Gear Reviews
Khordz Mugs
Need to up your cup game? These paracord wrapped mason jars might be your answer.
We first came across Khordz mugs when our van friends Hawk and Kenz of @vanofmydreams started helping out with the production of the mugs and were selling them from their van. They posted about it a few times on instagram which peaked my interest, but it wasn’t until the next time we met up with Hawk and Kenz in person and they had a batch of mugs for sale that I really got a good feel for what they were and how awesome they are.
Being that we live in a van and space is limited, most of our kitchen stuff is purely functional. We have plastic tableware, utensils, and cups. Our pots nest and our other kitchen gear collapses… you get the idea. However there are a few places I like to splurge on space. Up until this point, that splurge had been on full size cooking utensils like our spoon, tongs, and spatula. While Khordz mugs don’t compress or nest, they are still super functional. And really…I just LOVE the way they look.
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Khordz mugs are handmade from heat resistant canning jars and military grade paracord. They’re made by wrapping 25ft of paracord around the jar to create a protective sleeve and then a handle is crafted using a clever combination of knots to finish off the design. We initially bought a set of four 16oz mugs and lids, accompanied by two extra lids that included holes and metal straws for sipping mimosas in rugged style. Since that time, it seems Khordz have added different sized mugs and a variety of lid accessories to their product offerings.
If you don’t have some van friends like Hawk and Kenz nearby to sell you a set, you can purchase the mugs and all the other accessories at Khordz’ online store here.
Bottom line for me on the Khordz mugs is that they are well designed and well crafted. They have a ton of great colors to choose from so you can mix and match to create a custom set, or just order one to use as your daily coffee mug. They handle hot liquids like coffee or tea like a boss and you can put a cap on to keep that temperature consistent for a surprisingly long time. The paracord sleeve keeps the extreme temps off your hands and help keep your drink the temperature it was when your poured it in there, whether that’s hot or cold.
I recently found myself with nearly an entire bottle of leftover champagne in the van. I had no place to store it as our fridge is pretty small and even if it would fit I didn’t have any bottle savers to keep the bubbles bubbly. So I looked in the cabinet for a solution and BOOM there they were. I filled up two of my Khordz mugs, screwed on some metal lids, and voila! The day was saved. We were back on the road and several days later when I decided it was time for a mimosa I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Khordz had kept my champagne fresh and bubbly with no spills even after taking the van off road several times and the mugs having tipped over on their sides in our fridge.
Images provided courtesy of Khordz Mugs
Another thing I love about the mugs is that they’re easy to clean and don’t retain odors. I hear they are dishwasher and microwave safe, but I wouldn’t know because #vanlife. We’ve had one mug break after two years with them on the road and that happened while visiting someone’s house, but we have heard from friends that they’ve had a lot of trouble keeping them for very long because they end up dropping them and breaking.
They are also quite pricey at $20 a piece for the 16oz size. They have a smaller 12oz option that retails for $13 and a larger 24oz wide mouth mug that sells for $26. It was an expense we were willing to bear and they’ve stood up to the trials and tribulations of life on the road, but I could see how they might not be the most practical use of space or funds for some in our position. Given the need or opportunity, I would definitely buy them again.
Our Rating
