and late nights round the fire. The wide opening makes it easy to use for eating hot soup and chili too, and the double-walled vacuum means your hands don’t get hot holding it. It keeps your drinks warm for several hours with the lid on, thanks to the MagSlider lid, however the lid doesn’t prevent spills and leaks, and with the lid off your hot food will cool down faster. 

Of course, it also keeps your beverages cold and holds an entire can of beer for when you’re chilling round the campfire at night, and the no-sweat design prevents condensation to keep your hands dry. This sturdy piece of gear is dishwasher safe and easy to clean, but not the most convenient for toting around. You’ll want to save yours for urban strolls, car camping, glamping, and festival fun.

Yeti Rambler 14oz mug: in the field

Yeti coolers are sort of the holy grail amongst avid car campers and glampers, so I must admit I had inflated expectations of this mug and while I love the look and feel of it in my hand, I don’t find it all that practical for carting around and camping. 

Here’s what I like about it: it’s super tough for chucking in a camping bin in the back of the van and heading out on a car camping trip, and I do love that I can stand out on a chilly morning with a giant mug of steaming tea or coffee. I like the handle too, even though the double-walled vacuum means it’s not strictly necessary because your hands don’t need protection. It’s too heavy to clip onto anything via the handle, though.

I’ve tested it and it keeps hot drinks hot for a few hours, but personally I don’t ever really need drinks kept hot that long. I did use it for eating some hot chili out of, however, and I loved having essentially a bowl with a handle for eating at camp, so I’ll use it for that again. I also like that I can pour an entire beer into it, I won’t lie. Even though it’s super bulky, I did find I could fit my camping stove fuel inside it, so that helped reduce its pack size.

Now for what I don’t like: it’s heavy (especially when full) and bulky so not that practical for the type of camping I do. I noticed that the lid is difficult to get off once it’s full of hot liquid, so just be warned about that and don’t spill hot liquid all over your hands. I was hoping the lid would be leak-free, but no such luck. And it doesn’t fit in the cup holder of my camping chair (or car). 

However, it’s a great quality mug and I’d definitely bring it along for easy camping trips where I want to work out my biceps. If you're one of those desk jockeys who takes half the day to drink your first cup of coffee, you’ll love it.

Here’s how it performed:

Insulation

Keeps hot liquids hot for a few hours and keeps cold liquids cold for longer.

Versatility

Can be used for beverages and as a camping bowl.

Packability 

Big and bulky, made more cumbersome by the handle, but it is big enough you can pack things inside it.

Durability

Sturdy stainless steel is all but bulletproof.

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