Being a big fan of the VSSL JAVA Coffee Grinder, the folks at VSSL send me a pre-release version of their new VSSL insulated flask last October. The official name for this flask is the “VSSL INSULATED FLASK WITH BLUETOOTH® SPEAKER”, and that name might give you a hint as to what makes it different and sets it apart from the crowd!
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| VSSL Insulated Flask with Bluetooth |
While I was pleased to be given the opportunity to use, evaluate and review another new product, this flask wasn’t something I had gone looking for, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Much like my VSSL coffee grinder, the flask is very well made and shows exceptional attention to detail. This is not some cheap piece of camping gear you buy at your local hardware store, but the kind of product that will likely last your lifetime, or more!
Made of stainless steel, the flask holds 8 oz of your favourite liquid, either hot or cold. Since it’s double wall insulated, it’ll maintain the contents’ temperature for hours. In terms of size, it’s about 9 inches tall and 2 inches in diameter.
The top of the flask is quite unique, it can open in one of two ways, either with the small, integrated screw on cap (which is made of metal, and cleverly attached so it can’t fall off or be lost), or by completely unscrewing the top of the flask, exposing the full width of the flask’s interior. At the top of the cap is a circular carabiner type attachment, which holds itself together using magnets.
If you don’t want to use the carabiner, it folds down onto the top of the cap in such a way that it’s practically invisible, and stays there again with another magnet. I must admit, I love the use of the magnets here! Not only do they keep the carabiner secured and tight, they make a “precision fit” sound when the pieces snap together. Sometimes it’s in the small things that you notice how much thought went into the design of a product.
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| Flask with Bluetooth Speaker Detached |
Another “headliner” unique feature of the flask is the custom fit rechargeable Bluetooth speaker that screws snugly onto its base. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d assume the flask was a bit taller than it actually is, i.e. the speaker is cylindrical and the same colour as the flask, so when it’s in place, it just looks like the rest of the flask. I say, “when it’s in place”, because you can remove the speaker, either positioning it somewhere convenient for use, or to recharge it, or you can just leave it behind: a small black cap screws in the speaker’s place if you don’t want to bring it with you.
Like the rest of the flask, the speaker is well made, weatherproof with rubberized controls (power, previous, next), a small indicator LED, and comes with its own USB-C charging cable (nice to see the USB-C use vs. the typical outdated options).
When in use, the speaker’s sound is much bigger than its size, and it certainly blows away the built in speaker of my iPhone, most notably in base. Apparently if you own two of these flasks, the speakers are intelligent in that one can be used for left channel audio, the other right; that’s pretty cool! I didn’t have the ability to test that, but it’s another one of those “attention to detail” things that VSSL does so well.
Since I received it, I’ve taken the flask with me on three trips. At first, I thought of it as a cool thermos, but soon realized that’s not its true calling. Since its capacity is 8 oz, it’s not sized for coffee, or hot chocolate or something like that, although you can do that in a pinch. Where it excels is in giving you an unbreakable, spill proof container for adult beverages, such as brandy, whiskey, liquors or similar special liquids. Instead of risking those kind of liquids in glass or plastic containers that are too big, the flash is perfect. Personally, I’ve been using it to bring Bailey’s with me for my coffee, but when I go winter camping, I think something stronger will take its place.
When I’m away on trips, I don’t listen to music as much as I do to audio books or podcasts. That’s how I generally use the flask’s speaker, putting it somewhere central in my camp, just loud enough for me to hear, but with the freedom to move around unimpeded.
So there you have it. The VSSL flask is a well designed, intelligently engineered product that makes a great addition to your camp gear. If given as a gift, this is the kind of quality product that comes with some “Wow” factor; there’s nothing else like it out there that I’ve come across!
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| Great Piece of Kit! |