PHOTOS: BILL DOSTERWe acquired a variety of cups the old-
fashioned way: We bought them at
Bass Pro Shops, West Marine and a
MarineMax dealer — the only dealer
in Orlando, Florida, with a supply of
the popular 20-ounce Yeti Rambler.
All but one came with a lid — the Yeti
10-ounce Lowball. To keep things fair,
we purchased an optional lid for it.
At 2 p.m. on a 75-degree day, we
set our cups in the shade of a hard-
top and filled each with ice, shaking
the ice down until we barely closed
the lids. Then we weighed the ice
each contained and replaced it. Four
hours later, we drained the melted
water and weighed the remaining
ice. We repeated the process again at
eight hours. The dimensions of each
container impacted ice capacity,
even among containers of the same
liquid capacity, so we decided to
calculate and score on the percent-
age of remaining ice at each time
of measurement.
Since these containers were also
intended to keep hot things hot, we
next filled them with 120-degree
water from the tap. At four hours, we
measured their temperatures and
noted the percentage of tempera-
ture lost. We didn’t measure at eight
hours because anybody who can’t
drink coffee in four hours shouldn’t
be bothering with it.HOW WE SCORED
We calculated the average percent-
age of ice lost at each measurement
point and then awarded points
as follows:
Less than 15 percent lost ice at
4 hours = 3
Less than 25 percent lost ice at
8 hours = 3
Less than average lost ice at 4 hours
(29 percent) and at 8 hours
(50 percent) = 2
More than average lost ice at 4 hours
(29 percent) and at 8 hours
(50 percent) = 1
For the hot-drink test, we estab-
lished an average score and awarded
points as follows:
Retained more than 80 percent
of heat = 3
Retained above-average (75 percent-
plus) heat = 2
Retained average-or-below heat = 1
The exterior of a thermal
container should remain at the
ambient temperature and not trans-
mit the temperature of its contents,
so we awarded points based on
how close the exterior temp was
to the ambient temperature after
three hours.HOW WE TESTED
Thermos
Hydration Bottle
$24; LOCAL GROCERY STORESAdvertised to keep its cool for 12 hours,
we’d say it truly lived up to expecta-
tions, retaining ice at a high level. It’s
dishwasher-safe with a BPA-free, push-
button pop-up lid. The water bottle
can be used for anything, including as a
travel flask in check-on baggage. It’s a
little too narrow to fit snuggly in a boat
cup holder but fits well in an automo-
bile. It’s leak-free, so you could throw it
in the bottom of a bag.
EXTRA POINT: It pops open like a
switchblade and snaps firmly shut with
a resounding click.
INITIAL ICE:9.8 oz.
ICE LOST AT 4 HOURS: 3%
ICE LOST AT 8 HOURS: 14%
EXTERIOR TEMP AT 3 HOURS: 71.2°
HOT-LIQUID HEAT RETENTION
AT 4 HOURS: 83%Tervis
16-ounce Tumbler
$17; WESTMARINE.COMThe cool factor from Tervis is high,
but the cold factor was lacking in our
test. It didn’t sweat as quickly as the
Stanley Adventure packable locking
mug, but it was right behind it and lost
its ice just as quickly. Its double-walled
construction is sturdy but not as sturdy
as steel, and it doesn’t lend itself to
vacuum insulation like steel. Still, it
will remain the glassware of choice
among boaters.
EXTRA POINT: The pirate emblem inside
was neat, and it comes with many nice
options — like a closable lid.
INITIAL ICE:7 oz.
ICE LOST AT 4 HOURS: 76%
ICE LOST AT 8 HOURS: 100%
EXTERIOR TEMP AT 3 HOURS: 57.2°
HOT-LIQUID HEAT RETENTION
AT 4 HOURS: 67%ICE LOST AT4 HOURS EXTERIOR TEMP AMBIENT AND AT 3 HOURS ICE LOST AT4 HOURS EXTERIOR TEMP AMBIENT AND AT 3 HOURS3 3 1 1ICE LOST AT8 HOURS ICE LOST AT8 HOURS3 1HOT-LIQUID HEAT RETENTION AT
4 HOURSHOT-LIQUID HEAT RETENTION AT
4 HOURS TOTAL TOTAL3 12 1 490 BOATINGMAG.COM APRIL 2016