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Review: Primus TrailBreak Vacuum Bottle

Man opening flask

A super tough 1 litre flask that keeps hot drinks exceptionally hot for a very long time

Whether you’re at a family picnic where piping hot afternoon tea is non-negotiable, or hitting the trail for some serious winter hiking and in need of a warming boost, the Primus TrailBreak Vacuum Bottle will not disappoint. It keeps hot drinks so hot that they are barely drinkable after 8.5 hours in freezing conditions. With two different leak-proof stoppers, a screw on cup and highly durable stainless steel vacuum insualation, this flask is a must for every hot drink loving adventurer out there!

Primus TrailBreak Vacuum Bottle: The stats

Volume:1 litre / 34oz
Weight:694g / 1.53lbs
Height:29.6cm / 11.65in
Diameter:8.8cm / 3.46in
Material:Stainless steel
Included:1 cup, 2 stoppers

Features of the Primus TrailBreak Vacuum Bottle

Tapered shape

Primus flaskThe flask is narrower at the bottom than the top to help it slide easily into your bag or pack without snagging it on your other stuff. It also helps you hold the bottle more securely.

Cup

Flask cupThe screw on top is made from the same double walled stainless steel as the flask itself. It can hold up to 200ml — just enough for warming brew.

Stoppers

Lid of flaskThe flask comes with two stoppers — one regular, and also a “ClickClose” stopper that enables you to drink directly from the flask like a coffee cup lid.

Insulation

Inside of flaskThe high quality double walled stainless steel has vacuum insulation for maximal heat retention, and also is non-treated to stop your drinks from tasting of anything they shouldn’t.


Primus TrailBreak Vacuum Bottle Review

During the winter months I never head out adventuring without a flask. But one of the limitations of smaller flasks (aside from only having a joyous hot boost of yumminess once during your day) is that they struggle to keep their contents hot for as long as larger bottles. So having a full litre of hot goodness at the ready, all day long, is exceptionally effective at keeping spirits high, especially when it’s super cold.

And yes, it also takes away the tinge of reluctance I feel each time I offer around my oh-so-precious cup of Joe.

Heat retention

I really like that Primus don’t put a number on how long the TrailBreak will keep hot drinks hot for. In my experience, most of these claims are wildly inaccurate and will only result in the disappointment of tepid tea just when you need that hot boost the most.

After a few uses I found the TrailBreak very adept at keeping boiling water very, very hot for a good few hours. But it wasn’t until I spent a full day hiking in sub-zero temperatures up on Dartmoor that I realised just how great this flask is at retaining heat. I filled it with boiling water at 7.30am, opened it once for a quick mid-morning brew, and then finished the day at 4.30pm with a piping hot tea that was verging on too hot to drink.

Impressed? Uh, yes!

I was frozen and tired, and lukewarm would not have gone down well at all!

I have also left the bottle filled with boiling water for over 24 hours (in the house). The result was warm but not hot water.

Woman pouring drink from flask

The stoppers

Both stoppers are very reliable and totally leak-free — not even a dribble once you’ve screwed them on tightly. If you want to prevent any cold air from getting into the flask you can use the “ClickClose” stopper to pour your drink. It’s designed for sipping from directly and the flow is ideal for this. However, the flow is a little restricted for a smooth pour, compared with pouring straight from the flask.

What I love the most about the Primus TrailBreak Vacuum Bottle

Aside from the obvious (keeping your hot drinks really hot for a very long time!), I really love how robust this flask is. I’ve dropped it onto hard rock and it bounced back with barely a scratch. It’s just slim enough to fit into the outer side pocket of my backpack and daypack where it gets more than its fair share of drops and bashes. But I don’t worry about it all. In fact I’m more worried about what damage that thing could do to other stuff!

What I don’t love so much about the Primus TrailBreak Vacuum Bottle

I’m really nitpicking here, but I’d prefer the cup to keep my drinks as hot as the bottle does! Yes, asking the impossible, I know. But the shape of the cup could be slightly better designed to have a narrower opening and wider base which would help prevent heat loss, to a degree.

Man drinking on rocks

Verdict

If you’re after an insulated flask that keeps your hot drinks exceptionally hot for a very long time, then look no further than the Primus TrailBreak Vacuum Bottle. It’s streamlined, highly durable and brilliantly robust, making it the perfect coffee mate and instant morale booster on winter adventures near and far.

Find the latest price at:
Primus | Amazon

Disclaimer: Cool of the Wild received this product free in return for an honest review. We only recommend gear that we love from companies we trust and we are under no obligation to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are that of the reviewer and we are in no way influenced by the brand or company.

About Joey

Woman wearing wooly hat

Joey is based in Cornwall, UK, and runs Cool of the Wild. She can’t get enough of being outdoors – whether that’s lounging around the campfire cooking up a feast, hitting the trail in her running shoes, or attempting to conquer the waves on her surfboard – she lives for it. Camping is what she loves to do the most, but has also spent many many hours clinging to the side of a rock face, cycling about the place, cruising the ski-slopes on her snowboard and hiking small mountains and big hills.

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