Keeping Alcohol Warm in Winter; a Great Old Print

[shaggystu]

.....but I'm blessed if I know what the rocket launcher is.

I've never taken either camping.

It's a SAAB Ged, optional extra on the early 900's iirc

 

[jimbo75]

I've never found any of these pre-made mess kits to be a one size fits all solution. Quite a while back all of our camping and military surplus stores were filled with German and Swedish mess kits, and myself, I never did take a shine to them.

What do you really need? You need a cup (the #1 most used item) which is metal that you can heat liquid up in, and a pot you can cook or boil a larger amount in than the cup.

A frying pan is nice also, but really, most things you would use a frying pan for you can cook on a stick or a rock. So, if I need to save weight, the frying pan gets on the ditch list.

One of the neater pieces of gear has been the US military canteen. In it's pouch is a stainless steel cup that nests over the canteen with folding handles that holds about 1/2 liter and it's strong enough to dig with. The way it's shaped, it makes a better shovel than one would initially think.

Nested over the cup is a small stove that you flip over and the cup sets into. In the mini-stove you can use fuel tabs, burning sticks, or coals retrieved from a campfire. On the side of the canteen pouch is a mini-pouch that can hold two bottles of water purification tabs, or one bottle and some matches or some other fire starting tool.

The US military canteen cup does have a disadvantage. Because it was curved to fit the canteen, it didn't sit as well upon a round, liquid fuel stove burner as a round cup would.

For myself, I later copied the US canteen kit concept over to a Nalgene style water bottle. I started using the Nalgene style bottle as my canteen due to the fact that my water purifier screws into it. It also has a wider mouth making it easier to clean and to add drink mixes into it to cover up the taste of drinkable but poor tasting water. If ice is available and it's hot out, it's much easier to put ice into it than a military canteen.

Glacier makes a stainless nesting cup (about 1/2 liter) with folding handles made to nest over the bottom of a Nalegene style water bottle. I copied the US military canteen setup and made a stove out of a coffee can that nested over the cup quite nicely. This stove is also large enough and round so I can use a homemade alcohol stove/burner with it. I also found a canteen carrier made for a Nalgene style bottle that will hold it all (minus alcohol burner).

Nowadays, when I'm traveling light, my cooking gear is primarily an aluminum 1.5 liter pot with a bail handle and a lid, plus the cup in my Nalgene bottle kit.

but its American...

 

[Teepee]

Keeping the alcohol warm at really low temps would have the benefit of avoiding potential freeze injuries from spilt alcohol.

Nalgene do some really tough HDPE plastic hip flasks that don't leak IME, perfect for a couple of brews. Not unknown for me to have some overproof rum in it-drink and fuel for the double use win.

 

[Toddy]

I think Richard's right; the Trangia really is the best of them. I quite like the Crusader set though....that mug is absolutely iconic

M

 

[Haggis]

but its American...

I can't say that I at all like any sort of American military surplus mess. I suppose, having many years ago served in the U.S. military, I've "shaken the dust off my feet" as it were, and want no more part of it, surplus or otherwise.

 

[santaman2000]

I can't say that I at all like any sort of American military surplus mess. I suppose, having many years ago served in the U.S. military, I've "shaken the dust off my feet" as it were, and want no more part of it, surplus or otherwise.

 

[ozzy1977]

Great find on the posters, were ther any more ?