Help me place this old Boy Scout mess kit

[Seanm26]

I have had this kit for years and use it often. Got it from an estate sale.

The dimensions are almost identical to the flimsy aluminum ones you see today. The skillet is carbon steel. The handle is mild steel. The pot, lid, plate, and cup are tin. I use the magnet to keep it from rattling when packed away and as a handle to use the plate as a lid for the skillet.

I haven't been able to find much about it and haven't seen another like it.View attachment 134676View attachment 134677View attachment 134678View attachment 134679View attachment 134680View attachment 134681

 

[Munga Brown]

That's cool... it reminds me of my old BS kit I had back in the '60s. Seems like you already know most of what there would be to know about it.

 

[Road]

I like the magnet idea.

You might find more info on one of these sale posts. You might have to look through forty, then will find one that will go into detail on history, dates, etc of the item they're selling or have one just like yours: BSA Mess Kits .

I do know, though don't quote me, that they started using a plastic cup in the sixties. So yours may be from the fifties or earlier unless someone substituted it later.

I have a great little carbon steel fry pan, only about 6", I got from the guy in Alaska who makes the Bushbuddy Stove (the original twig stove that spawned a ton of less well-built imitations), though they don't sell it anymore. Have some great carbon steel knives, too, from both Mora and Opinel.

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[J.W.]

I have the same steel kit. It was my dad’s when he was in the scouts in the 40s. I even have the original cloth case.

View attachment 134728

*not my pic, I didn’t want to dig my kit out of my pack so I found this one online

According to Dr. Google, they replaced the metal cup with a plastic one in the 1960s then everything went to stainless steel not long after. I use the stainless kit more than my dad’s old steel one because it is so much lighter. The newest BSA kit is actually very good but I don’t really like the mesh bag that comes with it.

 

[WAYAWAY]

I don't NEED a vintage BS mess kit.. but now I WANT several.

 

[Seanm26]

I should have done more looking around recently. This guy answered all of my questions.

 

[M Rose]

Wow, that video has some really good information, going by those adds, it would seam a early to mid 40’s BSA Mess kit might be worth some serious money to a collector.

 

[Seanm26]

It's worth more to me as an useful kit! And it will last long enough to give to my son.

 

[M Rose]

It's worth more to me as an useful kit! And it will last long enough to give to my son.

I wasn’t meaning to sell it, I meant knowing what we now know about your kit, it makes it a little more sought after because its made out of steel and iron