I got an REI mug that was just like this one years ago and I love it and still have it to this day. So I thought that I was getting something about the same. I was wrong...

1st I got the box in the mail and the way that they shipped it with no packing or anything was bad, then I get the mug and try to use it and it is not at all what I thought it was. You have to unscrew the whole lid to drink out of it, that top part is just a little cup. My REI one was not like that. Good idea and I like the price but really bad coffee cup. Don't buy.

Just got home from a four day jaunt up Rainier and the Dawn Patrol served it's purpose very well. This jig keeps drinks hot all day, and I mean all day. I poured hot coffee in at 4 a.m. and it was still hot at noon. I love the size, although it's just big enough for personal use, not for pouring drinks for your crew.. and, as J Antencio said, a thermos version for the car would be a bonus.

This cup is perfect for the winter mornings and as the name says, "Dawn Patrol". It is a personal thermos, so you can store a worm drink and enjoy it on the trail of in the car on the way to the rendezvous point, or it just makes a great coffee/tea cup for the morning.

I don't see how anyone could rate these well unless they had never seen a thermos from any other manufacturer. Ever.
I got 2 on SAC and the only reason I am giving them them 2 stars is because the insulation is decent. If you want to use these as a soup container or a thermos just to keep your beverage warm, then the design is acceptable. They are just about useless as a travel mug. In fact, forget trying to consume anything from them directly except in dire emergencies.
If you can't tell from the picture, there is a small aluminum cap that screws into the polyurethane gray part on the top. The gray part has two tiny holes drilled in the center (vents maybe?) and a thick lip around the outside. This makes it a poor design to sip from because you can only get a dribble from the holes, but it is also almost useless to store a tea bag in because the threads tear the bag every time. You could unscrew the gray part and drink from the cup (while holding the top in your other hand) except that the aluminum gets very thin at the top where the internal threads are which makes it uncomfortable to drink from. Think of sipping from a soup can. I think Backcountry should rethink these.

works great keeps the hot stuff hot and the cold stuff cold. i love it!

First of all, they are amazing at keeping the liquids warm for a long time. After a day or two of use, a friend asked if it leaked and I promptly starting shaking the thing in all directions at which point it leaked like crazy. After a bout of mild rage and growing disappointment, I tightened the thing like never before and it fixed the problem. So words of advice; buy them if you plan on hiking or riding all day, as it will keep the hots hot and I'm sure the colds cold, but I would man up and tighten the thing down like you never have before to prevent backpack saturation.

It keeps beverages reasonably hot or cold. It's an ok, tumbler, or just small thermos. That's it though. I've bought better for almost the same price and they were nicer.

If you're using it as a travel mug, it's terrible because you have to unscrew both caps to drink from it. If you drill holes in the middle cap, for easier drinking, it leaks. Basically they're ok for the price, but go to the average truck stop and you'll get a much better thermos, tumbler or travel mug for almost as cheap.

These are horrible, they all leak, even when carefully tightened. Not good for in a pack. They look very cute and would have been exactly what I was looking for :(

Unless I try to tighten the "plastic" lid until it's breaking point, the thermos leaks ever single time. I had to throw my backpack into the wash several times to wash out the spoiled smell of juice and coffee. It only failed NOT to leaf on one occassion when I tried to break the cover by twisting like no end.

Does what it says it will do....keeps your drinks hot for hours--its small enough to fit in a day pack, great to bust out some hot joe on top of a tour. Only suggestion would be to make a travel mug version of this for sipping in the car.

I needed something that would keep coffee hot for hours on long, cold spring raft trips. I bought this after reading the description, figuring that even if it worked half as well as advertised, it would be worth the money.
The night I received it, I poured boiling water into it, closed the lid, and checked it the next morning (ten hours later). The water was still warm. Sweet.
Of course, the more you open and close it, the quicker your beverage will cool down, but all in all, this thing is awesome. It seems very durable, and is a good size. I'd definitely recommend it.

The perfect mini thermos! If i wanted a travel mug i'd buy one. this a coffee tumbler people so when you want hot coffee and tea while riding or hiking..Regular thermos don't cut it and are to bulky. Been using for 2 months with no defects or disappointments. Im buy 3 more right now for Xmas gifts!

Mine are great...don't leak like others have said. I don't entirely understand the cap and vent setup but it works really well. Made hot tea at 9am and at 5pm when I left work and realized I never drank it the tea was still not enough to fog my glasses. NICE!

**Update - The logo and writing came off my silver one really fast. It was replaced with a goat sticker which im sure will last longer!