Emergency flying ration MK9, ever wondered what's inside?

[RAPPLEBY2000]

The RAF/Mod Emergency flying ration MK9

(The back thing is a plastic strap, that helps you pull apart the halves, the tins are a very tight fit!
​

top lid taken off here you can see...
left: upper lid with stored wire handles.
Right: flavoured food bars x2, beverage pack, Sugar, beef stock cubes. (all the food items are vacume packed)

all of the contents out
2 "mess tins", 4 wire handles, Instructions, 4 "lolly" mixing sticks, poly bag(for water?), and the food items.

the lid with handles attached, (the wire is very stiff and slightly sprung).

 

[nigeltm]

Only things to say about these are:

1: the tin is genius
2: DON'T EAT THE FOOD BARS!

Trust me, you'd rather starve than have to force that powdery, tasteless gunk down you're throat.

Damn my curiosity. I bought one of these a couple of years ago just to see what they were like and I think it's still repeating on me

 

[basha]

You have satisfied my curiosity!
I spotted these in a surplus store near me some time ago.
I was intereseted in the tins, but rapidly got put off when I was told the price. I did wonder just what was inside.
Thanks for sharing this.

 

[TeeDee]

Just out of interest any idea what the ever-so-flavour-full tablets consist of? When you say Powdery , what do you mean , like a packet of Rennies?

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

cheers,
Hi I don't intend to eat the bits! apart from the packing date, I use the kit for collection/demo purposes only.
The "sugar"...look closely, they are sugar cubes!
and the "beef stock cubes"...I'm guessing OXO, you can see the cubes.
The "beverage pack" seems/looks to be a handful of teabags!

I may well use the tins for cooking though, they truly are a good design/size, about the size of a standard mess-tin cut in half, so it'll easily fit in a small brew kit. I don't want to damage the label though

 

[launditch1]

So, come on, whats it taste like then...

*edit, too sloooow.*

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

2: DON'T EAT THE FOOD BARS!
Trust me, you'd rather starve than have to force that powdery, tasteless gunk down you're throat.
Damn my curiosity. I bought one of these a couple of years ago just to see what they were like and I think it's still repeating on me

naah, thanks mate!
I imagine it's mostly carbohydrate/sugar and vitamins perhaps some electrolites(salts) But not much else, They don't even say What flavour it is not even a token "fruit" or "beef" flavour chucked in!
it must be really bad!

The instructions actually tell you how to eat it! Here are some quotes from the instructions relating to the bars!:

All food components from this pack may be eaten ONLY when about three pints of drinking water per man per day are available

FOOD PACKS (flavoured food bars)
Remove carefully from the laminate pouch so that these can be used again to store water or food.
Eat the food portions only when hungry.
Not more than eight portions a day.
Eat only one tablet at a time. Chew slowly and well.

hmm, tasty!

 

[The Cumbrian]

When I first ( mis ) read this post I thought that I saw "Food Flavoured Bar", and by the responses I may have been correct.

Cheers, Michael.

 

[crazydave]

its the same as the submarine rations so a vitaminised carbohydrate source similar to the emergency hurricane rations they ship out to disaster areas, very powdery so it doesnt go off due to moisture but arent supposed to eat them per se but nibble on it through the day with plenty of water.

there other type is just as tasteless but pure glucose with citrousy bits in and you dint need as much

the us air force has a similar thing which is nicer - compressed cereal bars cornflake/granola/choc chip/shortbread you can stick em in a mug and add water to make a porridge as they swell to four times the size.

like any emergency stuff though it tastes better when you dont have a choice.

 

[SMARTY]

The handles work better corner to corner, and offer a central suspension point. The lolly sticks are used to stir the food bars with water into a porridge. fFavour that with the sugar, or Oxo depending on your taste. They are designed for long term storage in Aircraft or life raft survival packs etc. If I remeber right the whole lot is 560 kals (or there abouts) The tins are great for PSK containers. When I was with the RAF the army lads were always after the tins to use instead of mess tins.

 

[Tengu]

what size are the tins?

 

[markanthonyquested]

Just out of interest any idea what the ever-so-flavour-full tablets consist of? When you say Powdery , what do you mean , like a packet of Rennies?

(I happened to have spotted this thread whilst doing a Google search on rations; one of my geeky interests.)

They are carbohydrate.

When still fresh, they usually taste of fruit or chocolate; or at least, they are supposed to!

The Royal Navy have a similar item called a Submarine Survival Ration. The ingredients include maltodextrine, glucose, sugar,
malt extract and vegetable fat; prresumably the food block is the same, except for flavouring.

Ditto, there is also a NATO equivalent.

I understand that they are manufactured by Compact of Norway (?); specialist manufacturers of survival foodstuffs.

I own several RAF EFR Mark 9s, Submarine Survival Rations, and several NATO emergency rations, as well as several RAF EFR Mark 4 (tins of boiled sweets), and a couple of earlier RAF rations.

 

[markanthonyquested]

(I happened to have spotted this thread whilst doing a Google search on rations; one of my geeky interests.)

They are carbohydrate.

When still fresh, they usually taste of fruit or chocolate; or at least, they are supposed to!

The Royal Navy have a similar item called a Submarine Survival Ration. The ingredients include maltodextrine, glucose, sugar,
malt extract and vegetable fat; prresumably the food block is the same, except for flavouring.

Ditto, there is also a NATO equivalent.

I understand that they are manufactured by Compact of Norway (?); specialist manufacturers of survival foodstuffs.

I own several RAF EFR Mark 9s, Submarine Survival Rations, and several NATO emergency rations, as well as several RAF EFR Mark 4 (tins of boiled sweets), and a couple of earlier RAF rations.

http://www.compactforlife.com/

 

[British Red]

Years ago (okay about forty years ago) they were sold under the brand name of Turbloken (or something like that). I ate a pack once. Not actually that bad. Citrussy, very dry, like a slightly sawdusty cheap muesli bar. You wouldn't go looking for it, but its edible and not actively nasty

 

[foxtrot]

There is a1983 RAF emergency ration identical to this currently on e-bay if anyone is interested. The tins sure look useful.

 

[Adrian]

I liked turblokken! I actually ate it for preference as a snack when I got back from my first Norway trip about 40 years ago. My excuse was that it was better to buy some fresh packs for the next trip I think they were called Lifeboat rations. As for RAF survival rations - the tins were magic, but looking back at the contents, I'm reminded of the dwarf bread from the Terry Pratchett Discworld books; you think you feel hungry and then you open the pack, look at it, and realize you're not that hungry yet)

As a slight aside - am I the only person who really can't stand Kendal mint cake in any of it's variants?

 

[Norton]

Kendal mint cake is truly foul, it's just too sickly.

 

[wedgie]

now if bcb or other mftr bothered to copy those tins id be intersted in geting a set

 

[rik_uk3]

Years ago (okay about forty years ago) they were sold under the brand name of Turbloken (or something like that). I ate a pack once. Not actually that bad. Citrussy, very dry, like a slightly sawdusty cheap muesli bar. You wouldn't go looking for it, but its edible and not actively nasty

Turbloken...thats a blast from the past for me Red