Anyone have experience with this mess kit?

Was a total impulse buy. Saw it at Walmart for only $9, and I needed new pans/pots. Good buy? I noticed the handles don’t have a plastic or rubber covering, wondering if the handles get super hot.

I have this set. It’s really cheaply made (obviously) and if you put a normal amount of heat to it for too long the metal gets warped. The handles weren’t much of an issue, but I usually wear gloves with stuff like this. I’m not mad at the kit. For the money it’s not bad, but it isn’t made to last at all.

@Haven
Ah so more of a temporary or short term kit. Or maybe even a ‘back up’ set to a nicer pair.

Thank you for this input! I’ll probably spend a little more on something better, and use these as a backup.

@Cai
Use this kit first, see what you use, figure out what you like and what you don’t like or need. You will save money by buying what you want, even if it costs more up front.

Ozark trail is Walmart’s outdoor brand. Expect what you pay for.

Tatum said:
Ozark trail is Walmart’s outdoor brand. Expect what you pay for.

I’ve heard so many mixed opinions about Ozark. From people saying they’re ‘good value items’ to ‘cheap and unreliable’. I suppose it must depend on the specific item.

@Cai
Not to be snarky but that sounds like Walmart products, fine for the price or gets trashed.

In possible defense of Ozarks, there can also be a ‘used as intended’ issue. The products are designed for specific purposes and tolerances and people tend to use things as they ‘believe’ they should work and not as designed.

What are you going to cook in that aside from water?

That was the set I put on the fire for a while. It does not hold up to the concentrated heat of a stove though because it doesn’t disperse the heat well.

If you want to go cheap buy the gray aluminum kits they do better.

Don’t buy it!!!

I had one, tried to make eggs, the pan warped and the eggs burned on. Ended up going to CFA.

I had a mess kit when I was a cub scout. I do not understand their purpose. A cup and small pot for cooking is all you need.

I use this set for most of my camping. Like others said it does have a tendency to warp after a short time, but they are light and cheap. I have two sets, specifically for the fry pans. Never once used the included cup, but having both a pot and pan comes in handy for making burgers and corn. They do not manage heat very well, and perform better on my 2-burner propane grill compared to my MSR Pocket Rocket due to finer control of the flame to prevent burning. Will likely continue to use these for their packability, but I rarely have use for them when on backpack trips and prefer to carry a Ti 750 mL pot instead.