Ration Packs

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Woody girl

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Mar 31, 2018
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Yes they do that sort of thing all the time in the house of Lords canteen. Just like overgrown schoolboys! I've heard they flick their nuts at each other with rulers as well. You'd fit in perfeckly! :D
 
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Janne

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Feb 10, 2016
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I can see Corbyn flicking his nuts at May...
:)

C-rations and similar. A day’s ration is quite heavy. The US soldiers were either given one psck each, or in no hostility was expected, the ’cook house’ upened a bunch of pscks, made a meal and distributed it to the boys.
Fags, chocks, sweets too.
The US WW2 C ration contained one pack of condoms a day.
Dad told he found it very funny that grown up american men were given baloons to play with.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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I can see Corbyn flicking his nuts at May...
:)

C-rations and similar. A day’s ration is quite heavy. The US soldiers were either given one psck each, or in no hostility was expected, the ’cook house’ upened a bunch of pscks, made a meal and distributed it to the boys.
Fags, chocks, sweets too.
The US WW2 C ration contained one pack of condoms a day.
Dad told he found it very funny that grown up american men were given baloons to play with.
Like modern MREs,the old C-Rations were meant to be a single meal. US soldiers were issued THREE packs per day. And C-Rats never contained the condoms; those were issued separately.
 

MrEd

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Feb 18, 2010
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From what I can remember it was pale yellow in colour and tho softer than normal cheddar still quite firm. You could cut a wedge if you wanted but we just used to scrape shavings off with a knife and bung it in the beans. Cheesy beans... still the only way to eat them.

That sounds exactly like ‘cheese, processed’ - kind of like a big block of burger cheese,
 
Jan 13, 2018
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C-rations and similar. A day’s ration is quite heavy. .

A typical 24 hour ration 'box' weighs about 1.8kgs which is too heavy to carry on a 'walking basis' but fine for a 'static' camp.

My 'own build' 24 hour ration bag weighs 554 grams and consists of :

1x Porridge, 1x Cup-A-Soup, 1x Plastic K,F,S
1x 700 Kcal Chicken Tikka & Rice,
1x 345 Kcal Flapjack, 1x 450Kcal Flapjack
1x Cocoa Sachet, 1x 218Kcal Choc Bar, 2x Salt Sachets

Total of just over 2000Kcals

My 2-Day ration pack weighs 1150 grams and consists of :

2x Porridge, 1x Cup-A-Soup, 4x Small 345 Kcal Flapjacks, 1x Spork
1x Oriental Chicken & Rice, 1x Spaghetti Bolognese 1x Pasta Snack
2x Cocoa Sachets, 2x Choc Bars, 4x Salt Sachets

Total 4500Kcals

I have made up 'mini-bags'(small self-seal bags 50mm x 50mm) each containing 1x tea-bag, powdered milk and two sweeteners) that weigh 7 grams each. Several of these live inside my Mug ready for a quick brew up.
 

MrEd

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Feb 18, 2010
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A typical 24 hour ration 'box' weighs about 1.8kgs which is too heavy to carry on a 'walking basis' but fine for a 'static' camp.

My 'own build' 24 hour ration bag weighs 554 grams and consists of :

1x Porridge, 1x Cup-A-Soup, 1x Plastic K,F,S
1x 700 Kcal Chicken Tikka & Rice,
1x 345 Kcal Flapjack, 1x 450Kcal Flapjack
1x Cocoa Sachet, 1x 218Kcal Choc Bar, 2x Salt Sachets

Total of just over 2000Kcals

My 2-Day ration pack weighs 1150 grams and consists of :

2x Porridge, 1x Cup-A-Soup, 4x Small 345 Kcal Flapjacks, 1x Spork
1x Oriental Chicken & Rice, 1x Spaghetti Bolognese 1x Pasta Snack
2x Cocoa Sachets, 2x Choc Bars, 4x Salt Sachets

Total 4500Kcals

I have made up 'mini-bags'(small self-seal bags 50mm x 50mm) each containing 1x tea-bag, powdered milk and two sweeteners) that weigh 7 grams each. Several of these live inside my Mug ready for a quick brew up.

And there in lies the crunch - the weight - I plan to do similar except use a commercially brought flameless ration heater and meal for some ‘hot food’

Instant noodles and cup a soup is an excellent shout tho, nice quick hot pick me up and all you need to do is boil some water
 

Janne

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Feb 10, 2016
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Like modern MREs,the old C-Rations were meant to be a single meal. US soldiers were issued THREE packs per day. And C-Rats never contained the condoms; those were issued separately.

Thank you for the info. Dad said they did contain cigarettes (5? 10?) and condoms, I guess he assumed the actual box had them inside.
He also said the sweets were disgusting, the meat delicious and the bread uneatable.
 

Janne

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Feb 10, 2016
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I think that many items in a Brit. ration pack can be used and enjoyed, and combined with civilian stuff for delicious meals.

One food item I wish existed in my long trek days is those square foil packed noodle dishes ( with the tiny pack of flavouring inside)
Light, tasty.
 
Jan 13, 2018
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And there in lies the crunch - the weight - I plan to do similar except use a commercially brought flameless ration heater and meal for some ‘hot food’

Instant noodles and cup a soup is an excellent shout tho, nice quick hot pick me up and all you need to do is boil some water

The whole lot is simply 'boil water'.
The porridge is great for a hot, calorie kick-start in the morning and is the 'instant porridge with syrup' (214Kcal) simply add 180ml of boiling water.

Even throw in a bit of dried fruit / nuts to add more flavour & Kcals if you want.
 

Janne

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Feb 10, 2016
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I do not understand your post.
This thread is mainly about the ‘canned’ rations, right?

I referred to the weight. The rations contain a lot of fat, fibers and so on.
Plus the majority of food is fully hydrated.

That is the huge benefit compared to freeze dried, or dried, or concentrated food

Of course you can nip down to the butchers and supermarket, and make your own sausages and bake your own bread, all from scratch, but that is not the point here?

Plus, compared to much modern trekking food, quite tasty !
 
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tiger stacker

Native
Dec 30, 2009
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Glasgow
Janne British rations come in two forms, 12/24 hour ration box for individual use or 10 man pack containing tins, foil packed meat with sundries.

Tinned cheese and powdered scrambled egg, are like marmite you either love them or not.

Vestry is branded on a lot of items which allows you to purchase certain products online.

Fresh bread is the favourite, even if it is recently defrosted to within a day of its sell by date.
 

Janne

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I used to buy British ration packs from a Landrover /ex MOD place.
I loved most of it.
Used to take it with me when me and som did bushcrafting UK style.

Too heavy to take on treks.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
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Thank you for the info. Dad said they did contain cigarettes (5? 10?) and condoms, I guess he assumed the actual box had them inside.
He also said the sweets were disgusting, the meat delicious and the bread uneatable.
The WW2 version had 2 cigarettes in them. I’m not aware of any of the American ones having any bread other than crackers (biscuits) and an occasional cake type muffin although the recent Canadian IMPs have bread.
 

Janne

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Feb 10, 2016
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He mentioned a bread which was packaged in cellophane. He said the GI’s swapped their food rations, cigs, packets of cigs, chockolate for (german style) rye bread, fruit and veg.

2 cigs a day? I guess the planner of the rations was a rabid anti smoker?
It is an insult!
They could by cheap smokes delivered from US.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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You think the winters will get cold and snow rich in UK like in the past?

Remember, tins of food in minus degrees = tins of frozen food.
Difficult to even open unless they jave a ring pull or that little key Corned Beef tins have.

Better to walk to nearest pub!
 
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Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
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McBride, BC
I expect to have my emergency rations at arms length.
If I get pitched off the highway in the winter, it could be another 500m to the bottom.
My food and drink stash rides somewhere in the front with me.
There's even 3 x 10 minute railroad flares under the chocolate bars.
Never freezes = just one more thing to pack like clothes and the warm bag.

My longest drive is approx 220km to the city.
Nobody lives within walking distance of the highway in that 220km.
Certainly not in the winter. Just rock, water, trees and 4-10' of snow.

Ration packs would be fun to fool with in the house during a power failure.
I'd get to pull out a couple of camp stoves and candles.
If it was really bad, another glass of wine might fix things.

The wilderness is so close, it's convenient to come home each night.
Plus, I'm tired to setting up camp and dealing with food because of the fekking bears.
 
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MrEd

Life Member
Feb 18, 2010
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You think the winters will get cold and snow rich in UK like in the past?

Remember, tins of food in minus degrees = tins of frozen food.
Difficult to even open unless they jave a ring pull or that little key Corned Beef tins have.

Better to walk to nearest pub!

The British rat packs don’t have tins?? Well apart from the fish paste stuff - that’s still in a small tin
 
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