I just purchased a used military plastic canteen set, vietnam era. It came with the standard metal cup and cover. It is in good condition, but both the canteen and cup have a musty smell, and the cup has a brownish discoloration on the bottom. It doesn't look like a food or coffee stain, more like heat-related discoloration. Could someone recommend the best way for cleaning these up for sanitary use?

The musty smell on military surplus seems to be de riguer. I personally think they have some aftermarket spray to make as new merchandise stink ;O). For the plastic canteen lots of hot soapy water and soaking in baking soda should do the trick. The metal cup has a small "stove" that was used to heat meals in the field with trioxane bars or tinder. That is the discoloration. Again, lots of hot soapy water will make it useable. Surplus sales are tricky. If it says as new or excellent buy it. Phrases" like used but good or still serviceable" mean repairs needed. "Military style or type" translates into Mainland Chinese junk junk junk. Try to avoid overloading on surplus, simply because of the image problem. walking around in full cammies and web gear during a disaster gives the impression your part of the rescue personel, a looter in disguise or a Rambo type. There are lots of resources in Doug's retail list. take your time and buy right once. We all have closets full of mistakes ( well not me anymore, sold it to a Rambo type this weekend.)

Easy enough -- thanks for the advice. I have already taken to heart the advice re: surplus gear. This is the only military gear I own (except for the outfit I use for paintballing). I have no intention of going Rambo. But I have a Jansport Goshawk pack which I use for a 72-hour kit, and with the stuff I have in it currently it is too heavy for trapsing about, so I wanted to make it lighter. I thought I could dump the nalgene bottle and aluminum mess kit for the canteen/cooking cup combo.<br><br>Talk about buying mistakes with gear -- I've made plenty already. I bought a Coleman two-mantle lantern, intending it to be used at home in case the utilities go out. Nice product, only useless for anything indoors, and too bulky for a BOB. Ahh, the price of an education these days.....

>>I bought a Coleman two-mantle lantern, intending it to be used at home in case the utilities go out. Nice product, only useless for anything indoors<<<br><br>FWIW, Aladdin kerosene lamps can still be had, both old and new. They're not pressurized, they're silent, they're much safer than white gas, and they use a combination of a tubular wick and a mantle to produce as much light as a 60-watt bulb. Not as bright as a Coleman lantern, but bright enough- you really need a lamp shade to use them with comfort. They've been used indoors for more than 90 years now, and I have no problem trusting them even though I would never use any pressurized lantern or stove indoors. If the power fails in cold weather, it's worth noting that each lamp puts out about a fourth as much heat as a kerosene space heater- in fact, they used to use the same basic mechanism in old heaters. <br><br>I have both new models and older ones (1930's) that I've bought cheap, cleaned up and rebuilt- they're not complicated, and lots of parts are available. <br><br>They make an excellent standby for power outages- the steady, silent, bright light is very nice even for reading at night. There are also screw-in electric bulb adapters that reversibly replace the burner, so you can use it as an modern electric lamp (empty, please), then quickly and easily convert it back to kerosene when and if needed. There are a huge variety of older models (and collector prices), but most, old and new, look very Victorian and traditional, which aids with the spousal-acceptance factor.<br><br>Unfortunately, they aren't portable. Because of design limitations, there's never been an Aladdin-type lantern (as opposed to lamp)... and your standard cold-blast kerosene lantern is nowhere near as bright (believe me, I know). But then, it sounds like you already have outdoor use covered. <br><br>

Try soaking them with a strong bleach solution overnight, then rinse thoroughly, and let them air dry, preferably outdoors.