My brother bought the Coleman kit. One thing he found was the larger pot can accommodate a small gas canister with the pack stove they also sell. You lose the smaller pot but have a more complete cooking system. Really neat stuff. Failing that you can always put spices, tinder and what not.
I still have my boy scout kit like the 1st one you showed. It has been with me climbing,wilderness trekking,canoeing,many winter camps and iceclimbing\mountaineering. I do have other high tech pots and kits, but the scouts built them to last. Mine is 60yo and getting ready to go fishing.. Thanks
Hi Kenny, about 40 years ago, I was in my teens and bought me an aluminum mess kit just like the 5 pc set you have there. The kit is of much thicker aluminum about 3/16" thick, and I used it all the time. I quit using it due to aluminum, but I still have it. You can stand on it and support your weight. Good concept (little pot and all) because I ate well. It's made for one guy, not a group. Wish they made those in heavy stainless steel. Very compact. They were good till they thined out.
Good video son! At least you are out there trying out stuff in the outdoors.I congratulate you. I am turning 50 this year; ex-military, obtained 2 degrees, working in the corporate world these days (hating every minute); but my only joy in life is hitting the outdoors with a back-pack. Two days, seven days, desert, beach, snow: it doesn't matter! The taste of freedom matters. Who cares about the kit you carry. You take what you have and make it work! I have used some super expensive gear that turned out to be completely useless; but I have also been amazed at the use of a 7/11 pocket knife. Mind over matter is what makes it work. As long as you find enjoyment in what you do. Simple and stupid and simplistic as it may sound; I find the greatest pleasure to be that of starting a camp fire. The crackle, the whiff of smoke, the blue inside the yellow flame just makes me happy.
I love the one he does not like and had used it through the 70s, 80s, 90s. Also spending 6 to 10 months at a time in the woods what away from Main count that little baby with your best friend along with some seasoning. He's a young guy and he's trying so give him some slack. Try to remember what you was like when you still had fuzz on your face.
I have the Coleman kit and it is a great kit. I use the two tops as serving dishes once the meal is cooked. I also store my MSR pocket rocket, a bottle of camp soap and a dish sponge inside to save space...
+hartstudebakerkid Agreed, I bought a 1960s boy scout mess kit from the goodwill for two bucks. It’s much thicker than the newer thinner one. It works great.
I would definitely recommend the first one. For a "piece of junk" (not), it has served me well for over 30 plus years. Not bad for a "piece of crap". Cooked plenty of quartered squirrels, deboned rabbits, and robins on solo hunt/camping trips. Some times you youngsters make me laugh. If it's not titanium, diamond plate space metal, it's "crap". With age you'll learn through experience what works instead of what the internet camp ninja uses. Lol
+BraveTheWilds I have seen your review about those mess kits! I'm not agree with you calling the first aluminum kit as piece of junk. I'm a scoutmaster and being in scouting since I'm 11 y/o, camping a lot and using the aluminum mess kit and another modern mess kits made out stainless steel and titanium. My opinion about them is that they all work well, and if you can afford a titanium mess kit so great for you, however I have found that the aluminum kit gets hot very fast, as a matter of fact faster than the stainless and the titanium mess kits, and that is a critical advantage if you are camping on a trail where you are not allowed to light fires, and if you are using an alcohol stove that definitely means that you are depending on the amount of alcohol you carry for cooking purposes, and the longer your kit needs to consume alcohol to get the proper heat for cooking, the less alcohol you have for cooking, that's just something to take in mind. My aluminum kit is old, all cover in bumps but still works well. I have also stainless steel kits and titanium kits as well in order to compare "pro's and con's" so I can give the best advice for my scouts, and the first thing I must bear in mind is that I cannot recommend their fathers to buy the most expensive camping gear for the guys, it all depends on what they can afford, all I can do is giv'em all what I know about the gear and they can go buy what they can afford. This is not a critic my friend, is just a sincere opinion. God bless you my friend! keep it up!
+Ricardo Jimenez The ones we used in scouts years ago are made better than the first one reviewed. I still have my old scout one, and also purchased one of those thin aluminum ones from walmart. Night and day is all i can say. The old ones were quite a bit thicker. We just started outfitting my son's scout pack, and i wouldn't get them the new ones. I wish i could find some of the old military ones, that weren't damaged beyond all repair.
+GLOCKCOPG23 I'm sixty-two, and I've been hunting, trapping, fishing, and camping since I was seven. These Walmart kits are crap, at least when compared to the real thing. The real thing can be found used far cheaper than the Walmart pieces of crap, or new for not much more, so why buy crap? The truth is, these things were pieces of junk thirty years ago, too. I seriously doubt you have the experience you pretend to have, regardless of your age. Aluminum of cooking gauge is not made to take hard use for thirty years, or even for five. Anyone who has used kits in the military knows this. They're a much heavier gauge than the ones at Walmart, and real use usually dents and dings them to death after three or four years. You have to handle them with kid gloves to make them last much longer than five years. In truth, if you have any money, and if you really are experienced, a mess kit like this would be the last thing you buy. There are infinitely better cooking and eating kits on the market. Walmart hasn't been a place to buy quality anything since they started buying almost everything from China..
+James Ritchie Are you typically this rude? If so, you must be very popular in the no doubt small group of people who can actually stomach you. As such, it would be warranted to tell you to, ''Kiss my ass'' but since that would be equally rude, I will refrain. As the old saying goes, ''you are never too old to learn'' so absorb this: To accuse someone without cause or evidence usually denotes the speaker's thoughts of themselves. Sort of a "Pot calling the kettle black" kind of thing. Sound familiar, Davy Crockett? Do not attempt to condescend or judge my experience as you have nothing to support your ''feelings''. Moving on. To correct yet another of your assumptions, I did not buy my kit from Walmart. As a matter of fact Walmart did not even exist in my area at the time. I bought mine loooong ago from a military surplus store as a foreign military surplus item. Regardless of your ''feelings'', mine has held up well over the years with moderately hard use. I tend to take good care of my things. Maybe in your 62 years, you should have learned how to better care for your equipment rather than treating a mostly bullet proof item like a drooling ogre. Have a nice day.
Nice video. I have a Stanley Stanley Adventure Prep + mess kit I purchased at Walmart. I paid about what you paid for the anodized aluminum mess kit you reviewed here. The Stanley kit is stainless steel, holds 40 oz of liquid, comes with a lid that has a flip up handle so you can take it off the pot without using gloves. It also has 2 very nice quality bowls with lids, and a very nice ladle and spatula that come apart and store inside the pot. When they are assembled, they are about as nice as the plastic ones many of us use at home. This kit only has one pot, but it's a large one with the measuring lines inside as well. I have found that if I remove the lids to the bowls which I don't need anyway, and store the collapsible spatula/ladle set in a small pouch I mollied to the side of my backpack, I can store an alcohol stove, (with stand), 6 key-chain waterproof pill containers filled with a variety of spices, including Carolina Reaper powder since I'm a chili head, a P-38 can opener, and still have room to spare. I also like the way the handle folds up to hold everything in place. You might want to check out the Stanley mess kit as well, though I have also checked out the anodized aluminum kit you reviewed here, and it's also a pretty nice kit. Thanks for your review.
Not sure if someone has mentioned it, but the bag in the 2nd Coleman is a dunk bag, so you do not have to burn your hands when you do your final rinse after washing. Great video and very informative. I wish more young adults would be as well versed, and informative. Great to see a young man educating. Keep up the great work.
I use the first mess kit. More uses. Have been using one like it since i was in the boy scouts when I was 12. I am 43 now. You can do everything with it, and the "thinness" of it has a purpose. #1, less weight, #2, to conduct campfire heat better, although it is much more thin than it used to be...I will agree with that. You can't fry anything with the 2nd one. All in all, #1 is better.
I have had my Coleman mess kit from Walmart for like 5 years. It is the EXACTLY PERFECT size for the solo stove. It is better than the the actual set sold by solo themselves. I highly recommend it.
Have you checked out swiss military mess kits? You can buy them used at military surplus stores very cheap and I think you might be impressed with the quality of their construction.
I saw a vid on the BSA style cook kit. Scouting was started in Britain and it was really made to go through a military mess during WW1. It really wasn't made to do much cooking but to hold food as you walked through the chow line. The plate joins to the fry pan handle. The pot was for soup, coffee, tea, stew. I wish I could remember who did the vid to give them credit.
very nice critique. sound reasoning and great explanations and examples. i am looking to buy a new kit for a bug out prep and your video helped. thank you, keep it up.
Before you use a field mess kit you can coat the bottom of your field kit with a very light coating of ivory dish soap and the char will easily wipe off! Give it a try and get back to me on it with YOUR opinion on that idea!
Personally I love the BSA style cook set. I first learned how to cook with this set on my first Scouting campout in winter, in Kansas, back in 1982 or 1983. I continued to use that very same set up until I joined the Navy in 1997. Are they cheap? Absolutely. Are they flimsy? Yep, sure are. Are they just about the bottom of the barrel? I actually can't think of a worse set at the moment. However, they get the job done. It's easier to cook up fried eggs, pan seared meat, or pancakes in the skillet, than it is in the pots. The shallow pot and lid are great for rice dishes, scalloped potatoes, and casseroles. You can boil water in the skillet, as long as you put the lid (plate) on, and boil for the 15-20 minutes, then remove the lid and boil for another minute or so to release the volatiles. It will take time, and the pots are better suited for the task, but it can be done. Of course a Sawyer Mini, or Sawyer Squeeze makes the task almost obsolete in most cases. There is an art to using the BSA style kit. You have to learn fire management, heat zones, and best campfire cooking methods for different types of foods. I just recently purchased two sets of the BSA style cook sets, one for my daughter, and one for myself, so she can learn to cook with this set. The reasoning is that if she learns how to properly cook on this set, every other set will become a breeze. The two styles of cook sets really do have separate, and distinct cooking purposes though. Plus at $5, you get the most bang for your buck with the BSA style kit.
The coleman cook kit is pretty good. The other one you showed is great for baking. Give it a try. Kenniet Click has some really good youtube video's on baking with that very kit. Enjoy & be safe !
I have the second kit and have been using it off and on for over five years. There is no nonstick coating; it's anodized aluminum. It's held up very well.
I have the coleman. I have had no problem with the stuff sack. I like the set quite a bit. I used it camping over the course of a week. I have a rather old single burner coleman stove that screws on a 1lb propane bottle. No problems. I use it (the pot set) to solar cook when I work in the garden. I did get a great deal as they were on mark down for $9.
You did a good job on your comparison. I had a cheap palco mess kit very much like the one you displayed when I was a kid in the seventies. that kit sucked but it worked and my family didn't have much money so I took good care of it and I used it till I was an adult. I boiled water in it and cooked all sorts of things but things always stuck to it. When I was in my twenties I bought a good sturdy peak one solo stainless kit which I still use today and I'm 48 now.
Totally disagree with this review. The first mess kit has been around for ages and is very useful in the woods. I can attest to being able to make Tikka Marsala with chicken and rice in it with no issues. The little pot is perfect size to boil a package of minute rice. While that is cooking, do the chicken and sauce together in the frying pan. Combine in plate to enjoy. I recommend actually trying to cook various items in these kits before giving a bad review.
These newer mess kits are a reflection of the freeze dried food trend. Hence, no pan. All hikers need do is boil water, pour, wait a few minutes and your good to go. Myself, I like "real" food as much as possible, so my mess kit is a plagerized hodgepodge of essentials. And no, they in no way fit nicely together, which makes things problematic. But it works for me. There's a lot more to it than what I've written here, but this is it in a nutshell.
I have five of the mess kits like the first one. Three are aluminum Boy Scout kits made by Regal cookware, they are thicker metal than those cheap Walmart ones. The other two are made of stainless steel, I picked them up at an army surplus store 20 years ago. If you can locate the stainless type grab them up they are tough as nails!
Great job young man. I have been cub scouts boy scout and now military :) I have used the old mess kid countless times. Keep up the good knowledge and willing to test things for the future youth.
I agree with your points on both kits. I have had the first one you reviewed a couple times and it works but I never really cared for them. The only part I do like about it is having a kettle AND frying pan option. Good review!
That bag that holds the canteen is not a bad thing at all. Civilizations revolved around containers and how important they were to have. That bag is another container that could carry dry tinder as well as a few other items. The canteen itself should not be empty...it should have other items in it when its not being used. Pack smart and utilize everything. Any container (including that bag that holds the canteen) is GOLD!!!
So far the aluminum cook kit cheap Boy Scout kind is useful for me has been for baking actually - the pot lid and plastic cup almost works like a double boiler concept for baking! It actually works really well especially with wood fire fold up stove you can make yourself some biscuits in it brownies work great.
The Coleman kit is excellent, if you leave out the smaller pan and pot(use them as back up) you can put a 230g gas canister inside the larger pot, it's a perfect fit including your stove, just use a elastic band to secure pan and pot then put back in mesh bag.
Hey Brave...I thought I should share this tip with you, in regards to added protection for your cooking kits. I find that spraying a coat of "high heat resistant enamel" to the bottom of the pots can help reduce the fading of any factory coating. The heat enamel can withstand up to 2000 degrees F, so it should be very effective in protecting your cook ware.
Thank you for the video. OK the second set seem good. Get a lager rubber band to hold the lid and pot together. I would divide them int large 7 small sets get a plastic or S/S cup (cut the handle off if necessary) that nets inside the the pot. Also TicTac containers or 35mm film canisters make a great spice set for the field. Use a bandanna inside to stop rattlers. Two single person cook sets for the price of one. Use the net bag to organise small items in your back pack. Kind regards, Greg
+Greg Summers Eventually the rubber band will dry out and snap. My suggestion, you can get a 3 pack of shorter flat bungee cords from a dollar store. A bungee cord can always come in handy when hiking, camping or bugging out, one example off the top of my head is use it to hang dry your mess kit. I do like your TicTac container idea.
+Terry M Hi my friend. Just been doing research on herbs and spices with good health / healing properties as well as great taste. Look at Oregano / Mint / Ginger / Garlic / Fenugreek / Clove / Sage / Thyme / Turmeric / Basil / Black Pepper / Cayenne / Cinnamon / Dill / Rosemary. Eg Clove is good for tooth ache, etc. Remember, you get a better and larger meal by making a squirrel stew with water, wild vegetables, rice and herbs. It takes a little longer to prepare, tastes a lot better, the meat come off the bone easily and in your big pot will feed two people. A wooden spoon and a section of very thin (1mm) flexible cutting sheet (stows curled inside your pot / lid) to make a great cook system. I also have a SS thermal cup (about 360 ml) and screw-on lid. I covered mine with neoprene drink can coolers bottom and top (trimmed to size) to increase the hot drink time from 3 to 8 hours [the SAS use these]. This is my daily coffee cup for the last seven years and I have a tin can it nets into as a water collection / boiling vessel. A hot drink in the middle of a freezing night is so good. Kind regards, Greg
the first set is what i have but it's older then the boy scouts. It was issued to troops in ww2. it came with the pot with a loop on the lid and a steel handle on the pan.
Go light if you hike. One middle sized pot or skillet of light steel is good. Use Aluminum for the remaining at home and on the trail. I've used it for 70 years. If you camp fixed get a good cast iron pot and live with great stew and dumplings or wonderful pies and cakes. But hike and enjoy light walking with happy feet.
Back in college, I used this mess kit for 4 years of heavy backcountry camping. Always intended to upgrade, but never ended up doing it until a girlfriend bought me a GSI for christmas. I guess upgrading never made it to the top of the priority list, this mess kit just got the job done. In fact, I now use it for my military training. It's beat to shit, but it still works just fine, 7 years later. I guess my point is, you can't knock it just because it's from walmart. Good video.
a thru hiker in 2012, trail name Skittles completed the AT using only gear he bought at WalMart. A personal challenge to a recent college grad with limited resources. The main thing is to enjoy the journey, don't fret about expensive gear, carry the 10 (or 15 essentials) and try to avoid life threatening situations. When you meet others on the trail, they won't all want to talk about gear nonstop.
There is nothing wrong with the first mess kit. Its not designed for fancy cooking and would easily cook one meals worth of trail rations. If your looking to camp with friends and fix "camping meals" then you need much more than any mess kit will be able to do.
That early aluminum Cook Kit that I had in the Scouts in the 40's and still have is stil serviceable ( i still use it ) and makes you appreciate the new Stainless Steel models that are out there now...Start with the old and Stop with the New... They are .. Stronger, easier to manage, clean up easier, and Cost 3 times as much... Which part of the one you recomend do you cook Bacon, Eggs and fry Potatoes in ??
It works and it's a good setup.....at $26. I'm old now in my 60's and don't see no difference in that compared to my TOAKS Ti Bowl, 900ml pot, 500ml inner pot and 400ml cup setup. And YOURS IS A FRACTION OF THE COST. My youngest is 21, working 40hrs a week + full time college. This kits perfect it's all about ease and the outdoors. This with a Triagia alcohol stove or a 250 Butane +a BSR Burner and your set. And that Scout set....I still have mine, nothing wrong with it. You do other than plain boiling and a fish/burger/steak. You'll be wanting a Scout setup. They work great for that.
I have tried both of these kits I liked the Coleman stove I felt it was pretty sturdy. Recently I have been told to try the Jet Boil stove and I love it. It's expensive but to me it pays for itself. At night when I go camping I love to boil hot cocoa before I goto bed it helps my inner core to stay warm. But I hate taking out the multiple stoves to do it, it takes to long. But since I got the Jet Boil its seconds.
I have one of the walmart sets and take the smaller 2 pieces backpacking. It works quite well and is fairly lightweight. Just to clarify...it does not have a non stick coating. It is made from hard anodized aluminum which provides it with that finish and makes it much stronger than the other regular aluminum set you have there.
I have the first cheap mess kit, I've used it and loved it. Should say I used it over two nights. The other one I'd cut up a bicycle inner tube and make a big rubber band to hold it together.
I am a newbie at 53 yo, Unplugging from the Hollyweird inspired Society. Love these videos. Home made alcohol stoves? Nested pots? Eating in the woods? Heck YES. Turn off your TV. Get outside!
the first ozark trail kit you had there yes it is cheeseey as heck but its light and doesnt use a lot of fuel to cook , thin shalow cookware heats fast with little fuel the little pot in the kit makes a great 2 biscuit oven by putting the coals on the top and bottem.i have used both stile kits like them both . the sesond kit is nerrow and tall requires more fuel and cooking time . i chose witch kit by space in my pack . nice presentation.
Yo, Kenny! Great to see you doing these updates and product demo's for us. If I may, can I offer you my opinion? You were a bit harsh on your evaluation of the first item, the aluminium mess kit. Yes, I agree it was a bit thin. Yes, I agree it may not last the distance, if given a beating. But, for someone like a young kid going camping, scouts, say, day trekking, whatever, it would be a marvellous first introductory item to take along. Remember back when you first got started? I remember your first videos. I've been tracking your progress these last years, and, I have to say you've come a long way, and become a very capable young man. If these items are so cheap and nasty, meaning you would pass them by in a store, think of how many people, unemployed and dispossessed out there who could or may benefit from something such as them? A man, (a generic term!), feels more like a man when he can fend for himself, and having a kit like that in his possession brings a measure of self-worth and self-esteem. I'm 51 years old, and I've been down that road. Being able to cook your own meals on something someone else would throw away, (figuratively), makes the world a damn sight less darker. Buy some of them, pass them out to the less well off than you. Remember, Kenny, everyone has to start somewhere, and having some kind of kit is better than having no kit at all. Thanks, Kenny. Allow me to be proud of how you've come along. You've earned this (old) man's respect for your accomplishments! Cheers, little brother! GS.
Im sorry. Ive used that type of messkit,before you were born. ANd it just did fine for the AT thru hike. Yes its light and very well used. Now i use a Jetboil stove set. But i still carry that messkit
I,ve been looking at this kit for a while. It has several strong points. 1. nesting 2. size and 3 the non stick coating as you call it is actually anodized, which is vey durable.
Very nice review, I wish we could have some of that rain here. : ) I have the coleman set and love it. A little post smut just adds character. Most of the time, I just use the two smaller pieces though and use the extra room in the bag for alcohol and a sponge. : )
Hahaha..... I have that cheap Walmart mess kit. It would work in a pinch but there is definitely better out there. I do have one recommendation for this kit, it makes the PERFECT charcloth maker. Take that little pot out, remove the knob on the lid so all you have a is little hole on top. Cut up some squares of an old 100% cotton T-shirt and place them in the pot and cover. Cook up the cloth and you're golden!
Take the knob off the aluminum pot and use it to char cloth. My daughter used that kit when show went to C.A.P. camp and I discovered that it's great charring cloth. I stick a pencil in the top's hole to smother the cloth.
The mesh bag is to serve as a dish drainer that can hang down. If you rub soap on the outside of the pans, you can wipe off the black carbon. Plates don't have depth. When they have depth, they are called a dish.
Thinking about it, I am thinking to get the coleman's mess kit. It has a small and a medium container for you to cook even if you can't do a frying with it. It may be ideal for cooking a food for individuals and/or with a partner. Then it also can be a ideal piece of gear if you can have a 1 liter nalgene water bottle in the smaller container (if being minimalist about it). But then thinking about it again were all different when it comes to selecting price, quality, weight, and a durability. I can see that the cheap mess kit can do every task from boiling water to frying and cooking. Also it can primarly do the normal tasks given in the situation or event. The coleman can be a lot better if we are in an extended trip with a 2 person trip. Both along with the rationalized food consumption can be ideal but the durability and weight can be a consideration to an trip. Which ever the gear we take with us we must keep the material maintained, used, and puts a soul within the gear he/she gets.
The coating is called "hard anodized" and you need to protect it. Best thing is to carry a small bottle of dish soap. It will keep the fire from turning it black like that. Just rub a small coating of soap over the outside before you start cooking. This works for all pots and pots, especially for cast iron.
@donaldphinney Thanks! I'll look into it. I would defintely agree stainless is the way to go. Soon I will be purchasing a stainless pot that Dave Canterbury uses as his main mess kit. I'm sorry I don't know the name of it. If you're an avid fan of his channel you will have seen it. Thanks for the comment brother!
Bought an Ozark Trail mess kit that is like the Coleman one for £5. ($8) Not as elaborate as your Coleman one and the handles are a bit hinky but there's everything there that is needed, especially if you use a canteen cup too. This is a great piece of gear, I don't see what people get so sniffy about unless it's just gear snobbery.
I bought the Coleman Max kit earlier this year, based on this video.... No complaints so far. And I've already gotten my money out of it. Sits great on an MSR Pocket Rocket.
As far as I understood his problem with the bag was not the bag itself, but that it was needed to keep the mess kit together, unlike with the self contained one. If for some reason you were to lose the bag or damage it, you would need to rig another way to keep the kit from falling apart (especially if you have it affixed to the outside of large frame backpack or something similar). It's simply another point of failure that wouldn't be unnecessary if the kit would snap shut for example.
haha the "what the heck are you going to cook in it pot works perfectly for oatmeal in the morning. and We have eaten pasta out of it too...My husband and I each have one of these that we take backpacking. We boil water in something else but pour it into the $5 one. :)
I like using the Wal-Mart Coleman cook set. Cleans up nicely, I use the 2 larger, of the 4 pots for most camping outings along with the MinibullDesigns alcohol stoves. The FUEL that works best is HEET, in the YELLOW plastic bottle that you can also buy at Wal-Mart in the automotive dept, in either singles or 4-paks. HEET, is Mythl Alcohol, burns Better, doesn't *pulse* , like Denatured alcohol will. My M2 SB minibull stove nests inside the pot along with a four ounce fuel bottle. A nice set up
Yes , that is true since a person can do it , sometimes , but not all the time. When there is a burning ban then you can only use stoves to cook over when camping and one of the wood burning stoves qualifies as a stove and not an open fire. It contains the fire. Plus I can get the fuel for it while I hike along.
On the cheap cook set you can use the plate as a lid, but getting it off when hot might be hard. On the more expensive Colman one the pot lids can be used as frying pans, but you wont get much in one.
Hey 7theflyingdutchman, what works good for me and is easy to get for fuel is the additive for gas called Heat. Make sure you get the kind in the yellow bottle. Burns well and is consistent in the way its made.
i use the second kit with a brasslite stove, just usin the larger pot with its "lid" .. no problems .. evrything i need goes inside in ziploc bags to prevent scratchin the nonstick coating, and all contained in a homemade stuff sack
They make a SS BSA kit. I got two from Walmart. I put water bottles in the Coleman pots kinda like a German canteen set. Trying to find right size pouch to fit them. Fox and Max make water bottle carriers. And the Coleman handles will get hot enough to burn you.
I have been using this Colman kit for several years now as my solo/summer kit. The bag is no big deal (you make too big of an issue of it). I use this kit in my classes as well. The inner small pot and lid are useless. I only us the larger (outer pot and lid) and pack my fuel canister and stove in it along with a small sponge. No rattles and fits perfect. The anodizing coating is good at not sticking foods. As with all Teflon/anodized coated pots do not put them in the dishwasher.
I just modified my Coleman cook pot. I put a different handle on it so I can hold it like a mug and a bucket type handle so I can use it like a billy can. Pretty simple stuff but if I didn't explain it well and you want to see it let me know and I'll make a quick vid and I'll tell you when I get it on my channel.
I wish they made the boyscout style kit out of the stronger metal of the Colman as I prefer a flat style in my pack as to tall and round. I think that would be a winner in my book. One reason being, keeping the flatter style level on a fire is much easier. Another is in the pan style you can fry things side by side, not so much in the tall style. Nice video, ty.
that 1st mess kit you didn't care for.......that was the type we used in the cub & boy scouts in the late 50's & early 60's...A store named Triangle in Bay Ridge Bklyn. had everything you needed for the scouts, or non scouts who wanted to do some camping,
The Minibulldesigns M2 stove fits snugly into the Coleman LARGER pot / top along with the 5x23 pot stand though the 5x18 might allow me to also include the 2 smaller pots as well along with the 2 fuel bottles. I've cooked and Baked in the Coleman 4 piece Pots that you reviewed and find nothing wrong with my purchase from Wal Mart. It's small, light, easy to clean and carry in the sack that you, don't approve of. That's cool too. Just a different response from another hiker. Thanks for your video
First one featured is not to my personal liking. The second one: two pots, two lids, Hard Anodized, solid construction, good size for day pack - now that works for me. Couple that with a Trangia burner and I'm good with it.
@dustmudder I had concerns about whether or not steel wool would be too abrasive. Turns out I still can't get some crap off even with steel wool and there is no sign of the coating being anywhere close to coming off.
When I was 15 yrs old, I was in the boy scouts, we all had the mess kits, like the one you showed first, but I think it was about three times as thick as that Wal-Mart one, and I am 64 yrs old now, so it was back when Americans made things, unlike now, we don't make anything here any more, or very little.
I just picked up a boys out mess kit for 2 bucks at the flea market, I was able to date it somewhere around 1954 ish, 10 times better then what they make now everything is garbage nowadays
The best mess kit there is, is the one you actually use. I have a 1960s boy scout mess kit like the first one, but it’s much thicker metal, and it works just fine.
I LOVE my $26 cheap-o Coleman mess kit. I lost the small stuff and keep a soup can stove, two sterno, salt pepper sugar coffee and a "Hobo tool" all inside
The first kit I used in scouts it works. The plastic cup was little good for me. I like a steel cup. For the size and options the first kit is hard to beat and yes you can boil water in that little pot and make a hot drink. The lid on may kits is more than this whole kit. Many prefer SS yet all the old GI stuff is AL
Good video, Good review. As an old-timer, I have to say that the ultiimate source for a high quality mess kit (or most other wilderness/survival items) is a military surplus store. You can get equipped quite well on the cheap! One of my favorites is in my area, but is also on-line is IMS-Plus.
Yes sir, I spent $40 for a "molly" vest at a military surplus store, I'm lucky cause I had an older mess kit that is stainless/cooper clad, it even survived a house fire, where I lost everything else
@ChannelTheron Thanks for the comment! I actually also don't use these mess kits in my main pack as well. I tend to stick with a canteen cup and a tin cup. When I have friends in the woods with me or if I'm doing serious cooking I will definetely bring these with me.
My brother bought the Coleman kit. One thing he found was the larger pot can accommodate a small gas canister with the pack stove they also sell. You lose the smaller pot but have a more complete cooking system. Really neat stuff.
Failing that you can always put spices, tinder and what not.
I still have my boy scout kit like the 1st one you showed. It has been with me climbing,wilderness trekking,canoeing,many winter camps and iceclimbing\mountaineering. I do have other high tech pots and kits, but the scouts built them to last. Mine is 60yo and getting ready to go fishing.. Thanks
Hi Kenny, about 40 years ago, I was in my teens and bought me an aluminum mess kit just like the 5 pc set you have there. The kit is of much thicker aluminum about 3/16" thick, and I used it all the time. I quit using it due to aluminum, but I still have it. You can stand on it and support your weight. Good concept (little pot and all) because I ate well. It's made for one guy, not a group. Wish they made those in heavy stainless steel. Very compact. They were good till they thined out.
Good video son! At least you are out there trying out stuff in the outdoors.I congratulate you. I am turning 50 this year; ex-military, obtained 2 degrees, working in the corporate world these days (hating every minute); but my only joy in life is hitting the outdoors with a back-pack. Two days, seven days, desert, beach, snow: it doesn't matter! The taste of freedom matters. Who cares about the kit you carry. You take what you have and make it work! I have used some super expensive gear that turned out to be completely useless; but I have also been amazed at the use of a 7/11 pocket knife. Mind over matter is what makes it work. As long as you find enjoyment in what you do. Simple and stupid and simplistic as it may sound; I find the greatest pleasure to be that of starting a camp fire. The crackle, the whiff of smoke, the blue inside the yellow flame just makes me happy.
i had the first type all through my boy scouts years. i cooked countless meals with it. take care of your gear and your gear will take care of you.
sure looks exactly like my boy scout kit from the early 60's
George Goble I'm 45 years old and still have mine from boy scouts and it works as well today
I love the one he does not like and had used it through the 70s, 80s, 90s. Also spending 6 to 10 months at a time in the woods what away from Main count that little baby with your best friend along with some seasoning. He's a young guy and he's trying so give him some slack. Try to remember what you was like when you still had fuzz on your face.
Me also, and I still have it.
I cooked lots of hamburgers bacon and pancakes on one of these, still have mine 50 years later. Academy has its of stainless steel.
I have the Coleman kit and it is a great kit. I use the two tops as serving dishes once the meal is cooked. I also store my MSR pocket rocket, a bottle of camp soap and a dish sponge inside to save space...
You bought the Walmart version of the Scout mess kit. The scout mess kit has been around for at least 70 years. It works just fine.
+hartstudebakerkid Agreed, I bought a 1960s boy scout mess kit from the goodwill for two bucks. It’s much thicker than the newer thinner one. It works great.
I would definitely recommend the first one. For a "piece of junk" (not), it has served me well for over 30 plus years. Not bad for a "piece of crap". Cooked plenty of quartered squirrels, deboned rabbits, and robins on solo hunt/camping trips. Some times you youngsters make me laugh. If it's not titanium, diamond plate space metal, it's "crap". With age you'll learn through experience what works instead of what the internet camp ninja uses. Lol
If you've been using it for 30 years than it was made with much thicker materials than the new ones. Thanks for watching.
+BraveTheWilds I have seen your review about those mess kits! I'm not agree with you calling the first aluminum kit as piece of junk. I'm a scoutmaster and being in scouting since I'm 11 y/o, camping a lot and using the aluminum mess kit and another modern mess kits made out stainless steel and titanium. My opinion about them is that they all work well, and if you can afford a titanium mess kit so great for you, however I have found that the aluminum kit gets hot very fast, as a matter of fact faster than the stainless and the titanium mess kits, and that is a critical advantage if you are camping on a trail where you are not allowed to light fires, and if you are using an alcohol stove that definitely means that you are depending on the amount of alcohol you carry for cooking purposes, and the longer your kit needs to consume alcohol to get the proper heat for cooking, the less alcohol you have for cooking, that's just something to take in mind. My aluminum kit is old, all cover in bumps but still works well. I have also stainless steel kits and titanium kits as well in order to compare "pro's and con's" so I can give the best advice for my scouts, and the first thing I must bear in mind is that I cannot recommend their fathers to buy the most expensive camping gear for the guys, it all depends on what they can afford, all I can do is giv'em all what I know about the gear and they can go buy what they can afford. This is not a critic my friend, is just a sincere opinion. God bless you my friend! keep it up!
+Ricardo Jimenez The ones we used in scouts years ago are made better than the first one reviewed. I still have my old scout one, and also purchased one of those thin aluminum ones from walmart. Night and day is all i can say. The old ones were quite a bit thicker. We just started outfitting my son's scout pack, and i wouldn't get them the new ones. I wish i could find some of the old military ones, that weren't damaged beyond all repair.
+GLOCKCOPG23 I'm sixty-two, and I've been hunting, trapping, fishing, and camping since I was seven. These Walmart kits are crap, at least when compared to the real thing. The real thing can be found used far cheaper than the Walmart pieces of crap, or new for not much more, so why buy crap? The truth is, these things were pieces of junk thirty years ago, too. I seriously doubt you have the experience you pretend to have, regardless of your age. Aluminum of cooking gauge is not made to take hard use for thirty years, or even for five. Anyone who has used kits in the military knows this. They're a much heavier gauge than the ones at Walmart, and real use usually dents and dings them to death after three or four years. You have to handle them with kid gloves to make them last much longer than five years. In truth, if you have any money, and if you really are experienced, a mess kit like this would be the last thing you buy. There are infinitely better cooking and eating kits on the market. Walmart hasn't been a place to buy quality anything since they started buying almost everything from China..
+James Ritchie Are you typically this rude? If so, you must be very popular in the no doubt small group of people who can actually stomach you. As such, it would be warranted to tell you to, ''Kiss my ass'' but since that would be equally rude, I will refrain. As the old saying goes, ''you are never too old to learn'' so absorb this: To accuse someone without cause or evidence usually denotes the speaker's thoughts of themselves. Sort of a "Pot calling the kettle black" kind of thing. Sound familiar, Davy Crockett? Do not attempt to condescend or judge my experience as you have nothing to support your ''feelings''. Moving on. To correct yet another of your assumptions, I did not buy my kit from Walmart. As a matter of fact Walmart did not even exist in my area at the time. I bought mine loooong ago from a military surplus store as a foreign military surplus item. Regardless of your ''feelings'', mine has held up well over the years with moderately hard use. I tend to take good care of my things. Maybe in your 62 years, you should have learned how to better care for your equipment rather than treating a mostly bullet proof item like a drooling ogre. Have a nice day.
Nice video.
I have a Stanley Stanley Adventure Prep + mess kit I purchased at Walmart. I paid about what you paid for the anodized aluminum mess kit you reviewed here. The Stanley kit is stainless steel, holds 40 oz of liquid, comes with a lid that has a flip up handle so you can take it off the pot without using gloves. It also has 2 very nice quality bowls with lids, and a very nice ladle and spatula that come apart and store inside the pot. When they are assembled, they are about as nice as the plastic ones many of us use at home.
This kit only has one pot, but it's a large one with the measuring lines inside as well. I have found that if I remove the lids to the bowls which I don't need anyway, and store the collapsible spatula/ladle set in a small pouch I mollied to the side of my backpack, I can store an alcohol stove, (with stand), 6 key-chain waterproof pill containers filled with a variety of spices, including Carolina Reaper powder since I'm a chili head, a P-38 can opener, and still have room to spare. I also like the way the handle folds up to hold everything in place.
You might want to check out the Stanley mess kit as well, though I have also checked out the anodized aluminum kit you reviewed here, and it's also a pretty nice kit.
Thanks for your review.
Not sure if someone has mentioned it, but the bag in the 2nd Coleman is a dunk bag, so you do not have to burn your hands when you do your final rinse after washing.
Great video and very informative. I wish more young adults would be as well versed, and informative. Great to see a young man educating. Keep up the great work.
I use the first mess kit. More uses. Have been using one like it since i was in the boy scouts when I was 12. I am 43 now. You can do everything with it, and the "thinness" of it has a purpose. #1, less weight, #2, to conduct campfire heat better, although it is much more thin than it used to be...I will agree with that. You can't fry anything with the 2nd one. All in all, #1 is better.
I have had my Coleman mess kit from Walmart for like 5 years. It is the EXACTLY PERFECT size for the solo stove. It is better than the the actual set sold by solo themselves. I highly recommend it.
Have you checked out swiss military mess kits? You can buy them used at military surplus stores very cheap and I think you might be impressed with the quality of their construction.
I saw a vid on the BSA style cook kit. Scouting was started in Britain and it was really made to go through a military mess during WW1. It really wasn't made to do much cooking but to hold food as you walked through the chow line. The plate joins to the fry pan handle. The pot was for soup, coffee, tea, stew. I wish I could remember who did the vid to give them credit.
very nice critique. sound reasoning and great explanations and examples. i am looking to buy a new kit for a bug out prep and your video helped. thank you, keep it up.
I would recommend a steel military mess kit.
Before you use a field mess kit you can coat the bottom of your field kit with a very light coating of ivory dish soap and the char will easily wipe off! Give it a try and get back to me on it with YOUR opinion on that idea!
That 1st one is exactly what I used (and it was older siblings hand-me-down) for years, when I was in girl scouts. 😁
Personally I love the BSA style cook set. I first learned how to cook with this set on my first Scouting campout in winter, in Kansas, back in 1982 or 1983. I continued to use that very same set up until I joined the Navy in 1997. Are they cheap? Absolutely. Are they flimsy? Yep, sure are. Are they just about the bottom of the barrel? I actually can't think of a worse set at the moment. However, they get the job done. It's easier to cook up fried eggs, pan seared meat, or pancakes in the skillet, than it is in the pots. The shallow pot and lid are great for rice dishes, scalloped potatoes, and casseroles. You can boil water in the skillet, as long as you put the lid (plate) on, and boil for the 15-20 minutes, then remove the lid and boil for another minute or so to release the volatiles. It will take time, and the pots are better suited for the task, but it can be done. Of course a Sawyer Mini, or Sawyer Squeeze makes the task almost obsolete in most cases. There is an art to using the BSA style kit. You have to learn fire management, heat zones, and best campfire cooking methods for different types of foods. I just recently purchased two sets of the BSA style cook sets, one for my daughter, and one for myself, so she can learn to cook with this set. The reasoning is that if she learns how to properly cook on this set, every other set will become a breeze. The two styles of cook sets really do have separate, and distinct cooking purposes though. Plus at $5, you get the most bang for your buck with the BSA style kit.
The coleman cook kit is pretty good. The other one you showed is great for baking. Give it a try. Kenniet Click has some really good youtube video's on baking with that very kit. Enjoy & be safe !
I have the second kit and have been using it off and on for over five years. There is no nonstick coating; it's anodized aluminum. It's held up very well.
I have the coleman. I have had no problem with the stuff sack. I like the set quite a bit. I used it camping over the course of a week. I have a rather old single burner coleman stove that screws on a 1lb propane bottle. No problems. I use it (the pot set) to solar cook when I work in the garden. I did get a great deal as they were on mark down for $9.
You did a good job on your comparison. I had a cheap palco mess kit very much like the one you displayed when I was a kid in the seventies. that kit sucked but it worked and my family didn't have much money so I took good care of it and I used it till I was an adult. I boiled water in it and cooked all sorts of things but things always stuck to it. When I was in my twenties I bought a good sturdy peak one solo stainless kit which I still use today and I'm 48 now.
You should revisit these two products and do some cooking on them since a few years have passed .
Totally disagree with this review. The first mess kit has been around for ages and is very useful in the woods.
I can attest to being able to make Tikka Marsala with chicken and rice in it with no issues. The little pot is perfect size to boil a package of minute rice. While that is cooking, do the chicken and sauce together in the frying pan. Combine in plate to enjoy. I recommend actually trying to cook various items in these kits before giving a bad review.
These newer mess kits are a reflection of the freeze dried food trend. Hence, no pan. All hikers need do is boil water, pour, wait a few minutes and your good to go. Myself, I like "real" food as much as possible, so my mess kit is a plagerized hodgepodge of essentials. And no, they in no way fit nicely together, which makes things problematic. But it works for me. There's a lot more to it than what I've written here, but this is it in a nutshell.
I have five of the mess kits like the first one. Three are aluminum Boy Scout kits made by Regal cookware, they are thicker metal than those cheap Walmart ones. The other two are made of stainless steel, I picked them up at an army surplus store 20 years ago. If you can locate the stainless type grab them up they are tough as nails!
Great job young man. I have been cub scouts boy scout and now military :) I have used the old mess kid countless times. Keep up the good knowledge and willing to test things for the future youth.
I agree with your points on both kits. I have had the first one you reviewed a couple times and it works but I never really cared for them. The only part I do like about it is having a kettle AND frying pan option. Good review!
That bag that holds the canteen is not a bad thing at all.
Civilizations revolved around containers and how important they were to have.
That bag is another container that could carry dry tinder as well as a few other items.
The canteen itself should not be empty...it should have other items in it when its not being used.
Pack smart and utilize everything.
Any container (including that bag that holds the canteen) is GOLD!!!
So far the aluminum cook kit cheap Boy Scout kind is useful for me has been for baking actually - the pot lid and plastic cup almost works like a double boiler concept for baking! It actually works really well especially with wood fire fold up stove you can make yourself some biscuits in it brownies work great.
It is cheap and light and it will work if you need it and that is all you can afford.
sorry but me...I would definitely recommend the first one..
I have been using it since
35 years old (paid $ 2)
The Coleman kit is excellent, if you leave out the smaller pan and pot(use them as back up) you can put a 230g gas canister inside the larger pot, it's a perfect fit including your stove, just use a elastic band to secure pan and pot then put back in mesh bag.
Hey Brave...I thought I should share this tip with you, in regards to added protection for your cooking kits. I find that spraying a coat of "high heat resistant enamel" to the bottom of the pots can help reduce the fading of any factory coating. The heat enamel can withstand up to 2000 degrees F, so it should be very effective in protecting your cook ware.
Thank you for the video. OK the second set seem good. Get a lager rubber band to hold the lid and pot together. I would divide them int large 7 small sets get a plastic or S/S cup (cut the handle off if necessary) that nets inside the the pot. Also TicTac containers or 35mm film canisters make a great spice set for the field. Use a bandanna inside to stop rattlers. Two single person cook sets for the price of one. Use the net bag to organise small items in your back pack. Kind regards, Greg
+Greg Summers Eventually the rubber band will dry out and snap. My suggestion, you can get a 3 pack of shorter flat bungee cords from a dollar store. A bungee cord can always come in handy when hiking, camping or bugging out, one example off the top of my head is use it to hang dry your mess kit. I do like your TicTac container idea.
+Terry M Hi my friend. Just been doing research on herbs and spices with good health / healing properties as well as great taste. Look at Oregano / Mint / Ginger / Garlic / Fenugreek / Clove / Sage / Thyme / Turmeric / Basil / Black Pepper / Cayenne / Cinnamon / Dill / Rosemary. Eg Clove is good for tooth ache, etc. Remember, you get a better and larger meal by making a squirrel stew with water, wild vegetables, rice and herbs. It takes a little longer to prepare, tastes a lot better, the meat come off the bone easily and in your big pot will feed two people. A wooden spoon and a section of very thin (1mm) flexible cutting sheet (stows curled inside your pot / lid) to make a great cook system. I also have a SS thermal cup (about 360 ml) and screw-on lid. I covered mine with neoprene drink can coolers bottom and top (trimmed to size) to increase the hot drink time from 3 to 8 hours [the SAS use these]. This is my daily coffee cup for the last seven years and I have a tin can it nets into as a water collection / boiling vessel. A hot drink in the middle of a freezing night is so good. Kind regards, Greg
the first set is what i have but it's older then the boy scouts. It was issued to troops in ww2. it came with the pot with a loop on the lid and a steel handle on the pan.
I'm going to purchase the Coleman mess kit you recommended - saw it on another video and you confirmed my choice. Thanks!
Go light if you hike. One middle sized pot or skillet of light steel is good. Use Aluminum for the remaining at home and on the trail. I've used it for 70 years. If you camp fixed get a good cast iron pot and live with great stew and dumplings or wonderful pies and cakes. But hike and enjoy light walking with happy feet.
I see we both buy bandaid's at the same place!
Back in college, I used this mess kit for 4 years of heavy backcountry camping. Always intended to upgrade, but never ended up doing it until a girlfriend bought me a GSI for christmas. I guess upgrading never made it to the top of the priority list, this mess kit just got the job done. In fact, I now use it for my military training. It's beat to shit, but it still works just fine, 7 years later. I guess my point is, you can't knock it just because it's from walmart. Good video.
Very good presentation, however I disagree with you about Walmart outdoor equipment.
Just subscribed, looks like a good site!
a thru hiker in 2012, trail name Skittles completed the AT using only gear he bought at WalMart. A personal challenge to a recent college grad with limited resources. The main thing is to enjoy the journey, don't fret about expensive gear, carry the 10 (or 15 essentials) and try to avoid life threatening situations. When you meet others on the trail, they won't all want to talk about gear nonstop.
There is nothing wrong with the first mess kit. Its not designed for fancy cooking and would easily cook one meals worth of trail rations. If your looking to camp with friends and fix "camping meals" then you need much more than any mess kit will be able to do.
That early aluminum Cook Kit that I had in the Scouts in the 40's and still have is stil serviceable ( i still use it ) and makes you appreciate the new Stainless Steel models that are out there now...Start with the old and Stop with the New... They are .. Stronger, easier to manage, clean up easier, and Cost 3 times as much... Which part of the one you recomend do you cook Bacon, Eggs and fry Potatoes in ??
You have earned my sub :) Great job, bro!
It works and it's a good setup.....at $26. I'm old now in my 60's and don't see no difference in that compared to my TOAKS Ti Bowl, 900ml pot, 500ml inner pot and 400ml cup setup. And YOURS IS A FRACTION OF THE COST. My youngest is 21, working 40hrs a week + full time college. This kits perfect it's all about ease and the outdoors. This with a Triagia alcohol stove or a 250 Butane +a BSR Burner and your set. And that Scout set....I still have mine, nothing wrong with it. You do other than plain boiling and a fish/burger/steak. You'll be wanting a Scout setup. They work great for that.
I have tried both of these kits I liked the Coleman stove I felt it was pretty sturdy. Recently I have been told to try the Jet Boil stove and I love it. It's expensive but to me it pays for itself. At night when I go camping I love to boil hot cocoa before I goto bed it helps my inner core to stay warm. But I hate taking out the multiple stoves to do it, it takes to long. But since I got the Jet Boil its seconds.
I have one of the walmart sets and take the smaller 2 pieces backpacking. It works quite well and is fairly lightweight. Just to clarify...it does not have a non stick coating. It is made from hard anodized aluminum which provides it with that finish and makes it much stronger than the other regular aluminum set you have there.
I have the first cheap mess kit, I've used it and loved it. Should say I used it over two nights. The other one I'd cut up a bicycle inner tube and make a big rubber band to hold it together.
I am a newbie at 53 yo, Unplugging from the Hollyweird inspired Society. Love these videos.
Home made alcohol stoves?
Nested pots?
Eating in the woods? Heck YES. Turn off your TV. Get outside!
Bet he’s a faithful Walmart shopper now 😂
the first ozark trail kit you had there yes it is cheeseey as heck but its light and doesnt use a lot of fuel to cook , thin shalow cookware heats fast with little fuel the little pot in the kit makes a great 2 biscuit oven by putting the coals on the top and bottem.i have used both stile kits like them both . the sesond kit is nerrow and tall requires more fuel and cooking time . i chose witch kit by space in my pack . nice presentation.
Yo, Kenny! Great to see you doing these updates and product demo's for us. If I may, can I offer you my opinion? You were a bit harsh on your evaluation of the first item, the aluminium mess kit. Yes, I agree it was a bit thin. Yes, I agree it may not last the distance, if given a beating.
But, for someone like a young kid going camping, scouts, say, day trekking, whatever, it would be a marvellous first introductory item to take along. Remember back when you first got started? I remember your first videos. I've been tracking your progress these last years, and, I have to say you've come a long way, and become a very capable young man.
If these items are so cheap and nasty, meaning you would pass them by in a store, think of how many people, unemployed and dispossessed out there who could or may benefit from something such as them?
A man, (a generic term!), feels more like a man when he can fend for himself, and having a kit like that in his possession brings a measure of self-worth and self-esteem. I'm 51 years old, and I've been down that road. Being able to cook your own meals on something someone else would throw away, (figuratively), makes the world a damn sight less darker.
Buy some of them, pass them out to the less well off than you. Remember, Kenny, everyone has to start somewhere, and having some kind of kit is better than having no kit at all.
Thanks, Kenny. Allow me to be proud of how you've come along. You've earned this (old) man's respect for your accomplishments!
Cheers, little brother!
GS.
The one on the right is similar to one I've had for almost 20 years. I cook with it just for fun sometimes.
I kind of agree with you there, I was really angry and myself when I looked back at the footage and saw how jittery at was. I greatly apologize.
Military surplus canteen cup and bottle is the way to go! German army mess kit or Swiss Army Volcano stove are great too.
Im sorry. Ive used that type of messkit,before you were born. ANd it just did fine for the AT thru hike. Yes its light and very well used. Now i use a Jetboil stove set. But i still carry that messkit
I,ve been looking at this kit for a while. It has several strong points. 1. nesting 2. size and 3 the non stick coating as you call it is actually anodized, which is vey durable.
Very nice review, I wish we could have some of that rain here. : ) I have the coleman set and love it. A little post smut just adds character. Most of the time, I just use the two smaller pieces though and use the extra room in the bag for alcohol and a sponge. : )
Hahaha..... I have that cheap Walmart mess kit. It would work in a pinch but there is definitely better out there. I do have one recommendation for this kit, it makes the PERFECT charcloth maker. Take that little pot out, remove the knob on the lid so all you have a is little hole on top. Cut up some squares of an old 100% cotton T-shirt and place them in the pot and cover. Cook up the cloth and you're golden!
I use an old miner's lunch pail. I bought at k-mart in Wyoming as a Coleman picnic kit, or something like that. They don't make them anymore, though
Take the knob off the aluminum pot and use it to char cloth. My daughter used that kit when show went to C.A.P. camp and I discovered that it's great charring cloth. I stick a pencil in the top's hole to smother the cloth.
The mesh bag is to serve as a dish drainer that can hang down. If you rub soap on the outside of the pans, you can wipe off the black carbon. Plates don't have depth. When they have depth, they are called a dish.
Thinking about it, I am thinking to get the coleman's mess kit. It has a small and a medium container for you to cook even if you can't do a frying with it. It may be ideal for cooking a food for individuals and/or with a partner. Then it also can be a ideal piece of gear if you can have a 1 liter nalgene water bottle in the smaller container (if being minimalist about it). But then thinking about it again were all different when it comes to selecting price, quality, weight, and a durability. I can see that the cheap mess kit can do every task from boiling water to frying and cooking. Also it can primarly do the normal tasks given in the situation or event. The coleman can be a lot better if we are in an extended trip with a 2 person trip. Both along with the rationalized food consumption can be ideal but the durability and weight can be a consideration to an trip. Which ever the gear we take with us we must keep the material maintained, used, and puts a soul within the gear he/she gets.
The coating is called "hard anodized" and you need to protect it. Best thing is to carry a small bottle of dish soap. It will keep the fire from turning it black like that. Just rub a small coating of soap over the outside before you start cooking. This works for all pots and pots, especially for cast iron.
@donaldphinney Thanks! I'll look into it. I would defintely agree stainless is the way to go. Soon I will be purchasing a stainless pot that Dave Canterbury uses as his main mess kit. I'm sorry I don't know the name of it. If you're an avid fan of his channel you will have seen it. Thanks for the comment brother!
Bought an Ozark Trail mess kit that is like the Coleman one for £5. ($8) Not as elaborate as your Coleman one and the handles are a bit hinky but there's everything there that is needed, especially if you use a canteen cup too. This is a great piece of gear, I don't see what people get so sniffy about unless it's just gear snobbery.
I bought the Coleman Max kit earlier this year, based on this video.... No complaints so far. And I've already gotten my money out of it. Sits great on an MSR Pocket Rocket.
The black patina adds to the effiency of heating..
As far as I understood his problem with the bag was not the bag itself, but that it was needed to keep the mess kit together, unlike with the self contained one. If for some reason you were to lose the bag or damage it, you would need to rig another way to keep the kit from falling apart (especially if you have it affixed to the outside of large frame backpack or something similar).
It's simply another point of failure that wouldn't be unnecessary if the kit would snap shut for example.
haha the "what the heck are you going to cook in it pot works perfectly for oatmeal in the morning. and We have eaten pasta out of it too...My husband and I each have one of these that we take backpacking. We boil water in something else but pour it into the $5 one. :)
I like using the Wal-Mart Coleman cook set. Cleans up nicely, I use the 2 larger, of the 4 pots for most camping outings along with the MinibullDesigns alcohol stoves. The FUEL that works best is HEET, in the YELLOW plastic bottle that you can also buy at Wal-Mart in the automotive dept, in either singles or 4-paks. HEET, is Mythl Alcohol, burns Better, doesn't *pulse* , like Denatured alcohol will. My M2 SB minibull stove nests inside the pot along with a four ounce fuel bottle. A nice set up
Agreed, sounds like quite an adventure as well!
Yes , that is true since a person can do it , sometimes , but not all the time.
When there is a burning ban then you can only use stoves to cook over when camping and one of the wood burning stoves qualifies as a stove and not an open fire. It contains the fire. Plus I can get the fuel for it while I hike along.
I bought this mess kit at Walmart. I just couldn't pass it up. It works great. Great review.
Bob G. Very well said...there is nothing wrong at all with that first mess kit. It is made to heat/cook food in the field. Not for a 5 star restaurant
On the cheap cook set you can use the plate as a lid, but getting it off when hot might be hard. On the more expensive Colman one the pot lids can be used as frying pans, but you wont get much in one.
Thanks for the tip , i really like the 2nd kit .
Hey 7theflyingdutchman, what works good for me and is easy to get for fuel is the additive for gas called Heat. Make sure you get the kind in the yellow bottle. Burns well and is consistent in the way its made.
i use the second kit with a brasslite stove, just usin the larger pot with its "lid" .. no problems .. evrything i need goes inside in ziploc bags to prevent scratchin the nonstick coating, and all contained in a homemade stuff sack
Nicely done!
The first kit, the aluminum one, the pot with the wire handle will tip on you if you try to hang it, spilling whatever all onto the fire.
They make a SS BSA kit. I got two from Walmart. I put water bottles in the Coleman pots kinda like a German canteen set. Trying to find right size pouch to fit them. Fox and Max make water bottle carriers. And the Coleman handles will get hot enough to burn you.
I have been using this Colman kit for several years now as my solo/summer kit. The bag is no big deal (you make too big of an issue of it). I use this kit in my classes as well. The inner small pot and lid are useless. I only us the larger (outer pot and lid) and pack my fuel canister and stove in it along with a small sponge. No rattles and fits perfect. The anodizing coating is good at not sticking foods. As with all Teflon/anodized coated pots do not put them in the dishwasher.
I just modified my Coleman cook pot. I put a different handle on it so I can hold it like a mug and a bucket type handle so I can use it like a billy can. Pretty simple stuff but if I didn't explain it well and you want to see it let me know and I'll make a quick vid and I'll tell you when I get it on my channel.
I wish they made the boyscout style kit out of the stronger metal of the Colman as I prefer a flat style in my pack as to tall and round. I think that would be a winner in my book. One reason being, keeping the flatter style level on a fire is much easier. Another is in the pan style you can fry things side by side, not so much in the tall style. Nice video, ty.
that 1st mess kit you didn't care for.......that was the type we used in the cub & boy scouts in the late 50's & early 60's...A store named Triangle in Bay Ridge Bklyn. had everything you needed for the scouts, or non scouts who wanted to do some camping,
The Minibulldesigns M2 stove fits snugly into the Coleman LARGER pot / top along with the 5x23 pot stand though the 5x18 might allow me to also include the 2 smaller pots as well along with the 2 fuel bottles. I've cooked and Baked in the Coleman 4 piece Pots that you reviewed and find nothing wrong with my purchase from Wal Mart. It's small, light, easy to clean and carry in the sack that you, don't approve of. That's cool too. Just a different response from another hiker. Thanks for your video
First one featured is not to my personal liking. The second one: two pots, two lids, Hard Anodized, solid construction, good size for day pack - now that works for me. Couple that with a Trangia burner and I'm good with it.
@dustmudder I had concerns about whether or not steel wool would be too abrasive. Turns out I still can't get some crap off even with steel wool and there is no sign of the coating being anywhere close to coming off.
When I was 15 yrs old, I was in the boy scouts, we all had the mess kits, like the one you showed first, but I think it was about three times as thick as that Wal-Mart one, and I am 64 yrs old now, so it was back when Americans made things, unlike now, we don't make anything here any more, or very little.
willibill c Right
I just picked up a boys out mess kit for 2 bucks at the flea market, I was able to date it somewhere around 1954 ish, 10 times better then what they make now everything is garbage nowadays
The best mess kit there is, is the one you actually use. I have a 1960s boy scout mess kit like the first one, but it’s much thicker metal, and it works just fine.
I LOVE my $26 cheap-o Coleman mess kit. I lost the small stuff and keep a soup can stove, two sterno, salt pepper sugar coffee and a "Hobo tool" all inside
Walmart has sold me knives for 10 dollars that have lasted for 11 years
If you look around you can find different version's of the first. Heaver and with a different pot.
The first kit I used in scouts it works. The plastic cup was little good for me. I like a steel cup. For the size and options the first kit is hard to beat and yes you can boil water in that little pot and make a hot drink. The lid on may kits is more than this whole kit. Many prefer SS yet all the old GI stuff is AL
i have both of them kits i use the first one as a frying pan thre the little pot away cause hed the bbig pot set and they work well together
the first mess kit is cheap but the original boy scouts mess kit is the same the except super durable and reliable
Good video, Good review. As an old-timer, I have to say that the ultiimate source for a high quality mess kit (or most other wilderness/survival items) is a military surplus store. You can get equipped quite well on the cheap! One of my favorites is in my area, but is also on-line is IMS-Plus.
Yes sir, I spent $40 for a "molly" vest at a military surplus store, I'm lucky cause I had an older mess kit that is stainless/cooper clad, it even survived a house fire, where I lost everything else
@ChannelTheron Thanks for the comment! I actually also don't use these mess kits in my main pack as well. I tend to stick with a canteen cup and a tin cup. When I have friends in the woods with me or if I'm doing serious cooking I will definetely bring these with me.