Survival Gear Review: USGI Canteen with Stainless Steel Canteen Cup and Carrier

Water is necessary for survival. Means to carry and purify water should always be included in your survival or emergency pack or kit. In this article we will take a look at the US military issue canteen as a survival gear.

USGI Canteen with Stainless Steel Canteen Cup and Carrier

The 1 quart USGI canteen is made of plastic and is the ideal size for hikes, day travels and general use.

It comes with a Stainless steel Canteen Cup which can be used to cook and boil water with, turning this simple water container into a cook kit as well as a water purification system. When not in use, the cup can be fitted over the canteen’s bottom and carried in the pouch. The cup can also be used to collect water and boil it to kill pathogens before transferring the water to the canteen. Aside from boiling water, the cup can be used to cook noodles and fry sausages for breakfast at camp.

The canteen pouch or carrier come with ALICE clips and Molle attachment. The carrier can be attached to almost anything with Molle straps i.e. Molle packs, Vests and old style pistol belts. The carries has a pocket where you can put things like water purification tablets, lighters, matches or tea bags.

The Pros and Cons

Pros

• The plastic canteen is much lighter than the stainless steel kind
• The stainless canteen cup is very handy for boiling water and cooking or heating food
• The stainless cup can also be used to collect water
• Unlike metal canteens, the plastic won’t make your lips stick to it when drinking in freezing temperatures.
• The plastic canteen and nicely fitting cup is noiseless, does not freeze in cold temperature and does not rust.
• The 1 quart size is perfect since most water purification tablets are intended for 1 quart size.

Cons

• The plastic canteen imparts a ‘plastic’ taste to the water. Though this would lessen after several usage.

If you are looking for lightweight water container for your camping trips or day hikes or just for general survival use, you can give the USGI canteen a try. You can get it with stainless steel cup and carrier from Amazon.