My friends make fun of me sometimes, because more often than not, I carry a water bottle, a small vacuum flask with my daily ration of coffee, and some Mana with me. It might seem like a lot of stuff when I put it all on a table, but I prefer being weird to being thirsty and hungry and having to buy a coffee in Starbucks.
I’d like to share a few of my favorites here – a water bottle and a coffee mug that I always take with me (as you might have noticed in the Big Walker review).
One-hand water bottle
If it weren’t for Matez, I’d have probably missed it. He showed me both the Contigo brand and the Cortland water bottle. The material contains no BPA, so you drink only what you poured in, nothing more. It can hold up to 750 ml, which is an ideal amount for your typical busy day in a city – not especially heavy, but not a small quantity, either. I usually refill it twice a day.
Not bad, not bad at all, right?
I really enjoy the mechanism of the bottle, which allows for one-hand operation. These mechanisms are not that uncommon, but most of them are hard to clean. Not a problem with Contigo! Also, I like that this bottle has a spout shield, which is definitely more hygienic.
The Cortland bottle by Contigo is not the only bottle that allows for one-hand operation and that seals itself automatically, but it might be the only one that combines this with the fact that it can be cleaned quite easily.
However, I’ve got to point out that I had to return my first bottle. Given that this bottle costs almost 600 CZK, it was an unpleasant surprise, especially when we discovered that while the Matez’s one worked perfectly, mine spilled even when sealed and locked (the bottle has a lock that prevents accidental pressing of the autoseal button, for instance when you carry it in a backpack). That being said, the complaint was accepted at once and I received a new bottle that I’ve had for 9 months now and that is in a perfect working order.
Daily dose of hot coffee
I certainly enjoy coffee, but I’m no coffee Nazi. I like to drink good coffee, but my knowledge of it is only a little bit better than that of wine (I distinguish between white and red, oh, and rosé, of course). Usually, I don’t go for espresso, as it’s too short for me – literally. I like to sip coffee over the course of the morning and tune myself into the work mode.
Because of that, my first requirement was volume. For a long time, I was happy with a Keepcup, but a plastic lid was not particularly and safe (plus, I discovered that the lid was not especially resilient). As I’ve had good experience with Contigo, I somewhat randomly chose this stainless thermal drinking mug (which was a little crazy, given that it costs nearly 900 CZK).
The transit mug is also available in grey and turquoise variety. But the black one is… well, black.
Its volume of 450 ml is ideal for me. I try to drink just one such coffee a day. Compared to other common drinking mugs, this one is quite light (based on my perception and nothing else, however). It fits your hand perfectly and, unlike a Keepcup, it never burns it.
Being manufactured by Contigo, one-hand operation is a given with this mug – it requires some skill, but it’s doable. Another great feature is the rubber bottom, which keeps it rooted to the spot. I don’t use cars that often, but it’s nice to learn that this mug can fit into a standardized holder, as well as into a side pocket of my We Are Able backpack.
No spills, no spills. In this respect, however, the mug requires more skill than the water bottle.
Overall, a great choice.
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All of the Contigo bottles can be bought via Hanibal.cz, Alza, or Malvík (don’t ask me how I got there). Heuréka might help you find other stores.
As I’ve said before – I almost always carry both the water bottle and the coffee mug with me. And both seem quite durable. If you’re looking for some alternatives, you might be interested in Nalgene or Sigg water bottles. I also like the Klean Kanteen brand.
What brands do you like?
