Metro to Mountain Journal

When we backpack we try to go lightweight. We have invested in a pack full of items that help us manage the size and weight of our packs. Why? A lighter pack to us translates into a more enjoyable hike. A heavy pack means a death march.

Looking for ways to cut pounds and ounces we have gone as far as leaving behind all our cooking gear and going cold. We didn't bring a stove, fuel, pot, cup, etc. We chose to eat sandwiches prepared at the trailhead and other cold foods. On one such trip we were caught in a cold day of rain and were hours into the evening before we re-gained a comfortable body temperature. After that trip we decided the stove and mugs were not that heavy!

About ten years ago titanium cookware hit the market at more reasonable prices (all of it is expensive). In a quest for lightness we bought quite a few mugs, pots, and pans over the years searching for the perfect combinations for our cook kits. A couple of little MSR Titan Mugs were our first purchases. We used the mugs and flaunted them in front of our friends - we had "ti" mugs. Enviously they watched us sip from the almost lighter than air, mugs. After the novelty of the mug wore off, so did our use. The mugs were light; but they were not perfect. We moved the mugs to the old cookware bin.

Then a couple of years ago, we were looking at cook wear and started talking about what modifications we could make to the cups to make the mugs more user friendly.

MSR Titan Mug "Mods" ...

• With a Dremmel tool we scored the inside of the mug, marking a one cup (8 ounces) measuring line. I have seen some cups marked on the outside, but that does not make much sense if you cannot see through the cup.
• We took the handles off of the cup. They seemed to get in the way more than they were useful.
• We found a lid that fit the mug. After much searching we found that an REI mug lid fit the MSR Mug and was only a dollar. I bought one; but then REI stopped carrying the lids separately. Evernew seemed to make the mug for REI, so we found a retailer who sold Evernew products and bought another lid from them. Oh, by the way, the lids fit tight and at first were hard to attach; but they loosened with age and do not leak.
• Lastly we placed the cup in a neoprene cold drink can cozy. The cozy allowed us to hold the hot mug. It was easy to put the cozy on the mug and to take it off. It helped to insulate the contents keeping the drinks warm. And, you just throw the cozy in the washing machine to clean it.

We had successfully converted our spartan MSR Mugs into SuperCups. The mugs have returned to our primary use bin and once again we are the envy of all who see us sipping from the modified cups.

Happy muggy trails.