1915 Boy Scout Mess Kits and 1925 Recipes!

We examine 1915 cook kits, discuss Wearever company history, and cook 2 recipes from the 1925 Boy Scout Manual
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[@honorableoutfitters]

Don't forget to subscribe! kzbin.info/door/QCrHMuOcIaZ0g--SecB4yA

[@kurtbaier6122]

Great video. It answered some of my questions. I crossed from Weblos to Boy Scouts in 1965. Our cook kits were also used as mess kits. Flip the frying pan handle upside down and reattach. In this position the plate and pan can be carried side by side down the chow line. The pot usually carried cold or hot beverages, or soups, stew, or oatmeal. The cloth cover did not have an inner flap. I and others ditched the metal cup for a Thermos top plastic cup instead. The sets in the 1970s were made of thinner metal. We learned quickly that you cook or simmer over coals or cook or bake under coals, and boil over fire. And that it’s easier to adjust the height of the pot or pan, than adjusting the fire or coals. I have two old aluminum sets and use them. The thinner BSA or old commercial sets are just fine for hex tabs or alcohol stoves. But modern knock offs have two glaring problems. They hold less contents and they don’t have a crimp in the ears to catch the pot’s bale. Thereby making it very tippy and unsafe. So you have to make a crimp or diver with pliers. The stainless steel set does better than the new aluminum but suffers from the same two problems. The BSA style cook and mess set is still the best civilian set made in my opinion. I later used the pot and a small non stick frying pan when backpacking, verses using all of the items when camping. What you eat determines what you bring to fix it in. We have gotten away from cooking from scratch for convenience. However not everybody is a backpacker. Maybe the trend will swing back to real cooking outdoors. Like to see some one to bring back some of the old but a little of the new technology, with a wide and flatter 12 oz cup, and 20 oz pot, and non stick pan. Luv you channel.

[@honorableoutfitters]

That is great life experience and advice. Thank you my friend. Ironically, I have been wanting to update this video because of the cicada noise and air have since bought a nice mic to use when I record. I will definitely include your mess line idea and give you credit!

[@eddieburton4583]

Hey Mr Dyer this is GI Joe Eddie here really enjoyed your video I have three cooking kits myself I will keep watching your videos God bless you and your family take care and I'll keep watching GI Joe Eddie over and out keep the keep the scout stuff coming really enjoyed God bless

[@honorableoutfitters]

Thanks brother! This site may be of interest to you, it is where I started my search for vintage Scouting gear as it gives a free download of the 1925 Equipment Number. It is very insightful about what Scouts had access to and in general what was being offered in campcraft at the time. I hope it helps and gives you as much insight as it did me. I appreciate the support my friend!

[@davidkugler8554]

1972-11th birthday. Family got me a BSA Fieldbook, individual cook kit, pocketknife, hand ax/sheath knife combination and a Silva compass. I used them to complete various Second Class requirements and still have and use all of them today. I love that equipment and really believe in the self-reliance a Scout develops when getting to do that individual cooking. Thanks for the great video. It brought back great memories.

[@jeffconley6366]

I suggest you look at a video done by Blackie Thomas on this type of kit. It was originally done in tinned steal around the time of the civil war. The boy scouts adopted it latter in aluminum. He has an interesting point on why the handle can be flipped upside down.

[@honorableoutfitters]

I love Blackie and his videos but his research was a bit off at the time due to no fault of his own. He really has my complete respect and is one of the creators I look up to and follow. He made his years before I did mine and his adaptations with a stick was brilliant! The experimental Spanish American War round mess kit may have inspired the 1915 Scout kit and the tinned steel 1915 style mess kit was only made during WWII due to the aluminum rationing in the US at the time. This is supported by catalogue and Boy's Life magazine advertisements. I appreciate your thoughts and the support my friend!

[@Wdstroud]

A fascinating history of a really cool piece of equipment. I have never seen the fry pan with the snap before. Thank you.

[@honorableoutfitters]

That snap and the locking features makes all the difference when comparing it to the modern takes on the same model. They are so helpful and useful in all aspects of cooking and packing

[@ccasada8723]

Great video, sure brought back some memories from the days with Troop 81 BSA.

[@honorableoutfitters]

Did you cook with these types of cook kits?

[@ccasada8723]

@@honorableoutfitters yes, we had to prepare a meal in camp for our 1st class requirements, circa 1971.

[@honorableoutfitters]

It seems that the kit has a bad rep from many but I love it. Has all the pieces one needs to cook anything! I learned to cook ramen noodles as my first backpacking meal using one.

[@michaelpruszynski6633]

Thanks for the history lesson. It was a little hard to hear you with all those cicadas in the background.

[@honorableoutfitters]

yeah! Here in Ohio they are in full force, sorry about that

[@AyazKhan-kd8le]

Giving a good lesson sir.

[@honorableoutfitters]

Thank you! I need to remake this, my recording equipment has improved and I have learned some new details

[@rahtoren6385]

Only use my scout cook kit was cooking meet badge as for rest like you said we used cast iron dutch oven , griddle, and couple metal pot once while used plate, utensils, and cup. Your right did teach much use cooking kit. Burnt first meal

[@honorableoutfitters]

Do you still have yours or was it retired?

[@richhoule3462]

Great video! Thanks for the shout out! I wasn’t aware the milk solidified that way.

[@cassandralesh8536]

I still use mine from the eighties it's a regal. It cooks great. With the right heat, eggs and pancakes slide right out. It's heavy gage. They didn't get cheap till the late ninties when they were made in China. I bake brownies in mine and fry pork chops with gravy. There's no better cook kit

[@honorableoutfitters]

It's certainly held it's place in outdoor recreation! I need to make some porkchops and gravy now... 🤔😋🍽

[@behindthespotlight7983]

That breakfast screams for honey, maple syrup or jam preserves. During the Civil War the CSA often used salt pork or bacon in lieu of the lard. Fry up the meat, add wetter cornmeal to the entire remnants of grease & caramelized/burnt pieces of meat. That makes sluice. Depending on how wet the cornmeal/ meat grease was they’d roll it into a big “noodle” then snake the noodle around their ramrods and hold it over the coals to crisp up. Making a sort of corn dog taste….minus the wiener.

[@honorableoutfitters]

Thank you and agreed. I literally learned a month ago that modern cornmeal has the germ removed and most historical recipes cannot be accurately made with it because the cornmeal falls apart without the germ. You can get whole grain cornmeal with the germ but it is harder to find in the stores but is easily bought online

[@justinnunez9526]

Most excellent video! Thank you so much!

[@honorableoutfitters]

Thank you, I appreciate the kindness and support!

[@rickpatenaude8297]

As always Well done!

[@honorableoutfitters]

thank you brother, I appreciate it, sorry about the cicadas...they are out in full force here

[@Winnie122459]

Am going to try and find a boy scout mess kit! /great for my backpacking trips!

[@honorableoutfitters]

There are many cheap look alikes and even the BSA ones made in the 80's and newer are not up to the same standards of thicker gauge aluminum. I suggest getting ones stamped Wearever or Regal. You won't go wrong with Wearever and most Regals have the thicker gauge aluminum. Thank you for the support and happy hunting!

[@MrJeep75]

Great video

[@honorableoutfitters]

Thank you my friend. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@MrJeep75]

@Honorable Outfitters Mr. Dyer's Musings I been doing military living history for about 20yrs and been collecting longer, I love vintage stuff

[@toml.8210]

During WW2 aluminium was only available for making aircraft. Even steel was reserved for the war effort as production of cars was halted.

[@rahtoren6385]

Didn't cook much eighties cook kit.camping though squad cook but we had cast iron for squad cooking and dutch oven

[@honorableoutfitters]

Cooking as a patrol is how most of our cooking was and is done too. Now that the older Scouts are working on their backpacking and hiking merit badges individual cooking is being utilized more.

[@misolgit69]

I know it's completely out of the scope of this video because it's modèrn and contains plastic parts but, purely for information the mess kit formerly issued to the Çzech Army (now on sale wordwide as surplus) is, I believe, the only military kit where the carrying pouch has a pocket for the KFS

[@honorableoutfitters]

That's interesting! I wonder what their food system was like when it was still issued?

[@misolgit69]

@honorableoutfitters probably cans it was about a decade before Eastern Europe started to catch up with the West issuing retort pouches (boil in the bag)

[@misolgit69]

@honorableoutfitters I do beg your pardon I got my mess kits mixed up, I should have said Yugoslavian not Czech it's unusual in that it has a deep aluminum pot of rectangular cross section, a deep rectangular plastic eating pot which clips on top and rather like the 'Russian Paratrooper set contains a water bottle inside so...just to reiterate Yugoslavian not Czech that is a rather boring round set

[@prescribedfire1953]

Hello Mister Dyer. I wonder is you might help me identiify and date a BSA untensil set I have. It is a palm size leather cast with three internal compartments and belt slits on the back. Inside is a folding knife/bottle opener and a folding three prong fork. both the knife and fork are marked Geo Schrade Knife Company along with other markings. In the center slot are two spoons, one marked 1 TSP, the other marked 1 TBSP. The backside of both spoons are stamped JAPAN. The flap has a fleur-de-lis that says BE PREPARED with the outer edge stamped BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA at the top and NATIONAL COUNCIL NEW YORK CITY at the bottom. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you, Bill

[@honorableoutfitters]

Hard to say...I don't recall seeing a set with measuring spoons in the center..perhaps a modification by the Scout. Since it it has the New York logo it is before 1954. Thos type of sets were being made in 1936. Usually they have a patent date of the 1940's. So without being able to see it and the knife style I can narrow it down between 1936 and 1953. Happy holidays friend!

[@thx5001]

As a Scout Leader, I have been looking for a kit to recommend to parents and the modern 'man from Cole' is identical except for the plastic pot lid handle. Is that contemporary version what you refer to as having thinner aluminium (British)?

[@barrieheald5823]

You speak about oat cakes but I think your cakes are corn.😉 I remember the different types of oat cakes as a boy in England.

[@honorableoutfitters]

Lol, hoe cakes. This was way before I got my mic to make sound easier for people to understand what I said. That being said, now I want to find a recipe for oat cakes! Thank you my friend!

[@the_orange_shepherd6938]

Great video! It’s not scout cooking unless something doesn’t go as planned lol honey would go good on the hoe cake.

[@honorableoutfitters]

Amen...honey is such a great thing to have on campouts in general!

[@HiddeneyeInc]

Some of the older kits had D rings on them if they didn't have the holes in the handle for using a stick for a handle.

[@honorableoutfitters]

Are you referring to Wearever branded ones? I found out last year that there is a Bull Dog Brand cook kit that is darn near identical to the Wearever kit.

[@HiddeneyeInc]

@@honorableoutfitters yes I had one Wearever branded that had d-rings. I'm not sure the age but it was one of there oldest ones . sadly it didn't survive the wildfire a couple years ago. I'm still rebuilding from. only had what was in my truck at the time survive.

[@rahtoren6385]

I finally got steel one but missing lid.

[@honorableoutfitters]

At least you have the skillet! That in itself is a prize. Sorry about the lid though

[@donaldblankenship8057]

Try cooking popcorn on aluminum.

[@honorableoutfitters]

hmmmm...you got me...now I'm curious, I hypothesize that much of the popcorn will burn and have many kernels uncooked due to the heat flash cooking the kernels...thank you, my kids and I will love this experiment!

[@user-fl2wn5zr5z]

I was a scout

[@honorableoutfitters]

Once a Scout always a Scout so long as you live by the oath and law friend! Lord Baden Powell sure knew a thing or two!

[@johnj1166]

molasses is also good for topping hoecakes

[@honorableoutfitters]

Amen! Generally I really dislike the bitterness of molasses but there is something about cornmeal and molasses that makes them go together expertly. The plants that each ingredient is made from are related so maybe that's why? Either way, yum!

[@jamesbowen5573]

I'll tell you one thing, I wish I had a scout leader like you when I was a kid. You were probably not born then though. We never did anything in Scouts. I had to earn all my badges at home and have my mother verified that I did it and I would get the patches at the meetings. I did all my camping on my own, I didn't have anybody to teach me any of that. Only what I got out of the books. Of course that was the Cub Scouts. When I got the Boy Scouts, the scoutmaster was a pedo who would only work with the boys he was molesting. The rest of us had to sit in his basement looking at boys life magazines and keeping quiet. You know you can season those aluminum pans and they don't stick nearly as bad. Also I think you cooked it too long on the first side which is why it dried out and cracked on top. You cook it to get the first side set and then you flip it. Of course you could also use those pre-mixed packages of cornbread mix just Add Water. Easy fix for aluminum cups or any metal cup, is a lip guard. They're only a couple bucks a piece and snap down on just about any metal canteen cup. They sell them on Amazon. I forgot the name of the brand. Back when I was in junior high in shop, I came up with the idea of making a lip guard out of Bakelite. I thought it was way more clever than making a letter opener. Wish I had patented it. They used to have Bakelite kids you could buy when I was a kid. Wish I thought of it earlier. I have several of these kits I bought off eBay. I don't know if it was a camera angle or what that your pans looked a lot bigger than what I remember some of them being. I'll have to dig them out and look. I've been using a 1918 military mess kit as my frying pan. I keep it seasoned and it has a lot more room for frying things like fish. I haven't tried using my titanium frying pan yet. Force of habit I guess. It's pretty understandable why they didn't want boys drinking coffee or tea back then. Caffeine is a diuretic. Having boys out in the Heat doing projects and Hiking or whatever, it's probably a good idea not to dehydrate them. I seen on KZbin where some of the scouts are located they actually get to go on pretty awesome hikes into National Forests. Well not in Oklahoma. We have a lot of bugs and most grown-ups didn't want to fool with us. Dads would get involved when it came to the little cars you race down that wooden track. But that was about the extent of their involvement. All of my Cub Scout leaders were mothers. And consisted of sitting in their living room, and if we were lucky we would get cookies and a drink while we socialized. Not exactly the young boy's dream of conquering A wilderness. I was lucky because my grandparents had some land and woods with a creek going through it and I spent the Summers there. It was the 70s so for the most part it was pretty safe, but my parents bought walkie-talkies and I could always call up at the house if I needed something or if they wanted me to come in because we were in a storm warning or something. My mother was hyper paranoid about lightning in the area. Go figure.

[@honorableoutfitters]

Thank you and I am sorry your experience was subpar. It is an honor to teach kids the old ways and hopefully pass on some of the light that was given me by my leaders and influences. Happy Thanksgiving my friend!

[@jamesbowen5573]

@@honorableoutfitters Happy Thanksgiving. It was a different world back then I was a Cub Scout between 75 and 77 I believe and I was a boy scouting in 78. People were pretty naive back then. A lot of people trusted teachers and people in seeming Authority a lot more than they should have. And a lot of them just should never have been around kids some of them should not be around the public. Let's face it there's a lot of people that just don't have people skills