Official Ration Packs "The Day Ration"

[lostplanet]

Not sure if this has been posted already, maybe a group buy would work out good VFM.

http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/OFFICIAL-BRITISH-ARMY-RATIONS__W0QQ_armrsZ1

http://rations.vesteyfoods.com/index.asp

I'm not voluteering to organise as I would CiUBAR, someone with experience needed for such a possibly large scale task, maybe even direct from BCUK?

Hope it works out, Enjoy...

 

[widu13]

Just be aware that MCR are now available in 2 energy ratings. The cheap(er) unleaded one about £8 is for office workers/REMFs @ 2300 cals

If you are doing a days walking then the leaded version @ 4000 cals will be needed- these list about £18!

 

[bigandy]

Just be aware that MCR are now available in 2 energy ratings. The cheap(er) unleaded one about £8 is for office workers/REMFs @ 2300 cals

If you are doing a days walking then the leaded version @ 4000 cals will be needed- these list about £18!

i would be surprised if there are many civilians who would really need the leaded version! they are designed for someone fully kitted up on the go for 24hrs in a battle enviroment.
only my opinion of course.

 

[sapper1]

4000 calories is a lot, you could really get unfit eating just these and not working really hard.

 

[widu13]

What I meant was that a days walking say 20miles carrying 20kg, 2300 kcals will not cut it and the leaded version is needed.

For those of us that walk a mile from the car, chop wood, eat food and drink coloured water 2300 kcals is fine.

IIRC weren't the now phased out rats 3500kcals?

 

[nickg]

Most uf us (i generalise) probably eat more than 2500kCal a day anyway. But more importantly remember that a very high percentage of those quoted calories are in the chocolate bars, boiled sweets, screech powder, hot chocolate, suger sachets, snack bars, isotonic drinks & energy drinks - as a generality not all of those are eaten/drunk. What im saying is that you wont necessarily be taking in ALL of those 4000 cals. Add to that consideration that just by bieng in the woods and sleeping in the open your calorie burning will be significantly higher than most of our normal working days - expecially for office based types like me.
As a diabetic i have a built in alarm system to tell me how much energy im burning in the form of a hypoglycomic episode - the sooner this thing finds me the more i know im using up what ive eaten - and i can say that just bieng in the woods severely changes the dose of insulin i take. FYI

Cheers
Nick

 

[AJB]

How many do you need for sitting next to the tent with crisps, then taking a bimble to the pub?

Does anyone have a view on these, the pictures of the contents doesn’t look like any 24Hr rat pack I’ve seen before. Are these the “new” packs I’ve heard about or are these just another variant from yet another “official” supplier?

 

[Nat]

Contents and packaging is totally different to issue rat packs. Menu's are the same.
If you're shelter building, gathering fire wood, hunting, or hiking then leaded is the way to go.
If you're sat on your backside, drinking lager, and prodding a fire then unleaded is all that will be needed.
As for eating these things for a long period of time, friends have commented on ops that they really get to you but it's mostly psychological. They taste the same after a few days, and the craving for the smells of the slop house over power the goodness in rat packs.
Oh and all the preservatives and what not they put into them make them taste like dung after a while.
Personally, if you're hiking 20 miles a day with 30 plus lbs on your back then get unleaded.
Bloody expensive either way!

 

[Firebringer]

Quite fancy trying one out, but at almost 14 quid (including delivery) think I'll stick to (packet of noodles + cup a soup - meal 1) and (sausages and rolls - meal 2) and then 10 quid on booze. Might not be a balanced a diet but works wonders for morale.

Sitting on my backside and prodding the fire's energetic work after all.

 

[Nat]

Sitting on my backside and prodding the fire's energetic work after all.

 

[bashabuddy]

Good job i still have an urmmm .....contact..... in the RLC! ive got a few leaded versions materialising in my car boot next weekend!!! all being well ..... lol

 

[AJB]

Contents and packaging is totally different to issue rat packs. Menu's are the same.

That's kinda what I meant - if they are different to issue packs, which are the ones I've used, how are they the "official pack"?

I guess they are just one of the many companies who are on the supplier list, but, at the moment, the need is not high enough to bring aditional suppliers online.

 

[lostplanet]

What I meant was that a days walking say 20miles carrying 20kg, 2300 kcals will not cut it and the leaded version is needed.

For those of us that walk a mile from the car, chop wood, eat food and drink coloured water 2300 kcals is fine.

IIRC weren't the now phased out rats 3500kcals?

http://www.mreinfo.com/international/great-britain/british-24-hour-ration-packs.html

'An individual ration for normal use in the field.
Ration is designed to feed one person for one day.
It has been designed to provide a balanced nutritional diet.
Can be eaten hot or cold.
ORP provides an average of 3800-4200 Kcal per ration.
Ration is 10% protein, no more than 35% fat, 55% carbohydrate.
Continuous consumption up to 15 days, ideally no longer than 30 days due to nutritional qualities.'

Never needed to eat the whole box before on a general mince and bimble.

Questions i'm asking is, is this a Genuine Official offer?
And can I put a comparable box of food together for the less or equal money?

I like the Idea of having a few on the shelf if they were cheap enough. I think the shipping costs may wreck it.

I'm going to buy a pack and work it out for interest. It's a pretty big claim to say 'REMEMBER: THIS PRODUCT IS NOT AVAILABLE LEGALLY FROM ANY OTHER ORGANISATION' without the MOD banging on your door.

The last ration box I bought cost £45 for 10 a few years back, I thought that was expensive, they were all menu G and main meal was grosse at best.

worth a try.

 

[nickg]

Ive bitten the bullet and ordered one of each - so ill get back with what i discover when they arrive

Cheers
Nick

 

[iano]

I think the confusion over what is gen and what isn't stems from the fact that this is a new ration to augment ORP (the 24hr GP boil-in-bag rations everyone knows) - the Multi climate ration - basically an 'Afghan ration', but the mainstay of ORPs is not going away, at least not for the foreseeable.

The Americans have done a similar thing with bringing out their 'First strike rations', (who do they get to think of these names?!) described as an 'assault ration', alongside their mainstay of MREs.

Read here about the MCR trial:
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/D...ics/NewRationPacksProvideVarietyForTroops.htm

So people saying these aren't official you are right I guess in that these aren't the ORP you all know and love - but the MCR is still being issued to HM Armed Forces in Afghan, so it is certainly UK/NATO approved and all that good stuff.

Now what I am interested in is WIDU13 saying that there are 2 types of MCR on issue, one for combat arms and one for supporting services... Have you got a link or something on this? Is it whats referred to as the 'Day ration' (the £7 instead of the the £14 one on the Vestey link), or does it come under the MCR name and the day ration is just a commercial, for sale to civvies ration by Vestey?

Seems odd because even supporting services need food if they are in the thick of it, as they often are (look at dog handlers and females needed for searches on patrols right alongside the inf). And if they are just kicking their heels in camp then surely its the cookhouse/10 man packs for them, whatever arm or corps they are in...

 

[Carbuncle]

Now what I am interested in is WIDU13 saying that there are 2 types of MCR on issue, one for combat arms and one for supporting services... Have you got a link or something on this? Is it whats referred to as the 'Day ration' (the £7 instead of the the £14 one on the Vestey link), or does it come under the MCR name and the day ration is just a commercial, for sale to civvies ration by Vestey?

When I read this I wondered if they bore the same releation as the french RIE to the RCIR. The RIE is a cut down version for on exercise, and basically has one of the meals from the RCIR (mmmm french tinned meals . . . ) with some snacky stuff and a tinned pudding. No cooker (the RCIR has an esbit folding cooker in it - I've kept one to carry incase an other stove buggers up) or matches, though it had the pack of tissues IIRC.

The americans do something similar: http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/rations/programs/totm/totmabt.asp

 

[nickg]

So they arrived.
The mcr is just what you expect - but no choccy and energy goop in its place (disgusting) no biscuits brown!!!.
The day ration is more like a US MRE on steriods it has one main meal no real breccy and all the bits with more brews.
I have to say that the protien calories can't amount to much more than half the stated 4000-4500 kCals with the rest bieng picked up with the Empty calories from the energy drinks, sugar, boilies, screech(substitute) etc so if you plan your days diet around one and lay off the sugary bits you stand little chance of exploding on the march.
That said at £14 for a days worth of convinence food you could match it for about £8 from asda and get a bit more variety.

I have to say that ordering from vestey foods was very good (via ebay) and they threw in 4 extra main meal pouches gratis which i was very pleased to recieve and very quick service so they are certainly worth dealing with if you feel the need.

My homemade ratpak as below (sorry if the formatting gets crazy - I'll be happy to post on the Excel spreadsheet if anybody would like)

Typical 24 hr ration pack
breakdown
example Cost energy protein carbohydrate of which sugars fat of which saturates fibre sodium salt equivalent
Breakfast kCal g g g g g g g g
1 Tin all day breakfast Crosse & Blackwell All Day Breakfast £1.30 364.90 19.68 27.06 11.89 16.40 4.92 5.74 1.23 3.28
small tin mushrooms 1/2 tin ASDA Button Mushrooms £0.34 20.00 0.70 0.25 0.10 0.10 0.05 0.60 0.00 0.00
Snack Meal Sub total 384.90 20.38 27.31 11.99 16.50 4.97 6.34 1.23 3.28
Tin or tube of meat paste ASDA Mini pate Chicken and bacon £0.54 105.60 4.96 1.28 8.96
Individual cheese portions (mix’n’match) 1/5 ASDA Cheese Snack Net £0.35 80.00 5.20 0.40 0.02 6.40 4.34 0.00 0.14 0.34
Oatcake biscuits Stockans Oatcakes thin £0.36 453.00 11.10 50.30 0.30 23.00 6.10 6.00 1.20 1.90
Slice of rich fruit cake 1/4 mcvities Fruit Cake £0.29 91.75 1.15 13.83 7.63 3.55 0.38 0.45 0.08 0.20
Main Meal Sub total 730.35 22.41 65.81 7.95 41.91 10.82 6.45 1.41 2.44
Tin steak casserole ASDA Beef Stew £1.00 390.00 24.40 40.00 5.40 14.80 7.40 5.40 0.90 2.20
Tin boiled potatoes ASDA SmartPrice new potatoes £0.25 201.00 4.50 45.00 1.50 0.30 0.00 7.20 0.00 0.00
Small Tin sweet corn ASDA SmartPrice Sweetcorn £0.33 228.00 8.40 44.40 15.60 2.00 0.00 9.60 0.28 0.08
Dessert Sub total 819.00 37.30 129.40 22.50 17.10 7.40 22.20 1.18 2.28
Small tin pineapple in syrup DelMonte Pineapple Slices £0.39 69.00 0.40 15.50 0.10
Sundries Sub total 3937.50 160.58 460.53 84.87 151.12 46.37 69.98 7.64 16.00
4 PG Tips Tea Bags £0.10
4 Nescafe Cappuccino Sachets £0.96 292.00 9.60 33.60 18.80 13.20 12.40 2.80 0.00 0.40
4 whitener or milk sachets £0.05 64.00 0.00 6.80 0.92 4.00 4.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
3-4 sachets of suger £0.05 52.00 0.00 12.40 0.00
10 garibaldi biscuits £0.10 375.00 4.70 68.50 9.10
Galaxy hot chocolate sachet £0.31 98.00 1.90 17.30 2.50
2 mars bars £0.90 517.36 4.76 79.23 20.18
packet of paper tissues for toilet use £0.17
2 Clean up tissue (ie KFC sourced!) for toilet use £0.00
Pour & store bags x2 £0.25
Sub total 1398.36 20.96 217.83 19.72 48.98 16.40 2.80 0.00 0.40
Total cost £8.04
Total values 3401.61 101.45 455.84 62.16 124.59 39.59 37.79 3.82 8.40

 

[lostplanet]

Thanks for the Info Nick. I might just get a few 'Boil in..' for convienince and like you suggest Tesco the rest.

 

[ged]

at £14 for a days worth of convinence food you could match it for about £8 from asda and get a bit more variety.

Agreed, and you can then tailor it more easily to your tastes.

My homemade ratpak as below (sorry if the formatting gets crazy - I'll be happy to post on the Excel spreadsheet if anybody would like)

If you'd permit it I can turn this into csv, spreadsheet, HTML page, whatever, and put it on my miscellanous Web page for people to download at their convenience.

 

[nickg]

No problem pm me your email and ill send the spreadsheet as is

Cheers
Nick