s/o Milk thread: Can you put Milk in a funtainer/Klean Kanteen for school lunch?

[smiles33]

I saw the thread about pre-packaged milk and figure it would be much cheaper to continue to buy Costco's organic milk and pour it into a container. But is that safe with an ice pack? I have 2 ice mats (thanks to wimama's thread!) in DD1's lunchbox but so far have been using TJ's milk.

Poll coming re: how you send milk to school!

[YouAreTheFocus]

Yes, for sure...and double yes if you are inc. an ice pack. The funtainer/foogo "rule of thumb" is 1 hr per oz, so a 10 oz bottle should stay cold for 10 hrs. We have had ours out all day (w/o icepk), when i have tested it at night it is still ice cold.

[AnnieW625]

I tried it in a Camelbak and DD1 said it leaked. Yesterday she wanted water in her funtainer water bottle and did the same again this morning. Maybe I will try it again next week if she wants it, but since she doesn't seem to want it everyday and she drinks soy milk I might look at getting the soy milk boxes.

[SpaceGal]

One thing i noticed that I learned is that overtightening can make the Funtainers leak. As for soy milk, I do buy Silk in those tetra packs from our grocery store...18 pack for about $12 a little cheaper than Horizon.

[JBaxter]

I buy the Costco brand of organic chocolate milk boxes for Nathan's lunch.

[Green_Tea]

I put milk in DS's funtainer pretty much every day last year. I threw in a few ice cubes with it. The ice cubes were ALWAYS still there at the end of the day, and the milk was nice and cold. No leaks, either. I would pour it between 7:30 and 8 am, and would usually dump the remainder sometime around 5.

I will never pay for those individual milk boxes again ;).

[MelissaTC]

I voted other. Sometimes he buys milk and other times he will bring a Horizon box from home.

[vludmilla]

I used funtainers for DD's milk for camp this year and like Green Tea, I put a couple of ice cubes in it on hot days. The milk was always very cold and I don't think I really needed to bother with the ice cubes.

[jammytoast]

I pour the night before into a funtainer and keep I the fridge overnight-- that way the whole thing is icy cold. I take it out in the morning and it's still Cold cold at 5. Not ice cold but def cold

[ABO Mama]

Other. The boys don't drink milk at school; they can drink it at home. I do send water in a funtainer thermos, and it stays very cold.

[smiles33]

Thanks everyone! We have both the Funtainer and small Klean Kanteens and I would prefer to use the latter as they're easier to clean. But they're not insulated so I don't know how safe it is to use those.

[YouAreTheFocus]

Well, we have done milk in an insulated non-thermos brand container, and it got really warm really fast. Like it was in the car for an hour and I tested it, and it was HOT. So I wouldn't trust anything but a thermos.

[KrisM]

We tried a Rubbermaid leakless juice box and a Fuel brand box last year. The Rubbermaid leaked and the Fuel shattered. I didn't try a Thermos because it doesn't fit into the bag he brings his lunch in and he'd have to figure out how to get 2 items to lunch, or I'd have to figure a way to connect it to the bag. So, he buys it daily. I'd love to find a better way though, since now 2 kids are buying and it'll be $5/week.

They both have Laptop Lunch boxes and a Lands End Study Haul bag. There isn't much extra room in there for a Thermos. There is a side elastic I could try putting it in, but it would have to 100% not leak, since it would be in his backpack not his lunch bag.

[KrisM]

I buy the Costco brand of organic chocolate milk boxes for Nathan's lunch.

How much are these?

[wimama]

That has been our experience. We have used DS Funtainers as straw sippies when running around town all day. If you put ice cubes in the drink stays nice and cold all day. Now that DS is taking a Planetbox this year, I have been prefilling the Funtainer with milk the night before and then throwing in two frozen milk cubes in it in the morning. (I froze some of his milk in a ice cube tray.) The Thermos Funtainer is stored on the outside of the lunch box and it is really hot here right now, so I feel the need for a little ice. But, I only feel safe sending his milk in a Funtainer. Also, we send water to school everyday in a kids Camelbak water bottle with some ice in it as well for snack time and for water during the day. DS school has well water that is safe to drink, but tastes gross. So, all the kids bring water each day.

[smiles33]

Thanks all. I'll stick to the Funtainer until winter then, when I'll switch and use milk ice cubes in the Klean Kanteen inside the insulated lunchbox with double-ice-mat coverage. We've got mild weather most of the time but it's a late summer here so it's been pretty warm.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I've sent it in the Funtainer, but just got a plain top Kleen Kanteen today, hoping to use it for milk. It's small and will likely fit in our lunchbox options a little better, plus it's easier to disassemble. Milk ice cubes sound like a great idea, but I'm sure it will sweat... hmmm ... no easy answer.

[smiles33]

Did you get the deal from Babysteals, too, WTG? I was hoping to use it for milk. Even if it sweats, it's ok as I use a re-usable sandwich wrap that's water-resistant. I am just worried about leakage since it goes directly into the lunchbox with all her food.

[Jo..]

I buy the school milk (50 cents) but am looking to send it in with him (less expensive and hormone free).

I am too cheap to buy the horizon boxes. YIKES those things are PRICEY (almost a buck each every time I have looked). My maximum price point is fifty cents.

I have Camelbaks for water (three per kid), but don't like to put anything else in them because the spouts and straws can be tough to clean. Also, they are bigger than he needs for milk and heavy. I can't send in two Camelbaks daily or his backpack would weigh 50 tons. :P

Someone mentioned the Rubbermaid Litterless juice boxes in another thread, and they seem like a good option. I just need to find them at a B&M store, because I refuse to pay $4 shipping for a $2 item.

[Jo..]

How much are these?


I Googled and these look like they are 62.5 cents each. http://archive.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=917564

Not as bad as Horizon, but still pricey IMO for a small serving of milk.

[wimama]

I buy the school milk (50 cents) but am looking to send it in with him (less expensive and hormone free).

I am too cheap to buy the horizon boxes. YIKES those things are PRICEY (almost a buck each every time I have looked). My maximum price point is fifty cents.

I have Camelbaks for water (three per kid), but don't like to put anything else in them because the spouts and straws can be tough to clean. Also, they are bigger than he needs for milk and heavy. I can't send in two Camelbaks daily or his backpack would weigh 50 tons. :P

Someone mentioned the Rubbermaid Litterless juice boxes in another thread, and they seem like a good option. I just need to find them at a B&M store, because I refuse to pay $4 shipping for a $2 item.

We reserve our Camelbaks for water as well and we only send the kid sized ones because the big ones are so heavy they fall out the side pocket of DS's backpack. The Funtianers are not terribly hard to clean. We have a toddler dishwasher basket we throw the straw, plastic top and silicone piece for washing. The stainless steel Thermos part we hand wash. We have no milk funk smell in DS's funtainers after 1 1/2 years of use. I think the Funtainers are a little easier to keep clean.

[Jo..]

I had Funtainers and didn't love them (I gave them away on Freecycle after I bought the kiddo Camelbaks).

Now, for the life of me, I can't remember why I didn't like them. I do remember that they dented easily. Maybe they leaked? There had to be some reason why I gave them all away! My brain is like swiss cheese.

[alexsmommy]

I voted other. Sometimes he buys milk and other times he will bring a Horizon box from home.

This is us too.

[KrisM]

I Googled and these look like they are 62.5 cents each. http://archive.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?t=917564

Not as bad as Horizon, but still pricey IMO for a small serving of milk.

Thanks. I'm looking for something cheaper, too. It's $.50 to buy milk at lunch, but I'd rather send it in. I had no luck getting it there leak-free last year.

[kijip]

I am too cheap to buy the horizon boxes. YIKES those things are PRICEY (almost a buck each every time I have looked). My maximum price point is fifty cents.



:yeahthat: And I always had trouble finding the plain ones. I did not want to send chocolate milk or whatever everyday...those boxes pack a lot of sugar.

[s7714]

I fill up the funtainers the night before and leave them in the fridge overnight so they are thoroughly chilled all the way through. The milk is always still cold by the time they eat lunch. If it's going to be a really hot day I leave a little space and add some ice cubes in the morning. I do pack a ice pack, but I seriously doubt it does much for the thick thermos.

We occasionally have an issue with them leaking, but it's either because I filled the container too full or my DD didn't close it all the way before putting it back in her lunchbox.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Did you get the deal from Babysteals, too, WTG? I was hoping to use it for milk. Even if it sweats, it's ok as I use a re-usable sandwich wrap that's water-resistant. I am just worried about leakage since it goes directly into the lunchbox with all her food.
I got the KK from a local shop with a local "groupon" deal. It probably didn't save me any money because the 12 oz KK with loop cap was $18 and the sport cap was $4. I got $10 off the whole thing.

They sell a cloth that ice packs can slip into for no-more-sweating. Thought that was interesting.

[vludmilla]

I had Funtainers and didn't love them (I gave them away on Freecycle after I bought the kiddo Camelbaks).

Now, for the life of me, I can't remember why I didn't like them. I do remember that they dented easily. Maybe they leaked? There had to be some reason why I gave them all away! My brain is like swiss cheese.

Wow. I think I need some kid camelbacks to see what they are like! I love our funtainers. No leaking. Keeps liquids cold all day long, even in the summer. I don't have any dents. I got a good batch! My main reluctance with the camelbacks has been that I don't think they are insulated like the funtainers. Am I wrong?

[wimama]

Wow. I think I need some kid camelbacks to see what they are like! I love our funtainers. No leaking. Keeps liquids cold all day long, even in the summer. I don't have any dents. I got a good batch! My main reluctance with the camelbacks has been that I don't think they are insulated like the funtainers. Am I wrong?

Camelbak has an insulated bottle. I bought one with the intent of sending water in for DS to drink at school. But, it is pretty heavy and tall, so it falls out of his backpack and was kind of overkill. The kid sized ones hold a little bit less liquid (0.4 L vs. 0.5 L) than the larger insulated Camelbak bottles. A few ice cubes in the kids bottles and they work great.

[Jo..]

Someone posted a deal on stainless kid Camelbaks in bargains if anyone wants to try one out. At $9, they are a GREAT deal.

http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=408764&highlight=camelbak

I really wish I could remember why I hated the funtainers. :ROTFLMAO:

eta I only use our Camelbaks for water. I fill them half full of ice and half full of water. When DS comes home after seven hours, the remaining water is still nice and cold.

[Gena]

Other. We've tried different things, but in the end I decided that DS drinks enough milk at home so we don't mess with milk at school.

I have a hard time trusting milk in the funtainer or other cups, plus I hate cleaning it out afterwards.

We tried the single serving milks by Horizon and Organic Valley. DS will drink them, but doesn't really like them. I don't blame him; I think ultrapasturized milk tastes funny.

DS doesn't have much time for lunch, so I don't want to use up any of his eating time by having to buy milk.

So I send water, or occasionally watered down juice, with DS for lunch.