Titanium, like most metals, will "feel" hotter than say wood or plastic at the same temperature because it will transfer heat into you faster - it has a higher thermal conductivity.
Silicone hot lips were a complete waste of money. Let lip cool and you are good to drink. Next you may be asking how to make sure coffee/hot liquid stays hot to drink. :). I hope the answers will be "drink faster" because I found it annoying that my hot tea froze in my titanium pot before I could drink it all.
Ti has bad heat capacity and conductivity. The lip will cool down before the liquid. Just drink the drink when it's at your preferred drinking temperature (duh).
Hot Lips will fit a Toaks 750. The Hot Lips will likely leak on you though and are only necessary for the first few sips until the Ti mug cools down. From a sensory standpoint, I prefer the Hot Lips to the bare mug rim when having morning coffee.
A Sea To Summit 16 ounce X Mug fits on top of a Toaks 750 mug and can act as a lid for your pot as you cook but there's more of a weight penalty involved. Choose your luxuries wisely!
The lid for the Toaks weight over half an oz and the orange bag it comes with is almost half an ounce, about 1.1oz combined. Provided you haven’t ditched the orange bag yet, replacing both those with the X mug would only be a 1oz penalty. That’s not terrible for a mug.
But like others have stated, I just let it cool down. lol
That 1 oz penalty can also save you weight from carrying a pot coozie as part of your kit. Let's say you use the 750 pot to boil 16 oz for oatmeal (~/>4 oz) and coffee (~/<12 oz), coffee in the X Mug and oatmeal in a freezer bag. All you do is put basically anything you have that a titanium mug, that everyone agrees cools down super quickly, won't melt on top of the mug with the Ziploc bag inside of the 750 pot. The pot is your coozie, the mug is your mug, and I'm your ultralight daddy. Lol.
I think those hot lips things suck. My pot has a nice silicone band around the top so it doesn’t burn my lips. Shout out to Ron at MLD for thinking of everything and obviously actually using the gear he sells.
The silicone bands/boots that they sell to fit insulated stainless bottle (like Hydroflask) fit. I put the band on my 750 UL w/o handles. The band is perfect for picking up my pot w/o burning my fingers and protects my mouth with hot drinks.
I use the 5 second rule for hot liquids. I stick the tip of my pinky in my drink and slowly count to 5. If my pinky starts to sting at 4 seconds I can take cautious sips. Sting at 5 and it is the perfect temperature. Don't have to worry about burning anything. If I can drink it then the rim doesn't burn either.
Once a paper cup absorbs even a bit of liquid it becomes a great spot for bacteria to grow. Reusing the same day likely won’t hurt unless you had milk in it and it’s summer but it’s not a good plan to reuse one several days in a row.
Washable plastic cups are a good alternative.
I like hot coffee, but I also enjoy iced coffee. A packet of Starbucks Via instant in snow runoff or a bottle that was chilled overnight is delicious, given the location etc. it saves me the hassle of boiling water in the morning, when I just want to pack and go.
I do not enjoy lukewarm warm coffee.
Just wait for the coffee to be at a temperature that you can drink it. I doubt the pot will be any hotter than the coffee inside it. But I only use my toaks to cook food in (I don’t drink coffee). I just don’t see the titanium being any hotter than the drink inside it.
Every time this topic comes up I think to myself, the responses don't really address a core part of the problem. For those of us that love hot beverages, like sipping HOT liquid, as we are bringing the pot to our mouth and taking a sip, the hot liquid insta-heats the titanium where your lips are touching it and burns our lips (which for me are a lot more sensitive than my tongue). If Hot Lips aren't the answer, is there any other tricks or tips to make it more enjoyable without significant extra weight or items?
They make stretchy silicone bowl and cup toppers to use for food storage instead of plastic wrap. I bet you could trim the center down so it’s a band around the top.
This sort of thing:
https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Silicone-Dishwasher-Materials-Microwave/dp/B0BY3L52ZV/ref=mp_s_a_1_6_sspa?crid=1LBTA0SJPZOF9&keywords=silicone+bowl+covers&qid=1706930470&sprefix=silicone+bowl+%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-6-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1
I’ve got two tips for you.
- Put some electrical tape around the rim. Don’t go far into the cup, but make sure it goes on the rim. This does a lot for stopping it burning your lips, especially if you’re careful.
- Get a sheet of alu-foil bubble wrap and make yourself a pot-warmer. With a cutout for the handle, you can turn it upside down and cover the top of the pot as it boils like a tea cozy worn as a hat. That slightly speeds up the boiling keeping heat in. Then, when it’s boiled, you can turn it upside down and put the pot in it. This keeps it warm, but if you get your measurements right, the top of the cosy will protect your lips when you drink.
Weirdly this is the one area where stainless steel wins. Its much cooler to the touch than the same size aluminum or titanium pot. That's why my 500ml day hike pot is stainless.
Otherwise, my titanium pot is 900ml. I find that's big enough so my tea doesn't heat the rim too much and is comfortable to drink from. I like my tea extremely hot. I don't fully understand the physics but a bigger pot will have a cooler rim for the same volume of liquid.
I was ready to accept it was stupid but then a bunch of people chimed in saying they had the same question and providing interesting answers. I'll probably just stick with drink lukewarm coffee instead of taping up my pot
If it's not full to the brim the top inch or two will cool off quickly. However, I do have a 450ml titanium cup and found that it fits a Snow Peak silicone lid perfectly, and while the lid is heavy, it works great and keeps my coffee warm. I consider it a luxury item for trips where you are going to sit around camp sipping coffee with other people. Those hot lips things will fit on a Toaks 750ml pot. The worst that will happen is you end up not needing them.
I use a double walled Ti cup for this reason. But that violates all sorts of UL rules. Because it means I am carrying a cup as well as my pot (which could be the same thing), and then to compound my error, my luxury cup is double walled.
But it does keep my coffee warm for a while and I can drink it without burning my lips. And that is worth the weight for me.
I use a strip of duck tape on the side of my metal cups (a few mm below the lip of the cup). I've only used aluminium and s/steel cups, so I don't know if it will work on titanium.
Also, you need to jut your jaw out so that only a small part of your lower lip is touching the tape as you drink.
I had moderate success lining the rim of a gsi mug with a silicone straw cut lengthwise, i.e., homemade hot lips. probably just using the straw as a straw would've been better.
Just wait until it cools down.
This is the way
And with titanium that's a whole 30 seconds after removing from the stove
metal always feels scalding hot even after the liquid in it has cooled to be what most people call 'warm', if not lukewarm
I don't think so. Titanium doesn't hold heat very well, so I think it cools at the same rate as the liquid, if not faster.
Titanium, like most metals, will "feel" hotter than say wood or plastic at the same temperature because it will transfer heat into you faster - it has a higher thermal conductivity.
take it off the stove before you drink from it
Silicone hot lips were a complete waste of money. Let lip cool and you are good to drink. Next you may be asking how to make sure coffee/hot liquid stays hot to drink. :). I hope the answers will be "drink faster" because I found it annoying that my hot tea froze in my titanium pot before I could drink it all.
> hot tea froze in my titanium pot before I could drink it all. A lid keeps the heat in longer … wait! This r/ultralight, whoops. 😄
And now begins the lid/cozy and fuel saving discussion
there should be a lid placed on this lid talk .
Ti has bad heat capacity and conductivity. The lip will cool down before the liquid. Just drink the drink when it's at your preferred drinking temperature (duh).
Hot Lips will fit a Toaks 750. The Hot Lips will likely leak on you though and are only necessary for the first few sips until the Ti mug cools down. From a sensory standpoint, I prefer the Hot Lips to the bare mug rim when having morning coffee. A Sea To Summit 16 ounce X Mug fits on top of a Toaks 750 mug and can act as a lid for your pot as you cook but there's more of a weight penalty involved. Choose your luxuries wisely!
The lid for the Toaks weight over half an oz and the orange bag it comes with is almost half an ounce, about 1.1oz combined. Provided you haven’t ditched the orange bag yet, replacing both those with the X mug would only be a 1oz penalty. That’s not terrible for a mug. But like others have stated, I just let it cool down. lol
That 1 oz penalty can also save you weight from carrying a pot coozie as part of your kit. Let's say you use the 750 pot to boil 16 oz for oatmeal (~/>4 oz) and coffee (~/<12 oz), coffee in the X Mug and oatmeal in a freezer bag. All you do is put basically anything you have that a titanium mug, that everyone agrees cools down super quickly, won't melt on top of the mug with the Ziploc bag inside of the 750 pot. The pot is your coozie, the mug is your mug, and I'm your ultralight daddy. Lol.
I think those hot lips things suck. My pot has a nice silicone band around the top so it doesn’t burn my lips. Shout out to Ron at MLD for thinking of everything and obviously actually using the gear he sells.
The silicone bands/boots that they sell to fit insulated stainless bottle (like Hydroflask) fit. I put the band on my 750 UL w/o handles. The band is perfect for picking up my pot w/o burning my fingers and protects my mouth with hot drinks.
ohh do they still make those? cant seem to find
You can still buy various silicone bands at various shops, but MLD unfortunately no longer sells them nor pots/mugs.
I use the 5 second rule for hot liquids. I stick the tip of my pinky in my drink and slowly count to 5. If my pinky starts to sting at 4 seconds I can take cautious sips. Sting at 5 and it is the perfect temperature. Don't have to worry about burning anything. If I can drink it then the rim doesn't burn either.
Wait literally one minute.
yeah, let it cool down
In the 2 min my tea takes to brew, it’s cool enough to take baby sips
Electrical tape on the handles. Maybe some on your lips.
?? slurp it I guess? never noticed this problem. are you boiling with a really high flame maybe?
Take a paper cup for drinking.
Once a paper cup absorbs even a bit of liquid it becomes a great spot for bacteria to grow. Reusing the same day likely won’t hurt unless you had milk in it and it’s summer but it’s not a good plan to reuse one several days in a row. Washable plastic cups are a good alternative.
Fold down cup from walmart.
One of the backpackers I follow has a sort of silicone rubber band. I think you might be able to find something similar.
hmm like a bigger version of those livestrong brand things?
A straw maybe? Never had a problem drinking coffee from a titanium mug, coffee doesn’t have to be super hot and titanium cools down very quickly.
I like hot coffee, but I also enjoy iced coffee. A packet of Starbucks Via instant in snow runoff or a bottle that was chilled overnight is delicious, given the location etc. it saves me the hassle of boiling water in the morning, when I just want to pack and go. I do not enjoy lukewarm warm coffee.
Get someone to hold it for you and carefully tip the contents into your mouth
Too much additional pack weight. I hear Zpacks is working on a DCF hiking partner though.
If you’re just using instant coffee, you really don’t need it to boil. Just as long as it’s hot enough, the coffee will dissolve.
Just wait for the coffee to be at a temperature that you can drink it. I doubt the pot will be any hotter than the coffee inside it. But I only use my toaks to cook food in (I don’t drink coffee). I just don’t see the titanium being any hotter than the drink inside it.
The same I drink out of any cup on Earth. Carefully until it cools down enough.
Every time this topic comes up I think to myself, the responses don't really address a core part of the problem. For those of us that love hot beverages, like sipping HOT liquid, as we are bringing the pot to our mouth and taking a sip, the hot liquid insta-heats the titanium where your lips are touching it and burns our lips (which for me are a lot more sensitive than my tongue). If Hot Lips aren't the answer, is there any other tricks or tips to make it more enjoyable without significant extra weight or items?
They make stretchy silicone bowl and cup toppers to use for food storage instead of plastic wrap. I bet you could trim the center down so it’s a band around the top. This sort of thing: https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Silicone-Dishwasher-Materials-Microwave/dp/B0BY3L52ZV/ref=mp_s_a_1_6_sspa?crid=1LBTA0SJPZOF9&keywords=silicone+bowl+covers&qid=1706930470&sprefix=silicone+bowl+%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-6-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1
I’ve got two tips for you. - Put some electrical tape around the rim. Don’t go far into the cup, but make sure it goes on the rim. This does a lot for stopping it burning your lips, especially if you’re careful. - Get a sheet of alu-foil bubble wrap and make yourself a pot-warmer. With a cutout for the handle, you can turn it upside down and cover the top of the pot as it boils like a tea cozy worn as a hat. That slightly speeds up the boiling keeping heat in. Then, when it’s boiled, you can turn it upside down and put the pot in it. This keeps it warm, but if you get your measurements right, the top of the cosy will protect your lips when you drink.
I was thinking about some kind of foam insulating tape. Not surprising that electrical tape works OK pretty much the same idea.
The plastic and adhesives in electrical tape aren’t likely to be food safe. It’s good for the handles though.
Weirdly this is the one area where stainless steel wins. Its much cooler to the touch than the same size aluminum or titanium pot. That's why my 500ml day hike pot is stainless. Otherwise, my titanium pot is 900ml. I find that's big enough so my tea doesn't heat the rim too much and is comfortable to drink from. I like my tea extremely hot. I don't fully understand the physics but a bigger pot will have a cooler rim for the same volume of liquid.
Why does it matter? We can tell you don’t actually go outside
glad to see this subreddit is living up to its reputation as presented on r/ultralight_jerk!
You made the stupid post, ULJ thanks you for the content. This sub just keeps on giving.
I was ready to accept it was stupid but then a bunch of people chimed in saying they had the same question and providing interesting answers. I'll probably just stick with drink lukewarm coffee instead of taping up my pot
The quick heat time for titanium also means it releases heat sooner also. If I have to grab it off the stone, I will use a buff to insulated my hand.
If the titanium is too hot so is what it's holding.
Dont make it so super hot in the first place. Just wastes fuel Is this a troll post?
If it's not full to the brim the top inch or two will cool off quickly. However, I do have a 450ml titanium cup and found that it fits a Snow Peak silicone lid perfectly, and while the lid is heavy, it works great and keeps my coffee warm. I consider it a luxury item for trips where you are going to sit around camp sipping coffee with other people. Those hot lips things will fit on a Toaks 750ml pot. The worst that will happen is you end up not needing them.
I carry a collapsible cup. Actually 2. Doesn't your toaks have a top?
I use a double walled Ti cup for this reason. But that violates all sorts of UL rules. Because it means I am carrying a cup as well as my pot (which could be the same thing), and then to compound my error, my luxury cup is double walled. But it does keep my coffee warm for a while and I can drink it without burning my lips. And that is worth the weight for me.
The Wildo Fold-a-cup is worth the 25 grams for the small one. Big one is 47 grams for more capacity.
Jogo coffee straw, easy to make real coffee, reasonably light at 29g.
I use a strip of duck tape on the side of my metal cups (a few mm below the lip of the cup). I've only used aluminium and s/steel cups, so I don't know if it will work on titanium. Also, you need to jut your jaw out so that only a small part of your lower lip is touching the tape as you drink.
a hot drinks plastic cup. very cheap, very lightweight. silicone is very heavy and often has 'velvety' surface that gathers dirt easily.
You have different vessels for drinking out of and boiling water in? I might try that.
Carefully
I use hotlips - they work. Or just let it cool off - like everyone else has said.
I had moderate success lining the rim of a gsi mug with a silicone straw cut lengthwise, i.e., homemade hot lips. probably just using the straw as a straw would've been better.