Mess kits were originally designed for military use, for the soldier on a long march. A basic mess kit would include a cup, an eating bowl, and a few utensils such as a knife, fork, and spoon. Over time, these mess kits and MRE meals grew in configurations, as materials evolved and designs flourished. Now, it’s not just the military who use these, you can find an MRE heater meal $2.99 off normal price here and take a look at this review to find the best mess kit to use with it. Modern mess kits come in many configurations including the basic old style kit or the more multipurpose modern kit.
List of Top-Rated Camping mess kits
Now let’s take a look at the five best camping mess kits.
The Best Camping mess kits Reviews
Contents
1. Coleman Rugged 1-Person Mess Kit
This is the Coleman Rugged 1-Person Mess Kit
Performance
When it comes to basic, nothing gets simpler than this. This is a military style mess kit that is both compact and ingenious. The kit is made from powder-coated aluminum alloy, which means you get a lightweight kit that can be sued on fires to heat up the content. The powder coating is non-stick and reliable; it is scratch resistant too.
This kit includes a 7″ frying pan, a 6-oz. pot with lid, a 6.5″ deep-dish plate, and an 8-oz. aluminum cup. All these components fit together when closed in one small package that is extremely light, extremely tight and extremely reliable.
Features
- 5-piece kit
- Nesting design
- Collapsible handle
- Non-stick surface
- Lightweight aluminum construction
Recommendations
Simple, inexpensive and perfect. This is the ultimate in simplicity and performance, and you won’t get a better deal for an individual mess kit.
2. GSI Outdoors – Bugaboo Backpacker, Nesting Cook Set
This is the GSI Outdoors – Bugaboo Backpacker, Nesting Cook Set, and Superior Backcountry Cookware
Performance
When it comes to compact and high quality, you are talking about this amazing 2 person mess kit that comes with a Teflon coated aluminum component with polypropylene, nylon 6-6 and silicone holders.
Makers of kits like these typically adhere to manufacturing process like automated die machining for the development and production of high-quality wares. Automated die machining boosts manufacturing capacity and also affords much needed consistency in terms of surface quality, precision and contour.
That said, this particular configuration comes with a 2 liter Pot, a size 8 frying pan, a strainer lid, 2 x 14 flow ounce insulated drinking mugs, a folding pot gripper, and a welded sink.
The mugs are made from polypropylene and cannot be used for heating, however, the heat protectors are made from durable silicone, and the Teflon coating is the best for non-stick applications.
The overall weight of this set is 28.8 ounces and is rugged enough for all conditions. The sink is a bag of fun, where you can easily wash all the utensils and doubles as the holding sack.
Features
- Rugged stuff sack and sink
- Color-coded items
- Folding gripper locks
- Crushproof, heat-resistant strainer lid.
- Aluminum Coated with Teflon Classic.
Recommendations
This is a camper mess kit made for the upscale camper that likes a bit of style when dining.
3. Gold Armour 10-17Pcs Camping Cookware Mess Kit
This is the Gold Armour 10-17Pcs Camping Cookware Mess Kit
Performance
Well, it’s here, it’s now and it doesn’t get better than this. If you want more than just a mess kit, then you want the Gold Armor kit, since it comes with 17 pcs of camping tools for a perfect camping solution.
This kit is made of a number of materials, each one perfectly suited for its purpose. The cooking utensils are made from anodized non-stick aluminum, the eating utensils are made from stainless steel, and there is a wooden cooking spoon, plastic utensils for measuring and preparing food. Here is the full list:
- Folding stainless steel spork, spoon, fork, and knife.
- Mini stove with a piezo ignition system
- Anodized aluminum nonstick pot, frying pan and pan cover
- 2 BPA free plastic bowls with a BPA free plastic soup spoon, rice ladle
- A loofah sponge
- A Carbiner
- A Fire Starter kit
- A nylon bag to carry all of the stuff.
Now what is amazing is the price, and honestly, either this stuff is made on an alien planet, or the price is a charity.
Features
- 17pcs camping cookware set includes:
- Amazing price
- Exceptional quality
Recommendations
To be honest, I am at a loss for words, I actually bought a dozen of these and gave them out to friends and family. That’s how inexpensive and how amazing they are.
4. MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit
This is the MalloMe Camping Cookware Mess Kit
Performance
Here is another unbelievable kit that competes with the best at a price that is just incredibly hard to beat. This kit comes with 10 pieces of equipment that you want and needs for every camp outing.
This kit comes with 10 components, these are:
- A 1-liter Anodized Aluminum Nonstick Pot with a Pot Cover
- A Nonstick Pan
- 2 BPA Free Bowls
- Folding Stainless Steel Spork
- BPA Free Soup Spoon
- Wooden Spoon Spatula
- Cleaning Sponge
- Nylon Travel Bag Drawstring Pouch
This kit folds up neatly, fits together in a great compact bag and is lightweight for an easy backpack experience.
Features
- 10pcs camping cookware set includes:
- Amazing price
- Exceptional quality
Recommendations
This is another perfect budget-friendly camping mess kit solution and is a must-have a kit for all ages.
5. Barbeqa Camping Mess Kit 4 Person Dinnerware Set with Mesh Bag
This is the Barbeqa Camping Mess Kit 4 Person Dinnerware Set with Mesh Bag
Performance
This is not a cookware kit, its only eating and drinking utensils and is made from BPA free polypropylene.
There are a number of reasons why this kit is on the list of the five best camping mess kits.
- This kit provides 4 individual eating compliments that are plates, cups, bowls, and sporks.
- They are all colored for individualization
- They are easy to clean
- They are lightweight and compact
- They are a perfect companion to a cookware camping mess kit.
Essentially, this is the kit you want to add to any of the other four mentioned above, and they act as an additional eating compliment for groups of four and more.
Features
- Four individual colored BPA free polypropylene utensils
- Mesh carry bag
Recommendations
This is a lovely little accompaniment camping mess kit, and a must-have for any group of campers that want more than just a cooking kit combo.
WHat is The Best Camping Mess On the Market?
Modern kits come with a full complement of cookware, eating ware and utensils with tools such as can openers, fire starters, saws and everything you could need to catch, prepare, and cook as well as serve a hot meal.
To make sure you buy the best camping mess kit, you need to be aw2are of the different factors that make up a perfect solution, and remember this, there is no perfect solution, every camping environment demands different materials and equipment, and however, they all require the basic set of eating and cooking utensils integrity. So before I present the items, let’s take a look at what must be considered.
Materials
Camping mess kits must be metallic, and there are five options to choose from;
Aluminum; this is a lightweight metal, a good conductor of heat and does not rust, but it will corrode when used with acidic substances and dents and scratches easily since it’s a soft metal. The best version of aluminum is an anodized one, howe3ver the anodize surface can be scratched easily, and while this is a more rugged performer than untreated aluminum, it does not provide unlimited hardness.
Stainless steel; is a corrosion-resistant metal, hard and strong and doesn’t conduct heat uniformly like aluminum. This is heavier than aluminum but much more reliable and stronger.
Titanium; this is an element that gives you the lightness of aluminum with the hardness of steel. It usually comes in an alloy form and not in pure form, since it’s an expensive material. However, you will never go wrong with this metal and it heats up quickly and is less heat conductive than steel too, which means you can hold one cool side while the other side is hot.
Cast iron; this is the original material used centuries ago, its heavy, it rusts, and it’s solid. You need to care for this, and it’s too heavy for backpacking, but it is considered to be the best cooking material ever.
Plastic; This is not good for cooking, but perfect for eating. Consider purchasing disposable plastic plates and bowls, as they don’t take up much space, and breakage might not be a problem. However, make sure the plastic is BPA-free.
Non-Stick Coating
There are many non-stick coating alternatives, from inexpensive thin stretchable materials to more expensive ceramics. A non-stick coating is good for cleaning and is a time saver. However, you cannot skimp on this, if you intend to buy a non-stick coated set, buy a good one, otherwise you will find that the cheaper sets lose the coating after one or two washes.
Cookware Considerations
When you buy a mess kit, consider how many people you are cooking for. If it’s an individual affair, then you don’t need much, but if you are going as a group, you want to have at least one large pot and pan as well as a kettle for water. Mess kits are individual, but when heating food collectively you don’t want ten pans on one fire.
Consider adding a large pot, pan, and kettle when going as a group to help supplement the individual mess kits.
Take into account the size of the pots and pans, and make sure you have lids for reducing the cooking time that saves on energy and fire as well as helps retain the water in the food which is something you want in both hot and cold conditions. Take into consideration the lid design; some kids can be used as pans or plates. In fact, it is sometimes best to buy a pan that will act as a lid.
Hot pan lifters, make sure you have at least one hot pan glove or cloth that can be used to hold pans or pots straight off the fire.
Utensils
There are a number of hybrids on the market today, one of the more popular is the spork, and this saves on space and clutter, these are also known as foons. Some of these models will come with a sharpened edge, knife-like, but don’t buy one that is too sharp or you might cut your mouth.
There is a tale-foon which is a telescopic handle on a spork; this is used for stirring boiling pots.
Finally, never forget the fire lighting equipment, and try to take a water filter kit, just boiling water is great, but filtering it is better.
One final word on camping mess kits, you don’t need to think that a camp is a wild wood fire with rough nature all around, if you happen to take your truck, jeep, bike or car with you, consider investing in a DC inverter that lets you connect all sorts of household products, and you could end up having a Michelin start kitchen in the middle of the boondocks.
