Who might choose mixer cans?

An individual can is most useful when the mixer is an optional drink, not the food or water planned for the walk.

Walkers after an occasional fizzy drink

A sealed 150ml can is a portion to consider for a short walk, picnic or finish-point drink. Bring water separately; the NHS says water is the best way to replace fluids lost through activity.

Groups splitting a multipack

If several walkers each want one can, compare the number of servings and divide the pack before setting off. Eight 150ml cans contain 1.2L of drink in total; twelve contain 1.8L.

Walkers comparing tonic recipes

Regular, light and slimline tonics should be checked as separate products. Compare nutrition per 100ml and the ingredients on the exact variant, including sweeteners or quinine if those affect your choice.

What matters when choosing a pack?

Start with what you will carry on the walk, rather than the size of the multipack you will keep at home.

PriorityWhat to checkYour needs
Water and food Plan drinking water and trail food separately. The NHS says water is the best way to replace fluids lost through physical activity. I’d like a fizzy drink during a break or after the walk, without counting it as my water or food supply.
Portion and pack size Check both the volume per can and the number of cans. Joybuy’s listed 8 × 150ml, 12 × 150ml and 15 × 150ml packs contain 1.2L, 1.8L and 2.25L of drink respectively, before packaging. One small can per person would do; the rest of the pack can stay at home for another outing.
Recipe and label Compare the same measure on each exact variant. Joybuy lists Fever-Tree regular tonic at 36 kcal and 8.0g sugars per 100ml, and Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light at 15 kcal and 3.8g sugars per 100ml. Check ingredients as well as nutrition. If I prefer a particular tonic recipe, I want to compare its per-100ml figures and ingredients, not rely on the word “light”.
Empty cans Leave room to carry empties. The Countryside Code for England and Wales advises visitors to take rubbish home, use public bins or recycle where possible; Recycle Now says steel and aluminium cans can be recycled. I want a way to bring the can off the route, even when there is no bin at the stopping point.

What is easy to overlook?

  • Counting tonic as the hike’s food or water

    A mixer is an optional drink, not a replacement for planned trail food. The NHS identifies water as the best way to replace fluids lost during physical activity.

    Pack your water and food first, then decide whether a mixer can fits the walk and the space in your bag.

  • Carrying every can because they came in one pack

    A 15 × 150ml multipack contains 2.25L of drink before the weight of its cans. Buying individual portions does not mean the whole purchase has to travel with you.

    Split the pack at home and take only the sealed cans intended for that outing.

  • Assuming every tonic has the same recipe

    Joybuy’s listings give different per-100ml energy and sugar figures for Fever-Tree regular and Refreshingly Light tonic. A brand name alone does not identify the formulation.

    Read the nutrition and ingredients panel for the exact can you are buying, particularly if sugar, sweeteners or quinine matter to you.

  • Leaving a recyclable can beside the path

    Whether a can can be recycled does not change the need to remove it from the countryside. The Countryside Code for England and Wales tells visitors to take rubbish home, use public bins or recycle where possible.

    Bring a bag for empties and take them to an appropriate bin or recycling collection after the walk.

Brand and retailer references

These references help distinguish can sizes and tonic variants; a brand’s other products may use different containers or recipes.

Fever-Tree

The listed regular 8 × 150ml and Refreshingly Light 15 × 150ml tonic multipacks offer the same individual can size with different pack counts and nutrition.

  • A 150ml can can be taken separately from either multipack.
  • The 15-pack contains 2.25L of drink in total; compare the exact variant’s label before choosing.

Schweppes

Tesco lists Indian and Slimline Tonic Water in 12 × 150ml formats.

  • Twelve individual portions can be divided between people or outings.
  • The full pack contains 1.8L of drink. Check the Indian or Slimline label separately rather than treating their recipes as interchangeable.

Britvic

Britvic announced classic and zero-sugar Indian Tonic Water in 6 × 330ml cans for UK grocery retail in September 2023.

  • Britvic described each 330ml can as two serves, a format to consider for a planned shared stop.
  • The announcement describes a launch, not current stock; confirm today’s pack and container details before buying.

Fentimans

Fentimans lists a botanical Premium Indian Tonic Water and Naturally Light Tonic Water in 200ml and 4 × 200ml formats.

  • The brand’s Naturally Light page provides per-100ml nutrition for comparing that exact recipe.
  • If cans are essential for the walk, confirm the container type rather than assuming a 4-pack is canned.

Tesco

Tesco’s tonic and soda listing includes 150ml multipacks from mixer brands and a Tesco Soda Water 6 × 250ml format.

  • The listing provides pack counts and volumes to compare across several products.
  • Check the exact product and current listing when shopping; a retailer category does not make every variant the same.

Joybuy tonic multipacks

These 150ml tonic-can multipacks are options for taking an individual fizzy drink on a short walk or splitting cans between walkers. Compare the whole-pack quantity with the number you actually intend to carry.

Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, eight 150ml cans

Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water, 8 × 150ml

For an occasional can on a short walk, take one or two from the 8-pack rather than carrying all 1.2L of drink. Joybuy’s product listing gives 36 kcal and 8.0g sugars per 100ml for this regular tonic; check the can’s ingredients if quinine matters to you. Bring water and food separately.

View on Joybuy
Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water, twelve 150ml cans

Schweppes Slimline Tonic Water, 12 × 150ml

Twelve individual 150ml portions can be divided among walkers or kept for separate outings; together they contain 1.8L of drink. This is the Slimline variant, so check its own ingredients and nutrition label rather than using figures for Schweppes Indian Tonic Water. Take only the cans planned for the walk.

View on Joybuy
Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic Water, fifteen 150ml cans

Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Indian Tonic Water, 15 × 150ml

If you prefer this formulation, the individual cans can be split between people or outings. Joybuy lists 15 kcal and 3.8g sugars per 100ml for this variant; the full 15-pack contains 2.25L of drink before packaging, so take only the portions needed. It does not replace planned water or food.

View on Joybuy

Questions about taking mixer cans on a hike

Can a tonic can replace hiking food or water?

No: plan food and water for the walk separately, and treat tonic as an optional drink. The NHS says water is the best way to replace fluids lost through physical activity.

Should I take the whole multipack?

Take only the sealed cans you plan to drink. Joybuy’s listed 8 × 150ml, 12 × 150ml and 15 × 150ml tonic packs contain 1.2L, 1.8L and 2.25L of drink respectively, before the cans and other packaging.

Are regular and light tonic interchangeable?

No. Compare the exact variant’s nutrition and ingredients: Joybuy lists Fever-Tree regular tonic at 36 kcal and 8.0g sugars per 100ml, versus 15 kcal and 3.8g sugars per 100ml for Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light. Do not apply either set of figures to Schweppes Slimline.

What should I do with an empty can?

Carry it away rather than leaving it on the route. The Countryside Code for England and Wales advises visitors to take rubbish home, use public bins or recycle where possible; Recycle Now says steel and aluminium cans can be recycled.

Which label details should I compare?

Check the exact can’s ingredients and nutrition per 100ml, particularly when choosing between regular, light and slimline recipes or checking for sugar, sweeteners and quinine. The pack label is the relevant reference for the variant you will drink.