The Surprisingly Essential Travel Item I Never Leave Behind.
Do I use egg cosies? No, I’m chaotic, not Victorian!
But that question unlocked a full blown confession about one of my most treasured possessions: my tea cosy.
Now before you judge, let me say this: when you’re parenting solo on the road (and constantly interrupted mid-brew), a tea cosy isn’t just a cosy, it’s a therapeutic coping mechanism.
I’m a tea snob at heart. Coffee has its place, but tea is comfort. Tea is home. Tea is survival.
And yet, despite boiling the kettle roughly 86 times a day, I rarely drink a full hot cup. More often than not, I find stone-cold mugs dotted around Benny, like the forgotten dreams of a tired mother.
So I developed a system. A slightly shocking system that would make tea purists weep:
I brew three teabags in a four-cup teapot
Let it reach the perfect strength and REMOVE the teabags
Add milk straight into the pot (yes, INTO the pot)
Stir lovingly
Pop the tea cosy on like a woolly little crown
And just like that, I’ve got a stash of non-stewed, hot cups of tea that I can grab whenever the stars align and I actually get to sit down.
No reboiling. No microwave. No wasted teabags. No lukewarm disappointment. Just hot, comforting sanity in a cup.
So while others pack power banks, portable grills, and folding furniture, I proudly bring my teapot and tea cosy. It might not charge your devices, but it recharges me.
Helen’s Unofficial Motorhome Brew Kit
4 cup teapot (mine’s seen better days, but I love it)
My woolly tea cosy (yes, it travels with us)
A mix of Betty‘s afternoon tea, Smuggler”s Gold, and some Emergency herbal teas
Fine bone China cup, my current favourite is made by Dunoon (I know, an accident waiting to happen on bumpy Benny journeys)
No cupholders means no travel mugs sadly
So no, I don’t bother with egg cosies. But if you ever see a steaming teacup perched on Benny’s table, now you’ll know there’s a whole ridiculous system behind it. And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
A huge thank you to Robert, one of our lovely followers, for the question that sparked this post. I know a simple yes or no would’ve done, but sometimes, life’s not that simple. Especially when it involves tea.
If you have a question for Leo or me, or about our travels or motorhoming in general, please pop them in the comments or use social media and we’ll be delighted to answer them for you.
