A small and compact package. It is much more convenient than the Danish counterpart of the era.
The Swedish stove, is made after a German design, that dates back to at least the first World War.
The mess kit divides into a small pan and a larger pan /pot.
The swedes equipped the mess kits with a wind screen and the famous Trangia stove.
The Trangia company was founded in 1925, and the basic design of the stove has almost never changed since invented.
The company still exist today: http://www.trangia.se/english/2933.the_company.html
The wind shield is a nice addition, and the alchohol stove is brilliant in almost all kinds of weather.
This mess kit is made of stainless steel, and the wind shield is made out of aluminium. The stove is made out of brass. Only the stove and the alcohol bottle is stamped with the army "proof" marks, the three crowns and a date of manufacture. The mess kit is stamped with a manufactures mark: Pressbolaget Eskilstuna
The stove was still wrapped in a piece of newspaper from the 1960s!
The mess kit is designated Kokkärl M/40 in Sweden
The two part mess kit is made out of either aluminium or stainless steel, and the colour of the mess kit depends on when it was made. During the Cold War, the Swedish government planned to mobilize close to 900.000 men if USSR decided to attack, and they produced tons of military equipment. During the later years a lot of this unused equipment has turned up, and it cost almost next to nothing.
Here is some more pictures:
The two part mess kit is made out of either aluminium or stainless steel, and the colour of the mess kit depends on when it was made. During the Cold War, the Swedish government planned to mobilize close to 900.000 men if USSR decided to attack, and they produced tons of military equipment. During the later years a lot of this unused equipment has turned up, and it cost almost next to nothing.
Here is some more pictures:
I have 3 of these kits too. I love them. They burn best with pure Methyl Alcohol. The Denatured Alcohol we get in the USA has a petroleum added that makes it smoke. The pure Meth will not smoke and burns hot. I use a Czech leather strap to hold it all together. I added a small plate of steel that can sit on top of the pot supports so I can use my espresso pot!
ReplyDeleteHere is the web address to my blog pages on these stoves:
http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2011/07/swedish-m40-mess-kit-svea-stove.html
http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2011/07/swedish-m40-mess-kit-svea-alcohol-stove.html
http://sharky-fourbees.blogspot.com/2011/08/swedish-m40-mess-kit-stove-modification.html
@ Sharky: Yes it is an amazing mess kit. It is a lot better than the Danish counterpart of the era. (The Cold War). It is possible in Denmark to buy Denatured alcohol without petrol added. They ad something that make you vomit if you drink it. Very nasty smelling, but it burns with a clear blue flame, and there is no smoke. I use a small piece of scrap leather with at metal buckle to keep it all together.
ReplyDeleteI like the espresso modification!
/M55q
Denatured alcohol in the U.S. should not have any petroleum product added. If it does, it's not made for burning in alcohol stoves. The best burning, highest octane alcohol is pure grain alcohol, if you don't mind the cost. I pay thirteen U.S. dollars for a fifth of it, and that last me quite a while. A GOOD brand of denatured alcohol burns almost as well as straight grain alcohol, and methyl comes in third. I buy straight grain alcohol partly because it burns better and hotter than other alcohol, but also because it's safe around children, and can be used internally in case of an emergency. At most, I need a fifth of straight grain alcohol per month, and I don't mind paying thirteen dollars per month to have something that not only burns better, but that's safe around children, and that can be used internally.
ReplyDelete