The Best Instant Hot Chocolate and Cocoa for Camping and Backpacking. 12 Brands Go Head to Head.

Who doesn’t love a nice steaming hot cup of cocoa when out camping or sitting around the fire in the evening?
In this video I will be putting twelve different instant hot chocolate brands from around the world to the test to find out which ones have the best, creamiest, richest, chocolaty flavour.
Thanks for watching.
Links
(As an Amazon associate, I earn from certain qualifying Amazon purchases)
Cadburys Original
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Cadburys Whisper
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Galaxy
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O’Boy
www.oboy.se/pr...
Regia 1-2-3
norwegianfoods...
Toro Retti Koppen
norwegianfoods...
Land Lakes
www.landolakes...
Nestle Turtles
www.deliver-gr...
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Music
So many roads by Headlund
Cherokee Shuffle by Nat Keefe and Hot Buttered Rum

[@richardphillips7581]

O’boy what a result, didn’t see that coming, there are not too many people on you tube that could keep me glued to screen for almost 20mins reviewing sachets of hot chocolate. Another good video.

[@chrisrobson8540]

even hiding the packet under the leaf (2:00 in) wasnt fooling anyone🤣😂🤣.......I stand corrected......should watch the whole video before commenting really😛

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Hahaha - thank you Richard!

[@danieltaylor5231]

Simon: Honey I'm gonna do a hot chocolate tasting video I need the cups. Mrs. Simon: Which cups? Simon: All the cups.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

😂😂😂

[@KimberlyGreen]

I put peppermint schnapps in mine & totally agree that there's nothing like a hot chocolate on a chilly day.

[@utubeape]

cherry brandy is good too, for a black forest gateaux feel

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

😋

[@Uploaderization]

O'boy portion powder and Islay Mist whisky 😊 very relaxing...

[@RobGriffiths]

And the camp tidy up at the end wasn't speeded up at all, that was just Simon on *all*that*sugar*! :D

[@simonessexhighlandsengland402]

😆😆😆

[@shanedrake9924]

😂😂😂

[@kingrafa3938]

LOL

[@rumblechick73]

And an hour or so later he crashed like a ton of bricks when it wore off! LOL

[@ewengillies9826]

Diabetes here I come ... lol. Bushyboy Oz

[@MrBogus1983]

At least, somebody has cleared this important bushcraft topic! Well done.

[@livingoutdoors2213]

Not once did I ever think to myself I'd be on the edge of my seat watching someone drink hot chocolate but here I am.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

😂😂 Thanks man!

[@ianbarr4716]

Even the simplist concept and you somehow make it entertaining. Great stuff, Simon. Cheers.

[@thebiglimey]

British Army hot chocolate and a shot of rum was always my go-to when I still lived at home in the UK, here in the US there are some fancier instant ones, but the Land O Lakes is my new favourite - with rum in the evening of course.

[@willong1000]

For me, it's been Swiss Miss for more than half a century. That's probably because it was the first powdered instant that mixed with water and made a decent cup that I can remember coming on the market. Others of that 1960s era either tasted of chalky powdered milk or simply weren't rich enough as I recall. Many more good brands have been introduced since those days, but I still find myself buying Swiss Miss most often. An added incentive is that one can find very affordable deals on large-quantity packages (50, 60 even 75 envelopes) of the brand here in the USA. Incidentally, mixing the hot chocolate with coffee (either brewed or instant) makes a nice budget mocha drink for my plebian palate. Adding a shot of peppermint schnapps doesn't hurt either!

[@dlhlym]

FYI, it’s Land O’ Lakes, from Minnesota I think. The state is called the land of ten thousand lakes. I bought a giant bag of O’boy after watching you. It’s great. Love your vids.

[@DaxWoodsWanderer]

As someone who never heads out on a canoe trip without an ample supply of hot chocolate, this is amazing.

[@brokenfingers6839]

I gave a big hell yeah when you said Nestle. Being a CANADIAN my favorite things in winter is always bacon, thick soups or stews and hot chocolate. Thank you for the nod! Love you channel and keep up with the great work you do.

[@Koutsimouka]

Fuck nestle

[@Koutsimouka]

F*ck nestle

[@justa.american8303]

Imagine Simon after a similar tasting of various liquors. That would be a site to behold! Good job!

[@ChrisNorris]

MOD chocolate beverage with a tot of Lambs rum perfect for a chilly evening treat

[@brodyjewison1764]

The most needed bushcraft video ever, why has this not been done before?! 😂

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

😂😂😂

[@Dazzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Wispa for me definitely. Silky smooth and melts well.

[@steveroberts1422]

I have to say, British army mint hot chocolate is my favourite for when I am out. Great video again👍

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

I love the mint one too! 😋

[@boomshanka8743]

Turtles are a type of chocolate candy - a blob of caramel with pecans stuck on it, and covered with chocolate. I have never tried the drink, but I bet it's excellent.

[@paulblackburn4245]

When I was in the U.S. army, I’d use less water for the military hot cocoa which results in a paste that you eat with a spoon rather than drink it. 😀 In the Midwest we drink Swiss Miss, but with marshmallows.

[@tcschenks]

I remember a friend who was in the Army telling us about the icing they’d make out of the cocoa packet, sugar, non-dairy creamer, and water. They’d spread it on their fruitcake or whatever.

[@inahuffman6999]

That stash bag is huge holding all them cups! Great video simon!

[@stevebayley8624]

David Friars made that zip-up rectangular pouch if that's what you mean. I have no connection to David beyond being a happy customer. Find him via Etsy (UK based).

[@inahuffman6999]

@@stevebayley8624 yeah thats what I was talking about. Thank you for the info!

[@43963]

This is so much entertaining. To me the expected outcome was O'boy. Thank you for sharing Simon. Great editing!

[@DaveHines1]

Simon drinks lots of hot chocolate , followed by review of effectiveness of different brands of Insulin 🤣😛

[@rumblechick73]

I'm diabetic, so it was the first thing I thought of. If I tried to compare more than two they'd be wheeling me into the urgent care! LOL

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

😂😂😂

[@MA-uu3sb]

Glad to see you when I was hoping that you were going to be doing an overnighter but anything that you do is great. I love your hot chocolate reviews. Till the next time

[@BarnYardOutdoors]

Great review of lots of Hot Chocolate options. Perfect for the holiday season out in the woods. I agree with you, the extra ingredient at the end of your video always makes a hot drink a little better.

[@ronaldmoore2336]

Finally some real information that we can use, if there's everything we need it's hot chocolate perfection.👍👍

[@BenGreene]

A drop of Bailey's in a hot chocolate is divine :-)

[@stickstickley5098]

awesome idea for a video. gonna try some of those myself. thanks Simon!

[@domrumble8243]

How you have to suffer for your craft!😀 Another cracking vid Simon

[@Mikes_carnivore_journey]

Simon, the choclate turtle is a candy. chocolate coated caramel and pecans. Sweet and delicious! Thanks for the comparisons. Now we have to try some of those brands. Have a Happy Holiday!

[@dianebannister965]

I would need a nap after drinking all of those chocolate drinks, I love the Cadbury one but I add a drop of milk first, glad you shown us your favourite x

[@utahjohnnymontana3373]

While you can't beat the single serving packets for camp out convenience I still like my recipe: one part dutched cocoa, one part sugar, one part boiling water with a pinch of salt. Put it in a plastic bottle and you can pour it into hot milk as you please.

[@chrislonsberry1974]

Somehow I missed this video when you put it out. It’s great! I LOL at the end when you added the pour from the flask. Great video!!

[@charlesfaulkner8653]

I can’t believe you kicked O’Boy to the curb. I was your favorite in a previous video. Loved this video.

[@mrmassacre8354]

I've watched many of your videos now and I love the mmm sound you make everytime you taste something nice!

[@frankiez7414]

We use organic cacao powder, UHT milk and date syrup and sometimes add in a banana and love it. And better for you without the refined sugar. We like you little test videos of various kits. Thanks again Simon. xx

[@mattlewandowski73]

I have long tried to follow a minimal impact philosophy for outdoor activities, but wow... Putting leaves back on the ground you cleared for a camp fire after testing to ensure the ashes where cold... That is a step above and beyond what I see even out of leave no trace types. Bravo! Living in the American South East, it is seldom cold enough to justify hot drinks these days. Yesterday I was sipping on a mug of white chocolate (as it was a blend of white and milk chocolate, I would hardly call it fair to call it white chocolate... I couldn't even discern any white chocolate flavor) with mini mollows... I had the window open to the 60f temps outside... to be fair, this is unseasonably warm, but it has more or less been unseasonably warm for the last few years.

[@flannelshirtdad]

"Land o' Lakes", as in "Land of Lakes". Great review.

[@NewHampshireJack]

When Typhoon season comes to an end here in the Philippines, we experience dry weather with nothing like a real winter. Still, up north in the mountains of Baguio, you can see a lite frost at times. A good hot chocolate hits the spot. The supermarket sachets available here are so "weak" we usually make ours from scratch if there are two or more troops wanting a serving. Not very difficult to accomplish and your mix can be pre-measured and pre-packed at home for convenience. A nice hot drink is always a moral booster during and emergency.

[@paulchapman7684]

Simon there’s only one thing that makes hot chocoholic Baileys Irish cream 🍹🍻👍😋

[@Arizona-Sonoran-Desert-Guy]

I've watched this video at least 20 times and even have it in my saved videos list. It pops up in the YT suggestions every six weeks or so and I always watch it and thoroughly enjoy it each time. Since I live in The States, it’s hard to find the Swedish, Norwegian, or UK hot chocolates shown in the video, so it is the Land O’ Lakes brand blended into black coffee for me.

[@dancreed]

Haha I knew you’d sink them all, never doubted you for one second

[@margaretbagur3553]

Nothing better than hot chocolate around a fire. Thanks for sharing the pleasant video.

[@inlesinlet]

Glad to see the Regia included! I'm Norwegian and grew up drinking Regia hot chocolate next to campfires in deep snow, those are some great childhood memories. O'Boy is something we'll mix with cold milk for breakfast to make more of a chocolate milk, so it's super strange for me to see it being consumed as a HOT beverage 😂 We can buy O'Boy in like big tubs of powder, and my mom likes to put so much powder in her milk that it can't all dissolve and then she gets blobs of unmixed O'Boy that she munches on... 😅 I'm more of a hot Regia kinda person.

[@jimrogers1853]

I can't believe OBoy has lost its crown. Love the vid.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

It was very close! 😂

[@walkandcamp]

Yum. Splash of brandy for me.

[@SuperEholmes]

The only one I recognize is my favorite. Land O' Lakes. I usually buy the mint chocolate one. I loved the cocoa my mom made from scratch when I was little.

[@WiltshireMan]

I had an army ration hot chocolate on a camp once, a big large hit of it and it kept me wide awake and buzzing until 5am, I was knackered the next day:) I like the addition of the tipple:))

[@marjiecleveland]

What a cool test to do!! I don’t have hot cocoa any more, but my favorite used to be Ghirardelli. Fun!

[@oddmanout98]

Wow, that’s a lot of hot chocolate you had to drink there Simon. I was wondering if the solid chocolate variety from Devon would be better with ‘Coffeemate’ it’s designed for coffee obvs 🙄 and is creamier than normal dried milk? Worth a try I reckon. Thanks for the video. All the best. Paul.

[@clivenewton7609]

I think if you do a bit of homework and use full-fat powder milk you could simply bag up your own individual sachets or just a bigger ziplock , and I agree coffeemate would work well!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Good call 👍👍

[@keriwdavies]

Much better than Coffeemate is Nido milk powder from Nestlé. It's full fat and as close to real milk as I've found.. I premix it with muesli - just add water at camp - and carry a supply in a ziplock bag to add to drinks.

[@AncientHermit]

Epic review! Never saw anything like it before. Nice tip of the hat to a certain Viking bushcrafter at the end too. ;) Be well Simon.

[@andywhitnell1351]

Evening Simon , I’ve a suggestion for you as a Christmas drink , try your favourite Hot chocolate with a measure of spiced Bacardi ! It’s a lovely treat after a walk in the cold and wet weather. Guaranteed to lift your spirits 👍😄 oh and another great vid 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Rum + hot chocolate = heaven! 😁

[@TheFireFlyStudio67]

Wow this might be my favorite one yet lol. I know you must be buzzing after all that sugar . Stay safe Mr S !!

[@RH_Wildcamping]

So, how is the Diabetes coming along!!?? :-) Dark choc is my fave.. Or any of these with some Baileys in it!!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Oh yes! 😋

[@onemanandhiscow]

Brilliant!! I love the Whisper and literally 2 days ago discovered that with a Galaxy is the best tasting chocolate I ever had. Now onto blending mugshots and cuppa soups haa, so kinda cool you’d bring out this video. Thankyou and enjoying the content ✌🏻

[@stevebayley8624]

Chicken Mug Shot + mushroom soup. That's the way forwards!

[@onemanandhiscow]

@@stevebayley8624 nyyyyce!! I went chicken and sweet and sour with minestrone. Goes wicked thick don’t it, lovely sauce

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

I’ve never thought of mixing soups with mug shots! Going to get on to that!! 😋

[@onemanandhiscow]

@@simonablokeinthewoods ahh man it’s the dogs!! And obviously there’s plenty of flavours to muck around with…enjoy good sir ✌🏻

[@euanhanson1048]

The most wholesome vid I have watched in a while😂love the Channel keep the content coming! never fail to make me smile 😁

[@AstroBioMan]

Very important information as the weather gets colder. Oh and Turtles from the Canadian one are kind of like big Rolos, choc with caramel inside.

[@longrider42]

With the powdered milk, add a bit of powdered non dairy creamer, makes a difference. Peppermint Schnaps for me. Also try making up a packet of dried milk with some powdered cream added, just the right amount for the Chocolate pellets, the make up a packet of those, just rnoudh for one serving. Just an idea from an old backpacker from Wyoming :)

[@imhigh0013]

Best products for backpacking - food stuffs!! Excellent video content. Please keep going. Ideas are wonderful on this topic.

[@railfanner8460]

Such a fitting video, especially with this coming weekend's "camp out" that you are promoting. This week definitely go on the menu! Cheers!

[@Clint-thoughts-travels]

Absolute science at its finest and most accurate. I am a hot chocolate drinker when camping too...

[@colinlawrence2186]

I have just found your channel let me say it's awesome no B/S nice to see English videos not to many come up on the algorithm hear in Florida Take care God bless you and stay safe in these troubled times 🙋‍♂️ 🇬🇧

[@rumblechick73]

You might enjoy TA Outdoors, a charming British guy doing stuff in the woods, sometimes with his Dad.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Thank you Colin and welcome to the channel!

[@MrZeagans]

I love the land o lakes cocoa packets. Many varieties. All delicious. Probably my equivalent to your love for O'boy ☕🍫😋

[@67amigo]

I have another recipe for an old school energy drink. It is originally from the Dutch Navy and later adopted by the army. "poeroet" A Malay dialect which means something like chocolate milk. But of course that needs to be improved. So the following was done. You took the bag of chocolate powder, the bag of coffee and the bag of sugar and creamer from your 24-hour field ration. All together in your mug, add water, stir and GO!!!! Delicious. Try it.

[@cmolenda525]

Excellent taste test! My favorite over here in the US is Swiss Miss, sometimes with a dash of chili powder. Now I need to seek out some of those Scandinavian ones!

[@anthonyjacobs6790]

A very entertaining video, that's left me with a craving for Hot Chocolate. Loved the music at the end. Thank you.

[@carolinezook]

My sister and decided we’d better try O Boy hot chocolate - absolutely hated it. Then we decided to have a blind hot chocolate taste test. I was at great pains to devise a method that would be blind for me as well so she wouldn’t have all the fun. It was so complicated I don’t even remember what it was. I bought or ordered every kind of hot chocolate I could find, I now have a lifetime supply. We tasted and wrote down our results totally independently and without consultation. Swiss Miss was the top choice for both of us. BTW Simon, you didn’t include Swiss Miss in your test, so your results are scarcely valid. I bet it’s the top US brand. For those of you who live in the south, we did the same thing with bread and butter pickles and Mt. Olive were so far in front of the competition that I threw the rest away.

[@serioussoldier7977]

Swiss miss is pretty bad though, I mean if you use 2 packets for 8oz of water and some instant coffee it’s definitely leaps and bounds better but, who doesn’t remember Swiss miss as the weak watery hot cocoa you got in school.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

I’ve not come across Miss Swiss, had I had some, it would certainly have been in the line-up 👍👍

[@robertlee8400]

The key to making a great hot chocolate is vitamin D whole milk , then you add 1/4 of your favorite chocolate bar & your favorite Hot chocolate mix & big marshmallows , topped with a candy cane or you can add whipped cream instead of marshmallows or add both . Don’t use whipped cream with oil in it use real whipped cream from cream . Drink theses on a regular around this time & sit down & watch The Polar Express great movie .

[@sdsi68]

I like the last one the best 😉😜, great test Simon, thanks for sacrificing the sugar rush for us 😆🤙🤙🤙

[@jennifercash1093]

for the one made from chocolate - I would suggest that you made up the milk first (hot water and milk powder) and then add the chocolate to it. You could pre-portion it into resealable bags too so that you don't have to carry the tin around. Maybe still a bit of a faff, but might be worth it for a treat on the trail!

[@lin9391]

my all time favourite is fair trade organic chocolate powder (milk and sugar free) boiling water, and a generous splash of drambuie. cheers from Canada.

[@MHarenArt]

That was fun Simon! You did a really thorough taste testing!!

[@rolandsalazar9562]

I was right and had you pegged to betray O-Boy by your original reaction when tasting the Regina. You always provide fun and interesting content on your bushcraft channel. Exceptional as always. Greetings and Happy Christmas from the 🇺🇸. Cheers and God bless 🥃☕️⛺️🙏🏼😎

[@mrbeeoutdoors3213]

Sending this to the wifey! Hot chocolate is her field of expertise!

[@cathybehle-ernst5796]

What a great test to take!! Love it!

[@tonydart425]

Fabulous job Simon, I also prefer the British forces chocolate above all and it is harder to get hold of. Keep up the great work.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

That's the BEST thumbnail ever seen ! 😃👍 I've never found anything better than Cadbury Hot chocolate powder 👍

[@mbrider56]

Nice one Simon, they all looked delicious 🤤 and I bet the last scene was not speeded up, that would be the chocolate 🍫 and sugar coursing around your body……🤪🤪👏🏻😂👍🏻

[@malcoppock4255]

Great idea Simon. Let the battle commence.

[@sunnyrivers]

So happy I stumbled upon this video tonight! Loved it and subscribed‼️☕️👏🏼😃

[@jamesellsworth9673]

GREAT IDEA FOR A SUBJECT and PERFECT TIMING. At our home, I just broke out the O'Boy! mix. We learned about THAT from you. Now to try the REGIA for a fair comparison. I keep high-quality full-fat Dutch powdered milk on hand. That would show the GROUNDED DELUXE HOT CHOCOLATE MORSELS to better advantage. I would be willing to repackage the cocoa-butter-rich GROUNDED product with the proper proportion of the Dutch RED COW full-fat milk powder for a possibly deluxe hot chocolate, even in the woods. OH-OH: no Regia mix on US Amazon.

[@migranthawker2952]

Even though I'm not a fan of hot chocolate, I enjoyed your vid, as usual!!

[@cedarbrake1309]

Really enjoyed the review and the lead in music. Thanks. 👍 🎼🇨🇱

[@cee8mee]

I used to make my own with cocoa powder, dry milk powder, sugar and cinnamon. Then I found coffee and never looked back

[@ashleyhoward8926]

The Canadian nestle certainly is "The Turtle's head!"

[@efficaciousgentleman3148]

The packing up at the end was shown at real speed, thanks to all that sugar! Will keep an eye out for Regia here in Austria, as I think I have seen it

[@karlo8093]

I bet you got a rush after all that! While I am here at work and want a hot cocoa I mix 2 envelopes of basic Nestle hot chocolate powder with 4 little cups of liquid coffee creamer, or 2 little pouches of powdered into 1 cup and add about as much water as you would for a single serving......it's nearly a liquid candy bar! I grew up on the US GI hot cocoa's. My dad, who didn't drink his, would always collect them for me. fun video Simon. Wouldn't mind trying some of the European ones myself, if I could find them. Has been since the early 1980's, since I have been there.

[@waeham.4598]

Hi I from Thailand I wait for you and like your camping I always waiting for the next time you're coming soon

[@jjudy5869]

When using dried skim(non-fat) milk add some coffee creamer for the fat(richness) you are looking for. I don't know if you can get it across the pond but NIDO is a great dried milk powder as it is a full fat milk powder. It is usually found on the Mexican food aisle in the US grocery stores.

[@chrisponsano4378]

I didn't know about NIDO! Now I have to go shopping.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

I’ve seen it in the supermarkets, I’ll have to give it a try 👍

[@carolinezook]

Make your own mix, Hershey’s cocoa, Coffee Mate, and sugar mixed to your own taste then add water.

[@BeeKay4444]

In Canada our main hot chocolate is Carnation hot chocolate and it is amazing. I must send you one to try

[@BeeKay4444]

What an EXCELLENT video. Appreciate you.

[@RedswedeOutdoors]

Nothing beats a hot chocolate as at the end of a day in camp. I prefer tha O'boy and I top it off with a shot of Fireball, surprisingly tasty! Cheers!

[@sjwillis1137]

Nice ! 👍 Before the winter's out I think I'll get into a bit of hot chocolate. I used to drink the Options one , but I think I'll go with Cadburys. ♡

[@Texas469]

Great video and information if I’m camping with my kids. But us adults prefer ice cold brews sitting around camp fire here in Texas .

[@guroheleneflat4594]

Nice video, but a little tips from me: if you mix one pack of regia and one pack of Toro rett i koppen, you will get the perfect blend😊👍 add about of 4 dl water and enjoy😊

[@mphigham1963]

Loved the video Simon, you`ve got me looking on Amazon and Ebay now. Cheers Pal !

[@noonetime8478]

They all looked nice and delicious. Especially the one in chips form. But I was quite surprised o'boy didnt pass the audition 🤣

[@joerileijs9970]

Hi Simon, realy nice breakdown on the different drinks. For the grouned choco, have you ever had nesle's nido full fat milk powder? I always get it for my oatmeal, it's really great! Sometimes as a treat I use it to make a hot coco, adding sugar and coco for my own mix.

[@Tom_Bee_]

I've been meaning to try Nido. I'm not satisfied with the skimmed milk powders they sell everywhere round here

[@clovermark39]

Was really interested to try this but it’s got soy in so cant! Shame it sounds nice.

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Ive seen it in the supermarket and wondered about it - I’ll grab some and give it a try! 👍

[@keriwdavies]

Nido - highly recommended. Very close to real milk in taste.

[@westflerchinger]

I’m sure someone has told you by now, it’s Land o’ Lakes, great video!

[@lordbacon3936]

Never thought I'd find hot chocolate this interesting!

[@andrewhayes7055]

I bought a big bag of O'boy after seeing one of your other videos I love the stuffI I have a mug full with full fat hot milk before bed.

[@claremellis6126]

12 different hot chocolates!!! i am going to need a hot chocolate after this.

[@bugnfront]

Simon, did you really drink all those cups? You the man! Lol Bet it took you 3 times as long to walk out then when you walked in..with all the moment stops! Lol That was a very. Rich n smooth video Simon! May your feet be sure on the trail, your campfire warm at night and your trail tales be true!

[@simonablokeinthewoods]

Hahaha - your not wrong! 😋😁💦