another new guy! .. finding the perfect MUG

hello all, Matt here. Avid outdoorsman / camper / angler / hunter / survivalist but virgin backpacker. started planning a trip and buying gear a couple of months ago for a fall trip to Isle Royale National park here in Michigan. i think i've seen every video on youtube and my fingers hurt from researching online. here's my most recent dilema :::

i am having the HARDEST time finding a mug to suit my needs. im looking for an insulated (either double wall or neoprene / whatever) mug for coffee or tea, small enough to fit into a 4.35" Optimus Weekender HE pot, but large enough to house a small gas canister (even upside down with rim protruding). 'Tis a coffee mug so it should be around 12oz volume +/- a few. inside dimensions are impossible to come by on online shopping. inside diameter needs to be 3.5"+. i bought a gsi infinity because it looked like a "maybe" and i love it but it will not nest a 100g canister.

1.needs to be light weight
2.needs to be insulated
3.needs to house small gas (upside down is fine)
4.needs to fit into 1L pot
5.doesnt need handles, triple digit price tag or leopard print,, but a LID would be nice.

the stacking snow peak 450 double wall or even 600 double wall would be perfect but i do not think they will fit a 4oz iso can. HELP!

Hmmmm....it would mean tossing whatever kitchen you have now, but have you looked at the Jetboil products? The insulating cozy on the pot really seems to work in mug mode, the sipping lid is nice, it definitely holds both canister and stove, you can store a small pack towel in the measuring cup, and the spoon fits either in an elastic loop or through the holes in the handle. And, you can use it as your full kitchen, too, if you're making simple meals.

After a lot of initial skepticism, I finally gave one a try and am now thoroughly in love with mine. It's like someone watched me cook, and designed a kitchen to fit.

I don't use a mug but drink hot beverages out of my cooking pot, which is used only to boil water for rehydrating food in a zippered freezer bag. See the trailcooking.com site for ideas. I make tea (or rarely, coffee) with the leftover hot water. No dishes to wash!

I also do not attempt to carry my fuel canister in my pot. I use my stove only for dinner or (occasionally) for breakfast when my pack is unloaded anyway. The stove needs protection, but not the canister. To carry the canister, especially an 8 oz. one, in the pot requires a larger pot than I want to take (my solo pot is 0.55 L). Although for a short trip, my 2-person (1.3 L) pot will accommodate a 3.5 oz. Jetboil canister.

Your Mileage May Vary, of course!

it sounds like if im dead set in taking a coffee mug it will have to sit elsewhere in the pack. which isnt a problem, ... i just like things neat and together. either the mug or the canister has to go. i can fit a 220g canister in the pot nicely, with optimus crux stove, dish towel and s/p, but im not always going to need a 220 tank.. especially for my many "training trips" of 1-2 days. if i could fit a 110 in a mug, into the pot i think i'll sleep better at night!

as far as the jetboil system or drinking out of the pot i have now, it just feels too big to sip coffee. i just can't believe that i can not find a small mug that fits a canister. they're all so close.. usually 1/8th inch too small. sadface

mind you, i am new to this, quite excited, and i feel like i want to take everything i own with me. i am definitely going to learn this the hard way, and a year from now, i know i'll be sipping coffee out of my cookpot. you can say "i told ya so".

as of now my pack weight without food and water is 22 lbs. but some of this (three person MH Drifter DP tent especially) will be split between two people.

Matt if I was you and really wanted a mug for hot drinks I'd keep my current set up and add a additional mug. The colored Snow peak Ti mugs are pretty cool!