Mess tent means a large and communal tent that is used as a dining and social area, especially in camping or military and field settings.
Mess tents provide shelter for group meals.
The term "mess" in mess tents comes from an old word for a portion of food or a group eating together and not for making a mess.
Mess tents function like a dining hall, and offer space for eating and relaxing.
Mess tents are sometimes also used in events like meetings or movie nights and are common in safari camps or temporary military setups.
Mess tents are primarily for communal eating, but also are used as a social hub.
Military, expeditions, safari camps or large group events often use mess tents.
Mess relates to the portion of food from Latin missus and not disorder.
Examples of mess tents are in the show MASH, in which the mess tent served as both a dining hall and an auditorium.
On Mount Kilimanjaro, the mess tent is a spacious place for climbers to share meals and stores.
And safari lodges use mess tents for guests to enjoy 3 course meals.