Product Description
The Flej Solo
Cup is a fluted
plastic mug with a lid and a neoprene sleeve that functions as
insulation. There is a substantial spout opening in the domed lid, with
a
small vent adjacent to it. The lid is made of an opaque grey
plastic, while the cup portion is made of a translucent white
plastic. The cup is small and compact with no protruding
handles
or parts. It fits well in my hand, and the neoprene sleeve
conforms to the fluting of the cup to make it easy to securely grip.
The neoprene insulating sleeve in my particular cup is red with a
substantial seam sewn with black thread. The Flej
logo is
silk screened on one place on the sleeve in white.
Initial Impressions
Upon
receiving the cup, I proceeded to open the package and inspect the cup
and lid. I was impressed at the apparent quality of all of
the
components. No defects were found on my initial inspection.
I
was unable to find the volume of the cup previous to receiving it in
the mail. The cup was smaller than I anticipated.
The
packaging lists the volume at 10 fluid oz (.3 L) and upon measuring it
the volume is correct. I found it impossible to fully utilize the full
10 oz (.3 L) as it fills the cup up to where the lid attaches, spilling
out some of the contents when the lid is pressed in. I
speculate
that the compact size is ideal for my backpacking trips, and will
report on this in the field report.
The packaging and website
for the cup touts the built in stirring feature of the cup referred to
as the “Agitor”. Upon inspection of this feature, I was very
impressed as to the engineering that went into this feature.
The
stirring feature resides on the bottom of the cup, and is activated by
pressing a rubber button recessed into the base or sucking on the
lid. When the buttonis pressed, it squeezes liquid through a
series of channels built into a plastic dome above the button that
create a small whirlpool in the cup; stirring the drink.
The
lid fits well, and seals nicely with the cup using a series of soft
rubber gaskets. The lid appears to be secure, although the
drinking hole is larger than any I have experienced. This
leads
me to speculate that it will spill easier than the mugs I have
previously used. I will report on this as I gain
experience.
Initial Use
Upon receipt of the
mug, I was intrigued by the stirring feature, so I put a
little
water in the base of the cup, and placed a few small blades
of
dry grass into the cup to test the action of the “Agitor”.
When I
pressed the button on the bottom of the cup several times, the small
blades of grass began to swirl.
The
cup I received had a distinct plastic odor when I received
it.
The Flej website instructed to thoroughly wash the cup to remove the
odor. I disassembled the cup removing the lid and the
neoprene
sleeve in preparation for washing. I then tried to remove the
base in which the “Agitor” is contained and was not
successful. I
consulted the directions and was assured that the base was removable
but only recommended for thorough cleaning; so I stopped
trying.
It was only after washing it the first time that I was able to
successfully remove the base. After the cup was dry I
reassembled
the components, struggling to get the neoprene sleeve back on, slightly
fraying the edge in the process.
With the cup clean, it was now
time to pour in my first cup of coffee with a little creamer.
Both my wife and I looked in anticipation as I pushed the “agitor” and
were rewarded with a dramatic swirl of the creamer, and the almost
instantaneous blending of the dark coffee and light
creamer. I proceeded to drink my well-mixed coffee and
creamer
with pleasure.
Image courtesy of
www.flejoriginals.com
Quality Assessment
The
Flej Solo cup by all appearances is a high quality product.
It
seems to be well designed and well-built using sturdy materials
throughout. My initial struggle with the insulating
sleeve
and the subsequent fraying of the edge has me a little concerned with
the durability of this component, and I will give full details during
the field report. The lid and the base fit very well in the
cup
and create a tight seal with no leaking at this point.
The real
quality is apparent in the design. The details I find
examining
the cup over the course of the last couple of days have highlighted the
engineering that went into the design to make it a viable camping
travel mug. The compact size with no protruding
parts,
along with the simple but effective construction of the stirring
mechanism make me excited to further test this cup on my adventures
over the next four months.
top Field Report
August 1, 2008
The
Flej solo cup has been my constant companion during 15 days of camping
thus far this summer. I have used the Flej Solo cup as my primary
drinking vessel while base camping as well as backpacking. The
cup has seen a variety of beverages including coffee, tea, lemonade,
wine and water. The cup has been used for an extended period in
the field with only limited maintenance and cleaning. The
following is my report on its performance.
Field Locations:
Silver Lake- June Lake loop Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, California- 8days June/July 2008
Elevation: 6772 ft (2064 m)
High Temperature: 90.2 F (32.3 C)
Low Temperature: 41.6 F (5.3 C)
Precipitation: .02 in (.5 mm)
The Flej solo cup primarily served as my morning coffee cup, and my evening tea cup while base camping on Silver Lake.
Twin Lakes- Mammoth Lakes, CA -5 days July 2008
Elevation: 8202 ft (2499 m)
High Temperature: 83 F (28.3 C)
Low Temperature: 44 F (6.7 C)
Precipitation:
0 in (0 mm) (while no precipitation was recorded, the location we
camped received several seasonal thunder storms that dropped more than
a trace amount of precipitation.
Again the Flej solo cup primarily served as my morning coffee cup, and my evening tea cup while base camping at Twin Lakes.
Heart Lake- Little Lakes Valley, CA- overnight July 2008 1-day
Elevation: 10300 ft (2064 m) at trailhead
High Temperature (approximate): 80 F (32.3 C)
Low Temperature (approximate): 40 F (5.3 C)
Precipitation: trace amount (a short evening thunderstorm dropped rain for about 30 minutes)
The
Flej solo cup was the only drinking vessel I had during this
backpacking trip. I brewed tea in it during the evening and for
breakfast, as well as using the cup for water while in camp.
Three Sisters Falls- San Diego County, CA July 2008 1-Day
Elevation: 2800 ft (853 m) at trailhead
High Temperature (approximate): 90 F (32 C)
Low Temperature (approximate): 55 F (13 C)
Precipitation: 0 in (0 mm)
The
Flej solo cup was the only drinking vessel I had during this
backpacking trip. As with the previous trip I brewed tea in it
during the evening and coffee for breakfast.
Field Performance
The
Flej Solo Cup has worked solidly as a camping/backpacking cup. I
have used it extensively, and it had proven to be functional and
durable.
During one extended trip in June and July, I used the
cup daily for 14 days without having the opportunity to disassemble the
components of the cup and thoroughly clean them. Cleaning consisted of
rinsing the cup with clean water, pumping the “agitator” a few times,
pouring out the water and rinsing a second time. The cup held a
variety of liquids during this trip, and I did not notice any flavor
cross contamination as long as I rinsed the cup after use. When I
arrived home, the exterior of the cup was very dirty, and I found that
there was some build-up on the internal components when I disassembled
the cup. I put the plastic components in the dishwasher, and
washed the neoprene sleeve with warm water and dish soap, which
returned the cup to a respectably clean condition.
Before
leaving for my first camping trip, I tried activating the “agitator”
feature by sucking on the spout as indicated in the directions. I
was very hesitant to do this initially with hot liquid in the cup, so I
initially tested it with cold water. I was able to activate the
mixing feature this way but I needed to apply more suction than I
expected. While no water splashed up onto my lips, I am still hesitant
to mix my hot beverages using this method, and almost always mix them
by depressing the rubber button on the bottom of the cup with my
finger. I wondered how useful the mixing would be for me as I
drink my coffee black, and do not add anything to my tea. I
did find that using the mixing feature while brewing tea speeds up
the process significantly by forcing the water through the teabag.
The
neoprene sleeve works well to keep my beverage warm or cool for a
reasonable period of time. It also has insulated my fingers from
the heat of the hot beverages while gripping the cup. As it is summer,
I have not had the opportunity to use the cup during temperatures
colder than 40 F (5.3 C) and cannot comment on whether the neoprene
insulation will work as well in colder weather. The sleeve has
held up decently during 15 days of use, although the edges of the
sleeve have sustained more areas that are frayed or pulling apart.
There is one small nick in the sleeve; probably as a result of the
many times I have tightly packed the cup in various backpacks and
daypacks. The lid has a few minor scratches. At this point all of
the wear is cosmetic.
The design of the cup for me has proven
to be a compromise of size, shape weight and capacity. Initially
I was concerned that the cup was too small, and was disappointed that
the 9 oz capacity would not work for me as an every day “commuter”
cup. Upon reflecting on my use of the cup as a camping and
backpacking cup I have accepted that this cup was never intended for
everyday use, and the volume and shape are designed for the size
constraints imposed when backpacking. The 10 oz (.3 L) capacity
has worked in the more relaxed environment while camping where I can
just reach out to my stove and refill the cup. The ovoid shape
with no extruding parts make it easy to stuff into a tight nook in my
backpack without worrying about breaking or bending any of the
components. The plastic smell and taste initially encountered
when the cup was new have completely disappeared, and at this point I
cannot detect any taste or smell coming from the plastic components.
Summary
The Flej Solo Cup has performed
well in two months of testing. It has come through 15 days in the
field with what I deem an acceptable amount of wear and tear; all of
which is cosmetic and does not adversely affect the performance of the
cup.
The worst I can say about the Flej Solo Cup, is that it
has somewhat of an identity issue among my backpacking gear. When
I am packing for a “light and fast” minimal trip, the built in stirring
feature (agitor) seems like a way to save weight, but I already carry a
spoon that would accomplish the same task. A cup without the
“agitor” would be slightly lighter, without the added redundancy;
better fitting my “light and fast” philosophy. When packing for
trips where comfort is more of a priority than weight and volume,
I would prefer to pack a cup with a larger capacity. I would like to
have two separate versions , one ultralight version without the
stirring feature, and a larger version with the “agitor” built in.
Please
check back in about two months when I report on the performance of the
Flej Solo Cup after four months of testing. Thank you Sedge
Warbler and BackPackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this fine
cup.
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