Going on picnics or just spending a couple of hours outdoors in the Australian terrains enjoying some fresh breeze and greenery can do wonders to your body, mind, and soul, especially during these dire times. For most of us, it is the first time that we have lived during a breakout of such an unpredictable and uncontrollable pandemic! Bringing a nice cold drink with you to refresh you if it is warm outside can be a great idea. So is bringing a nice hot drink along when it is chilly outside. However, without the right tools, you can’t keep your drink at your preferred temperature for long. Read on to know how to keep your beverages cold or hot when going outdoors.
Freeze Them
Put your drinks in the freezer for a couple of hours before you leave. However, make sure that your drink can be frozen, as carbonated drinks shouldn’t stay for long in the freezer, as the fizz will be gone, so you won’t be able to enjoy it. Moreover, the container may crack or explode. Other than fizzy drinks, you can freeze almost any drink. Make sure that there is enough room in the container for the beverage to expand. This way, when you reach your destination, your beverage will be already defrosted, and you can enjoy the chilly and cool drink on a warm summer day.
Use Insulated Stainless Steel Flasks
Insulated flasks, cups, or thermoses are great for keeping the temperature of both cold and hot drinks the same for long hours. The number of hours your beverage can be kept at the same temperature varies. The folks at Hydroflask Australia say that drinks can stay up to 6 hours hot and 24 hours cold. It all depends on the wall insulation that protects the temperature of what is inside the container. It is recommended that you invest in good quality insulated containers, as they can be safer to use and more durable.
Wrap Your Mug in a Scarf
Wrapping your mug in a scarf or any thick fabric is a good idea to keep your hot beverage warm for about an hour. When you wrap your mug, you provide it with some sort of insulation, however, it won’t last long, so it is suitable for short destinations. You can use a mug warmer if you can spare a couple of bucks.
Make Your Own Ice Blocks
You can make your own big ice cube using the plastic containers in your house, as the bigger the block is, the longer it lasts before melting. Make a couple of chunks in your freezer and then put them at the bottom of your cooler. Make sure that you leave room for water to expand while freezing in the containers. The cool thing about this trick is that you can make any size you want as long as you have the right plastic container for it.
Pre-cool Beverages and Coolers
If you are going on a picnic, it is better that you put the cooler and the drinks in the fridge on the day before. This way, beverages will stay chilled for longer. Even better, use two coolers for the trip, one for the road and a larger one for the rest of the trip, so you don’t have to open and close the large one frequently and prevent heat from entering. Moreover, organizing your cooler will make it much easier for everyone to find and grab their drinks quickly, which will limit the duration in which the cooler stays open.
Beverages are the best outdoors companions, whether on a hot summer day or a cold winter one. There are many ways to keep your drinks at the desired temperature when you are on a trip or just having a walk in nature. These include freezing them hours before you set out, using insulated flasks, getting a mug warmer, wrapping your mug with thick fabric, making big chunks of ice blocks at home, and pre-cooling the drinks and the coolers you will use during your trip. However, it is worth mentioning that soda drinks shouldn’t reach a freezing point as they will become flat, and the container might explode in the freezer, so it is better to just keep them chill. Bear in mind that while driving, you shouldn’t drink or keep your hot beverage on the warming plate attached to the USB slot, as this increases the chances of getting involved in road accidents if they spill over, especially hot drinks.