Mess Kits

When I was a Girl Scout, we made mess kits to bring to camp.  A couple of years ago, I decided these would be a perfect addition to our food storage.  The concept is simple: each person needs to have plates, utensils and cups to eat with.  They need to be able to be washed and dried easily, and all without getting dirty again (in the event that you are "camping out."

So, how do you make one?  

1. Take a larger kitchen towel of your choosing (we got ours at the 99 cents store and let each person pick his/her own), and fold each of the shorter ends down about 1.5 to 2 inches.  Sew in place, leaving open the ends. Hint: if you use a thinner kitchen towel, it will allow the dishes to air dry faster. 
2. Then fold your towel in half, so the two new seams are together.  Sew up the sides.  
3. Next, take several feet of ribbon or string and put it through the seams which are now at the open end of your "bag" to make a drawstring.  
4. Now pick out and inexpensive plate, bowl, cup and utensils for each member of the family.  We had fun with this and let the kids each pick out a melamine plate, bowl and cup, since they will not easily break.  

If you put these in your food storage (or 72 hr kit), all you need to do is wash the items and place them in the bag.  If you hang the bag by its drawstring, the dishes will drain and be ready to use for the next meal - plus they will stay free of dust and dirt!