A small 100% apple juice can accompany hiking food if you want a sweet drink containing carbohydrate, but carry water separately: the British Mountaineering Council advises planning enough water for the activity and weather. If you are limiting sugar, compare the total-sugars line rather than relying on “no added sugar”; the NHS counts sugars in unsweetened juice as free sugars and advises limiting juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day.
The useful choice depends on whether you want a drink with your food, a lower-sugar alternative or a bottle that is practical to carry.
A small apple juice can accompany sandwiches or other trail food when you also carry water. Mountaineering Scotland advises planning food around the demands of the day, while the British Mountaineering Council advises carrying enough water for the conditions.
If sugar content affects your choice, distinguish 100% juice from an apple juice drink or a sugar-free soft drink. The NHS counts the naturally occurring sugars in unsweetened juice as free sugars.
Copella lists 250ml and 300ml Cloudy Apple bottles. The Asda listing for its 300ml bottle says to keep it refrigerated, so check whether that storage requirement works for your outing.
Decide whether the drink is for flavour alongside food or part of your water plan. Then compare its product type, serving size and storage instructions.
Choose it when: You want a sweet apple drink containing carbohydrate alongside hiking food.
Bear in mind: Its naturally occurring sugars count as free sugars under NHS guidance; juice does not replace a planned water supply.
Choose it when: You prefer this type of juice drink and its ingredients and total sugars suit what you are looking for.
Bear in mind: “No added sugar” does not mean sugar-free, and a juice drink is not necessarily 100% apple juice.
Choose it when: Your main priority is a planned fluid supply or avoiding the sugars in juice.
Bear in mind: Plan food separately for the walk rather than expecting the drink to serve as a snack.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Drink with food | Compare carbohydrate and serving size on the label. Tropicana UK lists 17g carbohydrate per 150ml of Orchard Apple; Copella lists 16g per 150ml of Cloudy Apple. | I want a small, sweet drink alongside food packed for the length and demands of my walk. |
| Sugar and product type | Read total sugars per serving and check whether the product is 100% juice, a juice drink or a sugar-free soft drink. Tropicana UK and Copella each list 15g sugars per 150ml for the juices described here. | If I am choosing by sugar content, I need the nutrition panel: “no added sugar” alone does not tell me the total. |
| Water supply | Plan how much water to carry for the activity and weather. The British Mountaineering Council advises carrying enough water for the time you will be active and the conditions. | On a longer or more demanding walk, I want my water plan settled separately from any juice I pack with food. |
| Size and storage | Check bottle size, servings and storage instructions. Copella lists 250ml and 300ml formats; Asda’s 300ml listing says to keep the bottle refrigerated. | A smaller sealed bottle may be easier for me to pack than a large chilled bottle, provided I can follow its storage instructions. |
A drink can contain naturally occurring sugars without sugar having been added. The NHS also counts sugars in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars.
Check total sugars on the nutrition panel and identify whether you are buying juice, a juice drink or a sugar-free soft drink.
Juice may be a drink with food, but it does not settle how much water to carry for a walk. The British Mountaineering Council advises planning water around activity and weather.
Work out your water supply for the route, then decide whether you also want juice with a snack.
Tesco lists a 1.35L Copella bottle containing nine 150ml servings and says to keep it refrigerated. That size is less practical for a short solo outing than a smaller sealed format.
Compare the bottle size with what you intend to drink or share, and follow its storage instructions.
Carrying a bottle you will not finish also adds pack weight.
Tesco’s listings distinguish pure apple juice from a product named No Added Sugar Apple Juice Drink. The names describe different product types, not interchangeable ingredient lists.
Compare ingredients and nutrition information for the actual products rather than choosing from front-of-pack wording alone.
These references describe specific juices or retailer listings; a retailer’s inclusion here does not describe every apple drink it sells.
Copella Cloudy Apple is a pressed apple juice available in several bottle sizes, including 250ml and 300ml, according to Copella.
Tropicana UK lists apple juice and ascorbic acid as the ingredients of Orchard Apple.
Tesco’s apple juice listing includes its own 100% Pressed Apple Juice alongside Copella and Tropicana.
Sainsbury’s lists a chilled 300ml Copella Cloudy Apple bottle containing two 150ml servings.
Asda lists Copella Cloudy Apple in a 300ml bottle containing two 150ml servings.
These options cover an apple drink, a 100% apple juice and a sugar-free apple-flavoured soft drink. Compare the pack size and product type with what you intend to carry alongside water and food.
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For an apple-based drink rather than 100% apple juice, compare the ingredients and total sugars on the pack with your needs. The listed 1L size also calls for a plan for how much you will carry and use.
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This lightly sparkling 100% apple juice is listed as six 250ml units. If taking one on a hike, check its container and whether it can be resealed; 250ml is above the NHS’s combined daily 150ml guidance for juice and smoothies.
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This sugar-free apple-flavoured option is listed as eight 330ml units; it is not 100% apple juice. Plan water and hiking food separately if you choose it for flavour rather than juice.
No. Tropicana UK and Copella each list 15g sugars per 150ml for the apple juices described here. The NHS counts sugars naturally present in unsweetened fruit juice as free sugars.
No. Naturally occurring sugars may remain even when sugar has not been added. Read the total-sugars line and ingredients, and check whether the product is juice or a juice drink.
The NHS advises limiting fruit juice and smoothies to a combined 150ml a day. A 300ml bottle contains twice that volume, so check how much you intend to drink rather than assuming the whole bottle is one 150ml serving.
No. Plan a water supply for the activity and weather; the British Mountaineering Council advises carrying enough water for the time you will be active. Juice can be an additional drink with food if you want it.
Check the bottle’s instructions before packing it. Asda says to keep its listed 300ml Copella bottle refrigerated; Tesco says to refrigerate its listed 1.35L bottle and consume it within four days of opening.