A (Really) Highly Evolved Mess Kit

I first wrote about mess kits five years ago. Most of the advice remains the same but enough has changed to justify an updated version; For a number of years I was thought that real campers only used specially manufactured camping gear. The standard issue military type clamshell mess kit has a long tradition in Scouting but true campers know it is woefully inadequate.

There are lots of gadgety, expensive, highly touted modern specialty cooking and serving ware being manufactured but none are as cheap, light and practical as a kit you can assemble from commonly available alternatives. What follows is part rant, part practical advice that will (hopefully) consign your mess kit to the recycling bin where it belongs.

Utensils The traditional interlocking knife, fork, spoon is just plain silly. Lugs on the spoon collect crud and the bowl is shallow and small. The fork is a utilitarian masterpiece compared to the dull, flimsy, useless knife that shames knives everywhere. Why carry a fork AND a spoon when a spoon will do? Any common plastic spoon (I do like Lexan spoons – they are cheap, light and indestructible) will do. You don’t need a special eating knife if your’e carrying a pocket knife.Lexan spoon at Campmor Piranha Foon at Campmor A specially made long spoon is useful if you are digging into a freeze-dried food pouch or freezer bag .

Plate or Bowl The thermodynamic design of the plate half of a mess kit seems to have been developed by the same engineers who design heat dissipating equipment. An aluminum plate sucks the heat out of food and transfers it directly to your hands.

Anything else is better than an aluminum plate: a discount store plastic bowl, a recycled carry-out or Tupperware container. A lid for the carry-out or Tupperware container provides you with a plate and contains your other gear approximating the old style mess kit.

Frisbee-type throwing discs are also a dandy deep plate , double as a toy and triple as a fan to inspire an otherwise lackluster campfire. It’s been bought to my attention that toys aren’t made of food grade plastics and I don’t recommend using them as plates. The ‘Frying’ Pan Try frying something in a mess kit ‘frying pan’ without it sticking and burning; go ahead, try.

Never mind the puzzle of a handle with nuts and bolts that inevitably disappear into a pile of leaves. Who really needs to fry something in the woods anyway? If you have to fry carry a real frying pan. The Pot The tiny mess kit pot is fine if, for some reason, you need to fill an eye cup with boiling water.

There are some much better alternatives: Some backpackers think very highly of the Walmart grease pot.

Weight conscious, wealthy backpackers seem to be fascinated with titanium cook wear.

Trimming an ounce or two may be worth $40.00 to some folks but not me. AntiGravity gear offers this 24oz capacity aluminum pot for $8.00 The Cup Thermodynamics strikes again. Thin-walled mess kit cups don’t keep things hot not to mention that they are flimsy and unstable (try to drink hot coffee using the twiddly little appendage they call a handle).

Insulated plastic mugs are so ubiquitous these days there are probably several kicking around your kitchen fraternizing with old one quart saucepans, carry-out containers and Tupperware. Give them a second chance; take one camping.

Another candidate for the recycling bin the sierra cup is poorly balanced, saps the heat out of a hot drink and (for Pete’s sake) can be worn on your belt.

Stanley 12 oz insulated mug -stable, keeps things hot or cold – BEST MUG EVER!

Sadly discontinued by Stanley but can be spotted on eBay.

Canteens Canteens are small mouthed, leaky, difficult to fill, ungainly and hard to clean.

Anyone who ever used an aluminum canteen recalls the distasteful metallic tang imparted to the contents along with the ghost of last year’s Kool-aid. Is there anythingmore uncomfortable on a hike than a canteen s lapping against your hips at every step? The capacious (BPA free) Nalgene Bottle now rules the day. A generous, easy-to clean mouth, inert materials and a secure cap make for a perfect camping container – mine glows in the dark.

Disposable bottles can be reused many times over. They are light, cheap and, if the cap leaks, can be fixed with some plumber’s Teflon tape .