How was the Sweedish Army mess kit used?

[OregonDave]

Perhaps its more a matter of what did/does the soldiers have for field rations? The burner used to heat food up or to actually cook food? Our US mess kit was (is?) just a shallow divided frying pan kind of thing with a flattish "plate" as a cover. Just right for the cook to pour gravy on your pancakes, syrup on the bacon, all topped off with something yellow and lumpy until you sat down and the two pieces come apart. C rations were eaten directly out of the can. :)
OD

[Johan]

It has seen many uses through the years. It started sometime in the late 1800's were it was used more or less as a waterbottle. Soldiers probably cooked whatever they could get on it then. But what I have seen in pictures from the past and my own use of it when i was i nthe army it´s mostly used as a eating bowl/plate.

When I did my service over 10 years ago we used a lot of tin cans als known as "the golden tins" these were very common back then since they culd be eaten both cold and warm. You could easily get 2 tins in the pot and so you could cook together with a friend. Ranger units used a version of the modern Trangia but made by Optimus and diffrent in design and they were issued a kind of freeze dried food that had 2 components. The main course and some kind gravy that was mixed in later. The cooking time of this was pretty long and it did not taste very good either.

The mess tin kit is still in use today and most of the time the soldiers that use them get cooked food and there for do not need to cook any food in them. They can also get the Real freeze dried. These comes in a bag that only needs to add hot water and wait for a few minutes and they taste good.

Most units today that needs to cook food uses multifuel stoves, these are often used in groups of 2-3 and them each soldier is issued Mini Trangia. The Optimus version is still used by some Ranger units and the Mess tin kit is issued to ever soldier. Rumour has it though that a new stove is on the way, but because of all the cut downs that is something that the soldier wont see for a long time.

[OregonDave]

Thanks Johan. I kind of thought the "lid" was used as a cup or bowl, perhaps even to cook or boil water in, but couldn't quite decide what the lower section was for. Best I could guess, it was for food storage and perhaps cooking. Starting life as a water bottle, it most likely served many purposes over the years. :)
OD

[devotee]

I did my service 2001/2002, and was in a ranger unit. We were not issued the mess kit. Only the optimus version of the classical meth stove (meth stove sounds like something used to cook speed on...). I didn't actually see the 'SA army trangia' until I was on a exercise together with a couple of mechanised infantry companies, and I remember that I though, "What the hell are they eating out of". The had all put plastic bags inside there lids to get rid of washing up. Lazy sods!

And Johan, what do you mean with the freeze dried not tasting good? Do you mean the ordinary "blå band" versions? I liked them anyway. Although the gold tin liver pâte is still something would kill for, almost.

[venturer-scott]

There great kit, i use the pot ( or even the lid on a stick!) on the fire

Though at the end of the day you can use it for what ever you can use it for... i find beans on the lid and past and so forth in the main pot. Thats just me.

Scott

[dill]

How was the Sweedish Army mess kit used?

Very, very carefully.

Don