PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
51 Year old male
6' 0'' (183 cm) in height
200 lbs (91 kg) in weight
Email address: rick (at) BackpackGearTest (dot) org
Trail name: Risk
Personal Hiking Page: http://www.imrisk.com
I live in Dayton, Ohio

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 15 lb (7 kg) and skin out weight of 23 lb (10 1/2 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of about 600 miles (966 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and I make much of my own equipment.

PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Big Sky Products
Year Manufactured: 2004
Manufacturer's Link: http://www.bigskyproducts.com
MSRP: US$2.99
Listed Weight: 1.2 oz (34 g)
Measured Weight: 1.2 oz (34 g) (measured to the gram)
Measured Volume: 8.0 oz (0.24 L)

REVIEW
The Cup 2 go is a plastic cup with handle marked in quarter cups with lines and printing on the inside surface of the cup and surrounded by a neoprene exterior cozy that covers the bottom and 3/4 of the side of the cup.  This neoprene is 1/8 in (3 mm) thick and has been butt-welded at a seam on the side and around the bottom of the cozy.  A small hole in the center of the bottom allows air or liquids to flow through the cozy, making it easy to put the cozy on or remove it. 

Several attributes of the cup are listed on the Big Sky Products Internet site:

- insulated cup
- great for keeping coffee, tea, or hot chocolate hot
- measuring cup - 1/4C (2oz), 1/2C (4oz), 3/4C (6oz), and 1 cup (8oz)
- perfect for the lightweight backpacker on a budget
- weighs 1/2 as much as an insulated titanium cup, yet only
   costs 1/10 the price of an insulated titanium cup!
- made from durable plastic and neoprene

The plastic cup and the cozy are somewhat conical in shape.  This makes it very easy to remove the cozy.  In my first few days of using the cup, I have automatically begun to slip a finger under the cup to make sure the cozy does not fall off.  This hand position is demonstrated by the photo above. 

The cup is of good quality, made from a slightly deformable plastic, and imparts no taste to cold or hot liquids.  I have used the cup for hot coffee and cold water.  Because the cozy only comes 3/4 of the way up the side of the cup, it does not interfere with my lips when I sip from the cup. The cozy itself is constructed of neoprene which is cloth covered inside and out.  The cloth on the exterior is blue and the cloth on the inner surface is black.  The seams have been neatly welded.  The bottom is welded to the sides as an interior plug in such a way that the bottom weld is visible only from the bottom of the cozy.

The cozy is evidently designed for custom imprinting.  On two sides of the cozy it is labeled in white ink "Your Name Here" and below that "www.yourname.com." On the exterior bottom of the cozy, the Big Sky Products Internet address is neatly printed.  The printing is highly contrasting and quite attractive. 

TEST CONDITIONS
I look forward to using the Cup 2 go on several backpacking trips during the winter, spring and summer months.  I will use it for morning coffee, as my outside-the-pack cup to enjoy drinks from springs along the AT, and at the end of the day I will use it to measure the water for my evening meal. Between trips, I will be using the cup for my morning coffee on a daily basis.

I will be interested to note:

- Is the cup durable in the backpacking environment?
- Does it work to use my finger as shown above to keep the cozy on?
- Is it easy to keep the cup clean?
- Does the lettering remain readable over the long haul?