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Coleman Aluminum Mess
Kit
Owner
Review February 12, 2006
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Complete
Contents
(plate/bowl, pan, pot, cup,
handle, wing nut, screw)
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Completely
Compacted
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Nested
Pieces
(pot lid goes on top of this
stack, then bowl goes on top of that, then handle goes over top of bowl
and attaches to pan with wing nut and screw to hold unit together.)
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Reviewer's Information
Name: Liz Neely
Age: 37
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight: 145 lb (65.8 kg)
Email address: liz at armory dot com
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Reviewer's Background:
I've been day hiking for many years, and started backpacking in 2005.
My hiking and backpacking has been primarily in the San Francisco Bay
Area of California, on well-marked trails, with occasional stream
crossings. I've been on five weekend backpacking trips, all in state
and national parks in the San Francisco Bay area. The temperatures I
encounter range from 25
F (4 C) to 75 F (24 C), the elevations are between sea level and 3500
ft (1067 m), and my pack weight is between 30 to 35 lbs (13.6 to 15.9
kg).
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Coleman
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: http://www.coleman.com
Material: Aluminum
Listed Weight: not listed
Measured Weight: 8.5 oz (241 g)
Listed Capacities/Sizes:
cup: 8 oz (237 ml)
pot: 16 oz (473 ml)
pan: 7.25" (18.42 cm)
plate: 7" (18 cm)
Measured Capacities/Sizes:
cup: 8.5 oz (251 ml)
pot: 19 oz (562 ml)
pan: 7.25" (18.42 cm) across top, 6" (15 cm) across
bottom, 1.13" (2.87 cm) high
plate: 7" (18 cm) across top, 5.25" (13.34 cm)
across bottom, 1.38" (3.51 cm) high
MSRP: $5 US
Product Description:
The Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit is a compact and lightweight aluminum set
that
nests into a self-contained bundle, which is held in
place with a screw and a wing nut. The set includes a cup, a pot
with a lid, a pan with a detachable handle, and a deep-dish plate that
can also serve as a bowl.
Field Information:
I
have used this mess kit on three backpacking trips and one car camping
trip,
for a total of 15 meals. These trips were all in the California
Bay Area, with temperatures ranging from 45 to 75 degrees F (7 to 24
C), in mild to windy conditions with no rain. The elevations ranged
from sea level to 3000 ft (914 m). On the backpacking trips, this kit
was used for cooking on a Snow Peak Giga Power backpacking stove. On
the car camping trip, this kit was used on that
backpacking stove, as well as on a gas range inside a tent trailer.
Comments:
This is a great little mess kit, extremely lightweight, compact, and
has all the essentials other than utensils. I've also found it to be
very durable; I've packed it in my pack under many other items and
tossed it onto the ground while unpacking from a height of about 3 ft
(1 m). Through all of this rough treatment, it has remained fully
functional and undamaged. I've also never had any stability problems
with the pot or pan on my
small backpacking stove, probably because they are small and
lightweight.
Usefulness:
This mess kit is very useful for me for solo use, it has all the
cookware and dishes I need, other than utensils, for camping and
backpacking. It takes up very little space in my pack, is extremely
lightweight, and is self-contained, so all the pieces stay together
even when tossed in my pack haphazardly. However, when I tried to share
this with another person, I found that it does not really suit the
needs of two people. The main problem I ran into is that the pot does
not have a large enough capacity for a two-person meal. A secondary
problem is that there's no space inside the compacted unit for a second
cup. I don't consider these issues faults with the mess kit, however,
because I don't believe the manufacturer intended it to be used as a
multi-person mess kit; I'm simply mentioning these issues in case a
reader of this review is considering using this mess kit for multiple
people.
Convenience:
I find it very convenient to have a single unit to pack, without having
to think about what cookware and dishes I might need - I know
everything I need is there, regardless of what meals I'm planning to
prepare. I also find it convenient to just have one thing to pull out
of my pack when looking for my cookware and dishes. The only thing that
could make this even more convenient would be if it also held utensils;
perhaps the manufacturer can find a way to make folding utensils that
nest inside the cup. As mentioned above, this mess kit becomes less
convenient when trying to share it with another person.
Durability:
I've found this set to be very durable. It has been in my backpack with
lots of other things piled on top of it, laying around camp, sitting on
dirt and rocks, and washed with scrubby sponges, and the only signs of
wear are some discoloration of the metal, small scratches, and very
slight dents; none of these affect the usefulness or performance of the
mess kit.
Value:
This is a very good value. For $5, I got a set of dishes and cookware
that is all I need, other than utensils, for all of my meals. And it's
very durable, so I expect it to remain usable indefinitely.
Top Three Likes and Dislikes:
Three things I like about the Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit:
- It's very lightweight and compact, perfect for backpacking.
- It has all the essentials - a cup, a plate that can also serve as
a
bowl, a pan that can also serve as a plate or bowl, and a pot that can
also serve as a bowl.
- It nests into a single unit, making it easy to keep everything
together.
Three things I don’t like about the Coleman Aluminum Mess Kit:
- The cup only holds 8 oz (237 ml), and that's when it's full to
the brim; I often want a larger drink than that, and, even when only
drinking an 8 oz (237 ml) drink, I don't really like to fill the cup
all the way to the brim.
- The pot only holds 19 oz (562 ml); this makes it inconvenient to
cook for two
people, as this often isn't quite enough capacity for a two-person meal.
- It doesn't include utensils, and doesn't have a place inside the
nested dishes that utensils will fit, so they have to be stowed
separately.
Read more reviews of Coleman gear
Read more gear reviews by Liz Neely
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