How frequently do you take hot drinks into the cave?

tdobson

Member
How frequently do you take hot drinks into the cave?

I'll go first:

I never have, but I was reading through some notes and saw the word "flask" in reference to someone taking one into a cave. I thought, "that's an unusual name for a water bottle" and asked them - they've only done ~3 trips *without* taking a hot drink.

I'm not a hot drink person in general, but it made me wonder how prevelant it is outside of my immediate group of friends.

If there are times you would and times you wouldn't take a hot drink, I'd interested to hear those too!
 

topcat

Active member
Every time until a year ago when my stainless steel flask failed.  Haven't got round to replacing it yet.  I have loads of others, but all too big for caving.

Hot fruit juice or miso soup.  Well grand!
 

Fulk

Well-known member
Very rarely have I taken a flask of hot liquid into a cave; I've found that the glass ones are useless (they break) and the metal ones can get dented, and where the outside shell touches the inner flask there's conduction of heat away from the drink. Sometimes in cold weather we leave a hot flask at the entrance, though.
 

PeteHall

Moderator
I used to go underground with a group of mine explorers, for whom lunch (with a photo) was always an important part of the trip, the more elaborate the better. A flask would be considered essential in such company.
23_prouds_flat_lunch-13-35.jpg


I also clearly remember one of my first trips when a friend pulled out a stove and made a hot brew after a rather unpleasant duck. This was well received, though I have never found the need to carry a flask or stove myself.
 

Alex

Well-known member
I don't take on underground as I find when it gets immersed in water it cools the drink down, so I prefer to leave it in the car for the drive home, especially if it's an evening trip.
However, if it's a very long trip say 12 hours to the back of Langcliffe then I would certainly consider taking one anyway.
 

Brains

Well-known member
I dont think I have ever taken my flask underground - it stays in the car. Depending on the trip I may carry water - not just for drinking but washing out eyes that have collected small rock samples. Hot tea or fruit juices arent so popular for that job!
I have been with people who take flasks, and a sip of something hot can be a booster, depending on what it is! I have been offered but only tried once a strange concoction that is best described as Bovril with chilli and curry powder  :yucky:  However I usually find the waiting around while people faff with them and or serve their packed luncheon a cold and demoralising waste of time.
Strangely a surface walk in the hills or a surface dig is a good place to have a flask... Especially when it contains "special" coffee  ;)
 

Mr Mike

Active member
PeteHall said:
I used to go underground with a group of mine explorers, for whom lunch (with a photo) was always an important part of the trip, the more elaborate the better. A flask would be considered essential in such company.
23_prouds_flat_lunch-13-35.jpg


I also clearly remember one of my first trips when a friend pulled out a stove and made a hot brew after a rather unpleasant duck. This was well received, though I have never found the need to carry a flask or stove myself.

I now also have a stainless food flask that fits perfectly in to a small darren drum - will fit a standard soup tin in, so can have a warming meal and of course a lunch photo. May daugther also now expects a hot meal - spagetti hoops usually out of flash or done on stove.
 

Katie

Active member
Only time I take a flask is when I have been called out - and then it is not for me to drink but whoever is being rescued!

Although shortly before Christmas a friend brought a flask of mulled wine caving and that was amazing :)
 

Huge

Active member
Occasionally have a flask of coffee in the car for after the trip in the winter but don't take one in the cave with me.

One of my flasks did once go underground without me, when I arrived at a rescue just as the first responders (so to speak) were about to head in and spotted my flask, which they were quick to requisition for the casualty! And it was dented when I got it back!  :LOL:
 

PeteHall

Moderator
Mr Mike said:
I now also have a stainless food flask that fits perfectly in to a small darren drum - will fit a standard soup tin in, so can have a warming meal and of course a lunch photo.

My brother gave me something similar for Christmas, but so far it's only been used for ice cream on a family picnic.

Now there's an idea, forget the hot drink, take ice cream on a hot sweaty caving trip  ;)
 

Caver Keith

Active member
Back in the early 2000s we tried Nescafe Hot When You Want self-heating coffee in a can - once only as it failed to get hot enough and tasted nothing like coffee.
 

Fulk

Well-known member
Many years ago I was on a rescue in Crackpot Cave when somebody got trapped by a rock that slid onto him while he was digging the final choke. He had gone in head-first on his back and got trapped by the rock on his legs . . . a very unpleasant situation (obviously). Anyway he was eventually extricated and somebody rolled up with a flask of hot coffee that he offered to the victim ? who promptly poured it down his wellies, saying ?My feet are cold ? that?ll warm ?em up?!
 

Mr Mike

Active member
Katie said:
Although shortly before Christmas a friend brought a flask of mulled wine caving and that was amazing :)

I got given a  bottle of 'The Secret Chocolate Wine' one year, more of  liquer - bit like port with chocolate and heavier, this used to go in a hipflash with some small stainless thimble tumblers to match - wonderful to have.
 

Rob

Well-known member
Never take a flask, cans are much easier and help no end with finding braveness in dodgy chokes.  (y)
 

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SqueezyPete

Member
I use those cheap metal flasks you find everywhere these days and they work a treat. Usually only bring in hot fruit squash though - it doesn't matter if it eventually cools down and it's a nice booster on chilly trips.
 

Pitlamp

Well-known member
Couple of us once enjoyed mugs of steaming hot coffee from a flask in an airbell 265 m into a sump in the Dales, up to our chests in water. We'd gone there to test some equipment and it was something to do whilst waiting. Fortunately our drysuits were equipped with P valves.

The flask worked perfectly but, in case anyone else wants to enjoy this luxury, you must fill the flask to the brim with water before re-submerging. Otherwise there's a very good chance it'll collapse under pressure and get ruined.
 

scurve

Member
In one of the between-lockdown periods we've had recently, when the pubs were closed, I was caving in Kingsdale. I took a flask along and, after the caving was finished, we went and had some tea in Yordas Main Chamber - our very own temperance inn.
 

Alex

Well-known member
I forgot, I also take flasks underground on call outs for the cas, but secretly hope they won't want any so I can drink it lol.
 

thehungrytroglobite

Well-known member
I have on occasion for very cold trips, or higher risk trips with long call outs, however most of the time I tend to avoid doing this purely because a flask is a lot heavier than a water bottle. UNCC often leave a flask at the entrance to the cave if there is a particularly long walk back from the entrance to the hut
 

mrodoc

Well-known member
When we were digging in Reservoir Hole we had a couple of Christmas celebrations in the cave where we drank Lidl's Gluhwein from a flask. The Old Ruminator blames it for falling off a short climb on the way out of the cave!
 
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