Military Mess Kit

[Johnny]

I enlisted in the US Army Reserves in 1981. They immediately issued me many things to include a metal mess kit. I don't ever remember using it.

Just today I picked up a used Vietnam-era military mess kit off of Ebay. I figured I'd use it for nights at the cabin. I'm definitely looking forward to it. Kind of a weird nostalgia vibe.

[4thIDvet]

No Johnny no. Real grunts eat right out of the C-rat cans. For real fun you race 'eliminations' opening the Rats with your P-38. Now that's what yah call bored fun. 😁Don't remember ever seeing a mess kit? Oh and I never won the C-rat races.. Damn..
So I take out some C-rat scrape out about a 3 in. deep hole grab a chunk of my C-4 we all carried for cooking place about a golf ball size chunk in the hole and light it up. BOOM next thing I am about 10 feet away and can not frigging hear. WTF over? Hot C-rat in my face on my shirt guys come running over. Not to see if I am o.k. but to grab my damn wallet. 😠
Some damn gook dropped an AK round right under where I was cooking. That C-4 is some powerful sheeeet.

[GBob01]

Had ine of those mess kits issued to me 85-93. Never once used it, and the only time it came out was for some worthless inspection.

[Sanders]

I never used the issued ones. Then I bought one for something like $7 several years ago - stainless steel. Has a fork and spoon, and maybe a knife in it. Still haven't ever used it. I got it to go with my large ALICE pack, but wound up using other, more useful cooking gear instead.

[Pogo]

I used the mess kit many times. I brought my own fork and spoon. The spoon was big enough to use as a shovel.

[Johnny]

No Johnny no. Real grunts eat right out of the C-rat cans. For real fun you race 'eliminations' opening the Rats with your P-38. Now that's what yah call bored fun. 😁Don't remember ever seeing a mess kit? Oh and I never won the C-rat races.. Damn..
So I take out some C-rat scrape out about a 3 in. deep hole grab a chunk of my C-4 we all carried for cooking place about a golf ball size chunk in the hole and light it up. BOOM next thing I am about 10 feet away and can not frigging hear. WTF over? Hot C-rat in my face on my shirt guys come running over. Not to see if I am o.k. but to grab my damn wallet. 😠
Some damn gook dropped an AK round right under where I was cooking. That C-4 is some powerful sheeeet.

I still have the P38 I was issued by my section sergeant in 1981. I keep it on a display wall in my band barn. I remember eating c rats in the early 80's just before MREs arrived. As for C4.... I never had access to it and had no desire to. My unit armorer blew off his hand messing around with home made explosives. No thanks. Not for me.

[Johnny]

I never used the issued ones. Then I bought one for something like $7 several years ago - stainless steel. Has a fork and spoon, and maybe a knife in it. Still haven't ever used it. I got it to go with my large ALICE pack, but wound up using other, more useful cooking gear instead.

The US Army mess kit is obsolete, impractical, and inefficient. Like you, I never used an issued mess kit. It was just another piece of bogus gear I had to sign for but would never use.

If you think about it, the Army mess kit is s testimony to Army culture. Even though it was obsolete, it continued to be manufactured and issued to troops for decades. Typical Army thinking. Kinda funny.

I still want one, just for the nostalgia. I'm actually spending the night alone at our tiny off-grid cabin. I would have used it tonight for my dinner: grilled pork steaks and kimchi. (Don't judge. It's what I like.) Instead; I used a plastic plate and a small metal bowl. Both would work fine, but the plastic plate lacks the cool factor of a mess kit.

The kit I ordered should arrive in a week. If If I like it I might pick up a couple more. There's no shortage on Ebay.

[dinkydow]

mine is 1944 dated. Slightly used. In perfect condition. I used the one issued in basic training when we were at the rifle ranges or other training that took us away from the company area at Ft Knox. We ate standing up off of lengths of PSP .mounted attop of utility poke sections. The mess hall crew ladled out our field rats... then we used the hot soapy water a rinse water heated up by
immersion heaters. That water was HOT.
I NEVER ate the Ham & motherfuckers or the green scrambled C ration eggs. Liked the LRP rations. John Wayne crackers and cheese spread was OK. I never used the mess kit in the RVN. Right out of the cans to my cake hole.

[Johnny]

mine is 1944 dated. Slightly used. In perfect condition. I used the one issued in basic training when we were at the rifle ranges or other training that took us away from the company area at Ft Knox. We ate standing up off of lengths of PSP .mounted attop of utility poke sections. The mess hall crew ladled out our field rats... then we used the hot soapy water a rinse water heated up by
immersion heaters. That water was HOT.
I NEVER ate the Ham & motherfuckers or the green scrambled C ration eggs. Liked the LRP rations. John Wayne crackers and cheese spread was OK. I never used the mess kit in the RVN. Right out of the cans to my cake hole.

I was in the Army for 30+ years but never made it to Knox until I was out of the Army and teaching Army ROTC as a civilian contractor. Best job ever!

Knox has a lot of history. The old WWII barracks you slept in are long gone but the concrete foundations all remain. You can literally walk the ruins and pick out barracks, company HQs, and dining facilities. Some of the decorative bushes planted outside various HQ buildings are now massive beautiful trees: a living testimony to the men who served there.

That's why I think the Army mess kit is so cool. Like the old WWII barracks, they are staples of Army culture. Every person has a story to tell about each. They're relics of a bygone era.

I think it's high time I bring back some of that past greatness by filling up an old mess kit with my world famous grilled chicken thighs!

[Retvet]

My son has my kit aling with just about all my old military stuff. I do still have a spoon and fork from a kit and we use both of them in the kitchen. Heavy duty and handy when I make bread.

[dinkydow]

I got my gi mess kit from a huge surplus store that used to be..long gone now. I think it was about $1.99 with the GI utensils and a neat canvass pouch with a carry strap. I used it while in the Boy Scouts and I have cooked over many a campfire with it. its still in great shape.

[ColonelKorn]

I've got 2 from the Vietnam Era. They're sitting on my picnic table on the front porch. I tried to give them to somebody, but nobody wants them. 🤣