Surplus mess kits

rascal1

rascal1

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I am looking at buying a surplus mess kit but can't decide between the Canadian issue kit or the USGI kit. Anyone have any experience with either of these kits??
 
I gotta ask....

Why?

They pretty much suck as a food tray, and are a PITA to keep clean.

We just bought a pile of paper plates and bowls. Burn after use! Plastic forks and spoons. Plastic knives kinda suck arse.

Last time I was in the Field, with the Military, same dealio. To much risk of cross contamination and sickness, using mess kit and a wash line, so they fed us on Paper.
 
trevj said:
I gotta ask....

Why?

They pretty much suck as a food tray, and are a PITA to keep clean.

We just bought a pile of paper plates and bowls. Burn after use! Plastic forks and spoons. Plastic knives kinda suck arse.

Last time I was in the Field, with the Military, same dealio. To much risk of cross contamination and sickness, using mess kit and a wash line, so they fed us on Paper.
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Because I want one that's why. Something that can be used to cook and eat out of and easy to pack. Thx for responding though.
 
Either one sucks as much as the other. People who weren't in the military have this romanticism of mil kit. Most isn't all that great. If you insist on a mess kit go with trevj's suggestion.
 
rascal1 said:
I am looking at buying a surplus mess kit but can't decide between the Canadian issue kit or the USGI kit. Anyone have any experience with either of these kits??
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Of the several I've owned over the years, I found the Dutch kit the best. Plus, those squarish pans fit nicely onto a Coleman two-burner stove.

Get a German knife/fork/spoon/can opener surplus combo.

I also like the Serbian kit with built-in canteen.

Sea to Summit X-series stuff is the best IMHO, but a lot more money and not mil surp.
 
What for? I was going to get a surplus kit myself but ended up just grabbing a USGI canteen with the aluminum cup and a cheap camping mess kit off Amazon. I use the canteen kit for on the trail cooking and leave the mess kit in my bag for longer hikes. Came with 2 pots, a frying pan, 2 plates and a bowl. Some forks and knives came as well but I tossed those as I've got several folding types I keep in my hiking bag.
 
I have enough camp ware, just wanted something durable to throw in my pack for day hikes. Bought the USGI kit so will see how it works. Thx for the responses guys.

Cheers
 
There are some excellent titanium items available now which are far superior to anything issued by any army in terms of durability / strength. Flea Bay and Amazon are awash with them.

Candocad.
 
Goex said:
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Didn't they condemn the old mess kids because it was 'unsafe' to cook and eat out of aluminum pots ?
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The problem was they didnt take a baseline reading prior to the use of these. So they didnt realize that most of us were pretty much F'ed up from the get go and it had nothing to do with aluminum.:)
 
The square Canadian P'1951 messtins (http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/equipment/loadbearing/1951pattern.htm) developed from P'1937 ones ( http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/equipment/loadbearing/1937pattern.htm ). The square corners are hard to scrape the food out of. I think the earlier ones were steel or plated, and the later as has been said were aluminum. The USGI mess tin is much flatter but probably easier to eat out of. Flip a coin. My preference is for a canteen cup and a drinking cup, with a KFS or spoon.
 
It will only be for the odd meal, shouldn't be an issue. I like the shape of the USGI version over the CAF units.
 
Light Infantry said:
Either one sucks as much as the other. People who weren't in the military have this romanticism of mil kit. Most isn't all that great.
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^this

You can put a custom "mess kit" together out of SS that's a lot more durable, corrosion/heat resistant and easier to clean (I typically scrub mine with sand).
Even if you don't believe cooking in aluminum has any adverse health risks it's still not a very pleasant material to eat out of IMO.

Or put the money you'd spend on surplus kit towards some titanium cookware that even your grandkids will be using.
 
manbearpig said:
^this

You can put a custom "mess kit" together out of SS that's a lot more durable, corrosion/heat resistant and easier to clean (I typically scrub mine with sand).
Even if you don't believe cooking in aluminum has any adverse health risks it's still not a very pleasant material to eat out of IMO.

Or put the money you'd spend on surplus kit towards some titanium cookware that even your grandkids will be using.
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I fail to see the attraction of titanium, unless you are madly in love with ultralight hiking for long periods of time.

It's expensive.

It's not as robust as stainless or as cheap as aluminum.

I have a SS Stanley cookpot that might weigh twice as much as a ti version, but I'm not humping it up and down mountains in search of Elk. It was $30 or less, and will outlast me.

I hear the whole "shave ounces here and there" etc etc, but the average person would be far better learning how to live without gear that's too heavy for them to carry, or learning how to carry more gear, than not going out at all because they've got to work OT to pay for gear.
 
TheCoachZed said:
I fail to see the attraction of titanium, unless you are madly in love with ultralight hiking for long periods of time.

It's expensive.

It's not as robust as stainless or as cheap as aluminum.

I have a SS Stanley cookpot that might weigh twice as much as a ti version, but I'm not humping it up and down mountains in search of Elk. It was $30 or less, and will outlast me.

I hear the whole "shave ounces here and there" etc etc, but the average person would be far better learning how to live without gear that's too heavy for them to carry, or learning how to carry more gear, than not going out at all because they've got to work OT to pay for gear.
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It's significantly lighter than steel and far more durable than aluminum so kind of the best of both worlds.
It's completely noncorrosive, so it won't rust even if you wash it with sal####er and neglect it. Half my camping is around sal####er so titanium cookware is one less thing I need to worry about.
OK now I'm reaching here but it has absolutely zero taste, which is definitely noticeable with soups and acidic foods.

10 years ago I would have been in total agreement with you. I didn't think the advantages were worth the markup either and scoffed at morons paying like $50 for a single-walled mug.
But if you consider that some people end up using the same camp cookware for decades - even generations - then the markup really isn't that much. $100 for a cookset that has tangible advantages and even your grandkids might end up using is a deal IMO.
 
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