Canteen halves as fry pans, a reference.

[Thomas Alleman]

We had at Perryville on year a pard with a canteen with holes in it and he was going to throw it away so instead we threw it in the fire and two canteen halves were born, I have one. One day I will sell it as a original canteen half, not from the civil war but made on a civil war battlefield that is close enough for me. It looks authentic because it was a rusty canteen with holes in it and it worked great. Grease spills out the small holes and stokes the fire. It is all banged up, I would never sell it, thanks Mike. When I get a pic I will post it.

[Charles Heath]

I forged one when my wooden one got burned up, and it was really easy.

I regret to say I never developed the skill to cook bacon in a wooden canteen half.

[Pvt_Sullivan]

I regret to say I never developed the skill to cook bacon in a wooden canteen half.

It is all about the slow heat Charles... skim, simmer and scour I read some where...

[boreguard]

Lords encyclopedia of relics has pics of several surviving examples of canteen halves, and several that had wooden barrell bands (from small barrels about 10 gal.) attached to them for handles. I copied one years ago and wouldn't dream of hitting the field without it. I flattened out the band, it'll have a slight curve to it. I attached it to the canteen halve with two rose head nails as rivets. It's light, easy to carry in the fold of both Confederate and Federal knapsack. I bent the band on the end opposite of the canteen halve and it stabilizes the pan rather than make it off balance, the bent part acts sort of like a leg. I'll post pics later.

[Faugh a Ballagh]

I've been working my way backwards through the 77 pages of threads and just replied to an older one, but this seems to answer part of my question. I have one, to which I attached a wire loop which serves to hang it from the spout of my canteen, where it is held close by the strap, and makes a good point to hook the flat of a bayonet through to maneuver it to and from the fire. I Had been searching for documentation for this method of carrying, as I have not seen any photos of this arrangement.

Cheers,

Stephen Adler
Co. I, 116th PA, Irish Brigade - National Regiment