Recently on this blog I made a brief mention of the Yugoslavian Mess Kit. Since then I have the opportunity to examine a couple of examples so I can now provide some additional details.
The first thing you notice about this mess kit is the pouch that it comes in.
There is an old joke that an elephant is a horse designed to military specifications and there is an element of truth in such witticisms.
I have a British ’58 pattern water bottle pouch that I suspect weighs more than many rucksacs I own!
The pouch for the Yugoslav mess kit is therefore a pleasant surprise, being simple and made of a reasonable weight of robust canvas.
The canvas is of fine weave and I have seen it suggested that it could be used as a pre-filter for water. It is very, very slow, and the water will be contaminated by anything on the outside of the pouch.
The pouch is provided with two closed loop attachment points on the back. These appear to be approximately 2" so will accommodate many types of belt you may want to use with it.
Since the water is not easily accessible when on the move, there is no real reason to carry this kit on your belt, and the weight is better moved in a backpack.
I got to examine two examples, both of dull green but differing in shade.
The mess kit slid easily out of the first one I examined but the second stubbornly refused to yield its contents at first!
Mystified by this, I discovered the slot moulding on the bowl was catching under the fastening for the pouch top. This just seems to be a variation in cut and once freed the problem has seldom reoccurred.
I now store the kit with the handle outward this prevents the bracket catching.
Pot
The lower, metal part of the mess kit I will call “the pot”. Unlike some mess kits, this one has only a single vessel that you may cook in. The other containers are plastic.
Construction of the pot is quite sturdy and the metal used is of a good thickness. Capacity is about 800 mls. There is no provision for hanging the pot over a fire. Like similar designs, the handle can fold unexpectedly if moved in certain directions.
Outer surface of the pot appears to be enamel.
A typical 400 gram food can is around 73 mm diameter and 113 mm tall. While the width is a little snug, such a can fits in this pot and needs only a small volume of water to heat it. This size and shape of pot may be a very efficient configuration for food can heating.
If this is your usual style of outdoor cooking, this will be a good mess tin for you.
The straight edge of the pot allows it to be more effective if used to scoop from a shallow depression.
The pot handle folds upwards and holds the bowl in place when the kit is in the pouch.
Bowl
The plastic “bowl” is rectangular in section and appears of similar size and shape to the pot.
Capacity of the bowl is actually about 700 mls and wall thickness seems to be at least 3-4 mm.
The bowl fits over a lip on the top of the pan and is a good friction fit but is also secured by the pan handle.
The bowl has no handle but a slot moulded on one side is designed to be hooked over the upturned end of the pot handle. In this manner both pot and bowl can be held in one hand, for example while queuing in a mess line.
Like all other plastic parts of the kit it is marked “NE DRŽATI NA VATRI” (“Do not place in fire”).
Water Bottle
Inside the bowl and pot is a water bottle. This is slightly unusual for a military water bottle in that it is rectangular in section to fit efficiently within the pot. Capacity is a splash over one litre.
The plastic of the bottle is a little softer than for the other items and has a degree of spring to it. It appears to be intelligently designed and constructed for its intended role.
The spout appears about the same size as that on a plastic soda bottle, so a little more fiddly to fill in the field than wider necked bottles. The threads are fine, so be wary of cross-threading.
Cap seal is good. I filled the bottle and stored it inverted overnight. No leaking.
Fitting over the spout of the bottle is a rectangular section “beaker”. This fits over a raised lip on the top of the bottle and forms a secure friction fit. Capacity of the beaker is approximately 150 mls.
KFS
The Yugoslavian mess kit is often marketed as an “eight-piece kit”. The final three components are a knife, fork and spoon set (KFS).
The KFS fits in the side of the pouch in what appears to be an internal pocket but is in fact just two flat loops of cloth. It is easier to fit the kit back in the pouch if the KFS is replaced after the eating and drinking vessels.
The KFS is somewhat different to the camping KFS I grew up with. The grip of the knife is formed into a sleeve into which the handles of the spoon and fork are inserted.
An inscription inside the knife handle includes the word “ROSTFREI” which I know is German for “rust-free” aka “stainless steel”. Odd that, since two tiny specks that appear to be rust are near the inscription.
A quick check with a magnet reveals the fork and spoon are not magnetic, but the knife is!
The knife blade has both a serrated section and a straight, apparently chisel-edged, part. As I reported in a previous blog, the knife has a bottle opener cut-out. I now discover it is provided with a can-opener beak as well.
The spoon is quite generously sized. Fork and spoon are both “full-sized” implements which might disappoint the “ultra-light” travellers, but be welcome to those with larger hands.
I have seen it suggested that the KFS set alone is worth the asking price of the kit.
Warning: The serrated part of the blade is surprisingly sharp!
Overall Design
One of the kit’s virtues is also the chief objection. Everything fits neatly together in one package.
It is, however, very difficult to access the water bottle without first removing the bowl and pot from the pouch, removing the bottle from within them and removing the beaker.
Admittedly, it may be possible with some pouches to push the pot handle back far enough to remove the bowl while keeping the pot in the pouch, but this is fiddly and not something I would like to try when it is on a belt and I am on the move.
You would not use this bottle as your primary source of water.
I happen to regard canteen cups and mess tins as a pack item rather than a belt item.
Don’t use this as your primary water bottle. Use it to complement a system such as one with a drinking tube you can drink from while walking.
It is possible the plastic of the beaker and bowl may become overly brittle with time.
Conclusion
The Yugoslavian mess kit on its own would not be my first choice for camping/bushcraft needs.
It does, however provide you with some very nice components to build a kit around at a very reasonable price.
It is certainly a very space-efficient design.
Many military water bottles or camping KFS kits on sale cost more than the entire Yugoslavian kit. In fact, many belt pouches on their own cost more!