Mess tins and which to get

[Johnnyboy1971]

Hi all, im looking for a set of mess tins to cook in and to pack some food into.
I have used the cheap aluminuim ones and not too impressed, also used the swedish set in ali and stainless but due to there shape they dont fit my pack well.
Can anyone recomend a good set preferably stainless and can be just one tin with lid or a nestling pair.

 

[Man of Tanith]

crusader mess tin is good

 

[Barn Owl]

Me too for the crusader tin.

 

[santaman2000]

I've used a few but I keep coming back to the aluminum Boy Scout ones. Unfortunately to get a genuine one (the deeper pot) you have to go to e-bay for a used one now as the newer ones are a bit shallow for my liking.

 

[kard133]

Kevin at Endicotts had some of the dutch steel mess tins, like the british army ones but obviously made of steel, http://www.endicotts.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1283 very good quality.

No affiliation with Endicotts other than a satisfied repeat customer.

 

[lub0]

Kevin at Endicotts had some of the dutch steel mess tins, like the british army ones but obviously made of steel, http://www.endicotts.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1283 very good quality.

No affiliation with Endicotts other than a satisfied repeat customer.

I seocnd this, the dutch SS tins are brilliant. These days I only bring mess tins if I'm going out with friends and even then I just take the one, when I'm solo I eat directly out the cook pot to reduce kit weight and mess.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

I have been recomended the Dutch a few times now so will have a look into them a bit more.
I was told that the crusader tins were a little on the small side so wasnt too sure, although they do look nice.

 

[tiger stacker]

Launditch makes lids for dixies, saves carrying two of them. Avoid the American mess kit unless you really like juggling when cooking.

 

[born2roam]

Had a BCB (SS) mess tin but switched (back) to the steel Dutch army mess tins. Or for lightweight my trangia mess tin (tiny and light, but alu so not what you asked for).

The army messtins are a bit larger then the BCB one, nest and I made a DIY lid with some 'baking tinfoil'. I also took the handles of and use a seperate potgrabber. This way the handle doesn't heat up and I can use the tins to flip burgers and stuff (do NOT try with folding handles ...duh ...).

A pic in backgarden testing (never mind the old model of a DIY flatfolding multifuel burner)

Grtz Johan

 

[santaman2000]

Launditch makes lids for dixies, saves carrying two of them. Avoid the American mess kit unless you really like juggling when cooking.

I assume you mean the military one. Gotta agree with you but in fairness, it wasn't really designed for cooking. It was meant for putting the two pieces together as a 3 compartment mess tray to be served hot food from a field kitchen. Rations were always eaten straight out of the container, even back in the days of C-rats and K-rats.

 

[tiger stacker]

Looking at pictures of GIs, most seem to use canteen mug for brewing up. Back to cooking and carrying though, Primus produced billy can. Will post a picture up later on

 

[MikeLA]

Kevin at Endicotts had some of the dutch steel mess tins, like the british army ones but obviously made of steel, http://www.endicotts.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1283 very good quality.

No affiliation with Endicotts other than a satisfied repeat customer.

So do Surplus and Outdoors - again no affiliation

 

[decorum]

Avoid the American mess kit unless you really like juggling when cooking.

As santaman2000 says the military meat really isn't designed to cook in, but I've found it a good frying pan and, with with a bit of care*, it can cook up a good 'supposedly for two x,y,z and rice' type meal ~ but the main (handled) can really would benefit from being a centimetre deeper. As tiger stacker says, cooking in a meat can can be a juggle .


* Gentle stirring is fine, blatting the stirring spoon (etc) about like a blender on steroids will share the contents with anything within the Blat Radius :yikes:

Hi all, im looking for a set of mess tins to cook in and to pack some food into.

Have you seen / considered the Czech round mess tins? The stepped lid can be used inverted in the same ways as the lid on the SAT .
Have you looked at the French Army Mess Tins? The addition of a lid plate to the common place rectangular twin-set mess tins has got to be a bonus .

I have used the cheap aluminuim ones and not too impressed,

For a decent gauge of aluminium you might need to look at buying used pans. Or have you looked to see whether mess tins are available in Hard Anodised?

Can anyone recomend a good set preferably stainless and can be just one tin with lid or a nestling pair.

There's a Stainless Steel 'civvy' version of the previously mentioned Czech mess tins ~ if memory serves Helikon (and possibly others ) make the Stainless version.

 

[ged]

A bit difficult to know what to recommend will fit in your pack without seeing your pack, but one thing has always bothered me about mess tins and that's the size of them.

When I'm out and about my meals tend to be on the large side, and when I'm hungry the larger of the nesting mess tins is barely big enough for a decent meal for me.

I have a pair of the Dutch stainless mess tins and they can do a decent meal but only if I use both of them.

They also have a fairly rough surface finish compared to the polished stainless that you might be more familiar with so they're a bit more difficult to clean.

Have you considered the Trangia 25 pots? You can get them separately, and if you're patient there are even some Duossal ones still to be found.

Then there are the cheap non-stick ones such as you find now and then in the discount supermarkets. I have a set of those in the Jeep, and although they've only seen light use they do what's necessary. I think they were about seven quid from Aldi.

And of course there are plenty of stainless cooksets from the likes of Gelert in places like Go Outdoors. Again you need to watch for the size if you get as hungry as I do.

 

[rik_uk3]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Pce-Cam...amping_CookingSupplies_ET&hash=item3349bb57ba

2, 4, and 6 pint pots with lids, use on a stove, use over a fire, job done.

 

[ged]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-Pce-Cam...amping_CookingSupplies_ET&hash=item3349bb57ba

2, 4, and 6 pint pots with lids, use on a stove, use over a fire, job done.

They're aluminium, Richard, the OP said he preferred stainless.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Hi folks. Sorry not been back to this thread.
Thanks for the suggestions gents. Size wise i want to stick with the issue tins as im able to pack my food just right.
Only prob is i dont want ali for the reason stated before.

I love the look of the crusader but been told there not very big. Think im gonna get the dutch ones, round is good for stiring due to the lack of corners but most packet foods are square so pack well in the square tin.

 

[rik_uk3]

They're aluminium, Richard, the OP said he preferred stainless.

"a good set preferably stainless " Not have to be.

 

[spandit]

Or have you looked to see whether mess tins are available in Hard Anodised?

Wouldn't a few uses over the fire soften them anyway?

 

[decorum]

Wouldn't a few uses over the fire soften them anyway?

Nope, Hard Anodising is a process of forced oxidisation of ordinary aluminium ~ ali toughens up a bit over time, but HA builds that additional resilience in from the day it's processed. It won't have the same resilience of stainless steel, but I'm yet to dink or dent my HA pans and I've been using them regularly for years on fires and stoves ~ they aren't non-stick but I'm yet to burn stuff to the bottom of the pan (The only improvement I'd make to my HA pans is the addition of a bail arm).