A Camping Mess Kit For Your Gear

By Adelia Ladson

When you’re camping, especially, if you’re doing it ultralight and hiking along a trail, compact gear is essential. You don’t have to sacrifice comfort, when eating, for compactness, though. To me, eating well and eating comfortably while I’m camping goes hand in hand with enjoying my trip. If you’ve been hiking all day, you don’t want to eat from a pouch and you shouldn’t have to. When you include a camping mess kit in your gear, you can relax and enjoy your dinner without burned fingers or spills into your lap.

Mess Kits

Depending on how lightweight and compact you need your camping gear to be, you can choose from different materials and set-ups when you’re looking for a camping mess kit. It can be as simple as a stainless steel tray to a kit that comes with a Hobo stove.

Aluminum Mess Kit

Just a classic, military-style, the Aluminum Mess Kit is a compact design that’s easy to pack and store. It’s made completely of lightweight aluminum and includes a cooking pan and eating tray that are secured with a hook after folding them together.

Trailblazer Camper’s Mess Kit

I consider the Trailblazer Camper’s Mess Kit the absolute go-to when you’re ultralight hiking or camping. It’s made out of tough, but ultralight, olive drab molded plastic and it comes with stainless steel dining utensils. It’s really one of the most complete sets that I’ve seen and still be compact enough for ultralight camping. The interlocking cutlery set consists of a knife, fork and spoon that can be separated out to use and secured together for storage. Not only does the camping mess kit contain a folding drink cup and a bowl for cereal or soup, but it also includes a nylon cutting board with a built-in strainer and a combined salt and pepper shaker. The lid and the bottom of the kit double as meal trays.

Ready Hour Mess Kit And Carry Bag

The Ready Hour Mess Kit and Carry Bag is great for solo camping when you’re staying in one location for your trip. The kit has five components that stack seamlessly to create an all-in-one storage unit. Included in the kit is a 30-ounce pot, a 17-ounce pan that doubles as a lid, a BPA-free plastic mug and a pot scrubber. Both the pot and pan are made of stainless steel with silicone-coated handles for a heat-free grip. The curved handles fold in an out for use and storage and the carrying bag is mesh with a drawstring.

Camp Tableware For One

When you’re camping with your family, the Camp Tableware For One is a set that you need to get for each family member. Each piece in the set is sturdy TPU and the set includes a plate, bowl, cup and a set of dining utensils. The utensil set includes a fork, a knife and a spoon, all with holes in their handles for hanging or securing them together. The plate and bowl are pretty much the size of your dining ware at home. This tableware kit is also well-suited for beach trips and picnics.

Military Surplus Stainless Steel Dining Tray

Military-style mess hall trays also make great additions to your camp kitchen gear when you’re camping with your family. Our Military Surplus Stainless Steel Dining Tray is corrosion-resistant and it has six sections so that you have a spot for everything your meal consists of whether it’s breakfast or supper.

Kelly Kettle Small Trekker Kit

Remember when I said that you could find camping mess kits with a Hobo stove? Well, here is the Cadillac of camp dining sets. The Kelly Kettle Small Trekker Kit is perfect for solo camping in the Fall or Winter. The star of the kit is the kettle that boils about 20 ozs of water within a matter of minutes and has a whistle to let you know when it’s done. It will boil water quickly in all weather conditions when placed over its Hobo stove, which uses natural fuel like twigs and dry grass. Along with the Kelly Kettle, you’re getting a kettle pot support, a camping cup and a small cook set, which even includes a small grill. All components in the set are premium stainless steel and they fit neatly in a drawstring storage bag.

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Dining Utensils

If your camping mess kit doesn’t come with utensils, unless you plan on eating hot food with your fingers, you need to get some to go with. You don’t ever want to take out your silverware from home and risk losing it or ruining it. Here are my suggestions for some tough utensils that will make great companions to your camping mess kit.

Trailblazer Three-Piece Lexan Utensil Set

The Three-Piece Lexan Utensil Set from Trailblazer is a lightweight option good for ultralight camping. The olive drab utensils are made with a tough, corrosion-proof Lexan material and are each approximately 6” long. The fork, spoon and knife can all be stored together on the included 2” carabiner, which can be clipped to your belt loop or backpack.

Trailblazer Three-Piece Stainless Steel Utensil Set

Another good quality set from Trailblazer, the Three-Piece Stainless Steel Utensil Set is streamlined and compact. It also includes a fork, spoon and knife that snap together with brass pins. The knife has an integrated built-in bottle opener. The food-grade stainless steel set comes with a storage pouch.

KA-BAR Tactical Spork

Who doesn’t like a spork with its clever combination of fork and spoon. Taking it to a new level, the KA-BAR Tactical Spork includes a serrated knife hidden in the handle. The knife is accessed by pulling the spork in opposite directions from each end. The 6 7/8” utensil is made from food-grade Grilamid, and is practically indestructible.

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