I did, but mine in a cheap made in china one, so it doesnt lock right. I thought it was one of your videos that I saw that one, but might have been someone elses. I liked the stick on the handle of the other style, never seen that before.
Yes but kept my old single handled one anyway. Also took a lot of flack for keeping my old wooden handle shovel weight was heavier but it worked better.
Yep and it does that to on the Brit 58 pattern plastic cup. I'm Australian had same as your US except canvas with drain hole x2 here into 80s. Met a pom on secondment discovered 58 pattern ones. I carry a 58 pattern one and cup for coffee breaks purely for the plastic cup that and 3 in one's Nescafe. Don't use the stove thing. Either hexi, trangia metho or small LPG stove. I also run a 1lt round nalgene in a round Molle container. It fits the 1lt and gas stove and coffee
I bet your classes are amazing. But finances prevent me from attending. I learn so much from these videos. 71 yo silver wolf fan. Thanks for what you do.
I do prefer the older equipment to the modern type. If people bothered to LOOK at the butterfly cup loops they'd SEE how it locks...... LOTS of good info in this video!!!! Great stuff!!!!
During Desert Shield Storm, the Canteen cup was an ideal way to heat your MRE. In the Vietnam Era the Canteen cup was an ideal way to make coffee or hot cocoa. We didn't use the canteen cup to heat C Rations because all you had to do was put the entre in to the cardboard box and let it burn. Once the cardboard burned off that meal was heated so well we took the P 38 and punched holes in the can and it actually hissed from the heat produced from the cardboard box. That's right was a GI from End of Vietnam through and beyond Desert Storm.
I got a lot of useful info I wasn't expecting from this video. I did not know about the D-ring setup, using the old style cover for a warmer, and the advantages of carrying both old and modern sets. Good job and thanks for the lesson!
All this stuff blows my mind. I was in the army 2008-2013 and we never used canteens. We had camelbacks in garrison and disposable bottles of water in afganistan. Kinda feel like I missed out lol
The difference between the army and camping is that in the army it's always about a group, unless it's about intelligence, etc. Group meals, group accommodation, is structured differently than the trips of an individual fighter. I myself have combined the equipment in suitable parts. Fortunately, there is Savotta in Finland, which manufactures military-certified products that civilians can also buy. And geographically, the closest NATO partner is Sweden and Norway.
Great video, the large horizonal slot at the bend in the long (old) handle canteen cup was to put your GI fork in as an extended handle. The fork is large and strong. If you have one, try it and let me know what you think.
I have been using the USGI canteen and canteen cups for camping and hiking for the past decade. ANd I didn't expect to learn anything new, but was curious. Boy was i wrong. Blackie, this is probably the most comprehensive guide on the subject. T H A N K Y O U ! ! ! 😁
Man, you woke an old memory when you showed that you could click the butterfly handles together. I completely forgot about that. This video caused me to buy a couple of items to kit out my two canteens with covers, stoves, and lids. I also ordered the new Nalgene canteens (X4). Thanks Blackie. Great video. I love old-school gear mixed with some up-to-date modern stuff.
Blackie, love your presentation, I have one suggestion, move your camera closer to the bench so you don’t have to go back and forth. Whenever I had to give a lecture I would stand right next to the table, so I only had to turn pick up whatever I was talking about. I had forgotten half the stuff I used in service. Thank you buddy
The US Army metal canteen is well designed and I used it long after the plastic canteens came out. I later used a German Army 1L medal canteen with a wide mouth. That way in the winter, if the canteen froze, all you had to do was heat it in a fire. The plastic canteens you had to not fill it (so it would slosh and not freeze) and sleep with it in your bag to keep it from freezing. You can heat the metal canteen and put hot water in it to throw into the sleeping bag. I preferred the older style cups. I had a new cup lose the handle when the spot welds gave free in the winter with my hot cocoa 😞 Another advantage to the older cup is the slit i the handle is to use a knife to lift the cup out of a fire. With the cover the cup, you can use it like a dutch oven. With a cover and a stove, this was an excellent GI camp kitchen! For the field, we used the issued trioxane heat tablets. They worked great, but the fumes were terrible/poisonous. Used Esbit tabs in Europe, but they took a while to cook with, but not as long as alcohol stoves. We used the MSR GXK multifuel stoves in the mountains and winter times. They were the best stove, but you had to carry the stove and fuel. They burned everything, but I cannot recommend diesel. One of my buddies ran out of white gas and found some diesel. It burned, but his coffee smelled like diesel fuel. They actually issue the MSR GXK to special operations today and MSR has modified the design to better pack away in the rucksack. If traveling light, I used fuel tabs under the canteen stove until they ran out, then twigs. The Germans had a three part cook set that was excellent. If you need something different, look at their cook sets. The US Army mess kit was flat form (~ 1" deep)with three sections. The larger section could be used as a fry pan. The other section had two sections. It was designed so that the two section part laid on top of the handle to allow you to hold both sections at the same time. The mess kit also came with separate three metal utensils. These worked, and attached to the mess kit for cleaning. The Germans had a better set that nested into one another, making it smaller and easier to pack. Never used the ARMY mess kit once I left basic training.
You could even store some of those hello kitty bandaids in one of those pouches. I'm still using my old US plastic canteen and cover I've had for 30 + years. Great tips thanks.
Being 70 years old myself and working in the Forest and Deserts I have carried many a USA army canteen. I started using the old WWII and Korean Cups and later Vietnam cups. I preferred the former Cups to the later cups because they were easier to use for cooking.
Great video! As the youngest brother and kid on the block, I was made to play the German enemy. I was lucky enough to have an uncle who owned a surplus store. Having to use the German mess kits, I believe it had significant advantages over the G.I. kit in many ways; that being said, you showed me many things I had no clue of. For example, the snapping handle has made me rethink how I looked at it before. I also genuinely want metal canteens and cups back in service, back up, ya know? Our surplus was all WW1, WW2, Korea, and Vietnam combinations.
We always locked our butterfly handles together by fiddling around awhile but didn't realize it works so easy by pinching the bottom. Thanks for that tip! My best buddy filled his canteen full during winter training (Camp Ripley Minnesota). It froze hard and cracked during the day while we were walking around. At night we put our canteens in our sleeping bag to thaw them out and keep them unfrozen. His cracked canteen thawed out and soaked his sleeping bag with water. Quite the surprise the next morning! He got by for several nights but it never dried out until we got back to "civilization". He started each night out with a frozen spot in his bag.
I was in the corps too, I was w/the grunts 1st bn 4th marines, only 4 yr enlistment, spent time in the field and used my canteen cup ALL OF THE TIME, got out in 79, I keep 2 / 2 canteen sets w/cup cover and stove, still use them , I am so glad to hear you say that that is bushcraft! because to me , it works the best.
I grew up not just poor, but po.' I have a so-so retirement investment. So I look for all the bang for the buck in anything in my possessions. So thank you for all these tips and hacks.
if you look on Ebay or similar for Stainless 'hip' flasks they are neary all made in China and range from 1 ounce (key ring fitting) to 18 ounces in steps, the 2 ounce is long and slim will safely hold denatured alcohol and will also fit easily into the side pocket of the modem issue or repo canteen pouches
Hi Blackie! My first canteen and carrier were Vietnam War surplus. As you know, surplus from that period was everywhere and could easily be had in the late 70s and early 80s. Despite having used a lot of this equipment, there are giant holes in my understanding of them. I really appreciate how your videos give me those missing bits. I would never fault the adults who ran the old scout program I was in as a boy, but I don't recall ever seeing even some of the very basic knowledge and skills that you offer here on a regular bases. Programs like the Scouts CAN be a invaluable means of instilling self reliance in the young but the effort requires skilled instructors like yourself to work well. Thank you, Blackie!
The canteen cover that dies not have the lining in it can be augmented with a cotton bandana. Cotton is the ideal cloth for evaporative cooling. Also you can now add one more use to your list if things you can do with a bandana. Wrap your canteen in the bandana get everything wet and off you go. This was an excellent video and I learned a few things. Love the D ring handle idea. Thanks for this one.
What’s your take on the 2Qt plastic soft side canteen? And, you should put out a bushcrafters cook book or online book on cooking with surplus Canteen and recipes. Great video. PS. I also love using the Swedish Trangia cook set.
Outstanding video Blackie ! If you haven't, you ought to try Folgers Coffee Bags (like tea bags, but COFFEE). TWO bags (or 3) in a 3/4 full canteen cup makes a darn good cup of coffee. They come in individual foil packets. Box of 46 or so for $7-9
The Folgers singles are great for when you don't want to take the time to brew coffee. just toss them in the cup of water. bring to a boil and remove from heat. But you need to understand that instant coffee is mixed in with the coffee grounds so the water darkens before it has had time to steep.
YES ! I like 2 bags per 1 cup. I keep several in my canteen pouch pocket. I have 40-50 bags ready for bug out/SHTF. They also would be VERY valuable for bartering.
A good book that I’m sure you’ve read is “ Ruffin’ it easy “. I learned a lot from that book but now a day’s RU-vid works too. Love your ideas and videos keep them comin man
Blackie , Another Great Video and Outstanding Information on canteen and cups and covers . Thanks For Sharing. I really appreciate you taking of your time and knowledge and passing on the craft, You Are The Master Woodsman and Buschcrafter. Tim L.
I have yet to see a Blackie Thomas video from which I didn't learn something. I never thought about rotating two canteens. I always filled both at each and every opportunity. But I've been known to carry two canteens on my belt and another two in or on my pack. You can cram a bunch in a bag under the seat in a Huey. When I was in the army (1964-66), we still had the canteens with the wire clip on the cover. Soaking the cover did keep the water cooler, but the canteen riding on the hip soaked fatigue pants and caused some serious chafing. The alice clips mounted the canteen higher and helped with the chafing.
Awesome tips, thank you. Always carried a USGI canteen and canteen cup w/ stove when I was a kid camping with dad. Always preferred the handle vs butterfly, and never even thought of the D-Ring trick. That's brilliant, also how to make it lock bending the ears...definitely going to do that ASAP. Also, I had never considered the tin foil. Typically run a hydration pack these days, but have 2 one quart canteens in Vietnam era covers both with cup, stove and lid covers on my pack. I use the canteen water for cooking and refilling my hydration pack...their either full or empty. Hydration packs are great because you can run an inline water filtration device through the tubing. And depending on your situation, makes less noise than a half drank canteen sloshing around while you are moving. Just a tip for those wanting to get a handle canteen cup and can't find a surplus one, stay away from Rothco. Their canteen cup is designed specifically for their own canteen, not the standard most easily available 1 quart USGI canteen available. If you can't find one at a surplus store, don't go on Amazon, check ebay instead.
I have few surplus canteen cups and canteens and covers for my wife and i. Also have military metal canteen dated 1944. Used with two regular canteens in the Army ate 70’s. Bringing back old memories. Thank you for an informative video.
Worth noting that eventually the Nalgene bottles will get..funky no matter how much you clean them. I have a few that smell super chemically and off/unplesant after 7 years of near daily use. I put everything (coffee, tea, lemonaide, everything) in them so if you use only water that might not happen.
Hey, Blackie Thomas! Thanks for another awesome video. That little bit was a real education for me. By way of giving back, if you’re a real fan of the canvas but not so much the nylon, But like the pockets, you could put an extra pocket on your canvas one. Most of the people I know that are bush crafters or even outdoors a lot or fairly handy, but it wouldn’t take much to just take a needle or awl and stick a pocket right on there, even possibly removing one off of the nylon carrier if you really weren’t such a big fan of The nylon itself.
In Germany before the Berlin Wall came down out in the field we used to set the Canteen Stove on the Truck Fender and put Heating Fuel Tablets or Chafing Dish/Sterno Fuel (small) cans under the Stove to Heat Water for Coffee or Hot Chocolate while we took turns Standing Guard Duty in the Winter. The old style MRE's had packets of Instant Yuban Coffee in the and Cigarettes .Lots of guys were happy to give up the coffee since I never smoked. You have a lot of good tips I never thought of like the D ring stick handle. U.S.Army Retired 23 1/2 years.
I've had several types of surplus canteens over the years and still have a collection of the metal ones with the cork material inside the cap. Couple pieces of advice, if I may, #1 you can put just about any hot liquid in the metal canteens and cups. However, always be careful of blistering your lips. They do make a silicone "lip protector " for the cups. #2 never put any type of drink mix in the green plastic canteens. They will retain the flavor for many refills. When in basic, I had a platoon buddy that thought he would have some nice hot coco from a MRE pouch as a treat on an FTX. Well it was good tasting at first but for some reason the empty canteen retained a smell that not the same as hot chocolate but the same color (if you get my meaning) for weeks afterwards that no amount of bleaching, boiling etc would remove. I do enjoy the pathfinder canteen, even though some would disagree, the larger mouth is great for filling but not always for drinking on the move. Keep up the great content!
I really appreciate your videos. They are a cut above many others because you teach how to do the task, what it's applications may be and then demonstrate how to actually do the tasks all in one video. Excellent.
Hi Blackie, I’ve used the Canteen Cup and Associated items for years and would like to add a couple additional comments. When using the Butterfly version of the canteen cup, if you use two dingle sticks scissored though the bails you can easily pick up the cup. You can also add a couple large split key rings to the bails you can use a stick to pick up the cup. I also use an Esbit Alcohol Store place over a Canteen Cup Stove with the open top. An Esbit Alcohol Stove will fit into the Crusader Cup Stove perfectly.
Another informative video. Few things I didn't know, but made lots of "Common" sense. When I served, instead of cutlery or spork (which wasn't a thing yet back in the day), I carried chopsticks to eat. My Platoon always made fun of me ( granted I'm of Asian descent), but it always made more sense to me to be able to eat with it while holding your canteen. I was always the fastest to clear my plate during outdoor excersises. After few months some started to do the same 🤣
Great lesson and video. My canteen kit is similar but I use the old stainless steel canteen. I clipped the metal cap chain half way and then use a short length of dog tag chain to reconnect the cap to the canteen. It weights a bit more but worth it. This system allows better meals than pouches. Thanks.
The Bakelite (Black Plastic) caps are usually attached by a short length of metal sash chain riveted to the cap and hooked by a small split ring to a loop soldered to the canteen body itself. Replace the split ring with a small snap hook such as you would find on a keyring or plastic neck lanyard qand the cap can be easily removed for placing the steel canteen body in a bed of coals or suspending it from a crossbar or spit over the fire bed.
I have never found a canteen stove ( of any kind ) in the local surplus stores here . Handle extension for mess kit & cup that you came up with is just simply dang cool . 👍 When one gets serious about chowing down , nothing beats a GI spoon . 😀
@@baronedipiemonte3990 thank you for info . The catch is I have no plastic , refuse to use plastic , deal in cash or postal money order only . Try to buy local . Thank you again .
@@mikelgeren149 only other thing I could suggest is that you "visit" several of the online surplus stores: Army Navy Sales in Chicago, has them, item me-122 $12.99 who will take a postal money order. Good luck.
@@baronedipiemonte3990 would it be possible to modify a wire handle cup ? For instance : cut out the bottom , cut an opening for feeding fuel , and remove wire handles . Would it nest in Alice cover with cup and canteen ? I want to stay with Alice gear .
@@mikelgeren149 most certainly. Cut a square in the side, and drill several holes on the sides for ventilation, and the bottom (now your top) to heat the good canteen cup. I'm not sure if it would nest, but if you're going to carry two one quart canteens, have the modified cup in one pouch, drinking cup in the other. An Esbit stove (or copy) makes a good stove too. Can use the chemical cubes that light & burn 10-20 mins, wood sticks...
Thanks for a fun video. First purchase of camping gear I made from Canteen Shop was the butterfly handle, heavy cover and cook top grill. Have the hard handle cup given to me by my older brother with the steel canteen. Fun stuff and still in use today.
I usually will stick the tip of a bayonet or knife into the horizontal slot on the handle to act as an extension or long handle...also, I can slip the handle of my GI mess kit ,the GI untensils and the cup and string them all together then I can dunk the hole kit and caboodle into a stream or in groups a garbage can full of soapy water to clean the hole mess at once in a couple of dunkings,. Never cared for the wire butterfly handles. The d-rings are a clever idea .
There was a time in my life where i spent weeks hitch-hiking. I came up with a system that worked for me... i used two powerade bottles as my double "canteen" system. I rotated bottles often. I'd buy one in the morning, mango flavored. Use yesterdays bottle as plain water. & it worked for me. The powerade bottles are durable. I dont know if they can hold hot water or not. But for warmish & cold water, they were perfect. Just the right amount of water too
I've been perusing canteen cook sets and really appreciate what you have to say, its helpful in knowing what to look for and what I will prefer. Thanks!
This is one of my favorite videos of all time. I just watched it again because lately I have started cooking in my canteen cup with folding handle. Nothing too complicated so far, mostly rice with Spam grilled over the fire while the rice cooks. Add some Tabasco and you have the Three Main Food Groups right there! Now I am inspired to cook some stews and bake some breads. I really like the current issue GI molle canteen covers and I set mine up just like you have. I gave a set to my son and keep mine in my truck. After working with the GI canteen, cup and stove for a while, I was fired up enough to buy the Pathfinder canteen cook set. It is a heavy mother, but it holds a lot and still fits in the molle cover. And, of course, you can boil water in the canteen. I deliberated a while before I spent the money on the Pathfinder set but I am glad I have it. I use it more than my stainless water bottle and cup set.
Hey brother. I heard you mention lower Alabama. I’m down here in northern Baldwin county. Been prepping and primitive camping around here for about 20 years. I only recently found you and I really enjoy your videos . Take care!
My first canteen bottle was made in Japan and had a thin od cotton cover. I later found a original ww2 canteen and insulated cover with the cup, seemed like a genius idea and I got a cheap web belt to mount them on. I used them berry picking and used to freeze Japanese version solid. By the time I was thirsty it had melted enough to get some good drinks out of it. I used to drink it dry some days. I found out later the can would expand from freezing and get parts of aluminum corosion in it but I'm still here and I stopped directly freezing them. The ww2 can was dated 1944, I have seen ones almost identical dated 1918. I have mine saved in the Mini Barn in a box in the back yard. Haven't looked at them in years but not getting rid of them. Now I want to dig them out and see what I have again, thanks for the info.
@@BLACKIETHOMAS I think I did try to not fill it all the way up but the Japanese 70s knock off probably wasn't as sturdy as the old military originals were but I bought it at GI Joe's here in Portland Oregon back in the early 70s. They were a huge chain here that started in the late 40s selling military surplus and they became a sporting goods store that still sold the occasional military surplus items just to stay true to how they started. That's where I found the West German field jacket with the awseome liner and plastic lined shoulders. I eventually wore it completely out but it was so well made and warm. GI Joes got bought out and sold off in the early 2000 era I think, was a great bunch of stores.
Great find that cover. No matter what I try I can not get a canteen cup cover to fit any of my canteen cups. I spent many of my early youth cruising the surplus stores. Loved the smell.
Thanks Blackie another great video full of information. I don’t own much military gear but, I always use a canteen cup when camping. It a great and versatile cup, bowl, and pot. Thanks for all the information really enjoyed it.
Love my canteen cups. Great advice on the metal spoon or spork. Once, while using an outdoor brand plastic fork, I treated myself to some bacon. Yep, melted. Carved my first spoon as a young man when the plastic one promptly broke-at the start of a 3-week trip.
Thanks again. I love the old stuff, but as you say they each have something to add to a kit. Out here in the Southwest water can be hard to find. I like to carry four canteens. Two on my person and two on the butt pack with my ranger roll. Thanks keep up the fine work.
Great video. Lived in Atmore and Brewton Alabama back in the 70s. Ya got me digging out my army surplus canteen stuff. I might even put up my half shelter for the grandkids.
there are a few watertight reflective snack bags that should fit over that canteen and still get into its canteen bag. It might help to keep cold water from sweating in the cloth bag and keep temps more stable. I use the ones cookies came in - i just open the cookies carefully or with scissors to retain the bag.
I’m ex British military … though air force Never really got “snap handles together” thing It past midnight here, went to garage and dragged out a crusader 2 set up … Works on the plastic top cup on the 58 pattern and in a slightly different way on the metal 2 cup. I’ll try the no 1 when I find it tomorrow I never stop learning … cheers
Great video! Really comprehensive. I have a plastic Nalgene bottle and a stainless steel nesting cup. I’ve been contemplating getting a canteen set as well. Mostly for the cool factor. Probably a Nalgene canteen, a Rothco butterfly cup with a stove, and one of those new canteen pouches with the side pockets. I already have my get home bag in a 30 liter backpack but the canteen pouch with the pockets offers me the option to build a smaller kit.
I can't extol the virtues of canteen cups enough. I served in the British Army 1988-93 and we weren't issued them, instead we had the 2 rectangular mess tins. You could buy the Crusader cups (which weren't issued until 1995 onwards) from mail order shops but they were very expensive and nobody I knew had one. Canteen cups had been on issue from 1944 to 1960 but I think only for soldiers serving in tropical environments. When I served the only guys who could get their hands on the old 44 pattern canteen cup were SF i.e. SAS, perhaps Airborne too. Now for my stealth camping/bushcrafting as a civvy, I use a Dutch Army stainless canteen cup, which I found in the basement of a surplus store in Amsterdam, I was expecting it to cost upwards of 15 Euros and was amazed when I was only charged 3 Euros for it. about $3.25 at current exchange rates. They are based on the US design, but with butterfly handles, and apparently a bit more robust which doesn't surprise me as Dutch Army gear, and Dutch manufactured things in general, tend to be bombproof. Since then I've bought the Dutch Army canteen to put in it so it takes up no space, and a Pathfinder steel lid which doesn't fit perfectly but does the job fine.
back in the mid 80's a friend of mine in special forces went to U.k. for some joint training and a solder over there wanted to play cards one night he was trying to win the u.s canteen cup lol once my friend figured it out he gifted the cup when the training was over
I realley Enjoyed your video it sure brought back some very good memories. As a kid i grew up in the country and spent alot of money on surplus military gear. On days hiking in the woods with my neighbor in the summer I would pack crackers, SPAM and an old M56 belt with what else? Of course 2 canteens and a cook set, i sure miss those days thank you and im a new subscriber.
The strap on the modern canteen pouch is the only redeeming feature. Even with the canteen inside, there is enough room to cinch down rain gear on my secondary canteen: whether it be a gortex parka or poncho. Being that my canteens are positioned at 5 and 7 o' clock, I have access to whatever with a quick reach, and can keep dry without having to take off my harness or backpack. Thanks for the video. I can feel my wife rolling her eyes when the canteen cup comes out to cook my breakfast on the kitchen stove. .
I have one each of the canvas and nylon insulated canteen pouches. I recently got a couple of the current issue uninsulated canteen pouches and discovered that the insulated pouches will fit, somewhat snugly, into them. That being said, while you have the convenience of MOLLE, you do have to take the insulated pouches out in order to remove the canteen cup. I really like the snaps that are on that cavalry pouch. Just something about those just makes them seem more durable. The press snaps can work their way out of the material over time and that is no bueno. A while back a former Army Special Forces type showed me how to make a stove out of a C rats can. Still have it. Didn't realize water purification tablets had expiration dates. I have some that are a couple years old but I also have some GI issue that are about 40 years old. You know, the ones with the bottle mouth and cap dipped in wax to seal in the freshness. Never been used. Well darn. These were outstanding tips. Thanks.
GREAT video! Lots of info and ideas. I never heard of the spoon necklace before, but I like it. A spoon is hard to improvise. I opted to make one while watching your video from a cheap camp spoon. There have been many times day to day when I needed a spoon for lunch at work and didnt have one. now I will. LoL
Absolutely, absolutely loved this one! Learned a few tricks about my own gear. I've downloaded it in order to watch it a cpl of more times so that it will sink into my old noggin.
Not sure if this is for US surplus specifically or surplus in general, but Romania and Serbia had a nice surplus nesting canteen kit. Pouch, steel rectangle "pot" with folding handle, canteen, and small cup that fits over canteen mouth. It's great and it was like $8. Kinda bulky but it works wonders. Also, I knew these damned butterfly handles on the GI cup locked but I couldn't remember how to do it lol thanks for that
I bought a canteen and cup (butterfly handles) in the early 80's. I took it when I joined the Army so I always had two on me. Stationed at Ft. Bliss you wanted all the water you could get! I still have it, take it every trip to the woods. We weren't issued the stove part but I got one surplus last year, haven't actually used it yet. Great video!
