Older Military Canteen Cup Modifications

I have carried the Military Canteen Cup for years. I carry the old style that has the handle which folds under the cup (I have a 1951 and a couple of 1963's). They are made from stainless steel and are very robust. However, I needed to make a few modifications in order for it to be for versatile for my use.

The first thing I did years ago was add "D" rings to the handle. Keep in mind this only works on the older style cups (the only type I carry) and not the newer ones with folding wing handles. The purpose of the "D" rings are to use a stick to hold the cup when cooking over a fire. It gives you distance and keeps you from burning your hand.

A view of the cup with a stick wedged in the "D" rings.

A close-up of the stick in the "D" rings.

I also always like a free standing bail on all my pots and cups. When I add a bail, I always file a rounded slot in the lip so the bail will lock in place, and not fall over.

A view of the cup with a free standing bail on it.

A close-up of the free standing bail with slot to hold bail upright.

I used to use a piece of aluminum foil as a cover to make water boil faster. I then got off my butt and made a cover from an old aluminum pot lid I had laying around. Keep in mind I did this about fifteen years ago, long before canteen cup lids were available.

I first set the cup upside down on a piece of wood and traced the outer edge. I then cut the piece of wood out so I had something to mold the lid on. I sanded the top edges so they were slightly rounded.

The wood block for molding the lid.

I next clamped the piece of aluminum, cut from the center of the old pot lid, to the wood block. Using a ball peen hammer, kept working the edge down and around the wood block to mold it. When I got it to where I liked it, I trimmed the remainder of the aluminum so I had a nice lip to hang over the canteen cup. I also made a lid lifter with a small piece of the left over aluminum and a small "D" ring. I made a groove in the part attached to the lid so I could slide the split ring one way to lay down, and the other way to stay standing.

The finished lid... Not Pretty... but Functional!

In order to use the lid when the bail is in place, I had to file a rounded groove in the side of the lid on each side, so it sets down over the bail.

View of rounded grove for lid when bail is in place.

Anyway, those are the modifications I made to my old military canteen cup many years ago. We hope you enjoyed this article and will help support our efforts by checking out our products. As always, Be Prepared To Survive!

Copyright © 2010 by John D. McCann