Just bought 4 USGI canteen cups

[Johnny]

A USGI canteen cup has always been the one thing that's been missing from my backpacking kit. I've been improvising for the past couple years with various half-measures. They're the perfect utensil for camping. I can't believe I've been without one for so long.

I think I paid $45 out the door for 4 gently used canteen cups. They're not cheap but nothing else I've found comes close for what I use them for: hot chocolate, tea, soup mix, spooning creek water into a bigger pot, etc... One will likely go to the cabin. Two in my kit and maybe one to give away to a friend.

[Solid Snake]

You need to get a canteen cup stove. When not in use, it slips onto the bottom of the canteen cup and nestles nicely with the canteen into the cover.

stove.jpg

[Johnny]

You need to get a canteen cup stove. When not in use, it slips onto the bottom of the canteen cup and nestles nicely with the canteen into the cover.

stove.jpg

Cool idea. During my Army days I'd use mine for mostly instant soups and hot chocolate by adding water that was already boiling. When using similar small pots during civilian camping excursions, I just scoot them into the coals or on a grate. Having a little stove (like the one you posted) would be great for camps in which you had limited fuel or time. It looks like a more efficient way to heat.

[Solid Snake]

Cool idea. During my Army days I'd use mine for mostly instant soups and hot chocolate by adding water that was already boiling. When using similar small pots during civilian camping excursions, I just scoot them into the coals or on a grate. Having a little stove (like the one you posted) would be great for camps in which you had limited fuel or time. It looks like a more efficient way to heat.

Those canteen cup stoves are great for hiking or backpacking. Sure, you could build a small campfire to heat up your canteen cup. But that "stove" weighs next to nothing, and take up zero space if using a USGI canteen, cup, and canteen cover. So, even though its redundant if you can just build a fire, its a good idea to be redundant when it costs you nothing in space or weight. They even sell these small combustable tablet things that are designed to go under the stove with a little bit of natural kindling that also weigh next to nothing.

[Sanders]

I still have the one I used so much in the Army. It was so blackened, I could never scrub it completely clean, so just turned a brand new one in to CiF when I got out.

[Johnny]

I still have the one I used so much in the Army. It was so blackened, I could never scrub it completely clean, so just turned a brand new one in to CiF when I got out.

I'm not sure where my original one went, so I just bought enough that if I lose one, I'll have a replacement. I have been doing a lot of solo camping and canoeing. The canteen cup has been the one thing I've missed. I'm looking forward to trying it out.

[Sanders]

[4thIDvet]

Damn that is pretty cool how they designed that. In service we used to carve out a small hole about 4 inches deep put a golf ball chunk of C-4 in it light it and put the C-Rats over it to heat them up.
Frigging gook left a round where I dug the hole that I didn't see round went off the frigging C-4 blew and I flew about 20 feet. Couldn't hear for about a damn week. WHAT? 😀

[Johnny]

Damn that is pretty cool how they designed that. In service we used to carve out a small hole about 4 inches deep put a golf ball chunk of C-4 in it light it and put the C-Rats over it to heat them up.
Frigging gook left a round where I dug the hole that I didn't see round went off the frigging C-4 blew and I flew about 20 feet. Couldn't hear for about a damn week. WHAT? 😀

I enlisted in the US Army Reserves in the early 80's. I was fortunate enough to encounter some Vietnam vets in my unit. The most impressive was a master sergeant. Great guy. He seemed to know everything. Very smart and always knew what to do and how to do it. The thing that stuck with me the most is how he insisted on "taking care of soldiers". If you were under his wing, you knew you'd be fine. Much of what I learned from him, I incorporated into my own leadership style even decades later.

As for your canteen cup story... That sort of thing seemed typical of the sort of stories I'd hear from the Vietnam vets. It was a different world back then. None of that would have flown during the time I served. We still did a lot of crazy stuff that makes for great war stories around the campfire with friends and booze. The Vietnam stories were really the next level up.

[4thIDvet]

Yes Johnny it was really like being in the old wild west. The need for men after the 68' Tet was beyond imaginations. Basic training then advanced for ones particular M.O.S. then a plane ride here is your M-16 now hit the jungle with your new friends and enjoy. Gumper said it best "Were lookin for some guy named Charlie and I don't even know what he looks like." 😀

L to R.
Tony retired Daytona P.D., Laddie best friends with M.O.H.? Sammy Davis they used him for the scene from Pres. Johnson 'Forest Gump. receiving the M.O.H. from Pres. Johnson photo shopped, 4th and on the right ''Rat' two tour tunnel rat.
I'll print some more tomorrow I have to get some sleep.. M-16? How the hell does this thing work? David Gray 2.jpg

[Johnny]

That certainly looks like a motley crew of ruffians, scofflaws and scoundrels! You guys represent an era gone by. Iraq war vets don't normally meet up like you guys do. After our service, our contact is relatively distant; normally through facebook or email. And even then, we don't communicate much. Different times. Different cultures.

[4thIDvet]

Yall are going to have to take over one of the largest reunions of vets in the country. Were getting old tired and worse going to see Jesus. Melbourne Fla. each year over 100,000 were in attendance just a few years back. This included families and friends and just good people stopping in to pay respects and have fun.. NO war stores their unless their funny ones which their are plenty of.
We have more fun teasing our Marine brothers. Beer food music Miss America a few years ago her dad is a Nam vet. Ross Perot speaking one year helicopters flying in old military jeeps big guns restored river boat A.F. from Patrick AFB puts on a military dog demonstration. Viet Vets of Brevard 'running the event' went to Patrick AFB a few miles from us and asked for help putting up The Wall.
Holy sheeet the whole damn base came to help. 😁 AF commander had to do a cut off the damn base was almost empty. God bless them fly boys.

David Grey on the left first picture. Almost 8yrs. P.O.W. Hanoi Hilton N. Vietnam..
Veteran Tributes
The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall - Florida's 37th All Veterans Reunion David Gray..jpg DSCN0024.jpg

[GARANDNUT]

When I was a 16 year old kid (1986) I could not afford the GUCCI hunting and camping gear so I went to the local army navy store and bought two plastic canteens with the aluminum cups and fake fur lined canteen pouches. Along, with it I bought a set of woodland camos, boonie hat, fanny pack, y-straps and ALICE Pack--all new surplus so no patches. I wore all that shit when I would hunt or camp with my friends. My heroes as a kid were all WWII fighter pilots. For me it was both a need for cheap camo and my love of all things military. The liner of the fanny pack disintegrated and the boonie hat is badly faded. The ALICE pack sucks so bad I no longer use it unless I use it to pack gear for the back of my truck where it stays. But I pulled it out so my son could use my ALICE pack to prep for Marine boot camp. I told him that if he can carry that shitty pack full of gear on rucks he will be ready for basic. He climbed Mt LeConte twice with it filled with weights and on his poolee hikes. He agreed the pack was shit but his issue pack is not much better. I saw his load out for field week and the amount of crap he has to carry is unreal with helmet , rifle, mags and body armor all amounts to 90lbs of crap so apparently the current pack is not much better.

My fried used to wear his dad's jungle boots from Nam when we would camp. My high school hunting buddy also used surplus gear and even carried an Enfield as his deer rifle. We all did it, no one cared its what a bunch of poor pimple faced kids could afford. We had no idea that there was something wrong with it and there really wasn't back then. I can still wear the woodlands but I do not want to be accused of stolen valor; something no one accused you of back in the day but I am old and no longer play dress up. I still use the canteens as there is nothing better. I retired the boonie when an asshole asked me while I was fishing when I served. I told him I bought it at an Army Navy store when I was 16 he rolled his eyes--fuck him I guess but I do not want to make scandal. I replaced it with a Rhodesian boonie just to piss people off and most have no idea what it is. It is not as well made as the US one but I love that boonie and nothing made for civilians is as good.

[Sanders]

When I was a 16 year old kid (1986) I could not afford the GUCCI hunting and camping gear so I went to the local army navy store and bought two plastic canteens with the aluminum cups and fake fur lined canteen pouches. Along, with it I bought a set of woodland camos, boonie hat, fanny pack, y-straps and ALICE Pack--all new surplus so no patches. I wore all that shit when I would hunt or camp with my friends. My heroes as a kid were all WWII fighter pilots. For me it was both a need for cheap camo and my love of all things military. The liner of the fanny pack disintegrated and the boonie hat is badly faded. The ALICE pack sucks so bad I no longer use it unless I use it to pack gear for the back of my truck where it stays. But I pulled it out so my son could use my ALICE pack to prep for Marine boot camp. I told him that if he can carry that shitty pack full of gear on rucks he will be ready for basic. He climbed Mt LeConte twice with it filled with weights and on his poolee hikes. He agreed the pack was shit but his issue pack is not much better. I saw his load out for field week and the amount of crap he has to carry is unreal with helmet , rifle, mags and body armor all amounts to 90lbs of crap so apparently the current pack is not much better.

My fried used to wear his dad's jungle boots from Nam when we would camp. My high school hunting buddy also used surplus gear and even carried an Enfield as his deer rifle. We all did it, no one cared its what a bunch of poor pimple faced kids could afford. We had no idea that there was something wrong with it and there really wasn't back then. I can still wear the woodlands but I do not want to be accused of stolen valor; something no one accused you of back in the day but I am old and no longer play dress up. I still use the canteens as there is nothing better. I retired the boonie when an asshole asked me while I was fishing when I served. I told him I bought it at an Army Navy store when I was 16 he rolled his eyes--fuck him I guess but I do not want to make scandal. I replaced it with a Rhodesian boonie just to piss people off and most have no idea what it is. It is not as well made as the US one but I love that boonie and nothing made for civilians is as good.

I still use a large Alice pack with frame. Guess I'm too dumb to notice it sucks. At the Pathfinder Basic survival course, I was the only one with a surplus pack. I plan to start my Continental Divide Trail hike with it, too. With the border locked down, it's never been safer to start the bottom portion of the trail. I usually wear a Desert Tiger Stripe boonie hat when hunting or working out in the yard. I'd love to find a Rhodie one. There are some sites selling Rhodie repro stuff, but dang they are expensive.

[4thIDvet]

GARANDNUT little did you know at 16 you had the best equipment of them all. I grew up with about 1500 WWII vets as neighbors you had to be a vet to buy in our neighborhood in the 1950s. We had real 'demilled' guns playing Army in the school yard none of that fake stuff. We were bad to the bone. 😁
'Where did you serve?' just cause your wearing a booney hat? Tell em Canada they usually leave yah alone. Congrats to your son joining the Marines. Trying to find a pict. with my Alice pack when I was a FNG with a whole case of C-Rats tied on. Man was I new a dumb. Could not understand why us new guys were the only ones with a full unopened case?
Then us idiots learned. You lightened the load tossing the crap you were not going to eat. I brought by Nam boots home and I just found a pair on E-Bay. '$250' authentic Nam boots' . Holy sheet I should have brought a duffel bag of them home. I had NVA uniforms sandals back packs maps canteens and more. Gave it away years ago. Now on E-Bay? $$$$$
Pile of AKs anyone want one? Nah I don't want that wooden junk thanks anyway Sarge. Yup smart Tim mom was right when she called me dummy. 😀