A mess kit is a portable set of basic cooking and dining equipment, typically consisting of three to five pieces, used for recreational activities like camping or by soldiers in the field. The intention is to provide lightweight and compact supplies for cooking and eating, often with parts that serve multiple purposes. Commercially sold civilian mess kits usually contain around five pieces, but designs can vary widely. Some kits are more compact than others, with flattened dishes and pots that expand when needed.
A mess is a set of basic cooking and dining equipment that needs to be compact and portable. While the actual components of a mess kit can vary widely, it generally consists of three to five pieces, with at least one designed for open fire cooking and another to hold liquids such as water or soup. The term can refer to kits that are used for recreational activities such as hiking or camping, although it is also used when referring to a standard-type military kit used by soldiers who operate in the field and do not have access to a mess hall organised. Some kits contain more than the cooking equipment and have compact silverware, or even small heat sources that can be used to cook foods in the pans provided. Cooking equipment can be made from many materials, from aluminum and stainless steel to plastic drinking cups and trays.
The intention of a mess is to provide the most basic supplies so that food can be cooked and eaten properly. They are also designed to be lightweight and compact so they take up as little space as possible in a backpack. One way a messenger kit can maintain a small footprint while still providing good functionality is to have parts that serve more than one purpose. An example of this is a metal plate that can be eaten but can also double as a lid for a frying pan included in the kit. Other examples are glasses that double as ladles or pot handles that bend and become holders for hot dishes or heat sources.
A commercially sold civilian mess kit often contains about five pieces. It may have a pan or saucepan to cook with, a large cup to drink from, a deeper pan so water can be boiled, and usually an eat-out type of dish, and a general purpose lid that may also be used as a dish. So many types of bungle kits are produced that the exact number of pieces and the type of equipment included can be very different.
Some mess kit designs are more compact than others. One version includes a single tall cylinder that is supposed to be used as a cooking pot, while inside are a number of small cylinders that can be used for serving or other purposes. Some kits include just a pan that you fold in half with some silverware. Very compact designs include flattened dishes and pots that carry in a flat bag but expand like an accordion into deep dishes when needed.
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