Thanks for this.Vlaanderen wrote:
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.
a discussion of mess kits
Re: a discussion of mess kits
Re: a discussion of mess kits
I have seen this kit also. It looks like the P.I. quartermasters mated the garrison mess tray with shallow frying pan side of the American mess kit.elandil wrote: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.
The tray looks good for dividing up field rations.. Interesting combination of styles. Most Asian nations went with the German/Russian style kettle set or the British/ French rectangle pan sets. I am interested in what mess kits various Armies use and how they feed troops in the field. Then if they expect their troops to use the set to heat their combat rations or just use the set to eat with and not cook.
This set looks as if you need the full sized Canteen cup to boil water with. The shallow pan would not work for me.
When you get it please try it out and post pictures for us
-
donaldjcheek
- Posts: 211
- Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:53 pm
- Location: San Angelo, TX
Re: a discussion of mess kits
For any other nuts out there who are interested in military mess kits, here is a basic primer of the types, along with the pros and cons. For comparison sake alone, I have included information on the Boy Scout mess kit as well.
If you spend any time outdoors, you quickly realize you need a good set of cookware, or in military/Boy Scout parlance, a mess kit. Sure, a minimalist can get by with just his hands, a pocketknife and some green twigs, but to quote Willie (of Willie & Joe "Up Front" fame), "I ain't worth a durn in the mornin' without a hot cuppa coffee." And it's kinda hard to rustle up that cup without a mess kit. Ditto for pancakes, bacon & eggs, breakfast burritos, or any other sort of decent meal.
The primary users of mess kits in the US today are the Boy Scouts and outdoorsmen/survivalists, since the modern US military has by and large abandoned the use of mess kits. Of 26 years spent in Uncle Sam's Army, other than in Basic Training, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I actually had to use my mess kit. (And 4 of those occasions were because we were on an exercise with foreign troops who fed us.) This concept is spreading to many European and Asian militaries as well, as modern combat rations rarely require preparation and can almost always be eaten directly out of the package. Mess kits are still being produced and issued, but are now used infrequently in the field.
Which is sad, because the modern military mess is a marvel of efficiency. Compact, versatile, light in weight and durable, the mess kit allows a savvy soldier to prepare all sorts of appealing meals using just the kit, his ingenuity, and whatever foods he can scrounge.
That being said, mess kits - especially military issue mess kits - do have certain limitations. First and foremost, a military mess kit is intended primarily to serve as a receptacle for foods the cooks have already prepared, and only secondarily as a way to cook a meal.
Second, because of the need to keep the size and weight to a minimum, mess kits tend to be small and very basic, composed mostly of 2 or 3 pieces which nest together in one compact unit.
Third, although mess kits are designed to be durable, they lack amenities. It is difficult, for instance, to control the heat as it spreads throughout the pan. You can boil or fry something, maybe bake in it if you have the right kind, but don't expect to prepare a complicated 5-course gourmet meal.
And finally, mess kits tend to reflect national meal preferences. European mess kits are almost all designed to serve up some sort of soup, stew or porridge. Asian mess kits tend to be for cooking rice. And American mess kits were originally designed to fry bacon.
The good news is, mess kits are cheap and readily available. The question is, which one is best?
The answer is, the one that suits your style out in the woods. Are you going to just heat up water, or do you intend to cook up a real meal? Are you going to boil your food? Stew it? Fry it? Or perhaps bake it? The mess kit you take with you may well determine how you cook in the field.
The following will describe the nine basic types of mess kits you will see today.
1. The US Army mess kit is nothing more than an oval frying pan with divided lid that doubles as a plate. The handle folds over when not in use to lock the two halves together. The pan measures 8.25" long by 6.75" wide, and is slightly over 1.5 inches deep; the lid has nearly identical dimensions, but is only 1.25 inches deep. When nested together, the entire set measure 8.5" x 6.75" x 2.25" and weighs just under 1.25 lbs. Original mess kits were made of aluminum, but since WW2, the kits have been made of corrosion resistant steel.
Pros: Because it is low and shallow, the kits are easy and fast to cook in and easy to clean. They work best when frying, less so when boiling. You can bake in them (clamp the lid on first and bury in coals). Cheap and readily available (at least in the US).
Con: The metal is so thin, food burns easily, requiring a lot of careful attention. Also, you can't prepare much food or any complicated meals in them.
2. The British Army mess kit ("mess tins", according to the Brits) consists of two rectangular aluminum pans with wire handles that fold over the top. One is slightly smaller than the other and nests inside the larger when not in use. The larger mess tin measures 18.5 x 14 x 6 cm (7¼" x 5½" wide, and 2 & 1/3" deep). The original 1938-45 mess kit was made of tinned steel, but modern ones are made of aluminum; if you have one of the steel ones, it advised that you DON'T cook in it. This pattern has been copied by the French, Dutch, Danes, Israelis, South Africans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders, with slight modifications. The French, for instance, have a 3rd nesting tray inside the smaller mess kit half and use flat metal handles; the Israelis have handles with a large circular bend in them; and the Australians and South Africans have wire handles that fold to the side instead of over the mess kit. French & Dutch mess kits are also made of thicker gauge aluminum.
Pro: Being wide and shallow, food heats up quickly. Rounded corners make it easy to clean, and the aluminum bodies are easy to take care of. Inexpensive, tough, and easy to acquire.
Con: Better for boiling or stewing than the US mess kit, but it's still just a glorified frying pan. The wire handles tend to get hot if the kit is left on a fire for any length of time, and since the handles don't lock in place, the pans require careful manipulation if you are not to spill the contents. Lack of a lid also means you have to burn more fuel to get your stew boiling.
3. The German mess kit is THE classic of all issue mess gear. It is a simple, oval-shaped cooking pot, curved into a kidney bean shape for strength, with a wire bail to hang the pot over a fire. It comes with a deep lid that inverts over the pot for storage, or can be used as a separate frying pan or makeshift plate. Most lids also come with a flat folding handle that locks the pieces together or serves as a convenient grip. Most modern versions also come with a tray that is inserted in the top of the mess kit pot, then covered by the lid. This mess kit definitely has the widest geographical dispersion, having been adopted by every European army at one time or another. It is or was also used by Russia, Japan, Korea, and China.
Pro: Great for boiling or stewing food, as the lid usually has a small lip at the bottom which fits exactly inside the top of the pot. The lid can serve as a cup, a food tray, a double boiler, a makeshift plate, or a frying pan (if it has a handle). The pieces are also versatile, and being made of aluminum, light in weight. You can bake in it as well (works great to bake a loaf of bread). Easy to find, and cheap in Europe (less so in the US).
Con: Works great for boiling, not so much for anything else. The lid handle rarely locks in place, so you have to be careful when cooking with it or drinking out of it.
4. The Tsarist Russian mess kit was a simple round bucket, about 1.5 quart capacity, with a wire bail. Originally made of copper, later versions were made of aluminum or steel. Although officially replaced in the 1930s by a German-style 2-piece mess kit, this was the type most commonly issued to Soviet soldiers during WW2 .
Pro: About as simple as you can get. Original ones are hard to find, but any 1-quart bucket will do.
Con: You can boil water or make soup. Forget anything else.
5. The Czech Army uses two round pans with folding wire handles, with a tight-fitting lid that inverts to become a plate. The larger pan measures about 6" in diameter and 3 1/8" high, and holds 1 liter; the smaller, nesting pan is 5¼" in diameter, 3" high, and holds 700 ml. The lid, 6" in diameter and 1¼" high, does not have any handles. Currently these are not hard to find and are a reasonable cost.
Pro: Having two pots means you can prepare more than one item at a time (cook stew, for instance, while boiling water for coffee or soup at the same time. The pans heat well and the sturdy handles remain cool while cooking.
Con: The aluminum is kind of thin, so be careful or your food will burn. Also, the lack of a handle for the lid means it can only serve as a plate unless you bring your own pot grip.
6. The Bulgarian Army, originally equipped with a German-style mess kit, adopted an aluminum bowl with tight-fitting lid after WW2. Both the bowl and the lid, which also serves as a plate, have short, projecting lugs as handles. Sometime in the late 70's, a smaller, nesting bowl without handles was added to the kit. The outer bowl measures 6½" in diameter x 2¾" deep and holds 1 liter; the smaller bowl is 6" in diameter and 2" deep, holding 500 ml. The lid/plate is 1 inch deep.
Pro: Simple, rugged and reliable. The lid fits tightly in the top of the outer bowl to keep contents from spilling.
Con: This kit is nothing more than a shallow plate and a couple of mixing bowls. The aluminum bowls get HOT easily, and lack of handles mean it is almost impossible to cook in them. The rounded bowl-shaped bottoms mean the kit does not sit well, either, and tips over easily.
7. The Soviet Airborne mess kit was fielded in the 1970s specifically for use by paratroopers. The kit is a cross between a canteen and mess kit, and consists of a 900 ml aluminum flask which nests inside a "classic" aluminum German-style mess kit pot with wire bail. The lid, with flat folding handle, fits underneath - not on top of - the mess kit pot, with the handle folding up over the rim of the canteen to lock the 3 pieces together. All pieces are curved into a kidney bean shape, and the pot holds 1 liter, while the lid - which can serve as a makeshift cup or plate - holds 600 ml.
Pro: Handy, compact, and useful. It all fits in a neat pouch which can be worn on the belt. The aluminum is thick enough to resist damage, yet does not weigh a whole lot, and spreads heat well.
Con: The kit is rather small, and like all "German" style mess kits, is best for boiling soup. Expensive, and hard to find.
Note: the Chinese came up with a somewhat similar version, consisting of an aluminum canteen, shaped almost exactly like a US military canteen, that fits inside a 1.15 liter capacity oval shaped cook pot, with a unique flat handle that either folds over the pot as a bail, or down the back as a handle. A tight fitting plate or food tray fits underneath, with the mess kit handle folding underneath to keep the two pieces together. It is all carried inside a canteen cover that resembles the US Army canteen cover, but with a long canvas shoulder strap.
8. The Yugoslav Army issued an innovative combined mess kit-canteen to its troops. This consisted of a rectangular 800 ml aluminum pot, measuring 4¼” x 3¼” x 4¾”, with flat folding handle, and a 600 ml capacity green plastic rectangular lid/bowl that fit upside down over the pot. A 1-liter rectangular green plastic canteen with small spout & screw top fit inside the cook pot, with a small 150-ml plastic cup placed upside down over the spout. With the canteen & cup inside, and the lid/bowl upside down over that, the aluminum handle of the cook pot could be folded up to latch over the bowl and keep the kit together. The kit was usually issued with a stainless steel fork & spoon set that slid together into the knife handle to form one secure set. The complete kit measured 7½” x 3” x 6” and was stored in a canvas pouch with belt loops; inside the pouch was a small pocket to store the cutlery.
Pro: Compact, neat, and useful. The cooking pot, though small, heats up well, and the handle can clip onto the plastic lid/bowl to form one compact serving unit - aluminum pot on one side and plastic bowl on the other.
Con: You can only heat or cook food in the one pot, since everything else is made of plastic. The cup lacks a handle, and is too small for a serious cup of coffee in the morning.
9. The Boy Scout mess kit has five useful components, which all nest together into one compact unit. The frying pan base has a deep plate/bowl inverted over it, with a 3/4 quart cooking pot with wire bail and tightly fitting lid stored inside between the two halves; an 8-oz plastic cup with ounce markings fits inside the cooking pot. This is a real cook kit, not a mess kit (i.e. they are designed for a fireside chef, not as a receptacle for pre-cooked food). You can fry in them, boil in them, and even bake in them. All in all, a really versatile piece of gear.
Pro: Handy and useful, nests together nicely, and is easy to acquire.
Con: Larger than most mess kits, and with an awkward shape. Best suited for one person, will suit two in a pinch, but not much use for more than that.
If you spend any time outdoors, you quickly realize you need a good set of cookware, or in military/Boy Scout parlance, a mess kit. Sure, a minimalist can get by with just his hands, a pocketknife and some green twigs, but to quote Willie (of Willie & Joe "Up Front" fame), "I ain't worth a durn in the mornin' without a hot cuppa coffee." And it's kinda hard to rustle up that cup without a mess kit. Ditto for pancakes, bacon & eggs, breakfast burritos, or any other sort of decent meal.
The primary users of mess kits in the US today are the Boy Scouts and outdoorsmen/survivalists, since the modern US military has by and large abandoned the use of mess kits. Of 26 years spent in Uncle Sam's Army, other than in Basic Training, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I actually had to use my mess kit. (And 4 of those occasions were because we were on an exercise with foreign troops who fed us.) This concept is spreading to many European and Asian militaries as well, as modern combat rations rarely require preparation and can almost always be eaten directly out of the package. Mess kits are still being produced and issued, but are now used infrequently in the field.
Which is sad, because the modern military mess is a marvel of efficiency. Compact, versatile, light in weight and durable, the mess kit allows a savvy soldier to prepare all sorts of appealing meals using just the kit, his ingenuity, and whatever foods he can scrounge.
That being said, mess kits - especially military issue mess kits - do have certain limitations. First and foremost, a military mess kit is intended primarily to serve as a receptacle for foods the cooks have already prepared, and only secondarily as a way to cook a meal.
Second, because of the need to keep the size and weight to a minimum, mess kits tend to be small and very basic, composed mostly of 2 or 3 pieces which nest together in one compact unit.
Third, although mess kits are designed to be durable, they lack amenities. It is difficult, for instance, to control the heat as it spreads throughout the pan. You can boil or fry something, maybe bake in it if you have the right kind, but don't expect to prepare a complicated 5-course gourmet meal.
And finally, mess kits tend to reflect national meal preferences. European mess kits are almost all designed to serve up some sort of soup, stew or porridge. Asian mess kits tend to be for cooking rice. And American mess kits were originally designed to fry bacon.
The good news is, mess kits are cheap and readily available. The question is, which one is best?
The answer is, the one that suits your style out in the woods. Are you going to just heat up water, or do you intend to cook up a real meal? Are you going to boil your food? Stew it? Fry it? Or perhaps bake it? The mess kit you take with you may well determine how you cook in the field.
The following will describe the nine basic types of mess kits you will see today.
1. The US Army mess kit is nothing more than an oval frying pan with divided lid that doubles as a plate. The handle folds over when not in use to lock the two halves together. The pan measures 8.25" long by 6.75" wide, and is slightly over 1.5 inches deep; the lid has nearly identical dimensions, but is only 1.25 inches deep. When nested together, the entire set measure 8.5" x 6.75" x 2.25" and weighs just under 1.25 lbs. Original mess kits were made of aluminum, but since WW2, the kits have been made of corrosion resistant steel.
Pros: Because it is low and shallow, the kits are easy and fast to cook in and easy to clean. They work best when frying, less so when boiling. You can bake in them (clamp the lid on first and bury in coals). Cheap and readily available (at least in the US).
Con: The metal is so thin, food burns easily, requiring a lot of careful attention. Also, you can't prepare much food or any complicated meals in them.
2. The British Army mess kit ("mess tins", according to the Brits) consists of two rectangular aluminum pans with wire handles that fold over the top. One is slightly smaller than the other and nests inside the larger when not in use. The larger mess tin measures 18.5 x 14 x 6 cm (7¼" x 5½" wide, and 2 & 1/3" deep). The original 1938-45 mess kit was made of tinned steel, but modern ones are made of aluminum; if you have one of the steel ones, it advised that you DON'T cook in it. This pattern has been copied by the French, Dutch, Danes, Israelis, South Africans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders, with slight modifications. The French, for instance, have a 3rd nesting tray inside the smaller mess kit half and use flat metal handles; the Israelis have handles with a large circular bend in them; and the Australians and South Africans have wire handles that fold to the side instead of over the mess kit. French & Dutch mess kits are also made of thicker gauge aluminum.
Pro: Being wide and shallow, food heats up quickly. Rounded corners make it easy to clean, and the aluminum bodies are easy to take care of. Inexpensive, tough, and easy to acquire.
Con: Better for boiling or stewing than the US mess kit, but it's still just a glorified frying pan. The wire handles tend to get hot if the kit is left on a fire for any length of time, and since the handles don't lock in place, the pans require careful manipulation if you are not to spill the contents. Lack of a lid also means you have to burn more fuel to get your stew boiling.
3. The German mess kit is THE classic of all issue mess gear. It is a simple, oval-shaped cooking pot, curved into a kidney bean shape for strength, with a wire bail to hang the pot over a fire. It comes with a deep lid that inverts over the pot for storage, or can be used as a separate frying pan or makeshift plate. Most lids also come with a flat folding handle that locks the pieces together or serves as a convenient grip. Most modern versions also come with a tray that is inserted in the top of the mess kit pot, then covered by the lid. This mess kit definitely has the widest geographical dispersion, having been adopted by every European army at one time or another. It is or was also used by Russia, Japan, Korea, and China.
Pro: Great for boiling or stewing food, as the lid usually has a small lip at the bottom which fits exactly inside the top of the pot. The lid can serve as a cup, a food tray, a double boiler, a makeshift plate, or a frying pan (if it has a handle). The pieces are also versatile, and being made of aluminum, light in weight. You can bake in it as well (works great to bake a loaf of bread). Easy to find, and cheap in Europe (less so in the US).
Con: Works great for boiling, not so much for anything else. The lid handle rarely locks in place, so you have to be careful when cooking with it or drinking out of it.
4. The Tsarist Russian mess kit was a simple round bucket, about 1.5 quart capacity, with a wire bail. Originally made of copper, later versions were made of aluminum or steel. Although officially replaced in the 1930s by a German-style 2-piece mess kit, this was the type most commonly issued to Soviet soldiers during WW2 .
Pro: About as simple as you can get. Original ones are hard to find, but any 1-quart bucket will do.
Con: You can boil water or make soup. Forget anything else.
5. The Czech Army uses two round pans with folding wire handles, with a tight-fitting lid that inverts to become a plate. The larger pan measures about 6" in diameter and 3 1/8" high, and holds 1 liter; the smaller, nesting pan is 5¼" in diameter, 3" high, and holds 700 ml. The lid, 6" in diameter and 1¼" high, does not have any handles. Currently these are not hard to find and are a reasonable cost.
Pro: Having two pots means you can prepare more than one item at a time (cook stew, for instance, while boiling water for coffee or soup at the same time. The pans heat well and the sturdy handles remain cool while cooking.
Con: The aluminum is kind of thin, so be careful or your food will burn. Also, the lack of a handle for the lid means it can only serve as a plate unless you bring your own pot grip.
6. The Bulgarian Army, originally equipped with a German-style mess kit, adopted an aluminum bowl with tight-fitting lid after WW2. Both the bowl and the lid, which also serves as a plate, have short, projecting lugs as handles. Sometime in the late 70's, a smaller, nesting bowl without handles was added to the kit. The outer bowl measures 6½" in diameter x 2¾" deep and holds 1 liter; the smaller bowl is 6" in diameter and 2" deep, holding 500 ml. The lid/plate is 1 inch deep.
Pro: Simple, rugged and reliable. The lid fits tightly in the top of the outer bowl to keep contents from spilling.
Con: This kit is nothing more than a shallow plate and a couple of mixing bowls. The aluminum bowls get HOT easily, and lack of handles mean it is almost impossible to cook in them. The rounded bowl-shaped bottoms mean the kit does not sit well, either, and tips over easily.
7. The Soviet Airborne mess kit was fielded in the 1970s specifically for use by paratroopers. The kit is a cross between a canteen and mess kit, and consists of a 900 ml aluminum flask which nests inside a "classic" aluminum German-style mess kit pot with wire bail. The lid, with flat folding handle, fits underneath - not on top of - the mess kit pot, with the handle folding up over the rim of the canteen to lock the 3 pieces together. All pieces are curved into a kidney bean shape, and the pot holds 1 liter, while the lid - which can serve as a makeshift cup or plate - holds 600 ml.
Pro: Handy, compact, and useful. It all fits in a neat pouch which can be worn on the belt. The aluminum is thick enough to resist damage, yet does not weigh a whole lot, and spreads heat well.
Con: The kit is rather small, and like all "German" style mess kits, is best for boiling soup. Expensive, and hard to find.
Note: the Chinese came up with a somewhat similar version, consisting of an aluminum canteen, shaped almost exactly like a US military canteen, that fits inside a 1.15 liter capacity oval shaped cook pot, with a unique flat handle that either folds over the pot as a bail, or down the back as a handle. A tight fitting plate or food tray fits underneath, with the mess kit handle folding underneath to keep the two pieces together. It is all carried inside a canteen cover that resembles the US Army canteen cover, but with a long canvas shoulder strap.
8. The Yugoslav Army issued an innovative combined mess kit-canteen to its troops. This consisted of a rectangular 800 ml aluminum pot, measuring 4¼” x 3¼” x 4¾”, with flat folding handle, and a 600 ml capacity green plastic rectangular lid/bowl that fit upside down over the pot. A 1-liter rectangular green plastic canteen with small spout & screw top fit inside the cook pot, with a small 150-ml plastic cup placed upside down over the spout. With the canteen & cup inside, and the lid/bowl upside down over that, the aluminum handle of the cook pot could be folded up to latch over the bowl and keep the kit together. The kit was usually issued with a stainless steel fork & spoon set that slid together into the knife handle to form one secure set. The complete kit measured 7½” x 3” x 6” and was stored in a canvas pouch with belt loops; inside the pouch was a small pocket to store the cutlery.
Pro: Compact, neat, and useful. The cooking pot, though small, heats up well, and the handle can clip onto the plastic lid/bowl to form one compact serving unit - aluminum pot on one side and plastic bowl on the other.
Con: You can only heat or cook food in the one pot, since everything else is made of plastic. The cup lacks a handle, and is too small for a serious cup of coffee in the morning.
9. The Boy Scout mess kit has five useful components, which all nest together into one compact unit. The frying pan base has a deep plate/bowl inverted over it, with a 3/4 quart cooking pot with wire bail and tightly fitting lid stored inside between the two halves; an 8-oz plastic cup with ounce markings fits inside the cooking pot. This is a real cook kit, not a mess kit (i.e. they are designed for a fireside chef, not as a receptacle for pre-cooked food). You can fry in them, boil in them, and even bake in them. All in all, a really versatile piece of gear.
Pro: Handy and useful, nests together nicely, and is easy to acquire.
Con: Larger than most mess kits, and with an awkward shape. Best suited for one person, will suit two in a pinch, but not much use for more than that.
"I think," said Christopher Robin, "that we ought to eat all our Provisions now, so that we shan't have so much to carry."
Re: a discussion of mess kits
Donald that was one of the most concise overviews of the basic mess kit types I have read on line.
Thank you.
I as an American outdoors-man do cook outside and use mess kits from different nations.
Try to post when I use them to cook MRE's or rations on camping trips. You see the pros and con that's for sure
Your observations are correct, also with our Army I only used our mighty fine canteen cup, The G.I.'s all purpose stove.
Thank you.
I as an American outdoors-man do cook outside and use mess kits from different nations.
Try to post when I use them to cook MRE's or rations on camping trips. You see the pros and con that's for sure
Your observations are correct, also with our Army I only used our mighty fine canteen cup, The G.I.'s all purpose stove.
Re: a discussion of mess kits
I think one must realize that the modern 'Mess Kit' is just that, meant to be walked thru a mess line, while food is dumped into them.
Or boiling water to heat canned/foil pouched food and tea or coffee.
Actual 'cooking' isn't realistic, nowadays.
Just Sayin'
Or boiling water to heat canned/foil pouched food and tea or coffee.
Actual 'cooking' isn't realistic, nowadays.
Just Sayin'
Avid practitioner of the martial art: KLIK-PAO
Re: a discussion of mess kits
Agree. these kits are dual purpose with the main point for the US and Western European kits being field feeding off a truck or wagon.dirtbag wrote:I think one must realize that the modern 'Mess Kit' is just that, meant to be walked thru a mess line, while food is dumped into them.
Or boiling water to heat canned/foil pouched food and tea or coffee.
Actual 'cooking' isn't realistic, nowadays.
Just Sayin'
In pre-canned ration days
The 1890's Europeans feed troops Stew/soup and hunk of bread hence deep mess kit
1890's U.S. meal Beans, boiled corn, pork and Field bread or slab of hardtack. So more shallow rim and frying pan
I used my flat U.S. mess kit on camping trips to cook SPAM and eggs over a period of years. I can say It is hard to cook without either burning of getting cold food. Same with the British/Dutch/French square kits. The German/Russian kettle set is the best to do actual cooking with. I can boil potatoes and vegetables and steam meat.
When I cook MREs or canned meals I boil them in their bags and mix them in a separate container.
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Apocalypse
- Posts: 175
- Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2012 4:52 pm
Re: a discussion of mess kits
My attempts to use a 1980s era Canadian issue mess kit (rectangular pans with folding wire handles, nested together in a canvas pouch) produced the following observations:
1. Over a fire, that wire handle sure gets hot!
2. Lacking a locking mechanism, that folding wire handle is almost impossible to use.
3. Folding the handle over the pans created a great way to hold other things for storage. Less wasted space.
4. Over a fire, those pans sure get scorched and are impossible to clean.
5. Aluminum pans do not make very good hammers for driving tent pegs into the ground.
1. Over a fire, that wire handle sure gets hot!
2. Lacking a locking mechanism, that folding wire handle is almost impossible to use.
3. Folding the handle over the pans created a great way to hold other things for storage. Less wasted space.
4. Over a fire, those pans sure get scorched and are impossible to clean.
5. Aluminum pans do not make very good hammers for driving tent pegs into the ground.
-------------------------------------
Offence cannot be given, only taken.
Offence cannot be given, only taken.
Re: a discussion of mess kits
I have mentioned this before and that is why is so interesting the collecting of these items. Also when the SHTF having a portable metal container to boil water and cook any type is very versatile and necessity being the mother of invention you'll find the way and adapt in order to cook and have some warm chow that will benefit your body and psyche.donaldjcheek wrote: And finally, mess kits tend to reflect national meal preferences. European mess kits are almost all designed to serve up some sort of soup, stew or porridge. Asian mess kits tend to be for cooking rice. And American mess kits were originally designed to fry bacon.
The good news is, mess kits are cheap and readily available. The question is, which one is best?
I have a collection of them from the US, Sweden, Yugoslavia, UK.All of them have their pros and cons as expressed above but I simply use a mix and match accordingly to my needs.
The possibilities are endless and as long as you have that metal container is better than having nothing.
"Live long and prosper..."
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Vlaanderen
- Posts: 74
- Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2014 8:48 pm
- Location: Fulwood. Preston. Northern England.
Re: a discussion of mess kits
Hi to all,
A most interesting and in depth write up on mess tins by Donald.
I've not yet had chance to photo all my gear, i.e. British Army mess tins, Hexi cooker, BCB Crusader cooking system, compact Campingaz burner and pots etc.
On E-Bay in the past week a set of BCB mess tins sold on auction for the price of GBP£40.00.
Below are some photo's taken earlier this evening, these items are to be found in my "Summer Emergency Rucksack", known as the "Lightweight".
Stainless steel mug, origin unknown, K.F.S. and the BCB Crusader mess tins.
Mess kit in the "open" position, the handle of the main tin clips into the hinge holder. The lid handle slides out.
Showing the lid in the "cooking" position. A shallow frying pan.
After reading Donald's feature I thought best to continue with my own review of these items.
Pros. Mess tins. Small, compact, nice shape and still after a lot of use still keep their shiney finish. Very easy to clean.
Cons. Mess tins. No good for boiling MRE's, they won't fit in as the British Army mess tins. Smaller capacity for boiling water. Aprox 1/4 smaller. As in the photo, will not accommodate the KFS set.
But, I like it!.
Pros. Stainless steel mug, easy to clean, looks the part.
Cons. Stainless steel mug, half the capacity of the British Army 90 "plastic" mug.
But I like it!. Even though the Nescafé 3 in 1 tastes much stronger.
Will post piccies etc of my other gear later.
Regards, Norman.
A most interesting and in depth write up on mess tins by Donald.
I've not yet had chance to photo all my gear, i.e. British Army mess tins, Hexi cooker, BCB Crusader cooking system, compact Campingaz burner and pots etc.
On E-Bay in the past week a set of BCB mess tins sold on auction for the price of GBP£40.00.
Below are some photo's taken earlier this evening, these items are to be found in my "Summer Emergency Rucksack", known as the "Lightweight".
- No.1
- No 2
- No.3
After reading Donald's feature I thought best to continue with my own review of these items.
Pros. Mess tins. Small, compact, nice shape and still after a lot of use still keep their shiney finish. Very easy to clean.
Cons. Mess tins. No good for boiling MRE's, they won't fit in as the British Army mess tins. Smaller capacity for boiling water. Aprox 1/4 smaller. As in the photo, will not accommodate the KFS set.
But, I like it!.
Pros. Stainless steel mug, easy to clean, looks the part.
Cons. Stainless steel mug, half the capacity of the British Army 90 "plastic" mug.
But I like it!. Even though the Nescafé 3 in 1 tastes much stronger.
Will post piccies etc of my other gear later.
Regards, Norman.
1979 Landrover Lightweight Airportable, 16HG61. "Sarge".
1986 Sankey Widetrack Trailer. 16KE20. "Private".
SUPPORTING "COMBAT STRESS", THE VETERANS MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY.
1986 Sankey Widetrack Trailer. 16KE20. "Private".
SUPPORTING "COMBAT STRESS", THE VETERANS MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY.
Re: a discussion of mess kits
That looks like a fine mess kit. I like that the handles lock in place and the entire set locks up. This would work for combining different rations after they have been heated boil in the bag style. You would still need the classic canteen cup to boil with. Now is the stainless steel mug insulated? For me I have to pack a surplus Swedish Army mess hall plastic coffee cup. I have never liked drinking hot coffee or tea from a metal cup. In fact I am looking for a Surplus Royal Navy or British Army thick Plastic mug.