Testing out the new Thermos filtration bottle in the North Atlantic.
Sea kayaking: my new love.
What a difference six months can make.
Two Springs ago my best friend and I began the Shetland Canoe Club sea kayaking training course, completing a few lessons in the comfortable warm (-ish) waters of the local pool, and then I stood in the path of a rope under strain.
Don’t ever stand in the path of a rope under strain. It does bad things to one’s body. It’s taken these last two years to recover as well as I think I ever will. Permanent structural and nerve damage to my left foot and ankle meant I had to give up my running addiction, and, fed up and frustrated with the nerve pain I was in, I replaced regular exercise with red wine and a bit too much cake. I quickly piled on weight and lost all the muscle tone I’d spent years building up.
I reached a point where I was uncomfortable in my own skin and I had to make a decision: buy bigger underpants or do something about the extra weight.
Six months ago I bought the P90x home fitness program and the lost two stone (30 lbs for my overseas readers) I’d gained. I’m on week 10 of it’s successor, the P90X3, packing a whole hour’s worth of weight training, core strength training and cardio exercises into daily 30 minute routines. I love it and I get narky if I don’t get my daily exercise endorphin fix.
Earlier this year my best friend convinced me to give the Shetland Canoe Club training another go; would I come along with her for moral support. I was unsure at the time that I had the physical strength needed to kayak, and that my ankle would hold out. I need a working ankle to be able to get back into the kayak, should I find myself deposited upside down from it.
I was skeptical, but I was willing to give it a go. I even managed to convince my teenage son to join me. My friend, on the other hand, never showed up for the classes. An unfounded fear of her backside not fitting into the kayak prevented her from taking lessons this year. My son and I persevered.
Last week I passed all the criteria for my one star certificate. Ok, I realise this pretty much just means I can get in and out of a kayak and mostly paddle in a straight line, but I’m really rather pleased with myself. My eldest, on the other hand, has discovered that the paddling during a trip requires effort, and needs a bit more coaxing to come back out with me. Nonetheless, I’m sticking with it – I still have to cross #24 kayak into a sea cave off my 40 Things I Want to Do Before I Turn 40 list.
Last week’s beginners session was a 5 mile long paddle up the voe so that we could practice our strokes and get a taste of what the swell of the open sea feels like. When you’re sitting in a boat only a few inches from the surface of the water, the swell seems huge! Fortunately, thanks to stubbornness and the P90X I’ve got the strength to do it. Two different folk commented on the strength of my paddle stroke, and I was secretly really chuffed. My hard work is paying off!
You’re supposed to bring some provisions along with you on trips: something sugary in case you need a quick energy fix and some fresh water.
So, I took my new Genuine Thermos Brand Filtration Bottle for a test run.
Thermos have been providing people on the move with quality food and drink storage containers for over 110 years. Their latest product features an innovative gravity-fed filtration method, which is NSF/ANSI 42 & 53 certified to help reduce contaminants such as aesthetic chlorine, chloramine, atrazine and particulate class V, as well as eliminate bad tastes and odour from water.
It’s a water bottle with a carbon filter, meaning you can take tap water out on adventures with you. Personally, I’m not keen on refilling old used water bottles, or drinking tap water from a flask or plastic water bottle. It just doesn’t taste as nice as I want, so I tend to buy bottled water for my outdoor pursuits – not the most environmentally friendly way of going about doing things.
POSITIVE FEATURES
- It’s sturdy. It is made from BPA-free, impact resistant Eastman Tritan™ copolyester material – so it didn’t break after repeatedly hitting it with my kayak paddle (accidentally, of course!)
- You can use it with one hand (keeping the other holding on to the paddle). The clip can be lifted and lid release button pressed with one hand, and no sucking is needed to get the water out of the bottle. It just pours out easily from the hygienic spout.
- The bottle can be filled up to 128 times before the filter needs to be replaced.
- There’s a carrying loop so you can attach it to your backback (or kayak, just in case!).
- It makes tap water taste nice!
NEGATIVE FEATURES
- It’s rather expensive. At £25 it’s a rather pricey investment.
- It’s a faff to set up. There are seven different components you need to take apart and wash before first use. The filter needs to be soaked for an hour and then rinsed under cold water for three minutes before you can drink from it. Then, once you’ve done that you need to fill the bottle, allow it to filter, pour that water out and refill it again before using. I had to repeat this step three times before bits of carbon stopped falling out of the filter.
- The filtered water section at the bottom isn’t particularly large, meaning you can’t take a really big swig of water without waiting for it to filter some more before you can continue. I realise that size of compartment is ok for average sized sips, but sometimes, after massive energy expenditure, you need a really good glug of water.
All in all it is a pretty snazzy water bottle, and I think it’s well worth the price. £25 for 128 refills. 128 bottles of water at 60 p each would cost over £76! Replacement filters are also available.
You can buy the Thermos Filtration Bottle from the Thermos website, Amazon and John Lewis.
You can find out more about kayaking in Shetland by visiting The Shetland Canoe Club and Sea Kayak Shetland websites, and following them on Facebook (Sea Kayak Shetland)(Shetland Canoe Club).
GIVEAWAY
Thermos have very kindly offered the chance for one of my readers to win a Genuine Thermos Brand Filtration Bottle RRP £25 of their very own!
HOW TO ENTER
For your chance to win a genuine Thermos Brand Filtration Bottle RRP £25 enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Come back and tweet about the giveaway every day for more chances to win!
TERMS & CONDITIONS
This giveaway is open to UK entries only. Entrants must be age 18 or over. The winner will need to respond within 7 days of being contacted; failure to do this may result in another winner being selected.
The prize is offered and provided by Thermos. The prize is to win a genuine Thermos Brand Filtration Bottle RRP £25. There is no cash alternative and the prize is not transferable.
There is no entry fee and no purchase is necessary to enter this giveaway. The promoter (Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary) reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice.
Entry into our giveaways will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
If you need some help using Rafflecopter, here’s a quick clip to show you how. Rafflecopter will pick the winner at random from all the entries received. I will be verifying entries and any automated entries or those who have claimed they have made the mandatory blog post comment and really haven’t will be disqualified. It’s mandatory!
Closing date is midnight on Monday 6 July 2015 (GMT) and the winner will be announced shortly afterwards.
Don’t forget to visit my Giveaways Page for other fab prizes!
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Disclosure: Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary received products from Genuine Thermos Brand as compensation for this post. All views and opinions expressed in the post are my own and no other compensation was provided. With thanks to Angus Nicol from Sea Kayak Shetland for the kayaking photographs.
claire little
t in the park
Chloe Ellis
cycling trips
Tamsin Dean
me and my partner do a lots of SCUBA diving and you get really thirsty, so would be ace for this
Deborah Bird
long walks up the moors x
Laura Vitty
Trekking in the rain forest in Sri Lanka next year
Sharon
cycling with the family
Kelly Hooper
I think my eldest would nick it off me for his Duke of Edinburgh expeditions as he’s just got his pack through
ellie spider
Balance boarding, walking and kayaking – I’m still doing a double kayak as I have real issues with timing my stroke to paddle ( I go in circles which is highly amusing for everyone else – not so much for me!)
Aaron Milne
just a walk in the countryside is an adventure nowadays
Paul Scotland
My commute to work
Mrs Josie Uden
I’m on maternity leave with my nearly 10 month old who loves being outside! We go on adventures to the beach, to the local woods and we went to Devon as a family recently.
Diana
Long walks 🙂
Patricia Fraser
I would bring it to work with me, to encourage me to drink more water during the day.
Margaret Glover
I’d take it when I go linedancing
Jane Middleton
Take it with me on the train to keep hydrated
Em S
Camping in the Brecon Beacons
Jenny Barker
the drive to our summer holidays on a good day 1 1/2hrs but a bad anywhere up to 3hrs
jessica newman
cross country runs with my running club
Chris Fletcher
This would be great when I go hiking!
Katie
I’d take it to Zumba with me
Lucy Carter
Hiking with the family
Jennifer B
The commute to work – feels like an adventure some days!
Katarzyna Wrzyszcz
walk wit a dog
Alison
Long walks in the country
chirag P
cycling with the family
Martina Alban
hiking in Devon
Laura Nice
camping trips!!
Rhian Cox
Walking days with the kids.
Emily Hutchinson
Walking in the Lake District
pauline black
I would take it on a trip to loch ness not far from where I live
EJ Dunn
Quad biking in Egypt
Victoria B
Not particularly an adventure but this would be really handy on my commute every day.
Alisa Moore
Cycling trips
Fran
Walking along – ad swimming in! – rivers in Somerset and Gloucestershire
angela sandhu
Walking
Lisa Rhodes
hiking trips
Elizabeth Gurney
Definitely take this when I go travelling, hopefully next year.
emma thackery
on walks with my dog
dawn thompson
All of them – from hiking, to cycling to anything I dream of!
david cavender
going for long walks in the countryside
zoe somerfield
Climbing at The Roaches or at Portland
Stuart Payne
kayaking along the north devon coast
emma kinsey
when out waking in waes
Sheila Sloan
On walks on the beach and moors of our lovely North Yorkshire.
Elizabeth Charlesworth
The next in my list of adventure sports to try is canyoning.
Monika S
My everyday walking with my daughter –
SUSAN L HALL
My hubby teaches a martial art class to children every week – hes not as young as he used to be so needs the best hydration possible
Nancy Bradford
We are going on an adventure holiday to France soon and this would be perfect. It is very clever. I want one 🙂
Susan Hoggett
long walks in the countryside
Sarah Heath
Walks with the family
Carol P
Just about to do a weeks walking this would be perfect.
pamela gossage
When I go walking
liz ferguson
Climbing Steel Rigg
Jade H
I’d go for walks with it
Eleanor Wigmore
In a couple of years time maybe hiking or camping but initially it would be my most exciting adventure of all – labour! Due at the end of the month.
Fran H
Geocaching!!
Paul Ward
Cool prize giveaway
Carole Paton
Kayaking in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
Nicola Holland
Seafishing in my kayak in the English CHannel
katie w
on archaeological digs and walks
Rhian Nelmes
I’m going paddle boarding for the first time in August.
Andrew Seaman
My two children do Dartmoor wild camping in preparation for events like Ten Tors and South Moors river walk so this would help stop them from boiling the water for 20 mins to mix with their porridge etc
Sarah Mills
walking the dog
Andrew Gibson
Taking the Dog for long walks in the countryside
Sarah-Jane Laycock
Running and Hiking
Sara JaneG
Adventure walks with my son
Helen
wild swimming
jane steels
camping.
Angela L White
whilst walking
Kelly L
Lots of family day trips!
Natalie D
i would take it on my skiing holiday
ashleigh brookes
when i go for long walks and running.
Jo W
Everything from my weekday cycle commute, to marathon training on the trails
Holly Edmundson
This would be brilliant for when I go walking with my daughters 🙂 xxx
Amy B
Trail running
Jamie
No where as exciting as the pictures but I would take it on a long walk to a country park 🙂
karen Howden
Competing in dog agility
Sarah H
my partner is a kayaking fanatic so would be great for him!
Allan Fullarton
Would use it for camping.
Frances Heaton
Long countryside walks, exploring canal banks and woodlands.
claire york
I would take mine for a workout at the gym!
Jenny R
I’d keep it in my bag for all occasions
MichelleD
Lots of walking and camping in the Lakes!
Eleanor
Camping!
Christine Caple
I try to go out walking every day, so it would be ideal for this.
Elisabeth Ries
We like going on long road trips, so this would be perfect. South Coast this Summer!!!
SandraB
I would take it on my daily walks which have had to replace my running due to an injury.
emily clark
I would bring it along for my Duke of Edinburgh Gold expedition, because I think I will need it!
Kat Lucas
I would send with hubby for his trail runs
katie skeoch
On our summer train journey around the UK
Eileen Sumner
Walks in the country
Lynne Manton
this will be handy on the long walks I will be taking with my dog when I get him
Stephanie Whitehouse
Not sure I do adventure, but it would be handy on a nice long country walk
Stevie
This looks great. There’s a natural well near the Sunday football field. That would be handy.
Camilla
This looks like a great bottle and I would take it out on our kayake which we use on the canal so a much more sedate affair:-)
Michelle Banks
on our very long walks x
kris
i would take it camping
Kat Allinson
Family camping
Lisbeth
mountain walking
Michael Beaumont
I would take it camping
Hannah Igoe
Running, PIlates, the school run!
Andy Kadir-Buxton
Holiday walks with the boys.
Fiona K
I’d take it with me when we visit relatives in India. We boil the tap water and let it cool down before drinking it, and it always tastes dreadful, so another way to get clean filtered water would be useful.
Elle Warwick
i’m training for a marathon so this would be ideal!
claire woods
On Go Ape.
Kerry Bennett
I would take it camping
sam swain
I love sea kayaking too so would use it for that
Becky
Skiing trips, walks with the dog, picnics and holidays 🙂
Corinne Peat
I would take it camping
Milly Y
I’d take it on holiday to Spain!
Suzy M
Walking holiday in Ireland
Shannon
If I won the bottle, it’d come with me on what will hopefully be many a hiking trip once I’m finished with university!
Tony Teece
I’d take it Rambling with me 🙂
Debbie Gilbert
I would take it to festivals
Fanny Tran
I will bring it on the adventure trip I have planned next year to South America. Would definitely be handy to have
Laura Asplin
Mountain Biking
Ritchie Dee
I’d take it on my hikes across the moors.
Stephanie Tsang
I would take it on school run adventures.
Louise Smith
This would be fab whem hubby does his cycle road races
Rachel Bartlett
Work – which is always an adventure.
Natasha Mairs
just to the gym x
SIMON CHILDS
Fantastic for when treking
claire blaney
I would take it camping with me when where out walking for the day.
Jonathan Reed
I’d take it on a hike across the local countryside.
Lisa Evans
Camping with the kids!
Mark Cowell
At the gym
LINDA BUNNING
I would take it on all My Travels 🙂
Mrs Rachel Heap
I would take it camping with me
Gary Metcalfe
Wild camping with my son
Georgina Jacobs
walking in the lake district – wonderful weather and scenery x thanks
Ewan Bell
Walking in the Mournes
Charles Moore
Travelling, walking, running, living!
Paul Wilson
Could be useful whilst hiking.
jamie glover
Very nice, i would take it with me hiking
Emma Haran
I would take it with me to my next festival! Haven’t got any tickets yet but will do hopefully soon! x
Sarah Pybus
I would give it to my son to take on Cub camp 🙂
christine shelley
I would give it to my daughter when shes out with the Air Cadets on their missions
George Brabyn
It’ll come camping with my university friends later this summer
Fiona K
It would come on mini-breaks with me to the countryside
Gilla01
Long walks with the dog.
Laura H
Hiking…it’s a must have!
Sarah Goodman
a grand sailing trip along the south english coast
Michael
when i’m out dogging
BERNIE EGERTON
I’d take it literally everywhere, to work as we no longer have a water cooler. To the gym which I walk to every morning and when out adventuring at the weekends.
Suzanne
It would be ideal for hiking.
Scott
I would take it hiking with me.
Stephan Narewski
I would use it on my family camping trip this summer
Lynsey Buchanan
I would use it on my commute on my bike to work
Hugh Mackenzie
Walking up Munros
Sarah Lee
On weekend walks with the children
Holly Gibson
I’m hoping to do lots of sailing on our wayfarer this summer, and all that crewing and hiking out is thirsty work!
Rebecca Bremner
I need to drink at least 3 litres a day (medical reasons) so I will take it everywhere!
melanie stirling
I always carry water with me so this would go everywhere but would be especially handy on holidays.
Simon Harris
Would be nice to have some clean filtered water on the train and tube
winnie
weekend cycle trips
Ashleigh Allan
Family picnics and days out!
Nick
I’m gradually trying to work my way around the SW coastal path at weekends. I’d take the bottle with me then.
Good luck with your 40 things list.
Karen Barrett
Days out at the beach
PAULINE HILL
camping holidays
Ruth Harwood
Cycling round the Lakes 🙂
Kirsty Fox
Days out at the beach
Angela - Garden Tea Cakes and Me
I’d take mine to work, to try and encourage me to drink more and to take to meetings.
Leanne Lunn
Holidays, mountain climbing and picnics and days out.
Rachel Butterworth
Camping with my nephews.
nicola clarkson
my daughter would use this on her duke of Edinburgh
Emma Nixon
Holidays in Cumbria, trips to the gym and days out to the seaside.
Jenny Barker
On all our summer holiday days out :0)
hannonle
I live at the beach so I would take it with me when I go.
Mark Palmer
Walks on the beach
cat
some canoing
kayleigh Bates
Id take it walking with me! x
Susan Ellins
Festivals
leanne weir
Camping and hiking through the brecons
Kristy Brown
Camping, hiking and caving
Jayne T
Congrats on losing two stones, you’ve done fantastic. Thanks for the lovely giveaway, if I won this I’d use it on my daily walks, picnics and when I go on holiday,
fozia Akhtar
Camping!
Alison
When walking up the mountains
Emma Gibson
Travelling around UK.
Michele Hemmings
I too am turning 40 very soon and have a list of adventures to complete….the bottle would be perfect!
Jo m Welsh
Walks in the Lake District
Victoria N
I’d use it on long hikes to stay hydrated
Julie Johnson
This would be brilliant for everyday life, going to work on public transport in the summer months is a nightmare, so need this for easy drinking, also be good on my desk as if it got knocked over would not spill, result
laura stewart
when we go camping xx
Sarah Griffiths
My regularhikes around the cotswolds
Zoe G
Camping, our long walks and bike rides
Amy Lambert
I would use it everywhere when I go for walks, pole fitness class, swimming and gym sessions
Bruce Cole
Sounds like a portable Brita Filter.
Roger Bufton
I would take it with me in the bike.
Richard Randall
I’d come in handy on camping trips.
Lynne Durkin
I’m not very adventurous but would love to take it on days out over the summer x
Ian F
My morning walks
Christine Dodd
I’d take it walking in Alcudia
S Bufton
Hiking with the dogs.
Nathan Webb
I’d take it to Ju Jitsu classes 🙂
Hassina Begum
camping trip with my family
Elizabeth Hinds
Days out with the fam and to the gym (big adventure for someone as unfit as me!! ;-))
Claire Tucker
Kayak fishing most weekends
Rich Tyler
Camping trips, walking breaks, you name it!
Lucy Robinson
Biking with the kiddies. x
Nichole
hiking and sightseeing trips
Michaela Hannah
I would take it on our adventures around the Lake District
Diana Webb
On long walks in the hot summer
Mark George
This would be ideal for my long Summer cycling journeys
Jessica Powell
I’d take it with me on our historical sightseeing trips. And, more mundanely, the commute to work 🙂
Hayley F
To the gym x
Katherine Teff
My adventures tend to be more low key now that my children need to tag along, but our rambles in the countryside and beach are where I would take it.
Lisa Rowsell
Jogging along the Jurassic coastline.
laura banks
when the hubby takes me fishing
tina holmes
My morning walks
Kaci Soderstrom
My partner works away in other countries a lot I’m sure he’d make good use of this
Heather Haigh
I would use it when we go walking and foraging.
Jennifer Haden
anywhere and everywhere! 😀
iain maciver
on my long walks
Dee
I would carry it when I go bird watching.
kim neville
Long walks and days out
clair downham
my daughter would take it swimming
Ursula Hunt
Hiking along the Pennine way
Kasia
Cycling trips
Joanna Butler-Savage
hiking in the lakes
Tracey Peach
Hospital appointments I was up there for 5 hours n Wednesday!
fashion-mommy
We send a lot of time in Wales and love Cadar Idris so would probably use it there.
#UKBloggers
Iris W
To go on long walks in the countryside
Tracy Nixon
walks and going out to sea in my dad’s boat!
karen hutchinson
lots of long walks in the fresh air
janet humphrey
I would be taking it on cycle rides with family
Stephanie
Congratulations on getting your certificate! I’ve been looking into getting one of these bottles for a while, they do sound good x
Julian Onions
Well done on getting back “on the horse”!