Quick driveby posting. Visited a gentleman to see another stove, and he asked if I was interested in these. Why yes, yes I was. One is stainless, the other is aluminum. My understanding is that stainless(left) is the M40 and aluminum(right) is the M44 - please correct me if I'm wrong. Couple D rings on the smaller pan handle. My thinking is for holding over a fire with a stick similar to the bail and hook on the deeper pan, as I've demonstrated with a pliers handle here. Would some of you who have been issued these kits and used them in the field mind commenting? Room for two fuel bottles, if one was so inclined. Thanks folks. I believe these will become my new vehicle brew kits.
Nice find! I have a couple of the stainless version and really like them. If you are looking for a small bag to carry them in, the US 2 QT canteen pouch fits it perfect. I bought one for each of mine.
You are right the 2 d-rings is just for that purpose. The green kuksa is made tofit inside the big pan and I think you can squezz the spoon fork set in it to. The burner and bottle was not meant to be carried in the pan. Tha shape of the bottle is so that it can be easier carried in a pocket in winter so to keep fuel warmer.
Every stovie's gotta have one! Bought one for $7.50 at the Tacoma Duffel Bag many moons ago; always wished I'd bought a few more. That old great outdoor store is long gone.
Saw a couple of your posts along those lines, Ed. As I get time I'm reading my way through previous threads, lots of fantastic info. I'm working from home today, if I get a chance I'll use one to cook lunch.
Nice catch. I missed the boat when these were going for peanuts. [Not yet bitten by the stove bug then.] I have acquired a Trangia (?) windshield, small alco bottle and Svea military burner, sold with a Hungarian 2-piece mess tin, and sold as the "NATO Military Surplus Mess, Stove and Fuel Kit, Used" for $15. Which is funny because Sweden was always neutral and Hungary used to be in the Warsaw Pact. The Hungarian kit is kidney-shaped, like the original German M1931 Kochgeschirr, but shorter, with a bigger pan and shorter billie can. Also I have several East German grey mess kits, a West German one, a later Italian copy of the West German and 2 models of the M54 Gamella with 2 pans and a pot in a D-shaped configuration. The cavity of the kidney shape allows a flue of hot gasses to flow up the back side. The Italian D shape works better. But the original Swedish oval is best-shaped not to waste that heat. I've had fun cooking with the Svea alco and Trangia burners, on the back porch. Noodles, water for soup and tea, rice. I've also fried fish, potatoes, and sausages in the shallow pan. With the open back of the kidney shaped units, you have to be careful not to let the flame catch the cooking oil on fire. It can be snuffed by a free pan if caught in time. You cannot turn your back on it when frying. I've also used a Soviet-era Prymus PT-1 steel square trivet over the flip-up bails in the windscreen to hold a Moka espresso pot, or a USGI canteen cup. Works great. There are a lot of You Tube videos with tips and tricks for the Snuskburken. [Sp?] Still looking for the real Swedish deal.
You're correct in assuming the rings are for extending the handle. Good for using in open fire. Next thing to get is the plastic kuksa which fits inside. Minimizes rattle. I don't think you can fit it in with two fuel bottles though. Edit: found a picture of kuksa online http://img.rodastjarnan.com/okategoriserat-svenskt-enmanskok-1811-c1.jpg
Those kuksa are so useful we keep them in a kitchen cabinet, instead of with the camping gear. ....Arch
The Kuksa are great. Nice feel to them. But don't ever use them in the microwave. I thought, being plastic, one would be fine nuking some Dinty Moore beef stew. The cup deformed underneath in the shape of chunks of meat and veg. I ate it anyway. Maybe tasted a little funny, but I'm still alive. The next generation Wildo Camp-a-Box is ''nuclear'' safe, however, but that's a messkit you can't cook with over a gas or alcohol stove, so outside the scope of this forum.
Those plastic accessories were mainly made in the 1960's when microwave ovens were very far away from Sweden
The right one is the M44 type but that was renamed M40AL in the 1960's and your is made in 1979, maybe one of the last batches - the shield indicates it was intended for use by civil defense, at that time there seem to be lots of civil defense items painted in green.
Yes, in that sort of marking it indicates the year of manufacture and the three crowns indicates military use. And yes, that "kåsa" seem to be made in the same mould that was used for the later military ones - it fits well but not that exact "snap-in" fit that the old thick edged ones had. Swedish military "Enmanskök"(one mans stove)
Sportsmans Guide has a clearence deal on 6 Kuksa for $7.79. USD. [Plus shipping] www.sportsmansguide.com ''Swedish Military Surplus Canteen Cups, Olive Drab, 6-Pack, Used" WX2-702426 That's where I got mine. They didn't look used. Markings: 3 Crowns, 10, Stellana Laxa.
@SveaSizzler Thanks! Why is it that because I don't want to spend more on shipping than on the product, I'm looking for other items to buy as well? My objection was to spending more money, so instead I'm going to spend even MORE money?
Check out the Italian Army M-54 Gamello [Mess Tin] WX2-658068.....19.99. Classic design, unlike the old kraut cans, unpainted and heavy duty aluminum. I've got 2. I've been a Sportmans Guide fanatic for better than 20 years. If you join the Buyers Club you get a lot of deals.
Thank you. The Italian mess kit didn't appeal to me, so I doubled my order of cups and placed it. I'll have spares if anyone wants some.
