Putting the 52oz. bubba to the test

That's not a mini-keg, it's the 52oz. bubba

The ginormous bubbaยฎ 52-ounce insulated mug was a Father’s Day gag-gift from the family, but with our Independence Day weekend temperatures well into the triple-digits, I decided to breakout the “bubba” and see what this thing could do. Surprisingly, pretty darn good!

That's right, 107 degrees on July 2nd!

That's right, 107 degrees on July 2nd!

I wasn’t kidding about the temps, here, in south San Jose. Our sensor is on the south side of the house but, still, 107-degrees is hot! Normally, we would be up in the mountains on this holiday weekend. This year, however, Mrs. CampingBlogger’s work schedule is keeping us close to home – making this a great opportunity to put the “bubba” to the test.

 

That's not a mini-keg, it's the 52oz. bubba

That's not a mini-keg, it's the 52oz. bubba

The bubba is a hefty line of insulated beverage containers that come in various sizes. My 52oz. model sits squarely in the middle of a line that ranges from 18oz. travel mugs to 5-gallon beverage coolers.

The bubba works with hot or cold beverages, although I am not sure what I would do with 52oz. of coffee. There is a bottle opener integrated into the bottom of the handle, which is pretty slick. Unfortunately, the bubba is not dishwasher safe – but I guess that’s not a big deal for camping.

Getting a temp reading on the contents

Getting a temp reading on the contents

I filled the bubba with 48oz. of my least-favorite beer (I wouldn’t want to waste good beer, if this thing doesn’t work!) and took a temperature reading, before letting it soak in the 107-degree sun for one hour.

An hour in the sun and the beer is still cold

An hour in the sun and the beer is still cold

And the results? The bubba worked surprisingly well! The beer was a bit flat, after sitting in the sun for an hour, but the temperature barely budged and it was still deliciously cold. There is no way my Iglooยฎ MaxCold could have pulled that off, without a considerable amount of ice.

Does the bubba have any real camping utility? Probably not for me. I prefer my beer one bottle-at-a-time, not in 52oz. mini-kegs. The bubba worked so well, though, that I am now intrigued by there larger 3 and 5 gallon beverage coolers. Those could prove to be great solutions for cold water and juice, at the campsite.

26 thoughts on “Putting the 52oz. bubba to the test

  1. I love this mug. I take it camping, and to music festivals where they say no alcohol allowed. I fill it with ice and Scotch and walk right in. This thing lasts the entire time from 6pm – 11pm or untill empty and it is ice cold the whole time. Couldn’t have gotten a better mug. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this mug.

  2. It’s Fathers Day here in the UK this Sunday and that would have been perfect for my Dad had I found this blog earlier! He actually would have loved it, need to find a seller here in England or something similar I guess. I’ve just calculated this into the UK measurements and it’s colossal! You obviously worked very hard to drink all that Bud ๐Ÿ˜‰

  3. This is a great product! It’s funny how we always think about how nice if we could get our hands on a particular product, and presto! someone has actually gone ahead and made something similar.

  4. That is one fine bubba! I wasn’t aware that you could get vessels this large for camping. I’m not much of a coffee drinker however a nice brew of tea would site nicely in there ~ Russell.

  5. My husband has one of these, and many nights were enjoyed around the campfire with his trusty mug! And for the drink maker, far fewer trips to the camper for refills!

  6. I just bought a couple Bubbas as Wal-Mart a couple weekends ago and to be honest…I was excited to see how they would hold up with a cold beer in our temps. (around 80′-90’s in the summer) Im glad I found this review, now I know I picked a good one. Thanks

  7. How can you not love that mug! I’m sure it would be good for other non beer liquids :), I’m gonna grab one for my next camping trip, lol,. Thanks for the review

  8. I love it!! I have to order that for my dad for his birthday next month! He loves beer and hiking, so this gift will go great with these cool menโ€™s calf socks I got him so he stops getting mosquito bites all over his ankle.

  9. Just got back from a camping trip and it was a HOT one, (but oh so much fun!) However, a Bubba would have been wonderful to have, I will be looking at this for my hubby’s next gift! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Well, that’s pretty darn cool (or hot, as the case may be). That’d make a great gift for some people I know who seem to have everything. I dare say they don’t have Bubbas.

    • Hah! Yes, I think that’s exactly what the family thought, for Father’s Day ๐Ÿ™‚

  11. Scrib, your sacrifice for the betterment of campers everywhere does not go un-noticed. Cheers bro.