What do you keep in your mess kit? [Archive] - BushcraftUK: Community Forum

Martyn

10-09-2004, 19:08

Just thought I'd ask and compare a few ideas...

Here's what I have (all inside a Swedish army mess kit..

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/messkit3.jpg http://www.britishblades.com/pics/messkit2.jpg
http://www.britishblades.com/pics/messkit1.jpg

1 Trangia burner (commercial version - boils faster than the military one)
1 Stainless steel, double skin drinking mug with the handle knocked off
1 small sigg fuel bottle
1/2 kitchen sponge/scourer
1 length of steel wire (to replace the irritating bail arm I hacksawed off)
1 trangia pot holder (needed now I've hacksawed off the bail arm)
1 titanium spork
1 small ferro rod
1 tin opener - army type
1 small bar of soap (to clean the pots)
assorted freezer bags
2x knorr beef stock cubes (knorr lasts longer than Oxo)
1x knorr veg stock cube
1 small tub of crushed, dried chillies
1 small tub of mixed spice (home recipie, for use with just about everything)
20ml bottle of tabasco
20ml bottle of maple syrup
50ml bottle of ghee (or oil of choice)
3 small pieces of freezedried ginger
big bag of salt
1 small tube of white pepper
1 small tube of garlic powder
1 small tube of curry powder
intant coffee (enough for 20 strong cups)

Questions, opinions or suggestions are most welcome.

TheViking

10-09-2004, 19:15

Hi...

Depends. If it's a weeklong trip or so in Sweden for example, I bring all the food in the mess kit, which is the same as yours. But the burner and a pack of matches has there place in there under any circumstance! :wink:

If I'm out on a 2-3 day trip in my home environment, living from the land, I pack all the small stuff in the mess kit. In a plastic bag so it's easy to pull up all at once. But usually take a little rice too, so if all goes wrong, I'm not starving. :wink: :D

There's actually a lot of space in the pot and you got 2 pots. A big and a small. :wink: :-) I carry the mess kit in a cotton shoe bag. :biggthump

Martyn

10-09-2004, 19:23

Hi...

Depends. If it's a weeklong trip or so in Sweden for example, I bring all the food in the mess kit, which is the same as yours. But the burner and a pack of matches has there place in there under any circumstance! :wink:
I included a small ferro rod, as I find I can light the trangia easily and 100% reliably with this, it lasts much longer than matches and i can use to make a campfire too if i need to.

If I'm out on a 2-3 day trip in my home environment, living from the land, I pack all the small stuff in the mess kit. In a plastic bag so it's easy to pull up all at once. But usually take a little rice too, so if all goes wrong, I'm not starving. :wink: :D I have it divided into condements and long term stuff (in the mess kit), ingredients and stuff that will get consumed within a a week or so (bacon, instant mash, cous-cous, cheese etc) and a couple of complete meals. If I can forrage stuff, I can eek out the ingredients to last longer. If I can find enough food to live on, I can make it palitable with the spices for a loooong time and if I absolutely cant find food, the couple of complete meals will see me through hopefully.

There's actually a lot of space in the pot and you got 2 pots. A big and a small. :wink: :-) I carry the mess kit in a cotton shoe bag. :biggthump

Now that is a good idea. :biggthump

The Swedish army kit is new to me and I havent really had chance to try it out yet, but I'm loving it already. The only thing I dont like about it, is it's aluminium. But hopefully that will soon be remedied. :D

TheViking

10-09-2004, 19:50

Martyn

10-09-2004, 20:04

Hi...

The food I carry is usually rice. They take up less space than pasta and has the same energy amount. Then salt, sugar and pepper. It's rare that I take spices with me... :wink: Stuff for a brew is also good, be it tea or cocoa. :D
And a wash kit. :biggthump

Any reason for not taking spices? How do you make the bland stuuf tste decent?

Apart from absolutely loving spicy food, I think it also helps mask the taste of foods I might otherwise baulk at and can turn something bland into a gourmet feast. I personally think they're worth the carry - especially as they weigh very little and have an almost indefinite shelf life.

TheViking

10-09-2004, 20:11

Any reason for not taking spices? How do you make the bland stuff taste decent?
Well, have never managed to cook a tasty 'living from the land' meal... :shock: I don't like nettle soup that much, if so then with a lot of sugar and salt! :roll: :wink: Maybe instead of spices i'd add some bouillon cubes.... :-) :biggthump

PC2K

10-09-2004, 21:11

i can't find that mess kit with the windscreen and stuff... just the mess kit. :( why doesn;t any one sell it in holland ?

SquirrelBoy

10-09-2004, 21:13

Martyn

10-09-2004, 21:44

Nice set up Martyn, has given me ideas for my set too :o):

Have a few questions for ya`

1. What size is that Sigg bottle, I guess it fits into the insulated cup too?!

2. By how much time does the commercial burner burn quicker than the military one?

3. What is the pot grabber used for, is it for the large pot?

4. Is the wire used for the hanger, a wire saw? Giving it a double use and saving a small amount of weight?

5. Probably top secret, but care to let on where we can get a stainless set from?

Cheers ! :biggthump

1. Not sure what size, prolly about 1/3 litre I think - it's the smallest one they make. Yes, it's a perfectly snug fit inside the stainless cup. The cup was from millets - the ones with the crappy carribiner handles. The cup is good, the handle is pants, but fortunatly is only spot welded on and comes clean away with a good sharp tap from a hammer.

2. Well, I'm not sure, but quite a bit - over a minute on a 0.5 litre boil. The reason I'm not sure, I was comparing the two on the sweedish kit and a home brew kit. Then I swapped the burners round and tried again. Both times, the kit powered by the commercial burner won the rolling boil test. Though I'm not sure my army burner is really working all that well. It may have some wierd fault, but the flames didn't look as even and clean.

3. The pot grabber is used for the big pot (& possibly the little one too with an open fire). I hacksawed off the bail arm, as it's incessant clanking was driving me nuts. So I got some twisted steel wire from B&Q (60p per metre I think) and stuck a couple of hooks on the ends. Now if I want to use it as a billy, I just hook the wire hadle on and I'm good to go. But if I want to use it on the trangia, I need the pot grabber (I spose I could use the wire, but the grabber is nice & secure feeling).

4. See above. Yeah, actually, the pot grabber and wire bail arm are about the same weight as the original steel bail arm, so not much gained or lost in that - I just like it better this way (though you could leave the pot grabber at home to save a couple of Oz if you were inclined).

5. No secret, Gary from Bearclawbuscraft gets em in on the odd occasion - you'd have to ask him what the availability is like, though I think they are not too common. He is the only stockist on the planet I have managed to locate. :biggthump

TheViking

10-09-2004, 21:51

I hacksawed off the bail arm, as it's incessant clanking was driving me nuts.
:rolmao: :rolmao: Actually laughed when I read it... Yes, I know what you mean! It's a pain in the :censored: and is very irritating, but how do I hang it up then. It's very solid though. :wink:

Martyn

10-09-2004, 21:54

:rolmao: :rolmao: Actually laughed when I read it... Yes, I know what you mean! It's a pain in the :censored: and is very irritating, but how do I hang it up then. It's very solid though. :wink:

You get a length of steel string (shown in the picture), put a couple of hooks on the ends and use that to replace the bail arm, when you want to use it over a fire.

Couldn't be simpler.
:biggthump

10-09-2004, 21:55

2. Well, I'm not sure, but quite a bit - over a minute on a 0.5 litre boil. The reason I'm not sure,
I found the civi/commercial version heats up and goes into 'gas ring' mode alot quicker than the army version.

I believe gary picked up the stainless steel version in sweeden....... maybe ask some of our sweedish bretheren if they know of a supplier...

Ed

SquirrelBoy

10-09-2004, 22:02

Cheers Martyn, excellent info :biggthump

Martyn

10-09-2004, 22:03

I found the civi/commercial version heats up and goes into 'gas ring' mode alot quicker than the army version.

Definitely.

It's also smaller so allowed me to get all that stuff inside.

Martyn

10-09-2004, 22:22

...a bit more about the food element I've included. Basically, there is nothing in here to make a meal out of, without getting ingredients from elsewhere - but everything to make just about any ingredients palatable. I carry "food" in other bags, the mess kit is my backpack equivalent of my kitchen and contains food "suppliments" that are hard or impossible to find or substitute. If I am able to regularly catch rabbits and fish, with nothing more than water and the below spices, I will be eating tasty food for months.

http://www.britishblades.com/pics/messkit4.jpg

From left to right, top to bottom...

Butter oil
Tabasco sauce
maple Syrup
Crushed, dried chillies
Mixed seasoning
Bag of salt
2x Knorr beef stock cubes (bullion cubes)
1x Veg stock cube
3 pieces of freezedried ginger
tube of white pepper
tube of curry powder
tube of garlic granules

Butter oil (ghee), or olive oil
Everything tastes better and goes down easier when it's fried. Would you eat ants eggs if you had to boil em? Butter oil also contains a HUGE calorific value all of it's own.

Tabasco sauce
Delicious on everything. Turns mash potato, rice, cous-cous, pot-noodles, soups & stews into something more palatable.

Maple Syrup.
I dont have sugar in tea or coffe so dont need a drink sweetener, but this stuff is great drizzled over BBQ'd chicken (or sqirrel/rabbit) and with a little seasoning, you have finger licking, sweat Chinese-style nuggets - yum. Nice for sweet stuff too - berries and breads and such.

Dried Chillies
Weighs almost nothing, makes anything into a curry or chillie. Enhances food (or completely masks it).

Mixed seasoning
My own recipie and is actually - garlic bread seasoning, sage, thyme, dried chillies, curry powder, cellery salt, garlic powder, citrus pepper and a few other things in varying proportions. You can add it to soups, stews, sprinkle on fish or over meat, on mash or boil with rice - it's all good.

Knorr stock cubes.
Better than OXO, because you can use bits of a cube and re-wrap the remainder for later. You dont need as much to get a good seasoning and delicious stock for your rabbit, fish or mushrooms.

Freeze dried ginger
With an almost indefinite shelf life, all you have to do is shave off a bit and crumble it in your fingers. The secret ingredient fdor all good indian and chinese food, it makes spicy food aromatic and hots it up a little. Add to flour to make ginger bread - with some berries and maple syrup - a nice sweet.

hobbitboy

10-09-2004, 23:06

Got one of these beaut's last week. Used it once so far to cook breakfast on when I was camping. Amazing bits of kit! Hail Sweden!!

alick

11-09-2004, 00:28

Martyn, any pointers on where to get small containers like yours (say 20ml-40ml) in decent quality. I use the smaller 60ml and 100ml nalgene bottles for oil and drinks concentrates, but need something smaller yet robust for spices and the like.

My mess kit is a collection of stainless odds and ends that don't stack, but which I like using. I fill each one with food etc so as not to waste space, then carry in a stuffsack. I use :

An MSR 750ml pan with lid and locking handle. I pack this with rice, packet soup, cous-cous, olive oil etc so that I always have a couple of meals in the kit.

A steel bowl and single wall mug (good quality seagull brand) - the bowl can be put on a fire or stove and used as a second pan, so I carry a pan grip. Cut down scouring pad and washing up liquid in a small contact lens solution bottle. Army style folding can opener too.

I usually carry a 110gm gas cartridge and stove too instead of the trangia burner. Either a himalaya easy fuel (best) or a minute folding stove like the crux. For a day trip, the small stove and an army mug is enough.

On longer trips, I take a rectangular nalgene bottle full of flour for making chapati's and simple campfire bread. I like vesta packet paella too - esp with a dash of worcestershire sauce. Take Paprika and yoghurt and you can make a hungarian goulash with any meat you carry or catch.

Cheers,

Martyn

11-09-2004, 01:29

Martyn, any pointers on where to get small containers like yours (say 20ml-40ml) in decent quality. I use the smaller 60ml and 100ml nalgene bottles for oil and drinks concentrates, but need something smaller yet robust for spices and the like.

I got mine from here... http://www.hi-peakleisure.co.uk/ they dont have an online thing, but are local tyo me so I just picked em up when I was in there. Food grade, nalgene or some such. About £4 quid for an assorted set of 5 bottles (2 with squeezy nozzles) and 2 tubs.

alick

11-09-2004, 15:54

Great ! Thanks Martyn, I'll check them out. :You_Rock_

Kath

11-09-2004, 19:34

Thanks Martyn - that's given me some good ideas for mine. Hadn't thought of using a sigg bottle for fuel and I'd noticed the plastic one that comes with the triangia takes up a lot of space. Now to see if I can fit that much in mine ... ?!?

Mind you doesn't it irritate having to unpack all the stuff out when you use it?? :?:

Adi007

11-09-2004, 19:42

Anyone (any braniacs who've already measured it! :wink: ) know the capacity of the bottle that comes witht he trangia? If not, I'll measure the capacity of mone (when I find it again!).

Martyn

11-09-2004, 20:32

Anyone (any braniacs who've already measured it! :wink: ) know the capacity of the bottle that comes witht he trangia? If not, I'll measure the capacity of mone (when I find it again!).

Mine was just sitting here on a shelf Adi, so a quick fill and measure says exactly 1/2 pint, about 290mls or something. I think the sigg bottle might be 250mls - I'll check next time I unpack it.

Martyn

11-09-2004, 20:34

Mind you doesn't it irritate having to unpack all the stuff out when you use it?? :?:

Yeah, it's a slight annoyance Kath, but it's no big deal really. I know how it all fits ...it's not that much of a "krypton factor" exercise, honestly. :naughty:

I have it arranged that even if I consume all the contents, the empty containers will still make a snug fit and stop the contents of the mess kit rattling arround. I absolutely hate rattling mess tins.

Adi007

11-09-2004, 20:57

Mine was just sitting here on a shelf Adi, so a quick fill and measure says exactly 1/2 pint, about 290mls or something. I think the sigg bottle might be 250mls - I'll check next time I unpack it.
:biggthump :You_Rock_

TheViking

12-09-2004, 19:10

Hi...

Now here's the picture. That was the most important things IMO, I could fit in. :wink:

http://img80.exs.cx/img80/4791/DSC119.jpg

And here's it all kitted out! :D :biggthump I had to let go of the rice, cause there were simply not enough room. :roll:

http://img80.exs.cx/img80/2729/DSC122.jpg

Cheers

Kath

12-09-2004, 19:23

That's not a Triangia - it's a Tardis! :nana:

TheViking

12-09-2004, 19:28

That's not a Triangia - it's a Tardis! :nana:
OK. Didn't know that. Well, it's definately a swedish army mess kit. :wink: :nana:

Cheers

Kath

12-09-2004, 19:41

Um Sorry! The Tardis was a 'vehicle' used by a character on a television show in the UK called Dr Who. The inside of the Tardis was very much larger than its outside ... meaning your Triangia can fit a lot more inside it than you would expect! :wink:

ScottC

12-09-2004, 19:52

OK. Didn't know that. Well, it's definately a swedish army mess kit. :wink: :nana:

Cheers
:rolmao:

Um Sorry! The Tardis was a 'vehicle' used by a character on a television show in the UK called Dr Who. The inside of the Tardis was very much larger than its outside ... meaning your Triangia can fit a lot more inside it than you would expect!
:rolmao:

JakeR

12-09-2004, 20:54

Martyn like his hot foods!

Viking

12-09-2004, 21:12

Here is some small tips:

- The mess kit when its packed correctly be very quiet with the pothanger

- No potgrabber is needed, it can be made of a stick that looks like a Y

- The small pot is perfect to use as a frying pan and if put a small stick in the D-rings you dont have to be close to the fire

- The small fuel bottle that comes with the mess kit contains 300 ml, but there is also a bigger one thet contains a 1 litre, but that one has another design.

- Dont use the "Trangia burner" it will burn the ground and thet could end up bad. Had burnmarks on my floor after a test with the two burners.

- Do not have any fuels or burners in the mess kit, if it leaks all your food will taste bad

/Viking, long time user of the mess kit

TheViking

12-09-2004, 21:17

- The small pot is perfect to use as a frying pan and if put a small stick in the D-rings you dont have to be close to the fire
Just my thought. But last time I had a fire, I forgot to try it out. :?:

Do not have any fuels or burners in the mess kit, if it leaks all your food will taste bad
Never did, never will. :biggthump Caryy my fuel in an empty coke bottle.

TheViking

12-09-2004, 21:19

Whoops. Did I type: 'never did'... :shock: I have the burner in the pot, but not the fuel bottle. The burner has never leeked in my time.

Hogan

12-09-2004, 22:02

Here is some small tips:
- Dont use the "Trangia burner" it will burn the ground and thet could end up bad. Had burnmarks on my floor after a test with the two burners.
Sorry, I don't understand the "don't use the Trangia burner" bit. Can you explain further?

Thanks in advance

bothyman

12-09-2004, 22:08

So how do you stop the pot hanger rattling???

without cutting it off

Martyn

12-09-2004, 22:40

Martyn like his hot foods!

Yep sure do, but it's also to hide the taste of some less than tasty stuff you find. To quote Crocodile Dundee "...you can live off it, but it tastes like s:censored:".

:D :D

Martyn

12-09-2004, 22:42

Here is some small tips:

- The mess kit when its packed correctly be very quiet with the pothanger

Packed and snug aint a problem, it's the rest of the time, "...clang, clang, clang!"

wus driving me nuts. The hanger had to go. ;) :D

Q: How do yopu find a Swedish soldier?
A: Sit quietly and wait for him to brew up!

:D :D

Viking

12-09-2004, 22:46

Sorry, I don't understand the "don't use the Trangia burner" bit. Can you explain further?

Thanks in advance

The trangia burner that are made for Trangia kitchen will burn the ground, but the burners made for the mess kit will not. If you clean the burner it will work a lot better.

Viking

12-09-2004, 22:49

Q: How do yopu find a Swedish soldier?
A: Sit quietly and wait for him to brew up!

:D :D

You don´t hear or see a swedish soldier and he will hopefully know how to use the mess kit properly.

There is also another kitchen that is mostly used by rangers and looks more like a normal trangia.

Martyn

12-09-2004, 22:50

The trangia burner that are made for Trangia kitchen will burn the ground, but the burners made for the mess kit will not. If you clean the burner it will work a lot better.

I tried them both and didn't see this. I'll have to try them both again.

Thanks for the other tips Viking, great stuff. I think I will continue with the pot grabber as I like it so much, but the Y stick is a great tip for if ever I loose or misplace the pot grabber. :biggthump

The fuel is in a Sigg bottle, I have great confidence in it. The burner is inside the kit, but also inside a plastic bag. Though I have more confidence in the commercial trangia to not leak, than the military version. I think the threads on the commercial version are better.

Viking

12-09-2004, 22:56

Thanks for the other tips Viking, great stuff. I think I will continue with the pot grabber as I like it so much, but the Y stick is a great tip for if ever I loose or misplace the pot grabber. :biggthump

But to use the Y stick you need the pot hanger :wink:
I don´t have a picture how it works but it´s really easy to do and it works fine

myakka

12-09-2004, 22:58

This isn't my setup, but I really like it. :biggthump

http://img3.imgspot.com/u/04/255/22/Kit1.jpg

http://img3.imgspot.com/u/04/255/22/Kit2.jpg

jamesdevine

13-09-2004, 10:18

I have one enamel mug and one emenal bowl with a wooden spoon and SAK.My brew kit is but in the mug and this but in the bowl and food etc but around and put in a stuff sack. I use this set up when using an open fire and I have my bake bean billy can soon to be replaced by my new Zebra. :-)

I Also have full trangia kit including the kettle I only use this when I out with someone else like the scouts as it is pretty bulk and heavey when you add the fuel and food. I don't bring my bowl as the smallest pot in the kit covers that but I do bring my mug which has to be stored seprately in my pack with tea etc. in a small bag and duct taped in to it.

I am working on changing this set up and I am seriously thinking of getting rid of the larage trangia set and replacing it with something more suited to solo travel.

Nice set up Martyn it's give me a lot to think about. :biggthump

James

JakeR

13-09-2004, 10:55

Yep sure do, but it's also to hide the taste of some less than tasty stuff you find. To quote Crocodile Dundee "...you can live off it, but it tastes like s".

There is a lot of tabasco in one of those pots! Could get nasty :shock:. I have never used any of these kits, anyone used MSR? We've got loads of those in our shop and i can get a discount :approve:

bushblade

13-09-2004, 17:01

Martyn

13-09-2004, 17:22

Hi Martyn, are you sure thats a sigg fuel bottle? It looks like a drinks bottle to me. The fuel bottles have black seals and the drinks bottles have white seals. Also sigg have stopped making fuel bottles.
I'm sure there is a very good reason for not using drinks bottles as fuel bottles but I can't remember it at the mo :?:
Those little bottles are available all together in one blister pack coghlans make them (Hi-Gear distribute them) so should be fairly common in most camping shops. We have them at our place, but I can't see them anywhere on the website.

Yeah, it is a drinks bottle - sorry, I meant I was using a sigg drinks bottle as a fuel bottle. I dont think there are any issues with meths - it's just acohol after all (If I put scotch in it, it'd be a drinks bottle again :o): ), but I think there are problems for petrol based fuels - in particular pressurised fuels. I think the threads on the sigg bottles are push fitted into the bottle and there have been some examples of them failing under pressure.

JakeR

13-09-2004, 17:23

They are Sigg fuel bottles. Most you can't drink out of them as they stink when you first buy them. Some fuel bottles you can drink out of but once you have used them for fuel you can't as you lose there enamel. (my basic work training mixed in with some of my experience!)

Adi007

13-09-2004, 17:27

The reason that Sigg used to suggest that you NOT use a drinks bottle as a fuel bottle is that the inner coating could be removed and clog burner jets - bad for pressurized stoves but not an issue with a meths burner.

Martyn

13-09-2004, 17:28

Ahhh, thanks Adi. :biggthump

JakeR

13-09-2004, 17:29

Oops, posted at the same time!

alick

13-09-2004, 20:39

Yeah, it is a drinks bottle - sorry, I meant I was using a sigg drinks bottle as a fuel bottle. I dont think there are any issues with meths - it's just acohol after all ....
Martyn, unless they've changed the formulation of the lacquer used inside, sigg drinks bottles are a no-no for meths. The meths attacks the lacquer and corrodes the aluminium.
I learnt this the hard way storing bog standard meths in one of the shiny blue colored sigg bottles. Came to open it one day and found it jammed shut. The thread area is particularly vulnerable to wear and this is where the attack was most obvious. The ally was rough and powdery aluminium oxide very evident when I finally got it open. :yikes: Since then I've used trangia plastic fuel bottles for meths, which are great, and unlacquered sigg bottles for petrol and coleman fuel. I have bottles over 10 years old so I'm sure of these.

Cheers,

Martyn

14-09-2004, 02:34

Thanks Alick, I didn't know that - I guess I'm looking for another solution then. :(

leon-1

14-09-2004, 03:17

Thanks Alick, I didn't know that - I guess I'm looking for another solution then. :(

Martyn, I use these for carrying meths in
http://www.packaging-technology.com/projects/britvic/images/1_BRITVIC-7.jpg
if you wrap a little duck tape around them they are very robust.

bushblade

14-09-2004, 13:19

MSR still make fuel bottles, the same size as the Sigg ones if thats any good to you.

Adi007

14-09-2004, 13:26

Martyn, I use these for carrying meths in
http://www.packaging-technology.com/projects/britvic/images/1_BRITVIC-7.jpg
if you wrap a little duck tape around them they are very robust.
Worth pointing out that you should be extremely careful if using drinks bottles to hold meths - injesting meths is extremely dangerous (especially to the young) and even though most supplies now contain Bitrex to discourage drinking, in a bottle like that it's still a possibility.

As an aside, Bitrex is fantastic stuff that has probably saved millions of lives - for more info take a look at http://www.bitrex.com

TheViking

14-09-2004, 14:40

Great Pebble

14-09-2004, 15:51

Uhh... I've been carrying meths in a sigg bottle for the last 15 years (very nearly).
The thing's darn near square in section due to the many dents, and it's certainly stained purple on the inside, but it works fine. Keeps the meths in and the air out like....

Edit... oh right, drinks bottles...mmmkay.

leon-1

14-09-2004, 17:15

Worth pointing out that you should be extremely careful if using drinks bottles to hold meths - injesting meths is extremely dangerous (especially to the young) and even though most supplies now contain Bitrex to discourage drinking, in a bottle like that it's still a possibility.

As an aside, Bitrex is fantastic stuff that has probably saved millions of lives - for more info take a look at http://www.bitrex.com

ADI, this is where I am quite fortunate as at home there are no smaller people to worry about, but fuel is still kept seperate to everything else, @ the end of the garden in the shed with a few of my other bits, these bottles also have "METHS" printed on the sides in large black letters so there can be no confusion when it is dark (apart from these being the only bottles like this that I carry). :o):