Hot drinks

If you are really sipping it all day hot water is a good choice for your teeth. I'd drink an unflavored white tea from Todd and Holland (not that fruity-flavored grocery store junk).

In the winter I carry either a thermos of hot cranberry juice (just heat it up out of the big Costco jug), or hot apple cider (2 packets of Alpine brand dehydrated cider, reconstituted). Both are very satisfying.

As for the thermos, I've tried various insulating tricks that were lighter, but nothing so far has worked as well as an actual thermos.

For all day I drink herbal teas (like something fruity by Celestial Seasoning). That way I don't get overloaded on sugar.

Now though…what is also nice is chicken soup and similar. Warm with calories….you can always cheat and use Lipton packets.

When I do long snowshoeing trips I will sometimes carry the weight of a bullet style thermos along with my stove. That way I can make more drinks as I go!

I've added Emergen-C to hot water – not half bad. Sort of like real thin Jell-O. Which we used to drink hot as kids, and if you don't mind the sugar overload it's sort of like thick Tang, which is another one we liked as kids –

Dang, memory lane here.

Speaking of Tang, there's a recipe in Freezer Bag Cooking I've been meaning to try with Tang and ice tea mix as ingredients… a number of the backpacking recipe books have hot beverage mix recipes too. Might try to google for some.

Jello hot is good also.

Tang powder + Vodka = Tangeroo

At high elevation, it will knock you on your a$$.

–B.G.–

double cranberry-pomegranate emergen-c with a bit of everclear added. It's good for the soul, but bad for the guts. If you need less warmth, but more sunshine, substitute tequila. Add hot sauce if you're a masochist like me!

P.S. F the weight, nothing will keep it hot all day in the winter except a glass vacuum sealed thermos.

"It's been recommended to me to try miso or broth, which would probably work."

Miso soup has worked really well for me. I should think a good rich chicken broth or something similar would also do the trick. Much depends on individual taste, but I find a savory, salty drink really hits the spot, taste-wise, and also helps replace at least the sodium component of the electrolytes lost when exercising strenuously.

scotch. that's what i'll be drinking this weekend

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Ended with a pomegranate "tea" that stayed warm in the thermos all day and tasted good.

It wasn't cold enough in the daytime, next time I'll probably just sip on it at night.