Today I was woken from my slumbers by a hailstorm rattling against my window. When I was a young boy I was very interested in spiders and read many books about them. Even with this knowledge, it still impresses me that a flimsy looking cobweb caught so many hailstones, so they appeared frozen in mid air.
My day started with me being reminded of old knowledge, so I was pleased to discover something new while I drank my coffee:
I came across the word “mucket”. Most sources will assure you that a mucket is a variety of bivalve, resembling a mussel. But it was also used for a much different beast.
Mucket is presumably a portmanteau of “mug” and “bucket”. Alternate names are “coffee boiler” or “boiler cup”. The sites offering them for sale are mainly geared to supplying American Civil War reenactors. Some of the examples offered us the original construction methods and materials such as soldered tin, which is less than ideal for actual use. Others look the part but use modern construction and materials such as stainless steel.
I have been planning to write a post on canteen cups, but I am holding off until I can get around trying to make lids for mine. At around 24 fl.oz (c.710ml) the mucket fills a similar niche to the modern canteen cup, but I have to say it is ahead on some of its features. The mucket has a bail handle so that you can hang it over a fire. And not only does it have a lid, but one that is attached by a hinge, at least in some examples I have seen! The lids have a ring, allowing you to raise them with a stick or similar implement rather than burning your fingers. Admittedly, it is not kidney shape in section, but since a canteen cup (or mucket) should be in a pack rather than extra weight on your belt, this is a minor issue. Camouflage not being an issue, the Civil War soldier hung his mucket outside his ration bag.
Hopefully some manufactures will have a good look at the mucket and design more capable canteen cups.
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