Dutch mess tin, stainless steel, surplus

The Dutch copy of the British mess kit may look a bit odd, it's not a standard paint tin like most of its kind, but definitively a tad more practical in some aspects.

These are made of stainless steel, which is a bit pricey on outdoor ware, but not so much when it's army surplus!

The British got tired of their D-shaped pot and pan combination mess kit sometime after the Great War and designed a totally new one. The new mess kit type has since then been copied by numerous countries worldwide and is still in active service today. These are likely Dutch and as said before, made of stainless steel. What luxury!

The large, flat-bottom absorbs heat more effectively than other, usually considerably smaller, mess tins. When the other half is used to cover the one on the flames you'll have your water or gruel boiling in no time (the tin in the extra picture is South African, but you get the idea). Eating out of one of these is also a lot easier than from the deeper ones: you don't need to dig around with your spoon too much to get to the good stuff.

Made from steel, but we recommend sticking to washing these by hand. Dimensions 19 x 13 x 5,5 cm, weight 460 grams.

Used army surplus

Used but perfectly serviceable, may need a wash before use.

Some comments from our employee

A very nice tin especially for the price. The square shape mess kit has some pretty nice advantages over the kidney type pot, like the large surface area to get your stuff hot faster and the ever-so-handy handles, along with the fact that this works way better as a frying pan. You can't hang this over a fire, though. If you usually use a separate small stove (which usually fits inside), this pot is a keeper. In Finland, they often provide metal grates in campfire sites so this will work there too. Another small con is the lack of anything holding the pieces firmly together when packed, so you might need a strap, bag or pouch. A bag also keeps the tin from staining other items.

As for cleaning, you'll do pretty well with one of those reversible smooth/rough sponges, hot water, and some detergent.

Oh and speaking of cleaning, many MRE type outdoor meal bags fit inside so you can heat the bag by boiling it a while and then just eating straight out of the bag, saving the tin from the cleaning job.

Henri L.