British army 24 hour ration packs..

[mattweasel]

Glad other people remember the apple flakes, it was such a long time ago I thought I'd made it up in my head.
So many combinations of food, some T.V chefs should have a go at making a cook book.
My brother used to make a stew called an All-in, where you would put everything into one pot, the strange thing is that what ever combination of food in the pack, it would always end up tasting the same.

 

[Retired Member southey]

they we're still kicking about up till 2003 i think, then dropped for something or other, we used to have to have an all in stew during basic at lichfield in 2000, the ds called it para stew, but then they were found of naming stuff like that we had the hill of despare which was a road which ran through a quarry about a mile or so from cam, the road was one side gravel the other tarmac run down the tarmac swap run up the gravel till sick, then carry on till time to go home, the para drop was a circuit road round a lake/resivoir in sherwood forest about three miles, do one loop, with full kit, then dump bergans one the move and two further laps at speed, then there was the hill of remorse at crickhowell, after the night before where we had all been drunk and over familiar with the ds using there first names and stuff, first thing next morning out for a road run find the first big hill and run up and down till sick, then a mix of pressups and kitten crawl to the top shouting all sorts of bartisms, with bemused people holiday driving past gawping. great fun!!

 

[UltimateSurvivor]

I survived most of my army career on 24 hr Rat packs and Hexi Stoves. They may be abit primitive but they Work first time every time. When you've been on a 34 mile TAB on a soaking wet October morn'. The heat your hexi stove throws out is a god send. Agreed, The taste can be abit fowl when on hard routine. But to be fair i still loved the stuff.

Forces Gear has always been the same, it does exactly what is says on the tin. Corned beef hash used to be my favourite! Infact it's got my stomach growling as we speak!

Tal'.

 

[hog]

In America folk can get MRE's why is it so difficult to find them in the UK ?

 

[British Red]

It isn't? Theres bleeding stacks of em in Surplus shops etc

 

[SCOMAN]

Heading to the Hebrides next month for a week with a mixed box of Menu A, C and some of the new veggie ones. I bought 2 boxes of 10 24hr packs from Genuine Army Surplus a while back cost me £100 in total incl delivery. A bargain methinks. BTW I have 7 drinks packs from the boxes I need to get rid of, when I get myself sorted I'll throw them on the trading post.

 

[Fizzy]

In America folk can get MRE's why is it so difficult to find them in the UK ?

You can buy them by the case load on eBay. Interestingly, watching a recent YouTube video of a US hiker and he was saying that MREs are getting harder to source in the US

 

[_mark_]

There are 38 different menus now and they are all multi-climate! and still they have not done away with the yeast extract! on the + side, dental chewing gum!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Have you tried the yeast extract from the uk packs? it has a strange cardboard taste to it.

 

[_mark_]

I just can't even smell it, it triggers my gag reflex? Everything else is fine but that...

 

[Darkside]

Mmmmmmm - Compo sausages with Oatmeal blocks and Screech to wash it down with.

 

[telwebb]

By the way - are the ebay prices (including the ridiculous P&P in some cases) justifiable? I ask out of ignorance of what you would expect to pay to feed yourself for a day out and about. I'm not suggesting they aren't - just curious.

 

[Retired Member southey]

looking at the prices they seem to range from about average compared to suplus stores to way over the top, but as to shipping, they are quite heavy, it is a box containing upto three wet meals after all. personally i'd all ways look toward the surplus stores as your more likely to find a better deal on shipping, plus you have a re-dress if the rations you buy arn't the irght kit, some of those ebay adverts are a bit ambiguous.

 

[_mark_]

If on ebay look out for large Union jack on side of box as these are the latest MC. menus. Just looking now I can see some older ones with items missing, they seem a bit pricey? They used to be put together a Vestry Foods in Kent, I am not sure if you can buy directly from there, probably not.

 

[launditch1]

Ive never served but i have fond memories of ratpacks and mre's.When i was about 11-12 i bought an mre from an army surplus shop, these were the ones in the dark brown bag(old school).Ate this thing called a 'patty, potato'...made me sick as!Still turns me guts when i think of it.
The first brit ratpack i had was when the food was in tins.Loved the pudding(chocolate?)and apple flakes!
Also went to Reading festival (the year Nirvana played) with some squaddies who brought along a load of packs.After seeing the festival toilets theres definitly an advantage to eating multiple packs of biscuits brown!
Oh, and crushed hexi thrown on a fire is good fun.



If anyone has one of the older complete brit ratpacks(with tins)pm me..

 

[Tank]

I am still to experience a Rat Pack. been looking for awhile but prices are a hard thing to swollow. none of the surplus stores around have any :-( so internet order will be required.

 

[torc]

I ate some French RCIR's this summer and they were delicious and kind of posh in their own sort of way.
Beef in a tomato salad, tuna in a spicy sauce and a pungent cheese spread for the salted crackers.
The main hot meal of Toulouse sausages in lentils was fantastic and had its own mini hexi. cooker.
The pack included plenty of sweets and biscuits and drinks pouches.
I highly recommend them if they can be got, most ebay.fr sellers only post to France métropolitaine.
http://www.mreinfo.com/international/france/french-rcir.html
Happy trails...torc.

 

[nigeltm]

I'll second torc on the French meals.

Over the past couple of years I picked up American, Canadian, Australian, British and French rations. While the yanks tend to have the best variety the French by far have the best quality. OK, so their chocolate and coffee are a bit, well to be honest, cr*p, but the mains, crackers, caramel sweets and fruit bars are great. I've bought the French by the case from eBay France. Much cheaper than individual buys.

 

[Darkside]

Vestey are still one of the suppliers of Rat Packs and you can buy them new from their site here, they are pricier than Surplus or evil bay, but at least you know that they are complete and in date!

 

[Everything Mac]

I bought myself a pack yesterday. - What the hell is this chocolate stuff?? its horrid! bring back the yorkie stuff I say.

Also had an oat bar thing which was pretty good.

anyone brave enough to try the mushroom paste yet??