# Stanley Cooking Set



## Octob3rBrown (Jun 27, 2018)

Hello. I am trying to learn to make a fire, keep it going and boil water from a tiny saucepan I found at a thrift store. I am curious about the steel Stanley Cooking Set. I think it is a 24 oz steel container with a folding handle. Has anyone used one of those? Is it better just to get a military surplus cooking set? For now I just want to learn to cook simply before trying things involving dutch ovens etc... thank you in advance and stay ready 🙂


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## MikeTango (Apr 13, 2018)

I wouldn’t worry too much about the pot. Focus on learning several different ways to make fire. 

How about water? Do you have a supply? Several sources? 


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

I have and use one. It is better suited as a "brew kit" for making coffee and tea, or boiling water for noodles or oatmeal.
That being said, you can buy a cup that allows a nalgene bottle to nest inside. Saves on room, easier to eat out of than the Stanley set.

But let me be in agreement with Mike on learning to build fire. Boiling water isn't that difficult compared to making a sustainable fire under various conditions with multiple techniques.

YouTube will offer several videos on fire starting, there are several methods, and each method will have pros and cons. Learn various ways. I can't emphasize that enough.


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

Like the others have said, learn to make fire, boiling water is easy. 

The more ways you can start a fire the better, youtube will be helpful. Start with the easy method until you master fire building and then work your way up.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Are you boiling water for make it potable? Because there's other ways to knock off those little creepy-crawlies that might be lurking in your water that can give you the green-apple-quickstep.

Like pasteurization. And the SODIS method.


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## Octob3rBrown (Jun 27, 2018)

Thanks. Yes, today was a sunny but windy day. I practiced starting fires in it using wood shavings from a pencil sharpener, and cotton balls with vaseline. I was able to start a fire using steel wool and a 9volt battery. Then with a fire steel. Success! But with the fresnal lens I couldn't do it. I think because the wind kept knocking me around. Thanks for all of your wisdom. Practice, prepare and plan!


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## Coastie dad (Jan 2, 2016)

Just my personal opinion, but a fresnel lense rates right in there with a fire plow....


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I don't know anything about the Stanley Set but I've been using the Solo Stove products for a number of years now and I am extremely pleased.

Get you 3...

https://www.solostove.com/



Octob3rBrown said:


> Hello. I am trying to learn to make a fire, keep it going and boil water from a tiny saucepan I found at a thrift store. I am curious about the steel Stanley Cooking Set. I think it is a 24 oz steel container with a folding handle. Has anyone used one of those? Is it better just to get a military surplus cooking set? For now I just want to learn to cook simply before trying things involving dutch ovens etc... thank you in advance and stay ready &#55357;&#56898;


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

Curious to know what you think a military cook set is. Suspect you mean a individual mess kit I would not recommend it. Can you sorta get a part of the pan to work as a skillet - sorta but they do not work well . Light weight aluminum . That handle was designed to hold the two halves together when closed and to make a tray when extended / open. 

I am a huge fan of a canteen cup . Look on line videos of backpacking cooking - see where most things they make water hot / add the food to be cooked then use a insulated cover to cover the food/water mixture while it finishes cooking. Less fuel needed. Hobbo twig stove and anther metal can for hot water for coffee, broth or hot water for dehydrated foods work well and ave no cost . 

Eating on the move - snack items - cliff bars, energy bars, granola bars, what ever fresh fruit you just happen to have. Emergency cooking fort most part you want to make soups /stew so you use everything. Frying - you got to have a source of oil. Baking - probably not in the summer time but certainly easy to do in a wood stove if you have to heat a home anyway. 

If you ave a dutch oven you can bake, fry, boil . I would not carry one but moving one in a vehicle is easy and I keep several at my place use in the summer all the time. Anther option for a fixed camp is a solar oven.


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## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

I have used a variety of kits, just recently a Soviet mess Kit in my backpack. Not so good for a 5 course meal, but fine for simple meals like eggs, bacon, or stews.


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

Check out a Kelley Kettle. Not cheap, but a great way to boil water with very little fuel.


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## MikeTango (Apr 13, 2018)

Chiefster23 said:


> Check out a Kelley Kettle. Not cheap, but a great way to boil water with very little fuel.


That's pretty slick!

Here's a link: https://www.kellykettleusa.com

I keep a Jetboil Flash handy but like the idea of an alternative/natural fuel setup.

Jetboil link: https://www.jetboil.com

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## TwoTimeTim (Jul 3, 2018)

I carry a cast iron griddle. I keep it in the back of my pack like a armor poof plate.


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## MikeTango (Apr 13, 2018)

TwoTimeTim said:


> I carry a cast iron griddle. I keep it in the back of my pack like a armor poof plate.


Did you serve in the military?

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## TwoTimeTim (Jul 3, 2018)

MikeTango said:


> Did you serve in the military?
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro


I was born with a deformed foot and they wouldn't accept me.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Any steel container can work. Just make sure it's not a double-wall insulated type. Bad for passing heat to the contents.
I've seen two different Stanley kits, and both look well suited for single-person meals. You can heat a good cup-o-soup in one quickly.

Your fire starting will be a main skill. Not only will you need multiple methods of starting one in varying weather conditions, but you'll need to know how to feed it and keep it going.
Being able to light tinder is only one part, and depending on your resources, relatively easy.
Knowing how to process wood for additional fuel to get a good size cooking fire, or a survival fire, takes additional practice.
Being able to get tinder going with a ferro rod is a really good start. They can be tricky to get the hang of sometimes if you end up disturbing your tinder with each strike attempt.
The Fresnel lens is certainly good to have, but you need to know when to use it, and when it just won't cut it.
If you have direct overhead sun, the Fresnel will light within a few seconds of finding the focal point. If you don't, it will take longer or may not work at all. It depends on the size of the lens and how much light it can gather to focus. I have a large one from an old big-screen TV, and that sucker will melt things in seconds. I also have a pocket one, and I can get a good deal of smoke, but rarely a flame.

I would recommend searching for firemaking techniques from Dave Canterbury on YouTube. He has numerous methods from modern to primal, and walks you through the instructions for each.


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## TwoTimeTim (Jul 3, 2018)

Kauboy said:


> Any steel container can work. Just make sure it's not a double-wall insulated type. Bad for passing heat to the contents.
> I've seen two different Stanley kits, and both look well suited for single-person meals. You can heat a good cup-o-soup in one quickly.
> 
> Your fire starting will be a main skill. Not only will you need multiple methods of starting one in varying weather conditions, but you'll need to know how to feed it and keep it going.
> ...


Pull your striker away from the tinder to avoid disturbing your tinder. Learned that on a bus trip we took a load of Boy Scouts to camp.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

TwoTimeTim said:


> Pull your striker away from the tinder to avoid disturbing your tinder. Learned that on a bus trip we took a load of Boy Scouts to camp.


BINGO!
Brace your "steel" (spine of a knife, usually) in good grip right next to the tinder and scrape your ferro rod against it by pulling it toward you.


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

Chiefster23 said:


> Check out a Kelley Kettle. Not cheap, but a great way to boil water with very little fuel.


I have one. It's amazing how fast it boils water. Plus, you can buy accessories for it to fry, grill, etc....


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

StratMaster said:


> I have used a variety of kits, just recently a Soviet mess Kit in my backpack. Not so good for a 5 course meal, but fine for simple meals like eggs, bacon, or stews.


This aligns with part of my thinking about cooking on the move, being able to cook what you catch, kill or scavenge. Some things don't lend themselves so well to boiling, soups or stews, plus a pan fired food can easily be stored and carried to be eaten later in the day or the next.
Granted you can often just eat whatever it is solely based off survival or stealth mode, but from a moral standpoint, the better it taste is a plus and maybe even a meager bit of normalcy. I don't see anything wrong with carrying a few of those little salt and pepper packs you get from the fast food places, or even some small 2x3" ziplocks with a few spices.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

All us patriotic boy scouts from the 50s got by ok with Genuine military mess kits from the army navy surplus store. Marginal for frying but the lid made a good plate.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

bigwheel said:


> All us patriotic boy scouts from the 50s got by ok with Genuine military mess kits from the army navy surplus store. Marginal for frying but the lid made a good plate.


I'm sure there's a lot of us, including me, who managed to live using these:


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

I saw some like that. Mine looked like this one. 
https://www.militaryclothing.com/ProductZoom.aspx?zpid=24189&prdImgName=Inside U.S. Mess Kit


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