Trangia Mess Tin Review: Small, Large, and the Roll Top Cover

Introduction

Trangia is best known for its storm cookers, but the company also makes a far simpler piece of camp cookware: the Mess Tin. It comes in two sizes, and each one can be paired with an optional roll top cover.

Both tins share the same basic recipe. An aluminium body, a non-stick interior, a single folding handle with an insulated grip, and a flat lid that sits snugly on top. There are no measurement markings and no moving parts beyond the handle.

The small tin holds 0.75 litres and weighs 5.7 oz with the lid. The large tin holds 1.3 litres and weighs 9.2 oz with the lid. Prices are modest: $12 for the small tin, $9 for the large one, and $15 or $18 for the small and large covers respectively. That combination of low weight and low cost is the main reason these tins are worth a look, and the two sizes genuinely serve different purposes.

What Sets These Apart

The design is deliberately bare. You get a body, a lid, and a handle. That simplicity is also what makes the tins adaptable, because they work with alcohol stoves, canister stoves, solid fuel, and open fires. The same tin can follow you from a lightweight solo setup to a base camp.

Both sizes are available with or without handles, and the handle grip comes in black or red. The lid is removed by rocking it side to side rather than pulling straight up, which is the easiest method and keeps the fit tight while the tin is packed.

Compact dimensions help as well. Both tins are slim enough to slide into a chest rig or a pack pocket, which is part of why mess tins of this style remain popular with European military forces.

Trangia Mess Tin Small: Ultralight Capacity

The small tin measures 6.5 in long, 3.5 in wide, and 2 in deep, with a 5 in handle and a 0.75 litre capacity. At 5.7 oz including the lid, it is light enough to disappear into a pack.

It pairs well with both alcohol stoves and canister stoves. In practice, a complete small kit fits inside: paper towels, a small alcohol stove, a few coffee packets, matches, a compact cutlery set, and a piece of foil that doubles as a windscreen.

Trangia Mess Tin Large: More Room for Real Cooking

The large tin uses the same handle and lid design but measures 8 in long, 5 in wide, and 2.75 in deep, with a 1.3 litre capacity. It weighs 9.2 oz with the lid, which is remarkable for its size.

The trade-off is heat distribution. An alcohol stove puts out a modest amount of heat, and the large tin simply has too much surface area for a single small burner to cover. With an alcohol stove, only the centre of the tin will boil. The sides and corners will not.

That is why the large tin belongs on a canister stove with a wide burner head, or over a fire. A stove with a large head supports the tin across its full width and spreads heat evenly, which is where this size really performs. The same kit approach works here too: paper towels, coffee packets, matches, a butane torch, and a long handled spoon all fit comfortably.

Trangia Roll Top Cover: Simple, Light Protection

The optional cover is made from a poly cotton blend, 65 percent polyester and 35 percent cotton, and it comes in small and large sizes to match the two tins. Two colours are available, green and black.

The only real feature is the roll top with a snap closure, and that is enough. Undo the snap, unroll the top, and the tin slides out. Rolling it back up keeps the lid, the tin, and whatever you have packed inside together in one bundle. The small cover weighs 1.9 oz and the large 2.7 oz, with prices of $15 and $18 respectively.

Pairing the Right Heat Source

Heat source choice matters more than anything else with these tins. The small tin is flexible, since alcohol stoves, canister stoves, solid fuel, and fires are all workable. The large tin is more selective, and a canister stove with a large burner head is the most reliable match at camp.

The insulated handle grip means you can lift a hot tin off a stove or away from a fire without reaching for a cloth. The handle does not lock, which is not a problem in practice because the grip stays in place under load.

For most campers, the practical answer is to match the tin to the burner rather than the other way around. A small tin gives you freedom in stove choice, while a large tin asks for a burner that can cover its base.

Durability, Cleaning, and Everyday Care

After a couple of months of regular use, both tins hold up well. There are a few light scratches and a small amount of staining in one inside corner, but nothing that affects how they work.

The non-stick coating has done its job, releasing food without heavy scrubbing. Aluminium will scratch over time, and that is expected rather than a fault. The rims are slightly jagged to the touch, though not sharp enough to cut. The lids stay secure in transit but come off easily when you need them to, and the tins are simple enough to rinse and wipe down at the end of a trip.

Buying Advice: Which One Should You Get

Choose the small tin for ultralight trips where you mostly boil water and rehydrate food, especially if you prefer an alcohol stove. Choose the large tin when cooking volume matters more, and pair it with a canister stove that has a wide burner head or with an open fire.

Buying both is a reasonable option if your trips vary in style and length. Even with both tins and both covers, the total outlay stays close to what a single premium pot often costs, and the system remains light and compact enough for day trips as well as overnights.

Conclusion

The Trangia Mess Tin is a simple, durable, and inexpensive piece of camp cookware. The small size suits ultralight setups and alcohol stoves, while the large size rewards a canister stove or a fire with genuine cooking capacity. The roll top cover is a cheap, light way to keep a full kit together.

The drawbacks are minor: slightly jagged rims, aluminium that scratches with use, and the large tin’s limited performance on a small alcohol burner. Weighed against the low weight, the versatility across heat sources, and the price of the whole system, these are easy compromises to accept.