Army rations advice?

[Brian]

I like the corned beef hash for breakfast and the chicken pasta, cant stand the fruit dumplings in butterscotch sauce, its absolutely minging. I'll eat all the rest, I think my taste buds are a bit dulled to it now. Enjoy it mate, its an experience

Brian

 

[wingstoo]

The CF rations aren't too bad, but there's just so much stuff in them what you really need to strip them down before going out in the bush. (That probably goes for any ration in any countries army).

Anyway, why're some of those british rations in metal cans and some in foil pouches? I could've sworn that canned rations went out of the system way back in the early '80's when most countries switched over to foil pouches.

Anyone want to take a stab at this one?


Adam

Tins are training rations and foil pouches are combat rations...Tins are also for the ten-man packs...

LS

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

ican't find any links to training or CF rations

is it going to be the same as the old style tinned TRG rations....i used to get issued them alot in the TA.
basically the same as the standard ration but smaller! less snack goodies !

is this what you mean?

 

[wingstoo]

ican't find any links to training or CF rations

is it going to be the same as the old style tinned TRG rations....i used to get issued them alot in the TA.
basically the same as the standard ration but smaller! less snack goodies !

is this what you mean?

Hi Rap,

The training rations don't "bung" you up, that's the theory anyway...Where as the Combat rations are designed to stop you going...nothing worse than needing to drop of some friends whilst in a fire fight or in an NBC suit...

My Dad used to dump as much as he could from the tinned stuff and buy in dehydrated and powdered also some fresh stuff that would "Keep" for the duration.

I have found that the AB biscuits are good for chocking wheels or for filling pot holes, leave them in the armoured wrappers though, they last for years that way...

LS

 

[rik_uk3]

"Anyway, why're some of those british rations in metal cans and some in foil pouches? I could've sworn that canned rations went out of the system way back in the early '80's when most countries switched over to foil pouches. "

I think you get some 10 man ration packs that use a lot of canned food including margarine (thats a blast from the past)

 

[spamel]

Yup, 10 man is still going strong! It doesn't usually get issued to us, usually goes straight to the chefs in the field kitchens. It's a shame really, as they are good, but I suppose the average greedy squaddie would eat the lot in one go, and starve for nine days!!

 

[maddave]

The chicken and herb dumplings are very good, along with the steak and veg

Fave pud has to be chocolate sponge with choc sauce

oh hell, i like them all

Menu G !!! Accept no substitute (although the pork casserole is the puppies peas)

 

[longshot]

i've only had the CF rations but i love em so does my son he always diggs through my kit when i come back form field ex. since they introduced the new menu without the cabbage rolls thank heaven. the quality of the food has only increased. more calories that i want to take in in one sitting so i take the odds and sodds like cookies and chocolate bars and put them in my pockets for later. same goes for the drink mix, rather have the coffee or tea.

i've never had a problem with the runs with the pacs but save the tissue just in case every one is different.

dean

 

[Caboose117]

Ive never had the UK military rations they sound good but im in America with our rations.....their pretty good and all but i would be nice to try something different.

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

i tried a couple of the MRE's and found them to be a bit small in size for a meal.
might just be me, but i always felt hungary afterwards.
they do nice stuff though i personally like:
bags of jelly and peanut butter!
the sweets(we don't get them here).
i still have a 1" tall tabasco sauce bottle from an MRE, it's too cute to throw away!
i wasn't too sure about the dehydrated fruit salad!
they're nice but far more expensive than Uk rations for less!

 

[Zodiak]

We buy them from http://www.armyrations.co.uk/shop/item.asp?itemid=12&catid=1 Personally I didn't get on with D, the corned beef hash looked like it had been through somebody once already

Mind you F is the dogs danglies for me

I havn't looked at their site for a few months and they seem to be doing quite a bit of other kit too now

 

[rik_uk3]

Menu C is my favourite, I even like the custard

Shop around on eBay, I usually pay £55 -£65 for 10 packs, never any more, including post, so five and a half quid or so a box is not bad.

I gave a pack to an American friend and well impressed he was with the contents

 

[mercury]

Having spent a week in Wales last month on nothing but Menu A or B I can verify that there are better things than corn beef gash or chicken pasta solid for 7 days. I used tobasco sauce like it was going out of fashion. They reckon that a 24 hour rat pack has all the carbs and chemicals needed for 24 hours if you eat all of it. Personally I quite like the biscuits brown with the pate although I did see one lad eating the biscuits fruit with pate (strange lad) Exercise is the only time I take sugar in tea or coffee and you certainley get enough of it, although who had the idea to stick it in paper beats me. The best menu IMHO is the chicken curry one, also I have been told the veggie one is nice for a change

Training rats are or were last time I checked dehydrated food usually chilli beef and noodles or chick supreme if you are lucky, 10 man rats are the large boxes full of beans mincing beef and instant pomm.

Best rats used to be the artic rats, they had extra choccy, we got them issued in darkest deepest Otterburn

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

I remember on my first TA basic training weekend, one chap decided he would quite sensibly bring drinks with him so he filled up his water bottle with cola!
great idea! hot chocolate, porrige, soup, all made up with coke!

i've made my own mistakes though!

on excersise i was trying to cut my kit weight down so i only took one mess tin, which alot of people do!
the only problem is they didn't issue ration packs!
they bought along insulated hay boxes, with a really nice meal it was roast pork with all the trimmings!.......and apple pie and custard....oh!... one mess tin!

basically i had to put the lot in my one mess tin, i seperated it having the apple pie in the middle custard one side pork meal the other, thankfully apple goes with pork! we live and learn!

 

[Doc]

You get 4000 calories from a British 24 hour ration pack, if you eat and drink everything.

The 'average' bloke needs 2500 but this is based on fairly low physical activity. If you are very active, or it is very cold, you will burn more.

 

[GearGuru]

Love uk rat packs but the treacle pud must have been tested on people without taste puds as its the foulest taste known to man

 

[spamel]

Who remembers apple and apricot flakes? Mmmmmmmmmmm!

 

[rik_uk3]

When I was just a boy, many, many moons ago, Surprise peas, Yeoman mash, and corned beef was the mainstay of my typical days food for camping. When I could afford it, Vesta Beef Risotto was king

 

[Brian]

spamel,

apple and apricot flakes were lovely mate

Brian

 

[tony2222]

spamel,

apple and apricot flakes were lovely mate

Brian

bet you would not swap an oatmeal block for apple and apricot flakes !