Rosyrain
Veteran
I am looking to purchase a mess kit for cooking while we are camping and was wondering if any of you have any recommendations? I want one that is going to last a while, so it can't be cheapy made. Thanks!
Good "Mess" kit
- Thread starter Rosyrain
- Start date
Berties
Guru
I think mess kit has been lost in US to England translation,to me mess kit is the formal dress you would have to wear to a dinner in the army
sidevalve
Guru
Not sure about that. After all 'mess tins' have meant the square combination pan/plate/mug used by the army since before the first world war. As for the OP however once again it depends on how you are travelling. On foot, by car, or in an enormous RV [hope that's the right abbreviation over there]. Further it depends on if you want non stick or just plain aluminium.
Rosyrain
Veteran
We would be traveling by vehicle, and not one as large as an RV, so a small kit is what I am looking for. I would love for it to be non-stick, but I am not that picky and would take a regular metal one if I could. I would also like to avoid aluminium if I can avoid it because it is such a soft metal and I do not want to deal with my pots and pans getting bent out of shape.
sidevalve
Guru
Take a trip to your local camping / outdoor store and have a good look at what's on offer. When my wife and I used to tour by m/cycle we carried a folding non stick frying pan [they always seem the worst to clean] of quite heavy duty metal [not sure what it was but it was tough] a small alloy pan and [being English] a kettle for the tea. I would suggest if you are travelling by car a small pressure cooker [amazingly useful] and a set of nesting pans with a detachable handle [you only need one handle as you only pick one pan up at a time]. The very thin alloy sets are a bit feeble and only really useful if you are backpacking. Take a kettle / coffee pot too [store the coffee inside it]. Being closed in they boil faster than an open pan and save fuel and watching it on the stove at night is just magic. Look out also for handles that are heat proof - alloy or metal handles will burn you even when the food is quite cool. But take a good look at the shop - anyhow it's all part of the fun !
Excellent advice! I've had campfire mishaps myself with hot handles so it really pays to look out for heat-proof kit. I've currently got a nesting set from Coleman which I bought around 3 years ago. There's just one handle which fits onto all three saucepans and the frying pan. It washes really well and has not yet become mis-shapen.
Rosyrain
Veteran
I think I found the kit that I want and it is $30 on Amazon for 3 pots. This does not take care of the eating ware component, but half of my problem is solved. This set has the heat proof handles, so I am good to go there. My fiance also wants me to get a couple of cast iron skillets so we can use those over the campfire.
sidevalve
Guru
ARGHHH !!! You Americans and your campfires - I SO envy you. However one more point similar to the above avoid any alloy cups - the metal is searingly hot to the lips even when the coffee / tea is quite cool [ I've known quite a few people miss this one]. Also don't forget that many things can be cooked in the embers of a fire [check out the internet, you'll be surprised] with no utensils at all - and that's good fun too [and it saves all the washing up].