Choose a mini no-added-sugar squash if you want to add flavour to water during a walk without carrying a full-size concentrate bottle. A larger bottle is more practical for preparing drinks before setting off or for repeated use. Whichever format you choose, plan the water you need first, then check the dilution instructions, prepared-drink nutrition and ingredients; squash is a flavouring, not a substitute for water or hiking food.
If flavour makes water more appealing on a short or moderate walk, diluted squash is an option to pack alongside your hiking snacks. Plan how much water to carry for the route and conditions: the NHS recommends water to replace fluids lost through physical activity.
A small concentrate can take up less pack space than a full-size squash bottle, but it does not supply the water. Waitrose & Partners lists its 66ml Robinsons Mini Orange as making up to 20 drinks and warns against drinking it undiluted.
No-added-sugar squashes do not all use the same sweeteners or other ingredients. The Robinsons, Sainsbury's, Vimto and Ribena product information lists differing sweeteners and warnings, so check the current pack if sulphites, barley or phenylalanine information matters to you.
Start with the water you will carry, then compare squash as a diluted drink rather than judging the concentrate by its front label.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Water plan | Consider the walk's length, exertion, weather and reliable refill points. Carry water to dilute the squash; for strenuous or prolonged activity, especially in warm weather, the British Mountaineering Council Shop suggests considering electrolyte tablets or powders separately. | I want flavoured water on the walk, but need enough water for the route before deciding how much concentrate to pack. |
| Prepared drink | Follow each product's dilution instructions and compare sugars and energy for the same prepared volume. Sainsbury's lists 2.4g sugars and 17kcal per 250ml serving of its High Juice Orange No Added Sugar; Waitrose & Partners lists 0.8g sugars and 5kcal per 250ml of Vimto No Added Sugar. | If I am comparing two flavours, I want to know what is in the drink after dilution. “No added sugar” does not mean the prepared drink contains no sugars. |
| Pack format | Check bottle size, servings and how the concentrate is measured into water. Waitrose & Partners specifies one 3.3ml squeeze per glass for its 66ml Robinsons Mini Orange and says not to drink it undiluted. | For one bottle on a day walk, a mini may be easier to carry. For drinks prepared before departure or on repeated walks, I may prefer a larger bottle kept at home. |
| Ingredients | Read the current ingredient list and warnings for sweeteners and relevant ingredients. The listed examples include sulphite-containing ingredients, barley in Vimto No Added Sugar and a phenylalanine warning on Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar. | I need to choose by the particular product label, especially if I avoid an ingredient or must check a dietary warning. |
Fruit ingredients can contribute sugars to a drink with no added sugar. Sainsbury's High Juice Orange lists 2.4g sugars per prepared 250ml serving, while Waitrose & Partners lists 0.8g for the same prepared volume of Vimto No Added Sugar.
Compare the “of which sugars” figures on a like-for-like diluted-serving basis, using each label's preparation instructions.
Even a small bottle that makes several drinks only provides the flavouring. The NHS recommends water for replacing fluids lost through physical activity.
Work out your water capacity and dependable refill points for the route and weather before choosing how much squash to take.
The prepared Sainsbury's High Juice Orange and Vimto examples list 17kcal and 5kcal respectively per 250ml. The British Mountaineering Council Shop discusses electrolyte tablets or powders separately for strenuous or prolonged exercise, especially in warm weather.
Choose hiking food separately. If the activity and conditions call for consideration of electrolytes, check a product intended for that purpose rather than assuming squash serves the same role.
Products carrying similar no-added-sugar wording have different ingredient lists. Waitrose & Partners lists barley in Vimto No Added Sugar; Sainsbury's lists a phenylalanine warning and sodium bisulphite for Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar.
Check the current pack for the ingredients and warnings relevant to you before preparing a bottle.
These product-line examples help distinguish portable concentrates from bottles for preparing drinks in advance; they do not describe every product sold by each retailer.
Its no-added-sugar range includes a Mini format for adding flavour to water on the move.
Its own-label listings offer larger no-added-sugar squash bottles to consider for preparing drinks before a walk.
Its High Juice Orange No Added Sugar 1L is an option for comparing fruit content with prepared-drink nutrition.
Its listings illustrate why pack size, ingredients and storage guidance need checking product by product.
These larger no-added-sugar squash bottles are options for making flavoured water before a hike or for repeated use. If carrying less concentrate is the deciding factor, compare their bottle sizes with a mini format; still plan the water you will take.
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Consider this 1L orange squash for preparing flavoured water before setting off rather than carrying a mini concentrate. Follow the current pack's dilution directions and check its ingredient list if particular sweeteners or sulphites matter to you.
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This 1L summer-fruits option fits a plan to make flavoured water before a walk. Check the pack for the dilution ratio and current ingredients, particularly if sweeteners or sulphites affect your choice.
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Choose this 850ml bottle if pineapple and passion fruit is the flavour you want in water prepared for a walk. Use the pack's dilution directions, and compare nutrition for the prepared drink rather than for undiluted squash. Check the current ingredient warnings if relevant.
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The 1.5L bottle is an option for making blackcurrant-flavoured water before a hike or across repeated walks, rather than packing a compact concentrate. Check the current pack for its dilution directions, prepared-drink nutrition and complete ingredient list before comparing it with another squash.
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This 1L lemon squash is an option for preparing citrus-flavoured water before setting out. Read the current pack for the dilution ratio, prepared-drink nutrition and ingredient warnings, particularly if you need to avoid a specific sweetener or sulphites.
No. Check sugars in the prepared drink, not just the wording on the bottle. Sainsbury's lists 2.4g sugars per prepared 250ml serving of High Juice Orange No Added Sugar, while Waitrose & Partners lists 0.8g per prepared 250ml of Vimto No Added Sugar; use each product's stated dilution instructions when comparing them.
Carry water to drink and to dilute the squash; concentrate alone is not your water supply. The NHS recommends water for replacing fluids lost through physical activity, so plan what to carry around the walk's length, exertion, weather and refill opportunities.
Do not rely on these diluted squashes as your hiking food. Waitrose & Partners lists 5kcal per prepared 250ml of Vimto No Added Sugar, and Sainsbury's lists 17kcal per prepared 250ml of High Juice Orange No Added Sugar. Pack food separately for the walk.
For strenuous or prolonged exercise, especially in warm weather, the British Mountaineering Council Shop suggests considering electrolyte tablets or powders. That does not mean every walk requires them, or that a no-added-sugar squash provides the same function.
Check the current product label for ingredients relevant to you rather than assuming all no-added-sugar squashes are alike. The cited product information lists sulphite-containing ingredients in several examples, barley in Vimto No Added Sugar and a phenylalanine warning on Ribena Blackcurrant No Added Sugar.