About a decade ago I was in a surplus store and found a neat little cup. OD in colour, hard plastic with three crowns in the bottom of the handle. It cost fifty cents. Got two. A while later I was in the same surplus and found something similar, but not quite. Same price, so I got two of those as well. I suspect the one I found later was a newer model.
The newer one is on the left, the older on the right. They both fit nicely in the hand, terrific shape to drink and eat from, make a good scoop, both have a lanyard hole in the handle. The newer model has the added benefit of measuring marks in the back. Both hold the same quantity. The newer model is made of a softer plastic than the older model. Of the two I prefer the newer model because it is more stable. The older model has very little surface area, and tends to be a bit tippier.
They remind me a little of a kuksa.
Another piece of Swedish surplus geat that I possess is the mess kit. Big and heavy, but a really practical design.
I have two of them and this one was missing the wind screen, and I removed the bail from this one and replaced it with a chain that is carried inside the mess kit. A length of webbing with a cam buckle sewn to it holds the handle down.
One day while I had one of the cups in my hands, it suddenly dawned on me.
The cup fits in the pot!!!
I’m sure this was all explained to young Swedish squaddies when they did their stint, but I didn’t realize this until after I’d owned and used both items for a while. Doing this uses up a lot of space in the pot, cutting down on other things that can be stored inside, but still, what an elegant design solution!
I don’t know why the shape of the later model was changed. I haven’t seen these around in a while, so I suspect they might be gone. Like most surplus, once that stock is gone, that’s it.
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