Swedish Army Trangia Mess Kits Stainless Steel vs. Aluminum and how to spot the differences.

Best military mess kit.
The stainless kits sell for around $180 currently. Don't get burned. Here are some differences that you will look at.
The aluminum juts are still heavy-duty, but the stainless is more robust.
Pist questions or comment and I will answer.

[@DanTaylorDotCom]

That is a very informative video. Thank you. I am a lucky guy. About 25 years ago, I purchased a3 of the stainless kits for $20 each and 3 of the aluminium ones for 10 each. I am going to be gifting them, save one stainless for me, to my nephews this coming year'

[@eskimomarine2252]

Yes, values change constantly. I remember being peeved about paying $30 for a set of the stainless ones about 9 years ago! That is a nice gift and I hope that your nephews appreciate them!

[@JoonesAdventuresOutdoor]

Really good and interesting video. For some reason videos with people who uses and talk about the Swedish mess kit make me happy and maybe a little proud. And your videos are really interesting and informative. When you once learn how to spot the difference of the aluminum an stainless version it’s really easy, but before you learn the difference they looks almost the same. In a military museum here in Sweden they have a lot of different versions of the mess kit. One of the older is m/1856 it has almost the same shape but at made of copper, m/1894 also copper but more rounded shape, m/1895 the same shape as m/1856 but in tin plate. M/40 the stainless version and m/44 the aluminum version. I think that the m/1895 also was made in aluminum and it may have been some more variation from 1894 to 1940. I have three stainless from gense I wish that at least one of them was stamped with three crowns 😊. I would pronounce the G in Gense and in Trangia like the G in goat not like J. Off course it doesn’t matter but I know you trying to get the pronunciation as “correct” as possible. The pronunciation of the word pressbolaget was very good. You also tried to pronounce Eskilstuna. I think that you should try to split the name in two different words Eskils an tuna (almost like the fish) an then try to say them together Eskils + tuna = Eskilstuna. It is not perfect pronunciation but really close. The text below is not 100% accurate, it’s not that it isn’t true, but there is so much that I have to leave out and it’s really really difficult to translate. And the only source is Wikipedia. Any how I hope it gives a picture of the history behind Eskilstuna and the three crowns that proof that it’s genuine. Back in 1551 blacksmith in a Swedish town called Arboga started the first “faktoriet” (not the first factory) Faktoriet was the first Official “weapon production company” on order of the Swedish king “Gustaf Vasa”. In some years the production was in a part of Latvia that at the time was Swedish 1656 the “weapon faktoriet” was moved to Eskilstuna by the Swedish king Carl-Gustaf the tenth, 1659 Eskilstuna got “stadsprivilegium” (it is very hard to translate but the king gave Eskilstuna the right to be a town under the name “Carl-Gustafs stad”, the town of Carl-Gustaf). So Eskilstuna have produced weapon and other thing for the army since 1656. In more modern time back in 1813 they started a factory called “Carl-Gustafs stads gvärsfaktori” or just “Gevärsfaktoriet” (gevär=Rifle) and they have produced bayonets, Mausers m/96, the machine guns m45, the AK4 and AK5 and a lot of other weapon. And from 1948 they started to produce the well known “Garl-Gustaf m48”. In 1970 the rifle production was moved to Husqvarna and From around 2009 the development department of “Carl-Gustaf m/48” was moved to another Swedish town called Karlskoga know for larger Guns like the 40mm Anti-aircraft gun or howitzer 77 and the Archer but that’s another story. Every time you make a cup of coffee in your Swedish army mess kit you can feel a little taste of Swedish military history back from 1551, or maybe it’s just the vapors from the burned paint. By the way Gense is also made in Eskilstuna but for the civil defense, probably made in the same factories as the army version but without the beautiful three crowns. I don’t know how many different factories there is but they are not “pirate copies”. The aluminum mess kit has been copied and newly reproduced but all stainless is old. I also believe that all wind shields are genuine. I am not sure about the burners. All Svea and Trangia are Genuine but there may be burners with out Svea or Trangia stamps. All the best Jonas

[@eskimomarine2252]

Thanks for all of the history! I have some sources available for research, but in English it is usually from second hand sources. If you want to see better pics and more depth of Swedish and other military items, look up Sharky Fourbees, he is an acquaintance of.mine who lives near me. I have a video, that you'd have to search, that shows the 1895-1940(44) mess kits side by side. I don't use the old aluminum 1895, but I keep it in case I decide to buy another m1905 Ränsel (knapsack) and use it with that (I have a video on that as well.) Because I don't have many followers, KZbin only shows a short list of my videos when you look at my profile.

[@JoonesAdventuresOutdoor]

Sharky foubees has a very interesting blog. I came across his blog some years ago when I googled for information of the mess kit. I haven’t visit it for year I forgot the name on the blog now I know the name again 🙂. At the time I found his blog I also found a page where the measurements for the o-ring in the Svea burner. I have searched for the measurements again but I can’t find it again. I guess I can take the o-ring from one of my burner to the hardware store and try to find an o-ring in the right dimensions// Jonas

[@JoonesAdventuresOutdoor]

I have now tested two different o-ring. First I tested with an 47mmx4mm o-ring (I found the measurements on a forum) but that o-ring was a little to small. It wouldn’t stay in the lid, but it seems to be the dimension for the civilian Trangia burner. Then I tested with an 48mmx4,5mm o-ring. That o-ring fits perfect in the lid maybe slightly to big. I guess a o-ring with the dimension 48mmx4mm or 47mmx4,5mm also may fit. The ring that I bought is in nitrile and I hope that it will coop with the ethanol.

[@eskimomarine2252]

I have thought of using RTV silicone as a possible solution, but is rated to about 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

[@googlesbitch]

The O ring for the burners are the only parts that may need replacement from damage and or wear. Both the Trangia spirit burner (present consumer version) and military burners can fit the presently avialable Trangia O ring and will seal with no leaks.

[@peetsnort]

I used the can opener in 1979. It's really effective and small I was in the south African army

[@eskimomarine2252]

I like it. It is small and easy to misplace!

[@Surv1ve_Thrive]

I have a complete steel kit. Sanded all the paint off to bring the excellent steel back to life. Great mess kit. I take my "soot pot" with me for prolonged outdoor living. Best wishes from England.

[@KimiEclipse]

In Sweden It's called "snuskburken" which directly translates "the filth can"

[@stellanstellan8708]

Please put the burner in a plastic bag to protect your beautiful stoves from corrosion. Two different metals in contact may cause ugly marks at the contact points. Trangia always supply the burner in a yellow plastic bag for this purpose. Good points to help out future buyer from getting the right item.

[@eskimomarine2252]

I keep mine in plastic or paper when stored inside the kit. The one that I use, I keep in the bottom of the gas mask bag with a cloth rag between it and the rest I made a video of my favorite accessories for Trangia Mess Kit which shows it.

[@seggdolphin7871]

I have stainless trangia kit 27 I like it stainless very great for cooking

[@eskimomarine2252]

I have a Trangia 25 in stainless as well, but haven't opened it yet. I may have to open it up for a comparison. I like the shape of the Army kits and I rarely cook for more than 2 people, thus the 25 is not used.

[@Roadieguru]

Great and informative! Thanks man!

[@eskimomarine2252]

Thanks for the comment. I see people selling them on eBay and often mistakenly or intentionally as stainless.

[@michaelbrunner6654]

Great info

[@eskimomarine2252]

Thanks for the comment. I have another video, made after this, that shows one stainless steel set that has the same flange where the small pot attaches is the same shape as the Aluminum sets. It still has the single groove on the main pot vs 2 grooves on the aluminum.

[@51foxy]

Hi Below the 3 crowns on the stainless steel set on the main pot it’s got some more numbers and figures. What do they mean Paul

[@eskimomarine2252]

I am not sure, my guess is that that is the chromium content since some have "cr2###" under the crowns. It does not seem to me, to indicate time or date like some of the Aluminum ones do.

[@questions6746]

1940 was alluminium 1942 was stainless Post ww2 was alluminium again I understood they always had the stove/shield

[@eskimomarine2252]

As I understand it, the shield was added in the 1950's. The mess kit was from the late 1890's until 1940, when the Stainless was made until 1944, then the aluminum version was made.