Rectangular ( flat) metal cup

Any leads on a metal mug that might fit in a pocket?

I wish - If preppers ever find such an item, it would literally be the Holy Grail. In the past, there have been various folding, collapsing cups, but none of them have stood the test of time.

The best I can do is a cup that nests around my canteen.

When you say "fit in a pocket," what kind of dimensions or capacity do you mean?

The only flat item I can think of is a heavy foil baking pan. Durability is always the question mark with these.

A different approach might be the classic Sierra cup. These are light, durable, and extremely useful.

The 10-ounce version is 1-1/2" deep. I find it slips neatly into a cargo pants pocket or even the back pocket of my jeans without being overly annoying.

The 16-ounce version is deeper, but IMO would still be okay in a cargo pocket. I sometimes slip one under my belt during impromptu explorations and don't even notice it's there.

my first thought was a metal flask with the top cut off

it really depends on what you are wanting to do with this as one way or the other it seems likely you'll have to compromise. Something that will fit in your pocket (like the flask) means you'll likely have to give up some carrying capacity; on the other hand, something with decent carrying capacity likely won't be pocket-size

The trouble with these are the seams around the bottom. Non-sylindrical shapes are typically not stamped out of a single sheat of metal, but out of strips of metal that are welded or soldered together. This soldering/welding may very well contain nasty stuff that you really don't want to heat up and ingest.

I don't know how much weight to put into this: As long as there is liquid water in it, the inside of a cup won't be heated above 100C. Probably not hot enough for nasty stuff to start polluting your brew in large quantities. Long term exposure effects to harmful chemicals is probably not relevant for rarely used emergency items.

Anyway, since no one really knows what's in those blotched seams I have a dislike against boiling my water in a hip flask.YMMW.

If someone can dig up the old thread "... and a cup" you'll have 13 pages or so of extensive discussion about this and other ingenious solutions....

Survival Resources and others have flat metal "tins" for kit use, etc.

A sierra cup would fit in a large coat pocket. This one is from Evernew and is available on eBay. It's a bit pricy at $26, but you could get a SS one for $5.

Careful With Metal Mugs and such and inspect them in the store if its capable. My Local Gander mountain sells tiny SS sierra cups for like...I believe around 8$? I forget the price off my head but it was super expensive for what it was. The Cups small and the Rolled edge is as sharp and jagged as a tin can that's been opened with a brick. Not something I wanna be putting to my lips.

These are terrific cups. I have several of the titanium Evernews that REI used to sell - I use them for my dog's watering cup on hikes/walks and on the road. In that way we always at least have a metal "pot" with us.

They are very durable and super lightweight.

The stainless versions are still pretty light and very compact and are what I've put in some survival kits that I've built and given away.

I have owned and used many cups of this type and I have never seen one with a jagged edge. Cabela's must have gotten a bad lot. They tuck away nicely in a pack, but even the small ones are a bit clunky for a pocket, although it depends on whether you are talking about a pant's cargo pocket or something on the upper body.

I've used McCormick Old Bay 16oz tins for a small on the go drinking vessel. The plastic lid can be taken off and on for cleaning and easy refilling. It has the snap lids to help contain the liquids and the plastic is not hot to the touch, unlike the lip burning metal of other cups. I slip it into a neoprene coozey to keep it cool to the touch.

It takes a couple of washing to get the smell and taste out of the tin, but some like a little spice in their coffee so do as you wish.

I've never cooked with one so I can't say if you fall into that same welded seam trap as other rectangular tins.

Boom Town, this has nothing to do with the topic but I can't help but notice that your persona/avatar needs help from Aflac.

Jeanette Isabelle

When I find it impossible to carry my canteen & canteen cup, I put an empty 500 cc olive oil can in my M65 jacket pocket. It also fits in a cargo pocket and a bail is easily improvised. All my PSK goes into it, except for my knife and multitool, which are in my belt anyway. Of course the can has welds, but it's better than nothing.

They have been this way for a very long time sadly. To long of a time to say it was just a bad batch.

I had input on the ". . . and a pot" thread (it is under Urban Survival) but I'll say it again here. The closest thing I can think of is the old metal boxes that adhesive bandages (I remember Band-Aid brand specifically) used to come in. An inch or so thick; and in the range of 3" by 4" or 4" by 6" in the other dimensions.

The problem with those "bandaid boxes" is that they were made of junk metal (tin??) and they have rolled seams. I think there is one still kicking around my garage.

The advantages of them was their size (pocket kit), they had a tight fitting lid, and the fact that they opened on the smallest side.

People on that thread, and on this one (i.e., acropolis5) went right to the flat tins, which are fine except that they open on the largest side which makes using them as pot difficult at best.

I have both a stainless steel cup (SS Cup) and a titanium pot (Ti Pot) that slip on the bottom of a Nalgene 1L bottle; and I have made a kit in a widemouth Kleen Kanteen (Kleen Kanteen). All 3 of these items go with me on various trips (not necessarily all 3 of them on the same trip) but they must ride in the pack and not in a pocket, which increases the chance that they are not with me when I am lost and need to purify water.

A "bandaid box" type pot with folding handles made from Ti, SS, or Al (in that order of preference), with a tight fitting lid and a slight "flask curve" to it, that is molded from a single piece of metal (i.e. not welded or sodered) is in my opinion the Holy Grail of a container for a pocket kit. I do not know much about metal fabrication so I don't know if it is even possible, but that is my wish.

Disclaimer: Sorry for including the links but in the other thread people seemed to jump in late and tell me what my options were. I am pretty aware of my options and already own the item they are telling me I needed to use. I'm pretty specific in what I want and realize that it probably does not exist.

I wonder if you could coat the seams with a 1/4" layer of JB Weld. It would take the heat and I don't think it would be toxic.

David Enoch

Izzy,

They DO make it in SS!! Or did, as I am not currently finding it on their website, nor do I find any for sale with a quick Google search. Lots of hits, but all out of stock. It is the reproduction of the '41 Swiss Army Canteen. I have one and it is great. The welds DON'T give up on heating. The major difference between the new one and the old one is the cork. The originals used --- cork. The new ones use the screw top. They are sold as the SIGG 0.6L Traveler Oval Black Flask with Cup. I thought that was the one described in the thread, but mine is SS. They also built (or build I can't tell which) a similar design with a different stopper (the old latch down style) but without the cup.

Respectfully,

Jerry

If you're concerned about the quality of the modern canteen & cup from sigg you can still get the 1943 swiss army issued model (m34) quite cheeply or you might want to try the m84 model like the one here