Thermos also has a nice line of outdoorsy thermoses? and mugs in their Element 5 series. I have the 20oz thermos. I fill it up with coffee in the morning and it's still really hot by 4:00! And there is a 16oz leakproof jar/thermos that would be awesome for soup.

Is this travel mug plastic or stainless steel on the inside? A lot of people are shunning plastic-lined travel mugs due to concerns about chemicals from the plastic leaching into hot drinks. If you drink every day from a travel mug for decades, you could be exposing yourself to a fair amount of bad stuff.

I'm agnostic on that issue myself, but as a precaution I prefer stainless-lined travel mugs for hot liquids.

Brad--

It's stainless steel on the inside. Don't confuse it with cheaper look-alikes which may have thin stainless steel trim. This is a REAL double-walled vacuum flask.

I've been using mine for several years. If I fill it with hot coffee (after pre-warming the mug with hot water) when I leave the house at 0700, the coffee is still sipping hot at noon.

I couple this mug with another little "thermos" filled with coffee for my mid-morning recharge and I have hot coffee available until mid-afternoon.

Yes, I would buy THIS exact product AGAIN!

MC

Some thermoses are much better than others. When I visited Japan ten years ago, they'd bring a thermos of hot water to my room during the day, and it would still be hot enough to make tea the next morning. A source for a thermos like that would be a great "cool tool".

I have the same mug, and have had mine for two and a half years. Only four complaints (and I use it daily--it's sitting to my right at this moment): 1) washed in a dishwasher, water and nasty bits go into the bottom plastic cup (not easily removed) that covers the bottom of the steel vacuum chamber and 2) it's interesting to fill the mug, then screw in the cap without looking very carefully at the level of the liquid inside--liquid will inevitably be pushed up around the cap or into the cap as the screw cap causes a plunger action to occur, 3) the cap is two pieces of plastic pressed into one another--why? to allow for thermal expansion--not good--again, liquids inevitably become trapped inside at some point, requiring you to split the two halves and clean them both, and, finally 4) the carabiner pass through loop on the mug is weak--mine broke in the first 24 hours of tough use.

Admittedly, I still like and use the mug, but I keep looking for something better--just haven't found it.

I dont have that mug, but I have handleless ones that have the Thermos Thermax logo on them. By FAR and barnone, the best insulated mug Ive ever owned. Ive gotten lots of them, too. These babies keep coffee hot all morning long. I use it at work instead of the paper cups provided since a) those go cold in a nanosecond and b) its more environmental (ok, better for my hot coffee need). Far better than that cheap gargage that most coffee houses have to buy.

Question for the original poster: What kind of backpack is that you're wearing in the picture? I'm in the market for a smallish daypack, and that one looks more or less perfect for my needs. Assuming that's you, of course, and not a shot from the manufacturer's website or something...

I've had one of these (http://www.thermos.com/Product_detail.aspx?CatCode=NISS&SubcategoryID=1&ViewAll=true&ProductID=488) for close to 20 years now and if close-to-boiling water is added it will be warm enough in 12 hours for tea.

But how about one that I can microwave? Is there a safe non-metal mug I can heat fast?

I have this mug, too. I have concerns similar to Adam's, plus a few more. Most frustratingly, I often (very often) have trouble getting the lid open if I've sealed it when the coffee inside was very hot. I'm not a wimp, but it is too often to difficult to unscrew the lid when a vacuum has built up. I've had to abandon the idea of actually drinking from it on several occasions because I had to let it cool down to get the lid open. Second, when I take it to my coffee shop that brews coffee by the cup I can't see into the mug to see when it is full, and then I have to tip it to get it out from underneath the cone because it's so tall. Finally, the rim isn't flat, so I can't use my single-use drip cone at home with it (it has to sit on a flat rim).

I do like that it can be closed up tight without leaks, and it really does keep the coffee hot. I like the built in carabiner, though my mug usually goes into my bag rather than being clipped onto it.

Like Adam, I still like and use it daily but I'm still looking for the "perfect" mug.

Any experience with how well it survives being dropped? We thought we'd found a satisfactory travel mug in the Contigo Autoseal stainless steel mug (http://www.gocontigo.com/catalog-product-detail;catalogproducts,dcac3f1a883ee27332ee8636f8dc3b5e.html), but it turned out to be insufficiently rugged for my husband (who, deliberately or not, winds up destruction-testing just about everything he owns).

I've had this mug for 5 or 6 years now, and I love it. I use it daily. I can seal it up with a quick twist and toss it in my bag- no leaks. Also- you don't have to remove the screw cap to drink- you just give it a 1/2 turn. Makes a great splash guard. My wife kept stealing mine, so I had to go out and buy another one.

Caro - I am not the original poster. But I do dabble in photography. That pack looks like a LowePro Micro Trekker 200. It is designed to hold a camera and specialized lens. It has special dividers and padding for that purpose, and therefore would not be a good general daypack (IMHO).

You can see it here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Trekker-200-Camera-Backpack/dp/B00007E7UN/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1255126408&sr=1-14

I have not had good luck with the Thermos brand product's quality/durability lately, although I have not used this particular item. There older all metal Thermos were legendary for toughness

I also suggest considering a (handleless) option: the Contigo Insulated vacuum tumbler. Great no spill top design, excellent flow, rated for dishwasher (top and bottom), fits in many cup-holders, good insulator, handleless (if you like that), well made, and holds just about the right amount of liquid for me - 16oz (470ml).

Available at Amazon in all sorts of colors for US$20: http://www.amazon.com/Contigo-Double-Stainless-Insulated-Tumbler/dp/B001RMGVU8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1255126978&sr=1-2

Or, if you have a Costco near you they are US$20 for 2 of them (limited colors)

Thermi, the plural of Thermos is Thermi.

The Mug is all stainless inside except for the threads for the cap.

I have dropped mine a million times from waist height with only a few dents.

The Backpack is the Microtreker 200, all of the foam padding could be removed but it really is a camera bag first.

I've had this mug for years - love it, no complaints. FYI: the directions that come with the mug [yes, I actually read them!] advises not to put it in the dishwasher. A little bottle brush helps keep it extra clean!
Best feature, besides keeping drinks hot & cool: totally watertight, so it can go safely into my backpack or briefcase.
I've give these as Xmas presents every year & will likely do the same again...

No one objects to the fact that it's as ugly as can be? Bring back the classic Thermos simplicity, please. I don't want to look like I'm drinking coffee out of a running shoe.

#11 Lexica--

I left mine on the roof of my car and noticed when it went skittering down the raod ahead of me at fifteen MPH. The stainless body sustained some cosmetic dents. The plastic upper body sustained some pretty deep but cosmetic cuts. The plastic lid popped into its two component parts. I lost my morning's coffee.

I reassembled the lid, gave everything a good cleaning, and tow year slater it's still doing very well. Scarred, but serviceable.

I have had mine for four years now, and it is the best travel mug I have owned. I do agree that opening the mug after my tea has cooled down is a challenge. As far a cleaning is concerned, I was having trouble removing tea stains from the interior. When I contacted Thermos customer service they advised me to fill the mug with boiling water and add a teaspoon of dishwasher detergent. It takes about ten minutes of soaking and works like a charm. The inside looks brand new.

I loved this mug, the really great seal and biner makes it usable on public mass transit. but either a cup holder or seconvhand required to (un)seal, not quitzideal for strap hanging on subway. Mine didn't last two years, but hard to fault it failing the SECOND time it got run over. (cosmetic damage onlyd the first time)

The only better for one-hand use i have found is the Contigo Extreme, which builds a caribiner catch into the handle, and can be (un)sealed one-handed.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=contigo+extreme+mug+vacuum

I was looking for a leak proof mug when I saw this post, so I got this one. Three weeks in and it leaks where the handle attaches to the mug, So Sad. Back to the search.