ROTHCO Canteen Cup Lid Review

So, as stated in one of my previous blog posts, I tried shopping at Thunderhead Outfitters for the first time and picked up a few items. One of the items I purchased was a Rothco brand canteen cup lid, as I'm tired of using aluminum foil as a lid when I'm hiking, and I've been meaning to get a lid for my canteen cup for quite a while now. Of course, Thunderhead did fantastically on delivering the items I purchased, and I was really excited to test out my new gear, so as soon as I saw my package was delivered, I couldn't wait to fiddle with my new gear at my desk. So I’m going to start off by stating I’ve had Rothco brand gear in the past and I’ve always been disappointed as their gear always seems to be borderline functional and their gear always feels low quality, with that being said however I wanted to give their canteen cup lid a chance as it seemed like it would be hard to mess up. Let's be honest, the U.S. military canteen cup has been mostly the same since before World War II, with the main change being to the handle and a lid would just be a stamped piece of steel that would fit over the top of the extremely common and easily acquirable canteen cup possibly with some sort of handle for easier removal. With requirements like that, it would be practically impossible for a company that apparently does business with the U.S. government to mess up, right? Well, if you haven't guessed it already, yes, the answer is yes, a government contractor that supplies equipment to the U.S. armed forces was able to screw up making a lid for a cup that has been in service for at least 80 years.

I literally facepalmed at how ridiculous it was when I tested it out. Now I absolutely do not blame Thunderhead outfitters as they didn't manufacture the lid, they are only a retailer and I as the consumer should have done my research before buying, however after researching this lid more I’ve found that the description of this lid varies from site to site and some retailers don’t mention that this lid is designed for Rothcos version of the canteen cup. The listing on Amazon doesn't mention that this cup isn't designed for military cups. I would assume most people would get this from Amazon as it is one of the first to come up on the search, and to be honest, it's been in my Amazon cart for like a year now as well. I also want to say I don't blame the websites that don't mention Rothco's description, as most people would assume the Rothco cup would be the same as the U.S. military cup, and most websites don’t test out every product they sell. Still, don’t do like me. Do your own research. The first YouTube review I found literally told me everything I would have needed to know. Now, even though the lid doesn't fit my cups well, I still feel I can modify it and make it work. At the very least, it will work as well as aluminum foil to help me boil water quicker. Honestly, if the lid would fit, it would be worth the price at only around $10. The lid is well built, and I do like the folding handle that stays in whatever position you leave it in. If you have a Rothco brand cup, I would say get it; however, if you have a USGI cup, you may want to try out a different brand or at least prepare to modify this lid. I hope to review the self-reliance outfitter lid and the G.A.K. lid off Amazon soon, so check back later.