My last post was on the benefits of bringing food containers wherever you go. I mentioned there that the container I typically used was a plastic IKEA 365+ one. Since that post, I’ve been trying out the Sea to Summit X-Seal & Go mug. This mug is a circular, collapsible container mostly made of food-grade silicone and has a capacity of 415mL.

The product is now considered a “Past Season” product so it’s typically a clearance item at most places it’s still sold. Sea to Summit doesn’t really have a replacement product in their current range either. I want to also take this opportunity to mention that this post isn’t sponsored by anyone; I just think it’s fun to talk about the products I value in my life.

Uses

I think the best way to talk about this item is by going through all the different ways I’ve come to use it day-to-day.

Store leftover food

While it doesn’t have a huge amount of capacity, it is typically enough to carry the leftovers from most meals while dining out provided you weren’t greedy with your purchase. (For cases where I’m not sure, I’ll still bring an IKEA 365+ container.)

I’ve stored all sorts of Asian dishes, fried chicken and chips and desserts like ice cream and waffles among other foods. I’ve even stored kimchi which I really wouldn’t recommended after doing it once and finding out that the colour and smell will stain the container for a while.

Carry snacks like trail mix

I love using the container to carry snacks for hikes and picnics. The collapsibility of the container provides the flexibility to make it easy to take either small or larger quantities. If you want to take a small amount, you can just expand the container slightly.

Use as a bowl

If you’re dining out and eating fast food, there are situations where having a bowl might be handy. Recently, I shared a family-sized KFC meal with others which contained the large potato and gravy. KFC doesn’t provide bowls which has always made it difficult to consume. I pulled the mug out and used it as a bowl. Once I was done, I put the lid on so that it wouldn’t create a mess in my backpack.

Use as a measuring cup

This is handy when camping. Most camping pots will already have imprinted markers but an additional one is always handy. It’s nice to be able to consistently heat up a liquid so that your tiny pot isn’t boiling over the top.

Use as a scoop

I use the mug to scoop water from a creek into other containers that I’ll use for water filtration or purification when I’m out on a long hike.

Final thoughts

I love this product. It really has become a part of my EDC (everyday carry).

There are several caveats I want to mention before ending this post. Firstly, despite having a lid and the product having a name that says otherwise, I don’t trust it to “seal” the container properly. Any liquids I store in the container have the potential to leak. Thicker liquids like sauces are fine but I would not pack soup to go. Next, despite being advertised as microwave safe, I personally choose not to heat any foods in the container itself. This is a decision I’ve made for myself and is not backed by any scientific basis. I will always empty the food contents into proper dinnerware like a ceramic bowl if I want to reheat leftovers. Finally, despite having the right capacity to store a regular-sized coffe, I can imagine that it would not be quite fit for the purposes of being used a reusable coffee mug. The mug doesn’t insulate heat well which means anyone handling it may burn their hands if they’re not careful. Since the lid isn’t leakproof, that provides as additional challenge.

One final thing that I like about the product is that, if you’re using it as a food container, as talked about in my previous post, you won’t get judgemental looks from others as, unlike the IKEA 365+ containers, it does not look like you’ve planned to take advantage of the situation where there is leftover food.