Sierra Cups

[santaman2000]

It seems like most people today either use a military style canteen cup or a modern Ti cup of some sort (carved kuksas now withstanding) But how many of you are old enough to remember the old Sierra cups? Or even to have used them? Anybody still like them? Ant fond stories? Or even any sad stories about them?

 

[Goatboy]

I have a few of the old brass Northern Lights (before they became UCO) Sierra cups. Unfortunately they've been used as ashtrays by a stupid person (me) and they're a bugger to get the taste of ash out of. They are great to drink from though and for frying eggs in. You used to get a cooker ring for the range of lanterns that allowed you to heat/cook with them. Folks warn you away from brass and now use aluminium ones which are just as bad with acidic drinkies. And I liked the warm sheen that the brass gave through the single malt in the candle light of the snow cave or tent. Will have to get them clean now as I'm misting over. Somewhere I've a picture of me in the Kings House (when they still liked climbers back in the early 90's celebrating a cracking winters day climbing on Rannoch Wall on the Buachaille with a drink in my Sierra Cup. Good thread Santaman, fairly stirs up the past. Cheers GB.

 

[santaman2000]

Huh? Are we talking about the same Sierra cups? The ones I'm talking about were made of stainless steel way back when they were popular (the 1950s and 60s) And you could cook in them over pretty much anything (although the short handles did make them a bit touchy near the heat and they weren't large enough for intricate cooking)

These are the ones I'm talking about: www.survival-gear.com/sierra-cup.htm

 

[maddave]

Yup I have a couple of these knocking about. Very versatile bit of kit

 

[Goatboy]

like this but shallower

 

[Toddy]

I've got an old brass one out in the shed
Too wee to cook in, but fine for a hot drink or soup. Haven't used it in about thirty years I reckon.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Goatboy]

I've got an old brass one out in the shed
Too wee to cook in, but fine for a hot drink or soup. Haven't used it in about thirty years I reckon.

cheers,
Toddy

They do a nice fried or poached egg.

 

[santaman2000]

like this but shallower

Yep that's it. It just confused me when you mentioned brass and the 1990s. I like that brass one though.

 

[santaman2000]

They do a nice fried or poached egg.

Yeah; simple small stuff. I was actually thinking scrambled eggs. But as Toddy said, too small for anything substantial.

 

[maddave]

Never seen a brass one. Mine are stainless

 

[Goatboy]

Yep that's it. It just confused me when you mentioned brass and the 1990s. I like that brass one though.

They never really took off over here, though I looked on mine as a badge of being a proper mountaineer, as really only the old school climbers, expedition nuts and serious outdoors guys used them. Though it probably spoiled the image when I'd drink "Creamola Foam" out of it.

Still it made the worst water good.

 

[maddave]

Yeah I got mine Stateside, they're a rarity here.

 

[Toddy]

But creamola foam made with peaty burn water was a rite of passage

M

 

[Goatboy]

But creamola foam made with peaty burn water was a rite of passage

M

I suppose you're right on that M, with a hunk of fruit cake.

 

[Toddy]

The brown froth was a bit disconcerting, iirc. Fruit cake is righteous stuff especially with a chunk of cheddar

M

 

[Goatboy]

The brown froth was a bit disconcerting, iirc. Fruit cake is righteous stuff especially with a chunk of cheddar

M

You know M, the amount of folk that just give you a weird look when you eat fruit cake or mincemeat pies wi cheddar. They don't know what they're missing.

 

[Goatboy]

So Santaman, Maddave & Mary, why did you get your cups? They were never mainstream.

 

[jimfbte]

Tidbits from my fuzzy memory.

The original "sierra" cup was invented and/or popularized by the legendary Ome Daiber in the US Pacific Northwest where he was in mountain rescue. It was used as a cup, a snow scoop and stream water dipper. That's why it has sloping sides. Aluminum ones tended to burn lips, so steel was the material of choice. This was back in the 1930s or so.

In time it became popular with and associated with the Sierra Club hikers, hence the term Sierra Cup.

I've used them since the 1960s and still use the embossed steel REI 50th Anniversary edition of the cup from 1988. REI was started in 1938, my birth year. Brass ones are usually commemorative cups.

It is just the right size for a quick cup of instant coffee over a Svea 123R on a cool autumn day hiking in the US NorthEast.

Jim FBtE, now living in Hawaii.

 

[John Fenna]

The brown froth was a bit disconcerting, iirc. Fruit cake is righteous stuff especially with a chunk of cheddar

M

Fried Xmas pud with Cheddar toping!
My Sierra cup was aluminium - to hot to drink from until the coffee was too cold to enjoy, too small for a decent brew, too small to cook in ... binned it years ago in favour of the 85 pattern mug and then that was binned as it leaked through the plastic rim. The Crusader fits my needs - big enough for a decent cup of coffee, easy to drink from, easy to cook in

 

[Goatboy]

Fried Xmas pud with Cheddar toping!
My Sierra cup was aluminium - to hot to drink from until the coffee was too cold to enjoy, too small for a decent brew, too small to cook in ... binned it years ago in favour of the 85 pattern mug and then that was binned as it leaked through the plastic rim. The Crusader fits my needs - big enough for a decent cup of coffee, easy to drink from, easy to cook in

Oh Xmas pud and cheddar Hmmm. The Wee Blether Café @ Loch Ard does a home made fried clootie dumpling and egg breakfast along side the Glasgow/Welsh patter from behind the counter. I like the crusader but it holds too much at times. I know that sounds daft but you always want to fill a cup, the Kuska's and Sierras made you feel like you were getting a drink even from a little trickle of a seepage in a cliff face.