To ask the most boring question in history of AIBU

[Anotherpointofview1]

Who can recommend the best flask and accompanying cups for nice tea on country walks? I've tried a couple so far but they all end up tasting of metallic or plasticy hot water, made even worse by manky cups.

We're going out a lot with the kids to places without cafes or similar takeaways and with the colder weather we'd quite like to enjoy a nice cup of tea... (Ponders 20s self looking at this post and wondering where the exciting life plans had got to)

This a very excellent question and I too look forward to some suggestions.

YANBU as I feel the same about flasks and would like an answer!

Tea is always rank from a flask unless you bring milk seperately I think. Coffee and soup better options. Following because I would like a new hard wearing flask! Vacuum thermos unsuitable for children.

You need to take boiling water in a chillys bottle and make the tea fresh.
The problem with transporting hot tea is that the milk seems to overcook and caramelise.

I got one of those water bottles that also keep drinks hot. It was so efficient that the drinks were far too hot to drink.
Now I use an ordinary flask, and take mugs that you don't mind if they get broken.
I am sure I can actually think of a far more boring question

@DimidDavilby

Tea is always rank from a flask unless you bring milk seperately I think. Coffee and soup better options. Following because I would like a new hard wearing flask! Vacuum thermos unsuitable for children.

Quite right, you do have to take boiling hot water in the flask, tea bags and milk, but I also need a new fit for purpose flask

If the four of us are going out we use our Chilli bottles. Black tea in one, black coffee in another, bit of milk in another. Then we just use some old melamine picnic mugs that we've had kicking around for years.

Had an old glass lined Thermos that was the bees knees (although very large and heavy), but I dropped it in the summer and it shattered.

The Chilli bottles have been great since we thought of it, definitely keep drinks hot and I don't think they taste metallic.

I know this isn’t quite what you’re after but I have a bodum travel mug like this (Stainless steel) and my tea always tastes as good as from the mug (with milk already mixed) www.bodum.com/gb/en/11068-361b-y20-travel-mug

Thermos never lets you down.
However , if you put milk in your tea/coffee before you leave, by lunchtime your drink will be a bit rank.
Suggest black tea/coffee in your flask and take a little flask of milk , separately.

Thanks for ideas so far. In my head I'm thinking of a flask with stackable cups but with cups not made of plastic and internal bit of flask not made of metal/plastic but intensive googling hasn't found me that heaven as yet. Maybe I'm searching for something that doesn't exist and it'll have to be bog standard flask with cups from home as previously suggested

It was a very nicely written OP.

YANBU!

I love my Stanley flask, but don't put the milk in, ifyswim. That is kept separate from the tea.

I agree with only hot water in the flask. Anything else tastes all wrong.

I don’t have milk in my tea anyway, but when taking a metal flask for me and my elderly DM when out, I’d just take the milk separately in a little screw top jar.

The tea tasted fine to me and DM never complained.

Have a Stainless Steel unbreakable flask .It still seems to taste a little "stewed" though .But I think a small price to pay for a hot drink when out.Sometimes do hot chocolate as well .(If for DC dont make too hot just to be safe obv!)

Any of the products by SHO are really good.

Buy a little stove and kettle. Take proper mugs. It adds to the fun and tastes so much better

You can get ones with a bamboo lid? E.g. klean kanteen. Not sure if they have any metal as well.

I can strongly recommend kleen kanteen. They keep stuff hot or cold for AGES!! And they don't hold on to smells or anything. They're fab (not cheap though!).

VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.
I have worked out how to have untainted tea, I think.

I use thick cheap glasses like these

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stackable-Glasses-Small-Water-Juice-170ml-Everyday-Tumblers-Drinks-Cups-Set-of-6/392992738153?hash=item5b80314b69:g:uYsAAOSwWZZflzWC

I have broken one (dropped from a frozen claw like hand in Lake Windermere carpark) but they are pretty tough and unprecious enough to replace.

For the tea itself: I have a Stanley flask with a stainless steel inner. I fill it with boiling water and bring the tea separately and then use the flask as a teapot (also milk for others, I drink tea black). The water is hot enough to make tea, and it will taste fresh as you have just made it.

If you want truly unbreakable cups, you could try the steel ones you have in Indian restaurants. they might be harder to hold though as they will ge very hot?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-X-Stainless-Steel-Glass-Cup-Drinking-Mug-Lassi-Glass-200ML-PARTIES-TRAVELING/312801272539?hash=item48d468a2db:g:zyMAAOSw30JdoZil

you need melamine cups. Not breakable, but not plastic. Tea tastes OK.

Or, just carry some old mugs, that's what we often do and they rarely break.

I really don't like making the tea at point of drinking.

1. The water is never hot enough to brew properly, it needs to really be hot.
2. When you need to make it, it is a real faff trying to balance, tea, flask, tea bag, milk etc.
3. then you have to deal with wet dirty tea bag

We usually make the tea, without milk, and carry the milk separately.

I've tried makign hot choc for the kids and again it never tastes right.
I wish I drank coffee, so much easier!

Watching with interest. I have not found a good one. I use small enamel cups (240ml) and a regular stainless steel vacuum flask. The cups are a little bulky to carry but they are very light. I find the cups contribute more to the metallic taste than the flask does, but I would be very interested in an enamel one if I could find it. Especially if it came with cups.

Buy a folding "hobo" stove and brew it fresh. Or if the area is suitable, start a small campfire and make it on that. You could even make bannock bread to go with it.

@steppemum

you need melamine cups. Not breakable, but not plastic. Tea tastes OK.

Or, just carry some old mugs, that's what we often do and they rarely break.

I really don't like making the tea at point of drinking.

1. The water is never hot enough to brew properly, it needs to really be hot.
2. When you need to make it, it is a real faff trying to balance, tea, flask, tea bag, milk etc.
3. then you have to deal with wet dirty tea bag

We usually make the tea, without milk, and carry the milk separately.

I've tried makign hot choc for the kids and again it never tastes right.
I wish I drank coffee, so much easier!

you need melamine cups

I hate the smell of melamine so this wouldn't be an option for me!

I don't mind the bamboo-pulp type of container though - my reusable coffee cup is one of those and I love it.

Blimey is it just me that loves 'flask tea'? I make it up beforehand with the milk and sugar in it every time and it is delicious! I love tea like this but now I think I am evidently a heathen. 🤣