The Best Mess Kits
A mess kit is a nested cooking system that does the job of a kitchen in a package that weighs less than a pound. The best ones are stainless steel or hard-anodized aluminum: light enough to carry, durable enough to cook in, and capable of being cleaned with nothing but sand and creek water when soap is not available. These are the mess kits for people who actually cook in the field.
This page contains Amazon affiliate links. Every purchase supports the store.
How to Choose
Stainless steel is heavier than aluminum but does not leach anything and will not pit or corrode. Hard-anodized aluminum is nearly as durable, lighter, and has a non-reactive surface that is safe for acidic foods. Avoid standard aluminum: it reacts with tomatoes, citrus, and salt over time. The number of pieces matters: a two-piece set (pot and lid-pan) is the minimum; four-piece sets with a fry pan and a cup are more useful for cooking actual meals. Look for folding handles that lock in position -- a handle that swings freely while you're pouring boiling water is a burn waiting to happen.
GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Steel Mess Kit
A four-piece nested stainless steel mess kit: 1.8-liter pot, fry pan lid, two bowls, and a folding handle that locks. The pot has a pour spout. Everything nests inside the pot and is secured with a locking handle. The stainless construction means it can be left on a wood stove overnight without warping. GSI has been making camp cook systems since 1985.
The locking handle is not a luxury -- it is a safety feature. Any kit where the handle can swing while you are pouring should be returned.
Find on Amazon arrow_forward
U.S. Army Mess Kit M-1942 Replica
The mess kit design that fed American soldiers from Korea through Vietnam: a stamped stainless steel fry pan and a pot with a folding handle, both nesting flat. The design is a genuine classic -- functional, repairable, and sized for one person. Original military surplus pieces are still available and preferred by collectors; high-quality replicas are functionally identical.
The M-1942 mess kit has been in continuous production in essentially unchanged form for eighty years. That is the strongest proof of concept available.
Find on Amazon arrow_forward
Esbit Lightweight Aluminum Mess Kit
A three-piece hard-anodized aluminum kit: 1-liter pot, a lid that doubles as a fry pan, and a clip-on handle. Total weight: 10.5 ounces. The hard-anodized surface is non-reactive, scratch-resistant, and will outlast standard aluminum by decades. Sized for one person with enough room to cook rice and a side dish simultaneously by nesting the lid-pan above the pot.
Ten ounces for a complete cook system. When every ounce counts, hard-anodized aluminum is the right trade-off.
Find on Amazon arrow_forwardRelated Guides
Hardware wisdom, delivered Saturday.
New arrivals, care guides, and the history behind the goods.