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BCB Crusader Mess TIn with Lid |
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Written by Timon Ellis
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Specifications:
- Measurements: 175mm x 125mm x 60mm
- Weight: 360 grams (12.7 oz) (tin: 230 grams, lid: 130 grams)
- Capacity: 0.640 ltr (when filled to the rim)
- Material: stainless steel
The tin
The mess tin is a solid stainless steel and relatively lightweight cooking vessel. It comes with a well fitting lid, which is a bonus compared with the old aluminium version which came without a lid. It saves precious fuel and makes your water (or whatever you are preparing in it) come to a boil significantly faster. The lid also prevents the scattering of smaller bits of your kit (if you’ve stored them in your mess tin) through your rucksack. Another variation from the old mess tins is the corners - there aren’t any! Where the old tins had rounded corners, the new version is made in a fluent oval style shape. This turned out to be an extremely good innovation, as it is a lot easier to clean. As in normal daily life, there are nicer things to do in the field than doing dishes. A down side of this more oval shape though is that you are more restricted to the amount (the new tin is smaller than the old one) of kit you are able to store in it.
The arm
The mess tin arm clips over the lid, securing the lid to prevent it getting lost or rattling when packed. When new out the box this all works well, but after some moderate use in the field (and the obvious playing with it when it was delivered) the securing part still does the job, but fails on occasion. This made me start to use a rubber band after I returned from my testing trip, just to be on the safe side. During the high cuisine cookery I didn’t noticed any conduction from the tin to the arm.
The Lid
 The mess tin lid, which has an integrated arm, is a bit too small to use for serious baking etc. Small sausages can be done in it (which I realised after I prepared the ones you can see in the picture), or maybe an egg … it’s also a perfect job plate for serving. It does work as a signal mirror (though any shiny surface would do the job, if the situation dictates). Whilst testing I noticed some conduction of heat from the lid to the arm, though this was caused because of the way I positioned the lid on my Clikstandä. After some adjustment and careful repositioning the arm could be handled without any problems.
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Conclusion
All in all this new design of mess tin is a good product, and a move forward compared with the old one without the lid. This mess tin, in combination with a Crusader mug (with or without the lid), should definitely fulfil all your needs on a short trip or weekender. On longer trips, though, I would still take my billycan.
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