a discussion of mess kits

[elandil]

Not sure if this is the correct place, mods feel free to move if I'm wrong...

So the Joys of Field Rations blog got me to thinking, and made me wonder. So, I'm tossing a question out, see what answers I get.

What kind of mess tin do you use, or prefer to use? And, why?

All I use right now is a canteen cup and hexi stove, Only other one i've used was the quickly-bend-and-fall-apart aluminum Boy Scout special, so really curious to see what I'm missing out on.

[rationtin440]

Actually elandil, that is what I use as well. If I was in a situation where I needed boiling water in a hurry I might use a coleman wing stove or a jetboil system. The problem with those is that they take up weight and space in your pack or gear pouches. If you're "bugging out"/getting out of Dodge though, you want something that is easy to carry and won't advertise your presence----if just out for a day hike and not in a real hurry I just would stick with the cup and hexi-stove.

[Norton]

I canoe camp about every two weeks and also foot hike and Jeep camp.

I use many different combinations ranging from 1960's vintage civilian Coleman 502 sporters with mating pot sets
PEAK 1 sets with pots. Modern MRS butane Canister stove
Swedish Trangia Army sets and German ESBIT with older East German pots.
Older Yugoslavian square sets
French, Dutch and British Rectangle mess tins and
Of course the old US Army flat set and heat tab canteen cup stove (hard to cook with! )

My opinion the best all around is the Swedish Army Trangia set with the wind screen,
Next is the German Army set, if you have the right sort of ESBIT tabs.

The Swede has the best combination of being wind proof and easy to use.
You just dump alcohol in the stove and light. No smell or smoke, no pumping, no expensive cansiters.
Again this is a favorite subject and I have taken photos of most of my different mess kit under field conditions
I will post some photos

[Norton]

A few photos on the subject most taken in the field

[Norton]

few more

[housil]

If it´s just for me for a quick hot brew, I also use my (US) canteen cup and my ESBIT stove.

If I feed several peoples, we use a 1966 Bundeswehr fuel cooker (Enders)

And use our Bundeswehr messkit

Usually I´m a "rations guy". I´m just warming up rations and don´t have this great outdoor cooking skills like "Chef Norton"

[Wolfsbane]

I now have the Esbit solid fuel stove kit (weighs under 1/2 lb, cup holds 20 oz) and their alcohol stove kit (about 2 lb but really has two pots, the largest is rated for 985 ml or 33 oz) and I hope to run some trials this spring !

[housil]

Wolfsbane,

I´m curious to see pictures of that stove.

[Vlaanderen]

Wolfsbane,

I´m curious to see pictures of that stove.

Hi Housil,

I think this link would be useful.

http://www.esbit.de/en/products/12/cookset-cs985h-ex

Or,

http://www.industrialrev.com/cs985h-ex- ... anger.html

Regards, Norman.

[elandil]

I have found the mess kit I want. The Armed Forces Phillipines square mess kit. I don't know what it is about it, but I want it.


Now, the hunt begins.