I was a boy scout back in the 60s. I had one of these types of mess kits. During a jamboree, my father, who had been a migrant worker in the 30s showed me how to clean it after a meal with gravel and dirt. Some of the older scout masters agreed and knew how to do it as well. Unfortunately, the newer scout masters did not like it, and I got a demerit for doing it.

I just got one from an antique mall in Alvin, a nice older women saw me with it and quickly recognized it, she went on to tell me of how she and her brothers in the scouts would make a stove out of a tuna can and cardboard soaked in paraffin to cook eggs on these kits.

Watching outdoor cooking videos is relaxing. Puts me in the mood for a picnic.

Thanks John for the info. I have one of the 1930's to 40's kits, (888) on the fry pan made by Wearever, but none of the pots or fry pan has the boy scout emblem on them. The cover has a plain snap but also has two flaps on the inside that also snap together. Again no BSA markings on the cover. I also have one of the steel ones but with no cover. I love that fry pan, very heavy duty.

Cooked a lot of pancakes on one of these in the scouts over a wood fire. I usually made silver turtles for evening meal so I didn't have to clean it.

Nice Video John. The mess kit looks like it will be good for many years. I still have my old boy scout mess kit, and knife, from the early 70's and it still works just fine. Thanks for the video.

14:20 You get meat out when you make small hole in the can bottom and blow by mouth. 22:45 Trangia type pliers handle is better. I use it with german mess kit and with other if needed. Pail handle is good and it can fasten by binder clips or small holes for steel wire. If you not have lid, aluminum foil is suitable. You can use it for cooking directly on the fire..

What a great little kit that's awesome thanks for sharing John 👍 All the best Roo

Wish I still had my kit from the Scouts. Good video! Thanks!

WOW Amazing! I have this model. except cup & pouch. But it so useful canteen.😄👍👍👍

Realy u r great camper n antique mess kit collecter. I m also a camper but i cant find like this mess kit.. Thanks bro. For encoraging.

Great video John, as always

I have a couple of these kits. I bought one for my daughter to go camping and 1 for mine self. 1930's-1940's Neither one of mine has any balance issues and will stay on top of a soda can empty. I just have to push it forward a little. Also when you do your handle like that there are cold when both sides of your handles for a stick to go through so you don't have to have gloves. Also it's not about seasoning the aluminum as much as what kind of eggs you are cooking. Fried eggs don't stick nearly as bad as scrambled. When you scramble eggs they absorb up all of the oil. They will actually suck oil out of it until they stick. I have seen him stuck to non-stick pans.... Again my youngest daughter and her friends. It's really hard to scramble eggs in anything without getting them to stick at least a little. You have to keep working them and making sure there's enough oil. Season oil into the pan helps. But you have to keep the eggs moving and scraping as they start to stick or they will burn right to it. My guess is you lost your emblem when someone was trying to wash stains out of the mess kit. Probably during several Washings and probably with bleach. Still your kit is in pretty excellent condition. The only bad thing about that cuff is you don't want to drink coffee out of it. Drinking something hot out of a metal cup is not always the best course. I love my metal cup. But I also carry a plastic one because I love my lips even more. I know the military and everyone else have been drinking out of metal cups for centuries.

I’m from the UK and one of your other videos introduced me to the Scout cook kit. I like the look of it and will try and source one on eBay, it’s expensive shipping to UK but still worth it in my opinion. I bet a few people have burnt their lips on the Aluminium cup though.

Just donated my Dad's 1935 kit to Camp Gorton where he was a scout then councilor from 1935 to 1938.

Very cool. I saw one a couple of weeks ago at an antique store. It was in the original canvas bag, but only contained the plate and skillet. $40.00. I had to pass on it. The grits looked fine to me. In fact, I'm about to make some right now! 👍🏻

This is so cool. I'm hooked

Pretty cool. I’ve been collecting the Boy Scouts Mess kits including the wear-ever set! My favorite is the tinned steel mess kits and the wear-ever mess kits!!cool video. The wear-ever pan doesn’t have the lip which I like. Also thicker aluminum. There’s several kits similar to the wear-ever kits.

I have the next version apparently, i showed it in a recent vid. Thanks for the share.

My dad has a kit like this probably from the 70s. I've seen new Coleman ones at Walmart, but I don't think they're as robust? Shame really, I'm realizing the modern cooksets reinvented something that didn't need fixing

I think you can mix egg with the grits to thicken it up.

Those younger guys only brought cereal bars, what a shame

I had a mirro kit when I was in scouts in the 80’s

The skillet with the handle left folded can still be picked up using a stick going through the two opening holes on the handle just like the Swedish army mess kit pan.

When I was in the English Boy Scouts 1960's we did not have any of these type of cooking kits. It's a pity because there's nothing to collect.

Lovely kit, I like the oldens.peace

My scout leader taught me how to adjust the temp on the open fire

Lay aluminum foil in the pan for eggs otherwise you soak and scrub for days. I have two sets. One with an olive green pouch, and one with a gray pouch.

Patents I believe were for 40 years at the time.

Nice kit, I had a 70s kit, much thicker than the newer ones.

I had the old scout kit circa 1963, and now have a cheapo Walmart one. The old scout kit was much better.

Glad to see you back out again. Does that perform any differant then your 1940's kit? I have newer ones, they are seasoned and seem to do real well. Thanks for sharing

Livin the good life John! I'd love one of those old mess kits,but I live in British Columbia, and don't see them around that often?

My scout leader said the water will boil out an get thick the amount doesn't really matter. But it is a ( cup )

Excellent video and demo, looks like an amazing little kit thats very well thought out. Looks like the handle balance problem would be annoying but you could always replace it with aluminium if it gets too much. +1 and a subscribe, great job

John, loved your info and video. I have two kits like this that has Korea stamped on them. Do you know anything about the Korea ones? Which came first - USA or Korea? Mine don't have the Boy Scout insignia stamped on them - or the WearEver imprint.

I have a cup like this in my kitchen window I keep odds and ends in. Had to go check it. It is stamped with USMC and under that carrollton mfr.. they look a like but not the same. :/

I have a very similar kit but with an aluminum handle (still tippy on a stove). It has no manufacture markings and the only Boy Scout imprint is on the handle to the fry pan. The handle tab on the fry pan has only 2 rivets as does the "handle hook" on the opposite side. The cloth cover has a bright brass snap with the Scout logo and is edged with a twill tape. Other than those differences it is Identical to yours. I would like to place a period on it, but so far haven't and was hoping you could provide some clues. Wish people followed these kits historically like some do with military canteen cups and the like. Yes those Rangers looked like maybe breakfast bars didn't do it. Thanks for your time and effort

I had a boy scout mess tin just like that in the seventies.

Fun.

Later one's came with plastic cubs

Love the vid but next time try the grits with butter and sugar,,keep stirring!

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You laughed at those kids with their cold cereal bars, while you and brother-in-law ate a hot cooked meal in front of them?

I want

Once I bought kit like that from flea market. It was more flimsy and smaller. Totally useless crap. No any stamp on it. Maybe chinese? Drinking cup was made of PE-plastic. Sixties?