Campers making individual mixed drinks
Opening one can at a time avoids keeping a partly used large bottle. Packs of 8, 12 and 15 150ml tonic cans give groups different numbers of individual serves.
Who these packs suit
Individual cans are useful when the number of drinks, ingredient preferences and space for chilled food all affect what you pack.
Campers comparing sugar and sweeteners
Check the nutrition panel and ingredients on the specific can. ASDA Groceries lists 0g sugars per 150ml serving for Schweppes Slimline, but its ingredients include aspartame and the pack carries a phenylalanine warning.
Food-and-drink planners with limited cool-box space
Keep unopened cans labelled for cool, dry storage separate until you want to chill them. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping food that needs chilling below 5°C and warns that a cool box may not maintain that temperature for an extended trip.
What to check before packing
Start with the number and size of serves you expect to use, then check the exact drink’s ingredients and your plans for storing food and taking away empty cans.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Can size and count | Count planned serves against packs of 8, 12 or 15 150ml cans. Check whether a larger can would be shared rather than used as one serve. | I would rather open only the cans we expect to drink than carry a partly used bottle. If we are sharing drinks, a larger can may also work. |
| Sugar and sweeteners | Compare nutrition on the same per-100ml or per-can basis, and read the ingredient list. ASDA Groceries lists 0g sugars per 150ml for Schweppes Slimline, which contains aspartame and carries a phenylalanine warning. | Does the drink’s sugar content and choice of sweetener suit everyone who will have it? The word “light” alone will not answer that question. |
| Type of mixer | Check whether the pack is tonic, soda water or ginger ale, and whether its stated flavour suits the drinks you plan to make. Do not treat different tonic variants as the same recipe. | I want cans that work with the drinks we are actually serving, including any alcohol-free drinks. |
| Chilled storage | Follow the can’s storage instructions. The Food Standards Agency advises storing food that needs chilling below 5°C and notes that a cool box may not stay cold enough for an extended period. | Cool-box space is limited, so I need to plan it around food that requires chilling before deciding when to chill the mixers. |
| Empty cans | Plan where empties will go. Recycle Now advises emptying and rinsing drink cans and says some out-of-home recycling points accept them. | If the campsite has no suitable collection point, I need a way to take the empty cans away. |
Common buying mistakes
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Treating all light and slimline tonics as the same drink
Recipes differ. ASDA Groceries lists aspartame and a phenylalanine warning for Schweppes Slimline, while Fever-Tree describes its light Indian tonic as a different, fruit-sugar option.
Read the ingredients and nutrition panel on the exact cans you intend to take, rather than choosing by the front-of-pack wording alone.
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Choosing the largest pack without counting serves
Pack count and can size answer different questions: a 150ml can can be opened for one planned serve, whereas Britvic described its 330ml tonic can as two serves in its September 2023 launch announcement.
Estimate how many drinks the group will make and whether larger cans will be shared before choosing a pack.
Cans you do not expect to use add to what you carry.
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Filling the cool box with unopened mixers first
That leaves less room for food that requires chilling. The Food Standards Agency advises keeping such food below 5°C and cautions that a cool box may not do so for an extended period.
Follow the mixers’ storage instructions, and plan cool-box space and temperature checks around the food before chilling cans for serving.
Brand and retailer reference points
These examples show why pack format and the label matter more than a brand name alone; check the particular variant before choosing.
Schweppes
Standard and Slimline tonic both appear in 12x150ml can packs in the cited UK product listings.
- Tesco Groceries lists 7.4g sugars per 150ml serving for standard Schweppes Tonic Water.
- ASDA Groceries lists 0g sugars per 150ml for Slimline, but it contains aspartame and carries a phenylalanine warning.
Fever-Tree
Its Indian tonic variants appear in 150ml can multipacks, including 8-can standard and 15-can Refreshingly Light packs.
- Fever-Tree positions Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic as a lower-calorie alternative to its Premium Indian Tonic.
- The variants have different recipes; check the current can’s ingredients and nutrition rather than applying one variant’s description to another.
Fentimans
Its Premium Indian Tonic Water is described by Fentimans with herbal and citrus ingredients, including juniper berries and lemongrass.
- Fentimans lists 4.4g sugars per 100ml for this tonic.
- Confirm the can format and pack count before planning individual camping serves.
Britvic Mixers
Britvic announced a six-pack of 330ml Indian Tonic Water cans in classic and zero-sugar variants in September 2023.
- Britvic described each 330ml can as two serves, a format to consider when drinks will be shared.
- Check the current pack and product listing before including this format in your trip plan.
Tesco
Tesco’s tonic-and-soda category lists own-label soda water and low-calorie Indian tonic in 6x250ml packs.
- The listed 250ml cans offer a different serving size from the 150ml tonic packs.
- Check the individual product’s current ingredients, pack details and availability before choosing it.
Joybuy mixer multipacks for camping
These tonic and ginger ale multipacks offer individual 150ml cans. Choose by the drink you intend to make, the number of serves and any ingredients that matter to your group.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic Water 15 x 150ml
Fifteen individual 150ml cans suit a group planning more separate tonic serves. Check the can’s nutrition panel if a particular calorie comparison matters.
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Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water 12x150ml
Twelve separate 150ml cans make it possible to open tonic as needed. The Joybuy listing gives 0g sugars and 2 kcal per 100ml; the ingredients include aspartame, and the product carries a phenylalanine warning.
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Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Mediterranean Tonic Water 8x150ml
Eight 150ml cans offer individual serves in a smaller pack. This is the Mediterranean tonic variant, so check its label rather than assuming it has the same ingredients or nutrition as the Indian tonic.
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Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water 8x150ml
Eight individual 150ml cans suit a smaller number of tonic serves. Joybuy lists 8.0g sugars per 100ml for this Indian tonic, so compare its panel with other variants if sugar content affects your choice.
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Canada Dry Ginger Ale Mini 12x150ml
This 12-pack offers 150ml ginger ale cans for drinks that call for ginger ale rather than tonic. Check the current can’s nutrition and ingredients if either matters to your choice.
Questions about camping with mixer cans
Do unopened mixer cans need to go in the cool box?
Follow the storage instructions on the cans; the cited Schweppes listing says to store them cool and dry and serve chilled. Keep cool-box capacity available for food that needs chilling: the Food Standards Agency advises holding it below 5°C and cautions that a cool box may not maintain that temperature for an extended period.
Does slimline tonic mean it has no sweeteners?
No. ASDA Groceries lists 0g sugars per 150ml serving for Schweppes Slimline, but its ingredients include aspartame and its pack carries a phenylalanine warning. Read the current can label if a particular sweetener matters to you.
How should I compare standard and light tonic?
Compare the same volume and read the ingredients as well as the nutrition panel. Tesco Groceries lists 7.4g sugars per 150ml serving for standard Schweppes Tonic Water, while ASDA Groceries lists 0g per 150ml for Schweppes Slimline; other light tonics need their own label check.
What should I do with empty cans at the campsite?
Empty and rinse them, then use a suitable recycling point if one is available. Recycle Now says some out-of-home points accept drink cans; bring a bag to take empties away if the campsite has no collection facility.
Should I check the can if an ingredient matters to me?
Yes. Read the current can’s ingredient and allergen information before drinking rather than relying only on a product listing. For example, Schweppes Slimline contains aspartame and carries a phenylalanine warning.