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Girl Scout Mess Kits & Table Sets

Through the years the Girl Scout catalog has offered a variety of mess kits. This page focuses only on those mess kits that:

  • had the Girl Scout mark somewhere on it's pieces. 

  • The earliest mess kits did not have any Girl Scout insignia on them and are not included here.

  • During the World War II era the only mess kit offered was a coated steel version and did not have the GS mark. 

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Table Sets are a new invention - containing only the gear needed to EAT a meal; plastic plate, cup, bowl, cutlery and a dunk bag.

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1934S 

  • Trefoil is stamped on khaki bag

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The case is now green, but doesn't mention the trefoil. Images in the 1939-1940 GS catalogs show a hint of a trefoil on the carrying case, but it is vague.

1938

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1942S

Note:

  • White enamel ware cooking pot

  • Green case has a plaid liner.

  • Price has jumped to $2.85

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1946

  • Official GS mess kit returns - World War II is  over

  • Cutlery (fork & spoon) is no longer included

  • Price is lowered to $2.50

During the World War 2-era a coated steel mess kit was offered in some of the Girl Scout catalogs. It was not official and did not carry the GS mark.

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1954 

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  • Plaid case makes it's first appearance

  • Trefoil is on the snap of the case

  • Trefoil is stamped in yellow on the back of the case

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1962 

  • Green plastic cup appears

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1971

  • Plaid goes horizontal

  • Frying pan is noted as 5" - this may be an error, as the overall size of the kit appears to have remained the same

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Detail of the plaid fabric of the carrying cases.

  • Plaid design remained the same thru the years

  • Early mess kits had the design on an angle

  • Later kits were produced with the plaid on horizontal plane.

  • The same plaid design was used in the official 1963 Girl Scout sleeping bag

  • The "green" of the plaid faded easily

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1976

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  • Solid green carrying case is nylon

  • Trefoil stamp on case

  • Trefoil on handle of pan

  • Frying pan is 7"

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1979

  • Contemporary logo appears 

  • The essence of brevity in the description

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1981

  • White plastic cup shown

  • Cutlery not included

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1982

  • Blue nylon carrying case

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1990

  • Black plastic cup

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  • Logo & writing changes from yellow to white

  • Other official Girl Scout camp gear logos & writing also white on catalog page

  • 2002 Outdoor catalog shows the logo & writing in yellow

  • Last official Girl Scout mess kit

2002

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2002

Outdoor 

Catalog

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2003

  • First of the "Table Sets"

  • GS catalogs continued to carry an unofficial mess kit for several years

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2015

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2020

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2020

Girl Scout Camp Equipment

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Girl Scout Collapsible Cups  |  Girl Scout Canteens  |  Girl Scout Mess Kits & Table Sets

Girl Scout Chow Kits & Cutlery Sets  |  Girl scout Binoculars  |  Girl Scout Whistles

Girl Scout Compasses  |    Girl Scout Axes, Hatchets & More

Girl Scout Camp Memory Books

Girl Scout Camp Savings Fund Booklets

Girl Scout Sleeping Bags & 1 Hammock

Girl Scout First Aid Kits

Girl Scout Knife - Folding Blades & 1 "All-in-One"

Girl Scout Knife - Fixed Blades

Girl Scout Flashlights and Lanterns: Early Days (1925-1959)

Girl Scout Flashlights & Lanterns: 1960 Onward

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