A quick video, showing you the best way to use your swedish mess kit and Trangia alcohol burner. This video does not cover use of the simmer ring, only full flame for boiling water
I would like to add, the Swedish Mess kit works well as a meat steamer. It is a good way to cook meat in the field without burning it or having a big mess to clean up. We steam small cuts of Lamb via a mesh screen at the top. You use the other pot as a lib and place it loosely . We boil carrots, potatoes and small onions in the main container. The lamb or meat's juices drip down into the water and help make a stock. I have done this with big German or British sausages as we boiled Red Potatoes.
I live in northern Sweden and in very snowy conditions we drive a 2-3 foot log into the snow and put the burner and wind shield on top of that. It protects the Trangia burner from the snow and the heat from the burner will heat the top of the log up in case you decide later to make a swedish log stove out of it for heating and cooking.
Nice work. It's a great bit of kit - I particularly like it for being able to cook two things at once on a single flame - say pasta or rice boiling in the main kettle with sauce bubbling away on top. I'd managed to figure out the bail trick but it took me ages to realise the handle of the frying pan needs to be completely inside the windshield when packed to stop it falling off!
I can imagine they aren't the easiest things to keep quiet. It must have required a good bit of practice. In the British army we had basic rectangular mess tins, which we used to clean with tea bags from ration packs :)
Enjoyed your video and the explanation about the Swiss Army cook kit, especially the part about the 2 notches on the bail. I had no idea why it had 2 of them. Last week I bought one of these kits at a thrift store for $5. I knew it was a cook kit but didn't know what country it was from. Neither did the seller. So you have helped me to know what I really have in front of me. Thank you again, I look forward to using this kit in the near future.
added note: i liked how u told us about the 3 crowns .. with all the knock-offs for evrything under the sun, its great to know how to spot the real deal .. thanks for that
Thanks a ton for this video. When I first got my kit I had trouble pouring from it. I had no idea the handle was supposed to be used like that. I just tested pouring with the handle setup like you showed. It worked great. It also work for pouring from the ends of the pot rather than the middle.
Glad to help. There is another method for pouring, which involves poking the hook through one of the handle mounts, but it can be tricky to do, and won't work unless the hook is exactly as it came from the factory. It's pretty hard to get them back to their original shape once they're bent/straightened a little. Hope you have many nice meals from your cook set.
Alcohol stoves are great little things. No moving parts to go wrong, they work after heavy blows, and the fuel is pretty easy to get hold of (no special fittings to look for). The Swedish mess kit can be used with Esbit blocks (with the addition of a small tin, turned upside down to form a platform), and even twigs (just placed in the windshield), so even if you can't find the spirits, there are other options. Glad the videos have been of use.
One of the most useful videos on RU-vid. I've watched it so many times to remind myself about the trick with the bail handle. I've got a 68 ss model. Thx for the tutorial. It's a great mess kit. About the top in my opinion.
Thanks dude. Like you say, they are pretty bomb proof, especially the stainless version. Plus they're a lot easier to clean, without damaging the surface. Strange to think, they only started making the stainless ones during the war, when aluminium was getting harder to obtain, as it was being used to build planes, etc.
few years back we had an ice storm that killed power for weeks and many downed trees and utility poles blocked ways in and out. Living in a really rural area Many people were trapped. I have recently been "prepping" for situations like that after being in it and seeing how quick resources run out. I've been researching camp and military cooking gear and this looks like the best by far. I just picked up one because of your videos a nice alternative to propane. I plan to put this in my vehicle.
Nice video and I like the tip about using the handle to pour. A few extras for you, the swedish army dont usually carry the fuel inside the kit believe it or not...it smells up the inside cooking surface plus they allow the excess fuel to burn out before putting the lid back on the burner because after a while they will leak....you can buy replacement rubber seals for them from trangia.
Thanks for making a great video. I have had mine since 1997 and it is 3rd world rugged. I use HEET for fuel from the Auto parts store. I like the handle and I have used my kit over the campfire to boil water and make coffee. Its really alcohol and wood stove. What a great piece of kit. Thanks mate
@@crazysaint222 old habits that kept you alive are always good to keep doing. Thanks for the video. I’m currently searching for these kids as they’re really fit my needs.
also the 2 d- rings on the small pan is so you can place a stick and make a wooden handle when cooking so you don't burn hands. been using one of these for 20 years and still prefer the civilian trangia cooking sets :-)
Thanks mate. They make a great little kit, no matter how you decide to use them. I tend to use mine hung over an open fire, as much as I use it in the windshield over the alcohol stove.
Thank you for that. I have never been told that before. I always wondered what the square loop was for, but have never seen (or heard of) the clip that goes into it. Thanks again for educating me Adam
Having been messing about with homemade meths stoves for a while I've finally decided to just get the real thing and ordered myself one, looking forward to trying it out. Love the tip about using the hook to retrain the handle for pouring, I'd never have spotted that, nice one :)
I just put it on straight away otherwise its just wasting fuel, but im glad to see someone using the kit properly with the handle and storage Good stuff
That was a really useful video, I didn't know about the tip with the hook and the handles. I have one of these which I bought secondhand, I will have a look to see if it has the three crowns marking. I love the tough simplicity of these things... love the way how every feature has a function.
Hello Adam from West Virginia! I bought my kit a few years ago not knowing how durable and bullet proof it was! I have grown to appreciate it as a good stable food/water prep kit. On the Trangia stove there is an indented ring at the base of the burner chimney. I "spill" a little meth into this trough to prime the stove. I can also use the SS kit as a boat anchor, shovel and a defensive hand weapon against black bears...huh, small black bears! ;) Thanks for the upload, Well done!
Great video ! Lot's of information ! I have seen these kit's from time to time but never purchased one ! After seeing this video and understand the use of each piece of the kit,maybe I will have to pick one the next time I see one ! Also ,now that I know about the 3 crown stamping's,I will know if i'm buying the real thing and not some cheap junk copy ! Thank's for posting !
Great video.This winter I will be going up the Sierra Nevada for a 5 day field excursion.This time I will be using my German mess kit and Sterno folding stove.I have the German,American,and British 2 piece mess tins.I found the British system much better for everything.I use it everyday at home for cooking breakfast because its easy to clean up and eat out of too.
Thanks Richard, glad the video has been of use. There is a way of placing the hook on the bail arm through the swivel mount (where the bail arm attaches to the main pot), but it can be tricky to do, and if the hook has been misshaped at all it won't work properly. That's why I just stick with this method :). Never thought about the coffee warmer idea. Might have to use that one lol. Thanks again buddy
Giday EH! Good Video!! I am glad to see you mentioned moving the leaves and such, as well as keeping the Alcohol away from the stove/burner, Many seem to neglect moving the leaves. Cool trick with handle. I have been thinking about picking one of those sets up. Later, FW.
Thanks Matt. Always worth knowing the little things, that can reduce the chance of burns, or other minor injuries, that could make life uncomfortable :)
I have been using mine for years, thanks for the tip with the bail arm. The two tabs on the lid are great for sliping a small stick through and using to cook on an open fire.
I've had a few comments mentioning the D rings. I thought most people knew about those, but looking back I should have covered them in the video, for the people that didn't :)
Mine stove has the three crowns but says Svea 1968. got the stainless kit. A bit heavy for packing but I really like it. The handle trick you showed will help a lot. Thanks for sharing.
Opal Preston Shirley Thanks for watching Opal. It's a very handy cooking system, and can often be found reasonably cheap, although the stainless steel version can be a little more expensive.
Thanks for the great video and detailed explanation. I have what I thought was a Trangia mess kit or Swedish Army Kit and it looks like yours except for the "D" ring and hanger hook on the handle. I've used it camping a couple of times now and prefer it over the other stoves I have.
Sounds like you had a good day, and a very productive one too. Would be interesting to find out/test what other fuels would work in them, but it would risk damaging the stove or the person testing them lol. Thanks for letting me know your test results
Homemade stoves are great. Cheap, light, and often more efficient that some shop bought stoves. You can't beat a Svea, Trangia, or even a Tatonka for durability though. It'll take quite a bit to squash one :) Glad you found the video useful. Always remember though, be careful when pouring boiling water, as the hook method can slip out if not in just the right place. Especially if the previous owner/user has "re shaped" the hook.
Hi nice video, reminds me of my time in the swedish army in 1991 i am swedish and this thing was a great thing to have, excellent for cooking and easy to use for a short break, we call it Snuskburk :-P that means filthy can or something. anyway you got it right with the handle thing, I have one from 1962 and i use it alot. cheers:-).
nice one, nice to see people do know how to use them. You light them the same with the domestic versions with the wind guard off. But I see so many people burning them selfs doing it wrong.
Wow, I just researched it on eBay and these things don't run cheap, even new. But then you do get what you pay for. I like the simple functional design.
Thanks I use mine on canoe trips and found it is the best all around kit I can make stews from fresh items of boil in the bag meals. I love the smell of the Alcohol as she gets going.
I know what you mean. Some of the cheap stuff can be ok for a while, but generally won't last anywhere near as long. It's hard to suggest a "best" stove/mess kit combo, as a lot of it is down to where you want to use it, and which fuel is easiest for you to get hold of. Anything from Trangia is top of my list. They've been making things like this for a long time, and it shows in the quality of the products (not just the military kit). Thanks for the sub Adam
I used this kit many times during my time in Swedish military service. We had to try and be very silent while using it. And after being used we cleaned it with snow. This was back in 1993
Thank you for the video. The hook in the D ring is a great tip. No more using a stick to try and pour the water out. It is so obvious but I just didn't see it. Cheers friend
You're quite right. The original kit comes with either a strap, that threads through the D-ring on the pan handle, or a metal clip, that goes in the same place, but doesn't wrap around the whole pot/windshield :) Many thanks for the comment
Thanks for asking buddy. They are simply for sliding a stick into, giving a longer, heat resistant handle. Nothing very technical about it, but it works :)
Good job with the video. I liked to watched it. Little strange to learn about Swedish mess kit in English thou. Ha ha. I have one container ( a very heavy one in steinless steel) but no windshield. I have a many Trangia burners and Trangiakitchen. Didn´t know about those two hooks on the handle. But you can take a small branch and feed through the two rings on the lid-thing to make a longer handle or to handle it when hot. Greetings from Sweden!
Thanks for a no BS demo of this very well tried and tested cookset. Very useful for the very few people who don't already know and a bit of a laugh for those of us who do! Try not to be too serious or furtive. Cooking a meal in one of these is fun!
Hello mate just found your chanel ,the swedish mess kit is brilliant , I use mine a lot ,thanks for the tip about the handle, I did'nt know about that , I have subbed your chanel . Atb martin
Good video, i have a standard trangia set i bought 30 years ago. still gets used now and then but the honey stove has taken its place now and the crusader burner for quick brews on lihgt kit
Thanks for the comment. I forgot to mention it in the video, but I think it's in one of these comments about keeping it in a plastic "zip-loc" bag. I must admit I normally just use a thin canvas bag, as my burner and bottle have never leaked, so it's just to keep dirt out of the pot. :)
great vid Adam i have 1 of these i keep my 2 knifes 2 spoons 2 forks my flint fire starter plus small lighter 2 dishcloths and of-course my full and stove all in my pot its a squeeze but it fits plus my 2 cups hang on a small bit of paracord from the hook on top it keeps it all together.
The stove also works well with a civilian Trangia burner... at least you have that simmer ring! Or, find a Tatonka simmer ring to fit the larger Trangia burner.
Thanks Mark. These are much easier to get in the UK than other countries (except maybe Sweden lol). Military mart has some good stuff at reasonable prices. Useful store.
Thanks for the vid. I've always thought the wire bail design was the weak link in this outfit. Other than that I think it's one of the best set ups for outdoor cooking there are.
Awesome stuff buddy. The priming method you mention makes things a bit easier in colder climates. Sounds like you have found most of the uses for the kit possible. I like the black bear defense device ;-] Thanks for watching and commenting.
@crazysaint222 I'm putting together my own "bug-out-bag" and trying to learn as much as I can about bush craft, and self reliance. I think that the kit you demonstrated will help me to achieve that goal. Thanks again.
Nice video. I use the same pouring method as you but the way I keep the handle away from the flame is to hang the hook on the handle of the lid, either way works though.
Adam Savage: IST fascinated set from Swedish army, apreciated very mu h your esplanation how can used. my greeting from South America in Chile to you swell. Thank very much.
