Best insulated flasks for hiking in 2025 | Tested and reviewed

With the benefit of keeping hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold, an insulated flask will earn its place in your rucksack all year round.

Hiker with Stanley flask

by Chris Williams |
Updated on

There are few luxuries and accessories that dedicated hikers afford themselves, but an insulated flask or drinkbottle is one of them.

Insulated flasks all work in the same way, using a vacuum double-wall design to create a thermal layer. But they vary in terms of size, efficiency, and weight.

For hiking, you want the lightest possible option. But bigger, bulkier models can keep liquids hotter or colder for much longer. We've curated our top-rated insulated drinks flasks to help you choose the right one for your next trek.

best insulated hiking flasks
©LFTO

Best insulated hiking flasks of 2025 at a glance

What are the best insulated hiking flasks of 2025?

Best insulated flask

An insulated flask should prioritise the job of insulating, in our opinion. Weight saving comes second. Consequently, the slightly beefy YETI Rambler isn't very dainty but is very good at keeping its contents hot or cold and is very well made. YETI doesn't state insulation times but we found the 1065ml kept tea hot for a full day and it could do so for longer.

The stainless steel body is great but what really impressed us was how solid the plastic screw top and spout were.

The YETI Rambler comes in many colours and five different volumes. We've used the 1065ml/36oz version, which is really good if you have the ability to carry and store it. The smaller 760ml/26oz is a good alternative otherwise.

Pros

  • Several volumes available
  • Very tough plastic parts
  • Wide and narrow drinking

Cons

  • Heavy
  • Weight
    3.5
  • Insulation
    4.5
  • Value
    3.5
Weight700g
Dimensions294 x 95mm
InsulationNot given
Volumes532ml; 760ml; 1065ml; 1400ml; 1900ml

Best Value

This vacuum insulated bottle will keep drinks cool for 24 hours. Combined with its convenient sip cap (although it also has a wide mouth opening for filling and cleaning), it's ideal for cold drinks on the hill.

Pros

  • Wide and narrow mouth options
  • Magnetic attachment for cap
  • Good value

Cons

  • Other have better insulation
  • Weight
    4.0
  • Insulation
    4.0
  • Value
    5.0
Weight385g
DimensionsNot given
Insulation12 hours hot, 24 hours cold
Volumes550ml, 750ml, 1000ml

Best insulated mug

Best insulated mug

Hydro Flask 16 oz All Around TumblerLFTO

Rrp: $24.95

Price: $23.75
Alternative retailers
Backcountry$24.95View offer
Backcountry.com$24.95View offer

If all you need is something in which to carry a single serving of hot or cold drink – be that a mug of tea, a takeaway Americano, or a post-hike beer – the All Around Tumbler is perfect.

You'll need to keep it upright because it isn't leakproof but other than that it's a great insulated mug. It comes in a range of colours and two volumes.

Pros

  • Compact
  • Effective insulation
  • Fits cupholders (usually)

Cons

  • Not leakproof
  • Weight
    4.5
  • Insulation
    4.0
  • Value
    4.0
Weight295g
Dimensions146 x 85mm
Insulation12 hours hot; 24 hours cold
Volumes354ml, 473ml

Best for two

Aladdin CityPark Thermavac Twin Cup Bottle 1.1L
Price: $101.10
Alternative retailers
Walmart$47.50View offer

When tea for two is on the cards, this is the perfect solution. Cleverly storing two cups in its lid and with a leakproof easy-pour stopper, the Thermavac will keep its contents hot or cold for over a day and makes sharing an on-the-hill cuppa simple.

Pros

  • Ideal for two people
  • Includes two cups
  • Not too heavy for its size

Cons

  • Stanley Master Unbreakable Thermal Bottle has better insulation
  • Weight
    4.5
  • Insulation
    4.0
  • Value
    5.0
Weight618g
Dimensions293 x 93 x 112mm
Insulation25 hours hot; 25 hours cold
Volumes1100ml

Best travel flask

Contigo West Loop AUTOSEAL Travel MugLFTO

Rrp: $39.00

Price: $26.92

The Contigo flask is the ideal travel flask because of two key features: it's lightweight and leakproof. We found the lockable the button operated lid very effective and also liked the optional tea infuser. But do note this doesn't keep drinks hot or cold for as long as some of the other flasks here.

Pros

  • Leakproof
  • Lightweight
  • Optional tea infuser

Cons

  • Not the most effective insulation
  • Weight
    4.0
  • Insulation
    3.0
  • Value
    4.0
Weight340g
Dimensions197 x 89 x 92mm
Insulation5 hours hot; 12 hours cold
Volumes470ml

Retro and effective

Brimming with nostalgia – a Thermos just like your granny used to have – the retro Revival (also available in green and blue tartan) is also a highly practical flask for one. It features a removable mug, a flip-up pourer in its internal stopper, and excellent insulation figures.

Pros

  • Memory lane looks
  • Still durable
  • Pretty good insulation

Cons

  • Only one volume size
  • Weight
    4.0
  • Insulation
    4.0
  • Value
    4.0
Weight300g
Dimensions237 x 69 x 91mm
Insulation18 hours hot; 24 hours cold
Volumes500ml

Best lightweight insulated flask

Camelbak Chute Mag Vacuum Insulated Stainless Steel Bottle 750ml
Price: $30.00
Alternative retailers
Blain Farm & Fleet$17.99View offer
Target$29.99View offer
DICK'S Sporting Goods$30.00View offer

Camelbak's Chut Mag bottles come in insulated and non-insulated varieties, many colours, and several volumes. They therefore offer the best range. The insulated stainless steel versions are also impressively lightweight.

You'll no doubt be intrigued by the magnetic cap. It's basically a clever way of keeping the lid out of the way while you're using the bottle.

Pros

  • Relatively lightweight
  • Clever magnetic top
  • Many volumes and colours

Cons

  • Others have better insulation performance
  • Insulation
    4.0
  • Weight
    4.5
  • Value
    4.0
Weight376g
Dimensions260 x 95 x 80mm
Insulation11 hours hot; 28 hours cold
Volumes600ml, 750ml, 1000ml, 1200ml

Best for summit celebration

Hydro Flask Wine Bottle
Price: $46.87

This flask will keep your sauvignon blanc chilled or your mulled merlot hot for hours. It's designed specifically to swallow the contents of a whole wine bottle, but it works equally well for non-alcoholic tipples. We do of course say that if you're taking alcohol on your trek, be sensible and drink responsibly.

Pros

  • Great for celebrating a tough hike
  • Goes nicely with Hydroflask Wine Tumber
  • Doesn't retain flavours of previous contents

Cons

  • Hardly essential
  • Insulation
    4.0
  • Weight
    4.0
  • Value
    4.0
Weight439g
Dimensions292 x 79mm
InsulationNot specified
Volumes739ml

Best for toughness

Stanley Classic Legendary Bottle 2.3LLFTO
Price: $85.85
Alternative retailers
Walmart$35.77View offer

A proper traditional beefy flask that, unlike traditional flasks, is almost unbreakable. Big and heavy it may be, but if you need to keep tea on hand for the troops (or your walking buddies) this 1.9-litre bottle will keep its contents hot or cold for up to almost two days.

Pros

  • Excellent insulation
  • Bulletproof

Cons

  • Heavy and bulky
  • Insulation
    5.0
  • Weight
    3.0
  • Value
    4.0
Weight1128g (1.9L)
Dimensions373 x 131 x 111mm
Insulation45 hours hot; 2 days cold
Volumes470ml, 750ml, 1000ml, 1400ml, 1900ml, 2300ml

What to look for in an insulated flask

Volume: Do you need something to keep a takeaway latte warm, or do you want a day’s worth of cuppas in your pack? Is it just for you, or will you be sharing the contents? These factors, along with how much weight you’re prepared to carry, will decide the volume of liquid you need to fit in your flask.

Weight: Remember, one litre of water weighs one kilogram. A flask will only get heavier when full, so consider the empty weight of the flask and its volume to avoid overburdening yourself.

Drinking method: Some flasks come with a separate cup, while others are intended to be drunk from directly. The latter of these may have different openings, and some will be better suited to cold drinks than hot, lest you risk burning your lips.

LFTO Gear Tester using an insulated flask
©Live For The Outdoors

Robustness: Most modern flasks are less breakable than the traditional glass insulated models, but some are better than others. If you tend to chuck your pack around with gay abandon, it’s worth making sure you choose a tough one.

Level of insulation: Good insulation comes at a price, both in terms of actual cost and weight. Cheaper, lighter flasks may keep the contents warm for a few hours. But if you want your last sip of the day to be as hot as the first, you may have to spend a little more and tolerate the extra grams.

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