Review: High Camp Flasks’ Firelight Tumbler 2-Pack

Editor’s Note: This product was provided to us as a review sample by High Camp Flasks. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.

There is nothing quite like drinking whiskey around a campfire, but bringing a Glencairn out to the woods is just not the best option. High Camp Flasks seeks to settle this problem with their line of stainless steel products. Their line up includes stainless steel flasks in 375ml and 750ml sizes as well as stainless steel tumblers designed as an accessory to their flasks. 

I’m looking specifically at High Camp Flasks’ Firelight Tumbler 2-Pack and will review this as a solo product, not an accessory. This set comes with two 11oz stainless steel tumblers in a cylinder carrying case made of suede, wool-felt, and faux leather at a price tag of $50. This case takes up as much room as it possibly can, which makes it less than ideal for camping or backpacking. The tumblers are unable to stack inside of each other as they are designed for locking on to the top and bottom of their “flasks”. They are double walled, but that does little for holding them with hot or cold drinks as the entire tumbler is stainless steel. 

There are three things I want to be able to use a drinking vessel for when camping: a cold drink when it is hot out, a hot drink when it is cold out, and a neat whiskey around the fire. Cold drinks sit nicely in this, it chills the tumbler all the way through and keeps the drink cold. As for a hot drink, it soaks up quite a bit of heat and gets right on the edge of being too hot to hold. For drinking whiskey neat I was pleasantly surprised. My past experiences of drinking whiskey in stainless steel came with altering the taste with a hint of metallic minerality. I experienced no alteration of taste with these tumblers, but did get hit with a nice big whiff of ethanol whenever I went to take a sip. 

Outside has an article talking about some pros and cons of similar products. One of the things they bring up is the loss of taste to the overwhelming scent of an open tumbler. This is the reason a Glencairn is the preferred glass for tasting whiskey. While their number one pick includes a lid to avoid the problem of scent, it does little to solve the problems of portability. Their number two pick is very mindful of its purpose and cuts down weight and space with its design. Overall I feel like High Camp Flasks has made a decent product that misses the mark in functional design for the purpose it is marketed for. I see this more for the glamper than the person heading out on the trail. 

Details: The Firelight Tumbler 2-Pack comes with two stainless steel 11oz tumblers and a hard case made of suede, wool-felt, and faux leather.  Each tumbler weighs 6oz and is 3 ¼” in diameter and 3 ⅜” tall. Available on High Camp Flasks website at $50 (on sale for $39 at the time of writing this).

Impressions: Overall not bad stainless steel tumblers for use with cocktails. Not something I will use for drinking whiskey neat out of. I do not see these as camping gear, especially not designed for being out on the trail or backpacking where space and weight are to be kept at a minimum. The carrying case very much seems like it should not be outdoors as the materials are not ones that are easy to clean, and they do not do well with water. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll take these with me on a picnic to park or out to the beach. 

I’ve been trying to place who this product is geared toward. The only person I can think of is the person that is outside and more concerned with their photo for Instagram than they are with enjoying the great outdoors. So if you want to get that photograph of your cocktail on your next outing just right, and have $50 to throw at a metal tumbler this could be just what you are looking for.