French Mess Kit

The most sturdy mess kit I own. Heavy but light. Better than US and fits in a small compact spot. I have a ton of gear and this is part of my mess kit. That says a lot

These are a very good buy. I have bought 2 of these mess kits. I will get another one for my car kit.

Great value nice compact design with room inside for two esbit folding stoves. sturdy aluminum construction easy to clean good buy. Will order a nother one for my wifes bag.

Great mess kit for the price. For all surplus things, your going to want to clean it very well. Tough as nails and it will last you a life time

Heavy duty and built to last. Mine cleaned up nice. Fits well into molle canteen/utility pouch. Esbit stove stores inside if you want. Wife and I both have one in our bug out bags.

This kit was what I expected from the description. Mine is marked 1981, and gently used. It is heavier than some commercial kits out there, but for the value it looks very durable. As another reviewer mentioned, an Esbit stove fits inside, with a little room for fuel and a spork. Overall I am pleased with my purchase, I think I am going to get many years of service out of this kit.

Alas mine was not mint. It appeared to be NOS, except it had some kind of water stain- a corroded area on two of the pans. I soaked it in a solution of baking soda and cream of tartar and gave it a once over with a scotchbrite pad in the affected areas- which cleaned it up OK; but it still has some markings. Remember that aluminum pans will develop these kinds of stains with use. You can go full on with abrasive pad, but then you start to get micro-scratches, which is about par. Would that these were stainless steel... (for my purposes). On the upside, it is a very compact set with a pleasing retro aspect and the pans lend themselves to certain kinds of meals. Not the best for soups, but glurpy stuff like chili or heavy stews do OK, and warming up standard 3-course leftovers has worked well for me.

Well, based on the reviews, I ordered three kits. They ARE heavy aluminum and well made, but all three I got were 'quite used'. Dents and deep scratches. But what do you want for ten bucks each. However ....... if I had it to do over again, I would have bought new stainless steel and spent the extra on really good stuff. I also put mine through the dishwasher which actually improved the look --- now they have a 'slightly tarnished, multi-colored, antique steel look'. Mine are date stamped 1959.

The other reviews summarize this kit well. It's sturdy, compact and has a shape that is a bit more useful for one person especially than the round pots for both cooking and packing (the Czech one I also use).
One thing to add is that this mess kit fits perfectly into a US IFAK pouch if you want to store is and keep it from getting loose or beaten up when carrying it. With a little Esbit stove tucked inside it's a great combo.
These IFAK pouches are handy and inexpensive too by the way.

Very impressed with the whole thing! Old and good quality, looks like someone else was doing the cooking.... This looks brand new. I prefer the rectangular shape (2.5 x 7.5 x 5) for packing.
Stamp on the bottom reads "JAPY" 1953. So I have an antique on my hands, I do not think this was made in Japan, I went to school with enough of these that would never learn how to cook, none the less have anything to do with a mess kit!