Mess kits

[mreheater72]

I like to collect photos of US soldiers eating in the field whenever I find them...

Here is an additional one:


source:

http://thedeitz.com/photos.php?category ... arent_id=0

So long mreheater72

[donaldjcheek]

Update: The South Korean military has modified their issue mess kit, the "Pan Hap," to a slightly more modern version.

It is still made of aluminum, but now has an anodized coating that supposedly is tougher and keeps food from sticking. The kit is slightly smaller (and slightly lighter), but the big change is in the lid/frying pan and side-dish insert tray. The lid now has a set of folding wire handles (folding to the sides) and the side-dish tray is divided into two compartments in a fashion similar to the US Army mess kit. The tray and the lid also clip together into one unit.

If you wondered why a whole bunch of brand-new, never-been-used South Korean mess kits (old style) showed up on Ebay, now you know.

(The South Koreans also adopted a new canteen at the same time; it looks almost exactly like the old metal US Army canteen - and is made of aluminum)

[donaldjcheek]

I guess the Japanese Army is the only one in the world to have TWO forms of mess kit - one for officers and one for enlisted men.

The officers' mess kit is rectangular and straight-sided; it is intended more as a set of serving dishes rather than a cooking kit. The EM mess kit is of a more traditional design, for cooking and heating food as well as eating out of.

The design of both dates back to before WW2, although the modern EM mess kit is smaller.

[housil]

I´m still amazed about their German styled mess kits .

[Richard w.]

I know the Japanese have modern rations now, but I'm wondering does that EM's mess kit is still intended to function as a rice cooker, as in WWII?

[Stef]

Hi,
that's funny, the "square" version looks like the FRENCH WWII mess kit, the "gamelle Modèle 35"

[housil]

Hahaha


German saying:"To copie is easier than to study" (Kopieren geht über studieren)

[rationtin440]

One thing that has baffled me is that the U.S. Army reserves and national guard continued to issue messkits to soldiers into the 1990s and later, even with the introduction of MREs in the 1980s, and of course the MCIs that we had until they were completely replaced by MREs. I cannot recall ever using my messkit for MCIs or MREs, but my canteen cups and canteen cup stoves and stands definately got a good workout. Those soldiers in my unit who did use messkits and neglected to thoroughly clean them after each use would occasionally learn a whole new definition of the term "the trots". I do recall we had a messkit laundry in the field on occasion.

[laughing_man]

I know the Japanese have modern rations now, but I'm wondering does that EM's mess kit is still intended to function as a rice cooker, as in WWII?

Even now, the mess kit of JGSDF has a function of a rice cooker.
However, there is no opportunity to cook rice and it is used as tableware.

JGSDF officer mess kit

It is not a mess kit of JGSDF. It is a Japan Army officer's mess kit.
The Japan Army disappeared with the end of WWII. JGSDF was made after the end of the war.