Drinkware · Coming soon
Pole Pole Mug
A 12 oz enamel-look ceramic mug with the Swahili words 'pole, pole' - slowly, slowly - printed on the side. The phrase that gets you up Kilimanjaro and most other mountains.
$18 USD
Not yet available
We're preparing the print files and the live mockup. Check back, or follow updates from the homepage.
Made for
- 12 oz / 350 ml capacity
- Stoneware ceramic with enamel-look matte finish
- Dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe
- Comfortable C-handle - fits gloved hands at altitude
- Single-line type set in our serif house style
Materials. High-fired stoneware. Lead-free, BPA-free.
Sizing. One size, 12 oz. Mug is 9.5 cm tall, 9 cm wide at handle.
Shipping. Worldwide via Printful — US 3–7 days, EU 5–10, rest of world 10–20. Taxes calculated at checkout where applicable.
Pole, pole. Swahili for slowly, slowly - the two-word phrase the Tanzanian guides repeat to every climber on the way up Kilimanjaro. We heard it for six days straight at altitude, and it became the only sensible advice for everything else after we got home.
This is that mug. 12 oz, stoneware, enamel-look matte finish, with the phrase set in our serif house type along one side.
Photo: Jonathan Fox on Unsplash.
Why this phrase
There’s a longer Mondohiking trip report about summit night on Kilimanjaro - the specific pace at which you climb at 5500 metres, and what it does to a person’s relationship with hurrying. Pole pole is the answer to almost every question you have on a long trail:
- Will I make it? - Yes. Slowly.
- Should I push past this group? - No. Slowly.
- How are you so calm? - Slowly.
Most things that matter are paced this way. Most things people fail at, they fail because they rushed.
What it actually is
A high-fired stoneware mug with a matte glaze that mimics the look of classic camp enamelware without the chipping. Dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe - unlike actual enamel.
The handle is a generous C-curve sized for gloved hands; the mug sits upright in any cup-holder; the print is single-fired ceramic transfer that will outlast the mug it’s on.
Production
Printed on demand by Printful at their European or US fulfilment centres depending on your address. Each mug is fired to order - the lead time is 5-10 days, slightly slower than apparel.
Worldwide shipping. The mug is wrapped in protective cardboard and ships in a corrugated outer box; we have not yet had a breakage in test shipments to four continents, but the carrier always tries.
What’s in the queue after this
We’re already designing the next two:
- Allemannsretten Mug - the right-to-roam phrase, set above a small Norwegian compass-rose
- Trail Numbers Mug - distance / elevation / hours, set as a fact-block down the side
One mug at a time. Pole pole.