Mess kit
A mess tin can be thought of as a portable version of a saucepan, intended primarily for boiling but also useful for frying.
Most mess tins are supplied as a set, with one slightly larger than the other, allowing them to nestle together for easy packing.
Prior to World War II, two factors influenced the design of the US Army's M-1926, M-1932, and M-1942 mess kits.
Secondly, US soldiers in the field were never expected to forage or to completely cook their rations, even in daily combat or front line service.
After 1938, it was used for the new C-ration, a canned combat ration with several menu precooked or dried food items.
The "Mess kit, plate" (lid) is even shallower, and is pressed to form two compartments, with a center divide wide enough to accommodate the folding handle.
When latched, the kit can be held in a ready position by the user in one hand to receive US Army's 'A' or 'B' field kitchen rations.
As the soldier passed along the mess line, food service personnel would dole out hot items first, often meat followed by vegetables, potatoes, and other side dishes, ostensibly separated by the tray dividers.
To complement the mess kit, soldiers used a stamped cup especially molded to fit over the bottom of the US Army's standard one-quart (950 ml) canteen.
After World War II, a specially-designed Esbit stove was issued to fit over the cup-and-canteen unit, similar to designs used in other armies.
During World War II, the German and Japanese Imperial Army used mess kits that were similar in several ways.
In storage, their dimensions were similar to US mess kits, but were split widthwise instead of lengthwise, around two-thirds of the body, creating a pot with handle and a cup.
The new 1908 Essgeschirr was made of aluminium and not designed for cooking; only to contain food distributed from field kitchens.
No attempt was made to conform the hangō to the Japanese one-liter M-94 oval water bottle, which was larger than that issued to the armies of some other nations.
The mess set was sometimes issued with a pouch, although this was by no means certain and many soldiers simply hung it onto their equipment from the wire handle.
This latest design of mess kit continues to be used today in the armies of many former Soviet republics, but in recent years the military of the Russian Federation has stopped issuing mess kits to soldiers due to the lack of adequate supply owing to the size of newly formed combat units, lack of adequate domestic production, poor storage of existing units and the sale of Soviet-era stockpiles to civilians and third-party buyers.
[7] In the First World War, the British Army used a metal, two-piece, kidney shaped mess tin.
The handle of the tray or cup folded inside but was on the flat "back side" forcing the user to drink from the broadly curved front.
The lid covered the pan and had a pull ring for easy removal, but apparently had no other intended use.
The mess tin or cup is usually used with the standard issue FireDragon folding burner & fuel.
The use of aluminium in mess equipment has been identified as a health hazard[citation needed], and plastics and disposables have become more common.
A civilian mess kit, which may serve from one person to a family of eight, is a collection of common kitchen wares designed to be lightweight and easy to store.
Such kits are typically constructed from aluminium, though enameled steel is also common, and some items (such as cutlery or plates) may be made of more expensive materials, such as titanium, to further save weight, or of plastic.
Utensils usually consist of forks, knives, and spoons, as at home, but may be replaced by specialty items like sporks or folding chopsticks.
