By: Blonde Two

We Blondes rarely travel without a flask and hot drink. The few times that we have attempted to walk without one, we have regretted it. Some people take stoves instead, this is also a good idea, particularly for colder or overnight expeditions. Here’s why we like it hot:

1. SAFETY! Sorry about the capital letters (far too shouty) but we know from personal experience (ourselves and our youngsters) that a hot drink can get you out of a nearly hypothermic, very low moral, exhausted situation. As a rule of thumb, the colder you are likely to be, the more sugar you should include in your drink. In our kayaking days, Mr B2 used to make us strong and over-sweet ‘Paddling Coffee’ it tasted disgusting before a session, but after a few dips in a January river, I couldn’t even taste the sugar! If you are leading a group, you should always have the facility to provide an emergency hot drink.

2. Pleasure. There are few things more satisfying than settling down in a lonely spot to enjoy the landscape; doing so with a hot drink in your hand is one of them. As a nation, we like to eat and drink together; it doesn’t matter where we are (although I would love to know if anyone has ever got their flask out at the top of Everest!)

So, if you want a bit of safety and pleasure (sounds like a lesson I taught once!) take a flask (other hot drink methods are available) with you next time you go for a walk. You won’t regret it, we promise!