It should be of no surprise that when participating in outdoor recreation, either historically or modern forms, what we take is greatly dependent on the mode of transportation, length of stay, number of participating members, and overall purpose. If you plan on trekking out on foot any real distance then the consideration of weight factors in and weight relies heavily on the material and size of the objects to be carried. A person on foot must take serious consideration about weight whereas a person on a horse or canoe trip has greater flexibility on what can be taken on a journey. For base camps and other group camps such as deer camp, it was normal to be out for a week or longer and generally transportation was by car or cart. This freedom permitted groups to carry more for comforts but one had to still take into consideration the size and weight of their baggage.

There were four materials that outdoor enthusiasts preferred in the early 1900’s and the cost of each was tiered in expense just like today’s goods, this was long before titanium was available. Steel goods were the cheapest which required special and careful care to prevent rust. Tinware was more expensive than steel and lighter, as long as the tin was not removed from abrasion, heat, or chemical reaction then rust was not a concern. Food items with citric acid can put a metallic taste when tin containers are used such as tinned pots or tinned cups. Enamelware offered a strong middle ground with the sturdiness of steel, strong protection against rust, and it did not react adversely with any food items. When enamelware was exposed to extreme temperature change such as a very cold bowl used for hot soup, the enamelware had a possibility to crack and was then prone to flake exposing the steel to rust or further chipping. Aluminum was the premium material for anything that needed to be made when weight was a consideration but one had to learn how differently to cook using it as it conducted heat almost twice as readily as steel so it was easy to burn food on it without the consideration.

Horace Kephart did not promote aluminum cookware in his 1927 book due to the cost, instead he promoted enamelware. (Kephart 1927, 64) He suggested cookware with bail ears that do not project far out from the pot, lids with folding rings instead of knobs, deep plates, and coffee pots that have a bail to hang and folding butterfly handles. When the coffee pot that was suggested was unable to be procured he suggested the use of the common Miner’s Coffee Pot. As an interesting side note, the coffee pot percolator was invented in 1889 by Hanson Goodrich, Kephart suggested taking one added to the cook kit which leads me to believe they were not a common included accessory to the nested kits in 1927 when he wrote his book.

The Boy’s Camp Book written in 1920 gives another look at camp life in the early 20th century. This book was targeted to the growing and vibrant Boy Scouts movement sweeping the United States. The Camp Book is a great resource for group camping because Scouting used what is called the Patrol system in which groups of 6-8 Scouts would work together for all their tasks, including the preparation and cooking of food. Horace Kephart tried to present the reader with options and merits of gear ranging from the most economical to the most expensive, the Camp Book on the other hand suggests cookware that hotels used and “nothing cheaper should be chosen.” (Cave 1920, 58) You can see from the following picture, if scouts were outfitted with everything that is on the list, then they would be dining in high fashion. It is safe to say that this ideal was not attained by the majority of troops for their weekend campouts, this was most certainly intended for a stand alone summer camp where easy access to unload the gear was available.

The artifacts I am showing in this article is what my Scout Troop used when I was in the program. This is what was called the Patrol cook kit and was outfitted to feed 4 Scouts or half a patrol. It came with a serving set for 4 and I can attest from experience that you can cook enough portions for more than four but when frying eggs or when cooking flap jacks in a timely manner was needed, having another cook set goes a long way to ensure a warm meal for everyone. There are no stamps or markings so I do not know what company produced this set but it was called the Trail Chef Cook Kit No. 1049. It is very similar to the ones sold in the 1930’s, the only differences are the plastic nesting cups instead of the aluminum ones and the lack of salt and pepper shakers.

As a camper who may be looking to get into personal campcraft or bushcraft versus group or family outdoor recreation, one could cannibalize the set and use the coffee pot or smaller pot as a bushpot for backpack cooking. Personally I prefer my older personal sized Boy Scout cook (mess) kit when I go out backpacking or camping by myself as it has the smaller pot, frying pan, cup, and plate all in one. You can cook a complete meal simultaneously if you plan it out and have variety in your meals whereas bushpot cooking can be more limiting or take longer to cook your meal since the stages must all be completed one by one.

In summary, these nesting kits have been historically proven to be useful and reliable for group cooking. If you are fortunate to find a set for a good price pick it up and enjoy. The sturdiness will not disappoint and if you choose to get an aluminum one, just make sure to remember how it conducts heat more readily than other materials so care should be taken to avoid burnt meals. Once you get the skill down you will have a lightweight and reliable piece of kit.

Bibliography:

Cave, Edward. The Boy’s Camp Book; a Guidebook Based upon the Annual Encampment of a Boy Scout Troop; the Second of a Series of Handy Volumes of Information and Inspiration. Garden City,, NY: Doubleday, Page & Co., 1919.

Horace Kephart, “The Book of Camping and Woodcraft : A Guide for Those Who Travel in the Wilderness / by Horace Kephart.,” HathiTrust (The Macmillon Company, 1918), https://hdl.handle.net/2027/pst.000009209466?urlappend=%3Bseq, 146.