I love the one he does not like and had used it through the 70s, 80s, 90s. Also spending 6 to 10 months at a time in the woods what away from Main count that little baby with your best friend along with some seasoning. He's a young guy and he's trying so give him some slack. Try to remember what you was like when you still had fuzz on your face.
+hartstudebakerkid Agreed, I bought a 1960s boy scout mess kit from the goodwill for two bucks. It’s much thicker than the newer thinner one. It works great.
I would definitely recommend the first one. For a "piece of junk" (not), it has served me well for over 30 plus years. Not bad for a "piece of crap". Cooked plenty of quartered squirrels, deboned rabbits, and robins on solo hunt/camping trips. Some times you youngsters make me laugh. If it's not titanium, diamond plate space metal, it's "crap". With age you'll learn through experience what works instead of what the internet camp ninja uses. Lol
+BraveTheWilds I have seen your review about those mess kits! I'm not agree with you calling the first aluminum kit as piece of junk. I'm a scoutmaster and being in scouting since I'm 11 y/o, camping a lot and using the aluminum mess kit and another modern mess kits made out stainless steel and titanium. My opinion about them is that they all work well, and if you can afford a titanium mess kit so great for you, however I have found that the aluminum kit gets hot very fast, as a matter of fact faster than the stainless and the titanium mess kits, and that is a critical advantage if you are camping on a trail where you are not allowed to light fires, and if you are using an alcohol stove that definitely means that you are depending on the amount of alcohol you carry for cooking purposes, and the longer your kit needs to consume alcohol to get the proper heat for cooking, the less alcohol you have for cooking, that's just something to take in mind. My aluminum kit is old, all cover in bumps but still works well. I have also stainless steel kits and titanium kits as well in order to compare "pro's and con's" so I can give the best advice for my scouts, and the first thing I must bear in mind is that I cannot recommend their fathers to buy the most expensive camping gear for the guys, it all depends on what they can afford, all I can do is giv'em all what I know about the gear and they can go buy what they can afford. This is not a critic my friend, is just a sincere opinion. God bless you my friend! keep it up!
+Ricardo Jimenez The ones we used in scouts years ago are made better than the first one reviewed. I still have my old scout one, and also purchased one of those thin aluminum ones from walmart. Night and day is all i can say. The old ones were quite a bit thicker. We just started outfitting my son's scout pack, and i wouldn't get them the new ones. I wish i could find some of the old military ones, that weren't damaged beyond all repair.
+GLOCKCOPG23 I'm sixty-two, and I've been hunting, trapping, fishing, and camping since I was seven. These Walmart kits are crap, at least when compared to the real thing. The real thing can be found used far cheaper than the Walmart pieces of crap, or new for not much more, so why buy crap? The truth is, these things were pieces of junk thirty years ago, too. I seriously doubt you have the experience you pretend to have, regardless of your age. Aluminum of cooking gauge is not made to take hard use for thirty years, or even for five. Anyone who has used kits in the military knows this. They're a much heavier gauge than the ones at Walmart, and real use usually dents and dings them to death after three or four years. You have to handle them with kid gloves to make them last much longer than five years. In truth, if you have any money, and if you really are experienced, a mess kit like this would be the last thing you buy. There are infinitely better cooking and eating kits on the market. Walmart hasn't been a place to buy quality anything since they started buying almost everything from China..
+James Ritchie Are you typically this rude? If so, you must be very popular in the no doubt small group of people who can actually stomach you. As such, it would be warranted to tell you to, ''Kiss my ass'' but since that would be equally rude, I will refrain. As the old saying goes, ''you are never too old to learn'' so absorb this: To accuse someone without cause or evidence usually denotes the speaker's thoughts of themselves. Sort of a "Pot calling the kettle black" kind of thing. Sound familiar, Davy Crockett? Do not attempt to condescend or judge my experience as you have nothing to support your ''feelings''. Moving on. To correct yet another of your assumptions, I did not buy my kit from Walmart. As a matter of fact Walmart did not even exist in my area at the time. I bought mine loooong ago from a military surplus store as a foreign military surplus item. Regardless of your ''feelings'', mine has held up well over the years with moderately hard use. I tend to take good care of my things. Maybe in your 62 years, you should have learned how to better care for your equipment rather than treating a mostly bullet proof item like a drooling ogre. Have a nice day.
I still have my boy scout kit like the 1st one you showed. It has been with me climbing,wilderness trekking,canoeing,many winter camps and iceclimbing\mountaineering. I do have other high tech pots and kits, but the scouts built them to last. Mine is 60yo and getting ready to go fishing.. Thanks
Hi Kenny, about 40 years ago, I was in my teens and bought me an aluminum mess kit just like the 5 pc set you have there. The kit is of much thicker aluminum about 3/16" thick, and I used it all the time. I quit using it due to aluminum, but I still have it. You can stand on it and support your weight. Good concept (little pot and all) because I ate well. It's made for one guy, not a group. Wish they made those in heavy stainless steel. Very compact. They were good till they thined out.
My brother bought the Coleman kit. One thing he found was the larger pot can accommodate a small gas canister with the pack stove they also sell. You lose the smaller pot but have a more complete cooking system. Really neat stuff. Failing that you can always put spices, tinder and what not.
I have the Coleman kit and it is a great kit. I use the two tops as serving dishes once the meal is cooked. I also store my MSR pocket rocket, a bottle of camp soap and a dish sponge inside to save space...
Good video son! At least you are out there trying out stuff in the outdoors.I congratulate you. I am turning 50 this year; ex-military, obtained 2 degrees, working in the corporate world these days (hating every minute); but my only joy in life is hitting the outdoors with a back-pack. Two days, seven days, desert, beach, snow: it doesn't matter! The taste of freedom matters. Who cares about the kit you carry. You take what you have and make it work! I have used some super expensive gear that turned out to be completely useless; but I have also been amazed at the use of a 7/11 pocket knife. Mind over matter is what makes it work. As long as you find enjoyment in what you do. Simple and stupid and simplistic as it may sound; I find the greatest pleasure to be that of starting a camp fire. The crackle, the whiff of smoke, the blue inside the yellow flame just makes me happy.
I use the first mess kit. More uses. Have been using one like it since i was in the boy scouts when I was 12. I am 43 now. You can do everything with it, and the "thinness" of it has a purpose. #1, less weight, #2, to conduct campfire heat better, although it is much more thin than it used to be...I will agree with that. You can't fry anything with the 2nd one. All in all, #1 is better.
These newer mess kits are a reflection of the freeze dried food trend. Hence, no pan. All hikers need do is boil water, pour, wait a few minutes and your good to go. Myself, I like "real" food as much as possible, so my mess kit is a plagerized hodgepodge of essentials. And no, they in no way fit nicely together, which makes things problematic. But it works for me. There's a lot more to it than what I've written here, but this is it in a nutshell.
Personally I love the BSA style cook set. I first learned how to cook with this set on my first Scouting campout in winter, in Kansas, back in 1982 or 1983. I continued to use that very same set up until I joined the Navy in 1997. Are they cheap? Absolutely. Are they flimsy? Yep, sure are. Are they just about the bottom of the barrel? I actually can't think of a worse set at the moment. However, they get the job done. It's easier to cook up fried eggs, pan seared meat, or pancakes in the skillet, than it is in the pots. The shallow pot and lid are great for rice dishes, scalloped potatoes, and casseroles. You can boil water in the skillet, as long as you put the lid (plate) on, and boil for the 15-20 minutes, then remove the lid and boil for another minute or so to release the volatiles. It will take time, and the pots are better suited for the task, but it can be done. Of course a Sawyer Mini, or Sawyer Squeeze makes the task almost obsolete in most cases. There is an art to using the BSA style kit. You have to learn fire management, heat zones, and best campfire cooking methods for different types of foods. I just recently purchased two sets of the BSA style cook sets, one for my daughter, and one for myself, so she can learn to cook with this set. The reasoning is that if she learns how to properly cook on this set, every other set will become a breeze. The two styles of cook sets really do have separate, and distinct cooking purposes though. Plus at $5, you get the most bang for your buck with the BSA style kit.
Before you use a field mess kit you can coat the bottom of your field kit with a very light coating of ivory dish soap and the char will easily wipe off! Give it a try and get back to me on it with YOUR opinion on that idea!
If you hate Walmart they whey do you go there , just to have the ability to bash them? It appears all the rest of the presentation is against everything. You want a G.I.Mess Kit that lasts , go to the web and Army Navy Surplus and look for a G.I.Mess Kit in Stainless. It will out last all the aluminum ones you can find. Plus the handle on the stainless will not bend like the aluminum ones do. Most of the time you get what you pay for. LOL
About Walmart, I'd say it's more like 50% is crap, I've bought a lot of camping gear there and after several years of use, most of it is still rocking just fine, sometimes Made in China means it's garbage but not always, keep that in mind.
The coleman cook kit is pretty good. The other one you showed is great for baking. Give it a try. Kenniet Click has some really good youtube video's on baking with that very kit. Enjoy & be safe !
Hahaha..... I have that cheap Walmart mess kit. It would work in a pinch but there is definitely better out there. I do have one recommendation for this kit, it makes the PERFECT charcloth maker. Take that little pot out, remove the knob on the lid so all you have a is little hole on top. Cut up some squares of an old 100% cotton T-shirt and place them in the pot and cover. Cook up the cloth and you're golden!
Forget the shiny boy scout 2 pc aluminum kit. Its made to walk down a chow line and have prepared food dumped in. If you try to scramble eggs or fry anything you have a burnt stuck on pile of shit. Get a GI mess kit and throw away the top and just use the bottom for a light weight skillet. Get a stainless GI canteen cup and go see the world. Forget Walmart and the word camping in the same sentence.
Have you checked out swiss military mess kits? You can buy them used at military surplus stores very cheap and I think you might be impressed with the quality of their construction.
you obviously have not tried this equipment. I "recommend" that until you do, you should not do a video on equipment you haven't used. And "guessing" isn't going to work either.
Totally disagree with this review. The first mess kit has been around for ages and is very useful in the woods. I can attest to being able to make Tikka Marsala with chicken and rice in it with no issues. The little pot is perfect size to boil a package of minute rice. While that is cooking, do the chicken and sauce together in the frying pan. Combine in plate to enjoy. I recommend actually trying to cook various items in these kits before giving a bad review.
Hey Brave...I thought I should share this tip with you, in regards to added protection for your cooking kits. I find that spraying a coat of "high heat resistant enamel" to the bottom of the pots can help reduce the fading of any factory coating. The heat enamel can withstand up to 2000 degrees F, so it should be very effective in protecting your cook ware.
you always end up losing parts to these kits. in the army w used the minimum in the bush.leaving half the mess kit behind. we used the tablets for low light profile digging a small shelter hole in the ground but u have the option of a wood fire. I made my own using a large tin with a large opening cut out the base of the can for wood insertion. less fires are tolerated these days so a small tangier alcohol stove can also be inserted in the tin with holes in it which shelters the fkame from sight and protects from wind so a tin and canopener can give real satisfaction for a small firesource. I also traveo cyclketoiuring across Europe with my dog and eat sardines from tins and fruit and do without a stove when I can. The curved utility mess tin shaped to the army type water bottle makes the best cooking tin if u only want to carry one can for all. my favourite
I have had my Coleman mess kit from Walmart for like 5 years. It is the EXACTLY PERFECT size for the solo stove. It is better than the the actual set sold by solo themselves. I highly recommend it.
I saw a vid on the BSA style cook kit. Scouting was started in Britain and it was really made to go through a military mess during WW1. It really wasn't made to do much cooking but to hold food as you walked through the chow line. The plate joins to the fry pan handle. The pot was for soup, coffee, tea, stew. I wish I could remember who did the vid to give them credit.
I've got a better quality version of that cheap kit, it's over 60 years old and branded with the BSA logo. Just gotta make sure that the kind you get isn't cheap and thin aluminum, but solid and thicker aluminum.
When I was 15 yrs old, I was in the boy scouts, we all had the mess kits, like the one you showed first, but I think it was about three times as thick as that Wal-Mart one, and I am 64 yrs old now, so it was back when Americans made things, unlike now, we don't make anything here any more, or very little.
I just picked up a boys out mess kit for 2 bucks at the flea market, I was able to date it somewhere around 1954 ish, 10 times better then what they make now everything is garbage nowadays
I have the second kit and have been using it off and on for over five years. There is no nonstick coating; it's anodized aluminum. It's held up very well.
Very nice review, I wish we could have some of that rain here. : ) I have the coleman set and love it. A little post smut just adds character. Most of the time, I just use the two smaller pieces though and use the extra room in the bag for alcohol and a sponge. : )
Yo, Kenny! Great to see you doing these updates and product demo's for us. If I may, can I offer you my opinion? You were a bit harsh on your evaluation of the first item, the aluminium mess kit. Yes, I agree it was a bit thin. Yes, I agree it may not last the distance, if given a beating. But, for someone like a young kid going camping, scouts, say, day trekking, whatever, it would be a marvellous first introductory item to take along. Remember back when you first got started? I remember your first videos. I've been tracking your progress these last years, and, I have to say you've come a long way, and become a very capable young man. If these items are so cheap and nasty, meaning you would pass them by in a store, think of how many people, unemployed and dispossessed out there who could or may benefit from something such as them? A man, (a generic term!), feels more like a man when he can fend for himself, and having a kit like that in his possession brings a measure of self-worth and self-esteem. I'm 51 years old, and I've been down that road. Being able to cook your own meals on something someone else would throw away, (figuratively), makes the world a damn sight less darker. Buy some of them, pass them out to the less well off than you. Remember, Kenny, everyone has to start somewhere, and having some kind of kit is better than having no kit at all. Thanks, Kenny. Allow me to be proud of how you've come along. You've earned this (old) man's respect for your accomplishments! Cheers, little brother! GS.
I have the first kit you you reviewed. It works just fine and does not take a lot of fuel to cook or boil. Maybe you should get out and use the stuff your reviewing before your review it.
The Coleman kit is excellent, if you leave out the smaller pan and pot(use them as back up) you can put a 230g gas canister inside the larger pot, it's a perfect fit including your stove, just use a elastic band to secure pan and pot then put back in mesh bag.
That bag that holds the canteen is not a bad thing at all. Civilizations revolved around containers and how important they were to have. That bag is another container that could carry dry tinder as well as a few other items. The canteen itself should not be empty...it should have other items in it when its not being used. Pack smart and utilize everything. Any container (including that bag that holds the canteen) is GOLD!!!
No need to be critical dude. If the coating doesn't make food stick I think I can call it a nonstick coating. I've used steel wool and that thing DOZENS of times and the coating hasn't shown a hint of degrading or coming off. I would like the mess kit to lock up on itself without the use of a stuff sack so if the stuff sack breaks I'm not carting around a falling apart mess kit. It's all about your own preference brother.
So far the aluminum cook kit cheap Boy Scout kind is useful for me has been for baking actually - the pot lid and plastic cup almost works like a double boiler concept for baking! It actually works really well especially with wood fire fold up stove you can make yourself some biscuits in it brownies work great.
I wouldn't say that a cheap kit is great because it's cheap. If I put a very small amount of food in a mess kit and the skillet part and then handle bend right in half, I don't care how much I payed for it, it's a piece of crap. But maybe I am wrong?
Look at your above comment, "The cheap kit is great if you want a cheap way to cook/eat on the trail" is exactly what you said. My point stands. If it bends in half I don't care what the price is it sucks.
That's an "Ozark Trail" mess kit on right >> pure junk!!! >> I'm in the middle of Santa Fe forest, and that kit was worthless. The wingnut on handle won't tighten down due to rivets that attache handle mount to skillet. Wobbley handle weighs more than skillet, so cooking light weight tortilla the skillet won't stay on camp stove. DO NOT PURCHASE. I invested in an $80 kit from REI >>> much happy now.
There is a difference though. The cheap junk at Wal Mart is their highest end. While the same products found at a sporting good store are exactly what they are, their cheap junk.
I am new to RU-vid. Just discovered your channel. Your video is decent. Picture quality is good. Your info was decent and presented ok. However all the clanging metal was freaking irritating. That is putting it very nicely. I could not stand to view the whole vid. I might check out your channel after about one year, to see if there is any improvement in overall presentation/quality. Good luck.
I'm pretty tired of people who think that because Walmart is Walmart, everything is shitty and made in China. 1-What isn't made in china? 99% of the items in Walmart's sporting good (camping) section are crap? That simply is not true. Brands such as Coleman, Lodge Cast Iron, Gerber, Letherman, Frogg Toggs, UST, Mountain House, Maglite, and Plano are not crap. Possibly your Walmart is a Malwart (ghetto Walmart) because none of the Walmart's I've been to sell 99% crap anywhere in the store
Walmart sell good stuff for the price. You can't expect to get something for nothing. A lot of their stuff is great in the out of doors. They sell some good packs, tarp, and other stuff as long as you know their usages and limitations. Of course it isn't an outdoors supply house, but Walmart is an excellent store especially for the camper/backpacker.
haha the "what the heck are you going to cook in it pot works perfectly for oatmeal in the morning. and We have eaten pasta out of it too...My husband and I each have one of these that we take backpacking. We boil water in something else but pour it into the $5 one. :)
Great review. I agree about the aluminum mess kit. It's junk. I think these are really made for the boy and girl scouts. They really are not useful to the average bush nut. Anyway, thanks. Good job.
Bought an Ozark Trail mess kit that is like the Coleman one for £5. ($8) Not as elaborate as your Coleman one and the handles are a bit hinky but there's everything there that is needed, especially if you use a canteen cup too. This is a great piece of gear, I don't see what people get so sniffy about unless it's just gear snobbery.
Back in college, I used this mess kit for 4 years of heavy backcountry camping. Always intended to upgrade, but never ended up doing it until a girlfriend bought me a GSI for christmas. I guess upgrading never made it to the top of the priority list, this mess kit just got the job done. In fact, I now use it for my military training. It's beat to shit, but it still works just fine, 7 years later. I guess my point is, you can't knock it just because it's from walmart. Good video.
I like the coleman max solo cookset.I don't have a problem with the stuff sack as a way to hold it together,doesnt bother me.But I think mine is slightly "damaged",the lip has got a tiny dent on the lip of that largest pot,which actually keeps it all from falling apart when its all nested together,lol.After spending money on two cook kits,I have a tendency to use a stainless steel water bottle or home made billy can more now.
The first kit I used in scouts it works. The plastic cup was little good for me. I like a steel cup. For the size and options the first kit is hard to beat and yes you can boil water in that little pot and make a hot drink. The lid on may kits is more than this whole kit. Many prefer SS yet all the old GI stuff is AL
I have the aluminum one and it is from ozark trail.I can cook in it I have used three types of fuel dont ask me what cause i dont remember . it worked perfectly oh the pot with the bucket handel holds up to 26 oz of liquid or solids like baked-beans.Use them before you do a review .the pan is also great as well.the plate is great as well.
I wish they made the boyscout style kit out of the stronger metal of the Colman as I prefer a flat style in my pack as to tall and round. I think that would be a winner in my book. One reason being, keeping the flatter style level on a fire is much easier. Another is in the pan style you can fry things side by side, not so much in the tall style. Nice video, ty.
It works and it's a good setup.....at $26. I'm old now in my 60's and don't see no difference in that compared to my TOAKS Ti Bowl, 900ml pot, 500ml inner pot and 400ml cup setup. And YOURS IS A FRACTION OF THE COST. My youngest is 21, working 40hrs a week + full time college. This kits perfect it's all about ease and the outdoors. This with a Triagia alcohol stove or a 250 Butane +a BSR Burner and your set. And that Scout set....I still have mine, nothing wrong with it. You do other than plain boiling and a fish/burger/steak. You'll be wanting a Scout setup. They work great for that.
The one I bought didn't come with a bag(the black kit).Typical Chinese junk if you ask me,and I'll explain why.The little pot that comes with the handle that swivels up and down is faulty.I made some tea !while on a campout placed it on my mini propane backpacking stove.When I lifted the pot off the stove,the pot collapsed,spilling the contents on the ground! I now use my combo stainless steel canteen cup(with lid) with canteen stove I purchased from a reputable company that sells quality items,and the kit hasn't failed me yet.
I dont understand is that so many people go to REI and spend between 20-40 bucks for their .8 ounce kettle .and that aluminum cook pot in that boy scout mess kit is 5 bucks and you get a .8 ounce cook pot but people are scared of aluminum from China..as long as your not a beast to your stuff the aluminum kit will last just as long as anything for a 1 to 3 day adventure.
Unless a Cookset has a VERY tight fitting lid like a MSR Ttian or a top locking handle like the Stanley Cookset or MSR Seagull pots, the lids/skillet tops WILL fall off no matter how good the stuff sack is. Even a $75+ Titanium Cookset like Snowpeak 900 and 1400 will suffer from the same problem. Sadly ,the reviewer NEEDS to LOOK and learn the difference between HARD ANODIZING and TEFLON. The Coleman set is Hard anodized- NOT Teflon. That is why it did no peel off from being put in a fire !
As far as I understood his problem with the bag was not the bag itself, but that it was needed to keep the mess kit together, unlike with the self contained one. If for some reason you were to lose the bag or damage it, you would need to rig another way to keep the kit from falling apart (especially if you have it affixed to the outside of large frame backpack or something similar). It's simply another point of failure that wouldn't be unnecessary if the kit would snap shut for example.
I have been using this Colman kit for several years now as my solo/summer kit. The bag is no big deal (you make too big of an issue of it). I use this kit in my classes as well. The inner small pot and lid are useless. I only us the larger (outer pot and lid) and pack my fuel canister and stove in it along with a small sponge. No rattles and fits perfect. The anodizing coating is good at not sticking foods. As with all Teflon/anodized coated pots do not put them in the dishwasher.
Walmart Bashing and your opinion is not the way to start an presentation about mess kits. Basically you were bashing Coleman an outdoor supplier. Why have a mess kit , it's just extra weight to lug along. All you need is one pot and if that one pot is a part of your stove then all the better. The Solo Stove is great since it burns wood or alcohol while the Esbit Alcohol Stove is also a complete unit and even lighter. Plus it is almost identical to your 2 pot except the handles are insulated.
Lately Ive been finding it funny. That Walmart online has cheaper prices than the store. Whats more funny is you can store pick up these items. I bought a headset for 29.99, in store it was 59.99. Bought a controller for 19.99 in store it was 29.99. For same products, thought it was weird. It is worth checking their site. Sometimes its posted 2-3x's for same item and one is cheaper.
No comment on the first kit, speaks for itself. But the second one, for that price you could honestly do an Optimus Solo kit for a few dollars more! I mean on amazon you can get the Optimus Crux Lite solo cookset for $50 for stove and all. I would pay that before I'd get the rest of this, just for knowing I had a quality one from a trusted brand. Not that anything is wrong with coleman, I just like optimus in general.
I like using the Wal-Mart Coleman cook set. Cleans up nicely, I use the 2 larger, of the 4 pots for most camping outings along with the MinibullDesigns alcohol stoves. The FUEL that works best is HEET, in the YELLOW plastic bottle that you can also buy at Wal-Mart in the automotive dept, in either singles or 4-paks. HEET, is Mythl Alcohol, burns Better, doesn't *pulse* , like Denatured alcohol will. My M2 SB minibull stove nests inside the pot along with a four ounce fuel bottle. A nice set up
He didn't say he uses either of the those mess kits in his Pack, in fact I know he uses the MSR 1.6 liter pot and its a very high quality pot. So please get your facts straight before calling someone an idiot. Kenny is far from an idiot and is much smarter about backpacking and bushcrafting than most adults.Also he did say that walmart is a horrible place for this kind of stuff in this video, so how could you think he uses those as his packs main mess kit?This video was merely educational.
Not sure what your deal is... But your kind of ignorant. I own both of these mess kits but teh onyl one I use is the cheaper one because it has more overall use. That mess kit combined with my MILSPEC canteen and canteen cup is all the mess kit anyone will ever need. Same cheap 5 dollar mess kit has been used for over 7 years now and close to 100+ meals cooked in it. No handle has ever bent, my mess kit isn't dented, and most important of all is a proper size frying pan.
the first ozark trail kit you had there yes it is cheeseey as heck but its light and doesnt use a lot of fuel to cook , thin shalow cookware heats fast with little fuel the little pot in the kit makes a great 2 biscuit oven by putting the coals on the top and bottem.i have used both stile kits like them both . the sesond kit is nerrow and tall requires more fuel and cooking time . i chose witch kit by space in my pack . nice presentation.
a thru hiker in 2012, trail name Skittles completed the AT using only gear he bought at WalMart. A personal challenge to a recent college grad with limited resources. The main thing is to enjoy the journey, don't fret about expensive gear, carry the 10 (or 15 essentials) and try to avoid life threatening situations. When you meet others on the trail, they won't all want to talk about gear nonstop.
i just got a stansport mess kit, it resembles the cheap kit you reviewed, but is better quality, thicker steel, and an enamel finish, im with you on the pot size being too small, it is just big enough to heat a can of soup, big enough i guess but it would be a better kit if they would just make it alittle larger, im going to a farm supply store to get a stainless steel dog food dish, rig up a handle on it to use for a skillet they're cheap and come in lots of sizes
Yup. I've run into a few unionized Chinese manufacturers that pay great wages, use Six Sigma and ISO 9000 quality management tools, and have good old fashioned pride. A lot of China companies also import parts and outsource with lower standardized companies. It's not them to blame for having cheap knock-offs for sale at Walmart - it's Walmart that made the decision to stock the stuff without pressing for better quality.
For that matter, two coffee cans provide a large steel billy can and a frying pan/lid if you know how to use your hands and can use simple tools to do basic sheet metal work. In an emergency, I would trade all the fancy mess kits money could buy for the versatility provided in an ordinary billy can. (Cooking/boiling/carrying/material transport/sensitive or breakable item pack storage) Spending money is your concern. Go for it. Just cut the BS about how it is so much better.
Kudos. I have to agree. Too much of the junk on the market has a high price, not for the value mind you, but simply for the name. Reminds me of buying tools. For instance, I have a channel lock 60$ socket set I would keep over my snap-on set..... tougher and better quality. Camping/ultralight/survival has become a fad, and corporations are cashing in on ignorance. For a good mess kit, titanium is a waste of money. It is only marginally lighter than aluminum, and costs 10 times more.
I didn't say it was great because it was cheap. I said it's not junk just because it's cheap. Some people actually want an inexpensive kit to use for infrequent trips or for a kid that will break things so the Wal Mart stuff has its uses. My son wanted to try camping and didn't like it, but the cheap kit was perfect for one use. I didn't want him to use mine because he wasn't into taking care of things well yet. He still has the cheap kit in case he decides to try again. (*bends *paid)
How old are you? 12? I'm sorry, but your "review" doesn't show a lot of experience. I have and use the cheap kit quite effectively when I pack with my son or alone. I have a better one that was more expensive, but here you're comparing apples and oranges. The cheap kit is great if you want a cheap way to cook/eat on the trail. I recommend it to anyone that wants something and is on a tight budget. Great for a kid or a starter - or anyone on a budget.
BTW $26 USD is cheap for a 4 piece mess kit in 2012....The lids double as BOWLS, not plates dude...Our spoons, sponge,soap,washcloth,condiments easily went inside this setup... The coating is called ANODIZED .. NOT non stick....and NEVER use steel wool on those pots. You'll remove the finish ..If you want to set them in the fire coat them with soap FIRST and cleanup will be easier...Little trick from our friends the Romans...you're complaining that it comes with a stuff sack? Seriously?
The Minibulldesigns M2 stove fits snugly into the Coleman LARGER pot / top along with the 5x23 pot stand though the 5x18 might allow me to also include the 2 smaller pots as well along with the 2 fuel bottles. I've cooked and Baked in the Coleman 4 piece Pots that you reviewed and find nothing wrong with my purchase from Wal Mart. It's small, light, easy to clean and carry in the sack that you, don't approve of. That's cool too. Just a different response from another hiker. Thanks for your video
I have the MSR stainless steal kit, nice, a bit too big and somewhat heavy but it stores my MSR Whisperlight quite conveniently. Having said that I went out and bought a Minibulldesigns alcohol M2 stove. Quite a bit small from the MSR, lighter, not as many parts to deal with as well. The MSR cooking kit was again, too big, too heavy so I went to WalMart and purchased the Coleman cook kit. I don't use the two(2) small pot and top, but the larger ones for all my cooking needs.Bake & cook in it!!
Nice video, but I seriously think that even a cheap mess kit is better than NO mess kit. I have a few of the cheaper ones, and I keep them with a couple of the single burner (and one double burner) Sterno stoves. For cooking small portion meals, they work fine. I have a nice cook set, but still think the cheap-o's are good enough to merit their use when needed. For people working with little money, these are fine for a simple mess set. Just gotta have something to cook in...right? IMHO
If you're worried about your aluminum intake, here's some info: you get of 10-12 mg of aluminum from food, canned edibles, sodas, medication, etc. daily. You get about 2-3 mg of aluminum from cooking acidic food in uncoated aluminum pan /worst possible scenario/. World Health Organization states that doses below 50 mg don't pose any health risks at all. And please, learn to make difference between something that is "associated" with a disease and something "causing" it... the difference is HUGE.
You did a good job on your comparison. I had a cheap palco mess kit very much like the one you displayed when I was a kid in the seventies. that kit sucked but it worked and my family didn't have much money so I took good care of it and I used it till I was an adult. I boiled water in it and cooked all sorts of things but things always stuck to it. When I was in my twenties I bought a good sturdy peak one solo stainless kit which I still use today and I'm 48 now.
I have tried both of these kits I liked the Coleman stove I felt it was pretty sturdy. Recently I have been told to try the Jet Boil stove and I love it. It's expensive but to me it pays for itself. At night when I go camping I love to boil hot cocoa before I goto bed it helps my inner core to stay warm. But I hate taking out the multiple stoves to do it, it takes to long. But since I got the Jet Boil its seconds.
DO NOT LISTEN TO THE COMMENTER BELOW! data suggest that you would get more aluminium from baking soda in a cake than cooking with aluminium pots. the internet coupled with ignorance of the facts is a dangerous thing
I am a newbie at 53 yo, Unplugging from the Hollyweird inspired Society. Love these videos. Home made alcohol stoves? Nested pots? Eating in the woods? Heck YES. Turn off your TV. Get outside!
Not everything at Walmart is crap, it is cheap and if cheap works for you, fine! There are things I don't buy at Wally world, As far as camping equipment, they do have brands like Coleman and other quality brands. Yes, they do have "cheap crap" but if it works, I am all for saving a dollar,it is the reason I shop at Wally world in the first place.
That cheap mess kit has the name of "Ozark Trail mess kit". Yeah it's cheap,but has worked for me for about 3 years now.Don't be afraid to get one,It's very lite.Just be a little careful with it and keep it at the top of your pack so you don't drop the pack and dent it.Best $4.00 bucks I've put in my pack.
