View Full Version : Metal messkits
Monsoon65
09-15-2005, 20:18
Now here's a blast from the past.
Who still has one of the two piece metal messkits? Everyone knows the type. One side has the long folding handle to make a pan and the other is divided into two sections. Metal knife, fork and spoon guarenteed to make a nice clanking noise in the night.
My guard unit still hasn't caught on that these are not used, but we still have one issued to every member.
Got one laying around here somewhere....not too concerned if I can't find it either!!!
The only time I ever handled one was when it needed to be cleaned
up for an IG inspection when I was a youngster in the 82D.
The canteen cup OTOH, is a fine piece of mess equipment...
Trip_Wire (RIP)
09-16-2005, 00:49
Now here's a blast from the past.
Who still has one of the two piece metal messkits? Everyone knows the type. One side has the long folding handle to make a pan and the other is divided into two sections. Metal knife, fork and spoon guarenteed to make a nice clanking noise in the night.
My guard unit still hasn't caught on that these are not used, but we still have one issued to every member.
We used them in Korea, during the war, when we where in a rear area, They were pretty handy when they came up with hot chow. They work fine as long as you have the heated garbage cans with emersion heaters, with one with soap and two with clear hot water to keep the mess kit clean. If you didn't keep it clean, you usually had to spend time at the slit trench.
When on the line, we mostly used the plastic spoon from the C-Rats and ate out of C ration cans. Hot if able to, otherwise cold.
I know doubt, have one somewhere in the house that I never turned in.
:munchin
Trip_Wire (RIP)
09-16-2005, 00:57
Now here's a blast from the past.
Who still has one of the two piece metal messkits? Everyone knows the type. One side has the long folding handle to make a pan and the other is divided into two sections. Metal knife, fork and spoon guarenteed to make a nice clanking noise in the night.
My guard unit still hasn't caught on that these are not used, but we still have one issued to every member.
We used them in Korea, during the war, when we where in a rear area, They were pretty handy when they came up with hot chow. They work fine as long as you have the heated garbage cans with emersion heaters, with one with soap and two with clear hot water to keep the mess kit clean. If you didn't keep it clean, you usually had to spend time at the slit trench.
When on the line, we mostly used the plastic spoon from the C-Rats and ate out of C ration cans. Hot if able to, otherwise cold. Sometimes we heated the can...I prefered to boil them in a steel helmet or real pot if you could find one. A hot meal was great in the wintertime in Korea. Brrrr!
I know doubt, have one somewhere in the house that I never turned in.
Oh! and the Canteen Cup...Wow! I have fond memories of drinking some liberated medical alcohol and GI Grapefruit juice mixed in a big cook pot, one Christmas, so that we could just dip and sip! Sweet!
:munchin
I know doubt, have one somewhere in the house that I never turned in.
The first few years I was in I purchased a "second" of just about everything I had to keep packed in my rucksack or used in the field. Yes, in the 70s we kept our rucksacks packed acording to the packing list in our team rooms.
The mess kits were used now and again during survival training and were much too hard to clean up for an IG inspection. Somewhere out in a kit bag in the garage is just about a complete CIF issue.
In the field most carried a C-ration plastic spoon. "Captain Lend-Me-Light" always carried an issue metal spoon. He would check up on the team as we were eating and to be social would take "just a bite". By the time he made it around the team he had eaten a full meal.
We extracted our revenge the next FTX on the B-ville salt flats. When the team stopped we each picked the biggest bush we could find and waited to eat and drink until after it was too light to move around. As first light was coming on the Captain came around to "check on the troops". None of us had food, smokes or drink out. He returned to his bush hungry. Since he didn't pack much food in his ruck after a few days of this he was not a happy camper. The next FTX he had plenty of food packed.
. If you didn't keep it clean, you usually had to spend time at the slit trench.
When on the line, we mostly used the plastic spoon from the C-Rats and ate out of C ration cans. Hot if able to, otherwise cold. Sometimes we heated the can...
:munchin
From those I had serve with who were in Korea. Using those kits was a good source for getting the "Two Step".
From my time the spoon was the best kept utensil, easy to use and easy to clean. We made a stove from a c rat can, and used a little c 4 for heat when it was possible to do so, most Cs were eaten cold.
We also had claymore inspections. Due to the heat in RVN would evaporate the C 4 in them. :eek:
Have any of you had to chrome your mess gear? I never did but heard stories by men from the 82, 101 and other units.
I did maintain two sets of field gear -- one for show and one for go!. :D