I'm wondering what the height of this box is, minus the lid:

BCB mini mess box

The height is given as 1", but it looks like the lid is a significant portion of that. If the dimension of the box-less-lid were as given, the volume would be around 9.7 fluid ounces, which means one might be able to use it to boil a cup of water.

Meat:

I have a couple of those boxes. I use one for my airline travel kit.

As I measure the box, the complete unit is 1-1/4 inches tall; the box without the lid is 1 inch tall.

So your dreams may be coming true.

By the way, it's a GREAT little box. Just a handy size, and there's a gasket lining the lid, so it's completely waterproof. And, yes, I'll bet you could boil water in the tin.

Bear

Ah. Good to hear. Thanks for the reply.

-Meat

I have a couple of these also. Very well made.
Somewhere on the web is a how-to that talks about adding a removable handle to these boxes, and using it for boiling water/cooking. I have seen it once, but didn't bookmark it.

If you should happen to stumble over a link, please post or PM me. I've found that searching for mini, box, aluminum, latched, etc., etc. gives a whoooole lotta' irrelevent hits. Thanks,

-Meat

That, is an asian lunchbox. It should be available at your local asian market at much less than $23.

it's always intersting to find reference of these boxes as well as billycans as lunch boxes in asia.

I'm asian, and have yet to see a person with it...

I've got some vague recollection (and anyones welcome to jump in here) that, back in the 1800s, miners or railway workers (many of whom were Chinese) carried buckets with which to eat their lunch. Might be where this notion came from.

*Edit* Correction: I found a thread from about 5 years ago that mentions "Bento" boxes that are apparently a Japanese thing. There are a bunch of them on ebay, mostly plastic and decorated.

The thread's here for the curious or bored.

Look here for the aluminum sigg containers (small and large), plus bento boxes. They also have aluminum and stainless water bottles, which are handy for those of us for whom winter is a real season. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I've looked at the SIGG boxes (at that very site as a matter of fact) and decided that the lower profile BCB box would be easier to slip into a jacket pocket.

But now you've raised an eyebrow... I just recently started carrying a gallon of water in the cab of my truck in the form of 4 quart-size polypropolene (Nalgene) bottles, realizing that they will be 4 cylinders of ice for 3 months of the year. Are you saying that aluminum bottles would have been preferable because one could apply heat to them directly to thaw them out? I was afraid that the ice would have bulged out the aluminum bottle, possibly splitting it.