The best camping mugs for your next outdoor adventure

The GSI Outdoors Infinity Backpacker is geared toward the minimalist, lightweight style of camping gear. While the mug in itself doesn’t offer anything revolutionary that you can’t find in other cups, no others had the entire package. The dishwasher-safe, BPA-free polypropylene container comes in at just 3.5 ounces while capable of holding a whopping 17 ounces of liquid. The handle is a fabric strap that folds flat against the size of the cup, sliding perfectly into a standard outer pocket flap of most packs.

The manufacturers decided to forgo the double-wall vacuum insulation that’s become common among lounging mugs in favor of neoprene, which is easy to clean, lightweight, and has a large capacity for the price point. They also included handy measurement lines on the inside of the container for cooking. Your drinks won’t stay as cold or hot in the GSI as with many of the metal camping mugs, but this is offset by the removable cloth insulation cover, which still provides a respectable level of temperature control. For all these reasons, we recommend the GSI Outdoors Infinity Backpacker as the best overall camping mug for the savvy consumer.

The Yeti Rambler follows in the footsteps of a long line of Yeti products renowned for their incredible insulating abilities. Whether you need to keep coffee hot at 10,000 feet in your basecamp at Mt. Rainier, or an adult beverage frosty-cold in the woods of south Florida, the Rambler can keep or reject heat for hours. It does this using double-walled insulation, with a vacuum in between the shells rather than air, massively reducing the heat-transfer properties of the mug. Several times I’ve finished a drink, left the ice in the Yeti, and placed the whole cup in the sink overnight. In the morning when I went to wash the dishes I found the ice was still solid. This insulation is no joke.

The pop-on lid also includes a mag-slider drinking opening, which allows you to slide the cover open and closed without a mechanical connection. When it’s time to clean the mug, the slide can be pried off with a bit of pressure and any residue underneath can be cleaned off. Drinking from the Rambler is comfortable and easy, though the lid is not leakproof. If you don’t press it down firmly after filling, it may leak when you tilt it back.

The Yeti Rambler isn’t cheap. You’ll pay more for the 10-ounce mug than similar offerings with much larger liquid capacities. However, the classic stainless steel design, myriad dishwasher-safe Duracoat color options, and hours’ worth of best-in-class insulation earn the Rambler our Best Quality recommendation.

The GRITR incorporates titanium to provide an extremely tough mug with the lightest weight of any mugs we reviewed. Anyone familiar with the infamous canteen cup holders of the military’s OD Green and BDU era will recognize the foldable metal handle designs, which can be used even when heating your coffee over the campfire. The GRITR cup was designed with the backpacker in mind. The whole assembly fits into a washable, lightweight mesh bag that can be clipped to the outside of a pack to preserve space.

Throw a small burner and fuel tank into your bag as well, and you can also quickly cook your meals in it, as the titanium construction makes the mug very thermally conductive. On the flip-side, this means any cold or hot drinks you put in it won’t stay that way for long. However, if you’re hiking, then that’s not really a factor.

On long hikes, when every ounce matters, the 3.2-ounce GRITR is an invaluable addition to your kit.

The Otterbox Elevation Tumbler sets itself apart from the competition with a longer design and thinner base, giving it a larger capacity than similar products. The narrower shape makes it very easy to remove from a pack mid-stride, and the flip-open hydration lid functions like a sippy cup opening, ensuring minimal spillage as you walk. It will also fit most standard vehicle cup holders.

The insulation doesn’t come close to the dual-walled vacuum models, but the interior copper lining still provides perfectly adequate temperature retention for hot and cold drinks alike. With sufficient ice, the Otterbox Elevation Tumbler will keep your water icy all the way back to the trailhead.

While the weight is a little heavier than most similar designs, the slim profile, large capacity, and ergonomic drinking lid should earn the Otterbox a valued place in your day hiking gear.

The Camelbak Horizon Camp Mug features a large capacity tumbler design with a wide, comfortable grip. The insulation is a dual-walled vacuum, which means your cold drinks stay cold for hours. At 12 ounces of capacity and a $24 price point, the Horizon Camp Mug gives the Yeti Rambler a run for its money.

While the tri-mode lid makes drinking a no-spill process, the slider can’t be removed for cleaning, which requires extra care if debris or mold ends up between the seams. This minor flaw is offset by its amazing non-slip silicone base, which prevents spills and protects the finish of any surface you may smash your coffee mug down onto.

With the same heat transfer properties as the Yeti Rambler and a larger capacity, the Camelbak Horizon Camp Mug earns its rating as the Best Camping Cup

While the weight is a little heavier than most similar designs, the slim profile, large capacity, and ergonomic drinking lid should earn the Otterbox a valued place in your day hiking gear.

For the cost, the Life Gear Carabiner Mug is a great addition to your hiking gear. At 3.2 ounces, it’s tied for the lightest product we reviewed. The lack of a lid can be irritating, but this isn’t a “lounge around the camp” mug, it’s a “stick on your pack and go” mug. With repeated use, the screw attachments at the carabiner may begin to wobble, but that possible issue is countered by double-walled insulation, which is a great value at this low price point, and enough to keep your coffee piping hot as long as it takes you to drink it.

A minor annoyance is the enormous logo/sticker, which is wrapped around the entire cup. After one or two washes it will begin to tear and fade unless you remove it beforehand. Whoever came up with that terrible bit of on-product advertising should be fired, but we’ll forgive Life Gear since it does exactly what it’s supposed to do: stay secure and keep your camping drinks insulated.

You all know it, you love it, and you’ve probably burnt your mouth on it when your old man gave you your first sip of coffee on that camping trip back in elementary school. No other product evokes the classic image of a campout more than the Coleman Enamelware Mug. At six bucks, you can buy one for each of your friends, plus a few extra for trail mates you run into along the way. The uninsulated design ensures your first sip of coffee will be blazing hot, and your last will be icy cold. However, the curved enamel lip makes drinking your favorite beverage a comfortable, nostalgic experience. Even if your go-to mug is something a little more modern, there’s always a place in the gear bag for at least one Enamelware mug, especially since they can be heated over direct flame. At this point, packing one is basically tradition.

Old reliable. The Coleman Enamelware Coffee Mug is a classic design that’s been a staple of camping sets for time eternal. This blue, uninsulated, stainless steel, and enamel-covered cup will always have a special place in the outdoorsman’s heart.