Show off 'dem Canteen & Mess kits

[Santos]

By no means a collector i have aquired some mess kits overtime, they all live in my car as i like to carry a lot of water .. enough for the radiator, me and any guests. Keeping them in small canteens means i can keep track of quantity and if i have a leak.. you get the idea.


Russian Spetznav VDV airbourne aluminium canteen/mess kit



This is my favourite, it has a small mouth so you dont lose so much water if you knock it over, good 'pot/billy can' and a handled deep plate/pan. (deep enough for stew or soup but still usable as a frypan/skillet)

I love metal canteens as they can be used for boiling water. This particular kit is my travelling kit.

West german canteen/mess kit circa '76


The most 'hi-tech' looking of the 3 canteen/mess combos i have. It has a deeper handled plate/pot/skillet but the other one is probably only suited as a cup cause its lined with rubber. Nice modern mouth opening

Japan made replica GI US metal canteen + cup


Holds the most water. Cup could be used as a pot... i'd rather not be put into that position though


Comparison shot of all 3 metal canteens. They are set up from smallest to largest mouth opening. The german canteen holds the least water.

East German 3 peice Mess kit


i bought this on ebay from the UK for peanuts thinking i would be able to expand my VDV kit. Its way bigger  Sadly the VDV would fit inside it if it wasn't for the protruding handles! Still as you can see i have salvaged it as a food container in case i ever break down on the trail. 


Coleman 'Kiddie' Non-stick Mess kit (similar to Scouts/guides )




Cost me $10, i keep it set up like picture 3 instead of picture 2 as to not scratch the coating, its very light and the only kit that stays at home but i think it makes a great companion kit to the russian VDV  if the benifits outweight the weight/bulk. Also came with a shallow plastic mug that had various cup measurements but i try to avoid plastic and replaced it with two folding metal cups.


thats them for now, if i manage to snap up any others cheap i'll post them up

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

My favorite messkit is the Czech. I've used one for years as my backpacking pot. Brand new surplus sets can still be bought for about $9-$14.

The current setup is just the outer pot with a Westwind Trangia modified to nest inside. I've also modified the inner pot as a pot stand/windscreen.

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I like the Swiss canteens a lot. The canteen body has lugs that the cup snaps on to, so it stays in place until you need it.

[edcgear]

This thread looks nice... I like what I see... Though I have only one metal water bottle I'll take pics and post them later...

Also I will buy one of those:



It is Serbian Army (ex Yugoslavia Army) standard issue mess kit with water bottle.

- Botlle is 1lit volume, and it fits in mess kit. It is made of plastic (my only issue is that I don't know if it is BPA free  )
- Mess Kit contains of three part. Bottom is metal made with handle (conviniently used for closing everything). Top is made of plastic, and small part is also plastic and it fit on top of water bottle and can be used as cup, or small portion.
- There is OD pouch that holds all, and three part kit containing fork, spoon and knife with can and bottle opener (they fit inside knife handle for space preservation)



Overall nice set, and usefull....

OH BTW I love that Suzuki.... Is it Samurai?? SJ40.... 

[Vladimir]

I have one of these Serbian Army mess kits, and I'm very satisfied with it.
It's actually the very same mess kit I used while I was serving in the army...
Pics tomorrow.

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

French aluminum canteen, cup and stove.

The stove stove just happens to be just the right height to use with a Supercat burner made from a potted meat can.

[Santos]

I do like the serbian kit, what is the water capacity if the canteen? I have tried to get one with a couple of bids on ebay. Not in a rush to get it so my time will come. Will have to look at the czech kit.. although i do favour ones that are centered around the waterbottle/canteen. All the ones i have are probably around a 1 litre / 1 quart.

Eventually i'm aiming at storing 13L  in the car. its a '92 Suzuki sierra, a sj413 or rather an sj70 widetrack, probably the last of the easy to maintain SUV's in australia after that the shift was made to countless sensors, creature comforts and complex safety systems.

[edcgear]

I do like the serbian kit, what is the water capacity if the canteen? I have tried to get one with a couple of bids on ebay. Not in a rush to get it so my time will come. Will have to look at the czech kit.. although i do favour ones that are centered around the waterbottle/canteen. All the ones i have are probably around a 1 litre / 1 quart.

Eventually i'm aiming at storing 13L  in the car. its a '92 Suzuki sierra, a sj413 or rather an sj70 widetrack, probably the last of the easy to maintain SUV's in australia after that the shift was made to countless sensors, creature comforts and complex safety systems.

No problem for that kit I'll see and get you one NEW unused, just to make myself time and go to army surplus... It is 1l bottle...

Yep that's the one... You're right, nice simple machine!

[Santos]

No problem for that kit I'll see and get you one NEW unused, just to make myself time and go to army surplus... It is 1l bottle...

Yep that's the one... You're right, nice simple machine!

What sort of dough do you guys pay for them locally... and how much for one posted to Australia

Forgot to share with everyone my cleaning trick for removing the scum sometimes found in used metal canteens.

-Boil water. Add water with a quarter tube of cheap basic toothpaste (the kind thats the supermarkets own brand) into canteen. Shake vigorously for a minute (dont burn yourself. ) scrub with an old toothbrush if in doubt.
This is better than dishwashing liquid as you will never 100% remove the residue. Water does taste like flueride for the first few refills. I say do this at least once a year

[colt 1911]

This is my cook kit that is in my edc.

[fenofedd]

Great post, I'll snap a picture of mine this weekend.

[lister]

I remember those Yugoslavian army kits. My father had one but it got lost... 

[fenofedd]

This is what I've got.

[fenofedd]

And a few more pics.

[Millhouse]

Bear Grylls canteen. Haven't got one, don't want one.

[Waterlander]

Nice kits guys. Here's my good old military spec kit that I still like to use for a quick brew. 
I'm missing the original square shaped tins. Alum. cupholder and windscreen is not original, got that added later.

[Waterlander]

This I use too, like more of you. 
These are older pics, but my little cooking set is basicly still the same. Trangia meth burner, Sigg stainless pot.
Works so well, lightweight, compact, alcohol, etc. I've hardly used petrol or gas anymore.
 

[Sparky415]

Thanks for posting the pictures of your kits Santos/Guys you have helped me to identify the kit I bought from a charity shop 

No idea if I will ever use it but I think I will use the toothpaste cleaning trick before I do 

My new West German canteen