Walking Equipment and Accessories

Primus Trailbreak Flask | Review

Find out how we got on with Primus' svelte new variation of the Trailbreak flask during some long winter walks

I’ve always found that having a good hot drink in my backpack encourages me to slow things down a bit; it gives me a reason to just pause and take in the moment and my surroundings. In difficult conditions, it’s a great way of keeping morale up as well. Obviously, the longer the drink I’m carrying stays hot, the better.

The Primus Trailbreak is made from a double-walled stainless steel with vacuum insulation. I tested it out on a few very frosty days and found that it was capable of keeping the contents hot for a full day of walking and pleasantly warm for just under 24 hours. The flask is able to keep liquid ice cold as well.

“The steel used is obviously of a high quality, and I’m certain that it would withstand just about anything”

Two separate lids give peace of mind that the Primus Trailbreak won’t leak in your pack. Firstly there’s a stopper with a rubber seal then there’s a screw-on cup (also with double-wall vacuum insulation) that goes on top.

Each Primus Trailbreak comes with two different stoppers that can be interchanged. One of them is a regular-type one that needs to be completely removed to allow the contents to be poured and the second one is a ClickClose option. With the ClickClose, you can drink quickly and easily straight from the flask without too much heat escaping.

It’s easy to hold the flask securely thanks to the slightly tapered shape. This makes sliding the flask into a stuffed backpack a bit easier as well.

The stainless steel used is obviously of a high quality, and I’m certain that it would withstand just about anything. This does mean that the Primus Trailbreak is slightly on the heavy side though. I tested the 0.75l version which weighs 631g. The 1 litre version weighs 694g and the 0.5l version is 555g.

Made from stainless steel with vacuum insulation.

The stopper and lid create a dependable double seal.

There’s no chemical treatment on the inside of the flask so you don’t need to worry about any harm from nasty chemicals, or a bad aftertaste, and handwashing is simple thanks to the wide mouth. Primus advise against machine washing.

In very cold weather Primus’s Trailbreak EX has the upper hand on this version as it has a silicone sleeve that will prevent your fingers freezing onto the metal, it also makes the flask easier to grip with gloves. For the convenience of these added benefits, the EX costs slightly more.