possible supply of 24hr ration packs

[Midnitehound]

It's a question, I have never had these and would like to know people's thoughts.

I have used these and got them in for other people.

My opinion is stick to UK ratpaks.

The US MREs are not particularly impressive, they only do one meal, are packed with additives and are very pricey for what they are. UK rats are much better value, usually in date, more varied and can actually be classed as real food! Ratpaks have really improved of late. You can easily buy the chem heaters if you want to play with those, they work with any foil pack meal.

You can try MREs out of interest of course but most people I know reject them long term. For the price of one MRE you can have a better ratpak that is for all day.

Just my 2p worth

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Had Ratpacks for years and never faulted them. Just seen some MREs at a reasonable price and considered them as an alternative.
My supply of the Brit ones has just retired so supply has gone.

 

[9InchNinja]

10 man ration packs £59.26 each.

I'd take one of these at that price, but if you can get any discount on these then I should be able to order quite a few.

 

[Insel Affen]

Remember that an MRE is just the meal (and duff) where as the Brit ones are 24hrs. Mind you, you have to be careful as there are some new 12hr rations which the Brits have brought out, which are designed for days out rather than a 24hr period.

Oh yes, forgot to say. I don't mind the Brit or the 'Murican ones, I have eaten some rank stuff in the past though, but warmed up, they are both good. I guess it depends on personal taste, if you don't like pasta, you won't like the pasta menus.

 

[Limaed]

I have used these and got them in for other people.

My opinion is stick to UK ratpaks.

The US MREs are not particularly impressive, they only do one meal, are packed with additives and are very pricey for what they are. UK rats are much better value, usually in date, more varied and can actually be classed as real food! Ratpaks have really improved of late. You can easily buy the chem heaters if you want to play with those, they work with any foil pack meal.

You can try MREs out of interest of course but most people I know reject them long term. For the price of one MRE you can have a better ratpak that is for all day.

Just my 2p worth

Totally right. Some of the US stuff has also started sneaking into the Brit rat packs. They do a cinnamon bun as a breakfast which is an MRE rather than the standard Brit stuff.

 

[rik_uk3]

The tins of peanuts in the new packs last well

 

[Midnitehound]

The tins of peanuts in the new packs last well

That is good to hear and as I suspected. The plastic packets of mixed nuts and fruit didn't fare so well. A metalised barrier works so much better.

 

[nettles150390]

I wonder how much it would cost to make my own dehydrated food pouches to put into some home made 24 hour packs
Anyone. Know? Done this before?

 

[Midnitehound]

I wonder how much it would cost to make my own dehydrated food pouches to put into some home made 24 hour packs
Anyone. Know? Done this before?

I have a good quality dehydrator, equivalent to an Excalibur. I have done dehydrated rations etc. It costs you in time, equipment, electricity but the food can be relatively cheap. If you go down the dehydrated food route you will save on weight but then you will have to use water and more fuel to reconstitute it. It has advantages and disadvantages but if you're in a pickle you won't be wanting to consume the food cold like you can with normal wet MRS style foil pouches! The chem heaters are a good idea when you may get in a storm and need to fuel your body with hot food.

You can dehydrate stuff using the oven on low and the door open. There are loads of vids on youtube on dehydrating food and creating your own wet or dry rats. Jerky is always a good one, just pick up discounted beef, add an appropriate marinade for dehydration and preserve it yourself. Some things rehydrate well, some don't. You won't be doing chicken curries though!

 

[lavrentyuk]

Keep haggling - and let us know. I would be up for a few.

 

[santaman2000]

Remember that an MRE is just the meal (and duff) where as the Brit ones are 24hrs. Mind you, you have to be careful as there are some new 12hr rations which the Brits have brought out, which are designed for days out rather than a 24hr period.

Oh yes, forgot to say. I don't mind the Brit or the 'Murican ones, I have eaten some rank stuff in the past though, but warmed up, they are both good. I guess it depends on personal taste, if you don't like pasta, you won't like the pasta menus.

Yeah it sounds like the price for an MRE is going to be prohibitive for y'all. They're about $7 to $8 here (4.63 pounds to 5.30 pounds) for a single meal; and it sounds like they're more expensive there.

Totally right. Some of the US stuff has also started sneaking into the Brit rat packs. They do a cinnamon bun as a breakfast which is an MRE rather than the standard Brit stuff.

A cinnamon bun ain't gonna qualify as "breakfast in an MRE. That'd be one of the snack items. A breakfast menu has probably changed somewhat but the standard is a ham omelet and usually about 1/2 of all the units in a 12 unit case are omelets. At least they were back in the day; the menus have changed and continue to change every 6 months or so to avoid monotony, but they won't have changed THAT much. They still are required to furnish from 3000 calories to 3600 calories per day (which means 1000 to 1200 per meal) Or Kcal as y'all call it.

Some of the menus I see now in the commissary and surplus stores look better than others. The ethnic ones (vegetarian ones for handing out to various religious refugees) don't look good at all! On the other hand, the two in front of me right now (1-Chicken Fajita & 2-Beef Roast with Vegetables) look pretty good. As were the older Escalloped Potatoes with Ham.

 

[Phil B]

I'll be up for quite a few veggie ones if the price is fair. Even moreso if you can just get the main meals and puddings.

 

[Midnitehound]

I'll be up for quite a few veggie ones if the price is fair. Even more so if you can just get the main meals and puddings.

How about Vegetable Thai Green Curry and a separate Pilau rice pouch? As per the ratpaks normal and well received by all so far.

Also, Oats and Milk breakfast in full pouches rather than the smaller lighter pouch design of normal ratpaks? Very tasty, I've tried one. Just pour in hot water, perhaps a squirt of honey or jam too, and allow to sit for a few minutes.

 

[Midnitehound]

10 man ration packs £59.26 each.

I'd take one of these at that price, but if you can get any discount on these then I should be able to order quite a few.

Oh right, group catering kind of deal rather than actual individual 24hr 4000kcal rats. No boil in the bag meals etc.

Like this:

http://www.rationpacks2go.co.uk/10man-menu-a.html

 

[nettles150390]

I have a good quality dehydrator, equivalent to an Excalibur. I have done dehydrated rations etc. It costs you in time, equipment, electricity but the food can be relatively cheap. If you go down the dehydrated food route you will save on weight but then you will have to use water and more fuel to reconstitute it. It has advantages and disadvantages but if you're in a pickle you won't be wanting to consume the food cold like you can with normal wet MRS style foil pouches! The chem heaters are a good idea when you may get in a storm and need to fuel your body with hot food.

You can dehydrate stuff using the oven on low and the door open. There are loads of vids on youtube on dehydrating food and creating your own wet or dry rats. Jerky is always a good one, just pick up discounted beef, add an appropriate marinade for dehydration and preserve it yourself. Some things rehydrate well, some don't. You won't be doing chicken curries though!

Hmmmm what about buying bulk dehydrated food items and then throwing them into a pack think that would work to make a meal. Rather than making it then dehydrating?

Oh right, group catering kind of deal rather than actual individual 24hr 4000kcal rats. No boil in the bag meals etc.

Like this:

http://www.rationpacks2go.co.uk/10man-menu-a.html

The very same

 

[Midnitehound]

Hmmmm what about buying bulk dehydrated food items and then throwing them into a pack think that would work to make a meal. Rather than making it then dehydrating?

Worth a punt. The food is certainly a lot lighter when dehydrated. As I say, some things rehydrate easier than others so it is a case of experimenting and checking out other people's suggestions on say youtube.

It is a pity there isn't a constant electricity supply at the Moot site or I'd do machine based dehydrating as an ongoing thing over several days.

Cheap bacon is always a good one to dehydrate I have found, it lasts longer unrefrigerated and easily cooks up to crispy bacon like it should do. If you dehydrate it right down it cooks in seconds when held down on each side and becomes a very salty bacon crisp.

Banana coins brushed with lemon juice is another good one, they turn out chewy like sweets unlike the shop bought type.

Some things don't fair well at all, raspberries just go poof to dust when handled.

 

[Phil B]

How about Vegetable Thai Green Curry and a separate Pilau rice pouch? As per the ratpaks normal and well received by all so far.

Also, Oats and Milk breakfast in full pouches rather than the smaller lighter pouch design of normal ratpaks? Very tasty, I've tried one. Just pour in hot water, perhaps a squirt of honey or jam too, and allow to sit for a few minutes.

While I'm not a fan of Thai food, any hot meal is lovely if you're hungry. I'd give it a go.
I love poridge. So big thumbs up there!

 

[Jimmy Bojangles]

Don't know if it's of any interest to those wanting just the main meals, but I've been buying the ready meals from Aldi. They're supposed to be oven or microwave but have worked fine over the fire in a billy. They cost £1.49 each weigh around 450g have approx 550-600cal's and seem to have very almost no E no's or other rubbish. They're available in cottage pie, shepherds pie, beef with dumplings, a chicken korma, another curry I can't remember, chilli and sweet and sour chicken, the last four come with rice.
Have to say, they're all pretty good!

 

[Insel Affen]

Not wanting to set any hares running, but I'm on the verge of securing a visit to Vestry foods in the next month or so, to the packing factory for 24hr rat packs. Hoping to make a contact or two.

 

[FGYT]

A mate looked at gettin the rat As a company he was scourcing & supplying Landrover parts n stuff (40ft containers full) wanted some

they confimed that there where no legal ways of buying it ie most Ebay stuff and wanted to give him sole rights to distribute to civies etc he was after a couple 1000 on pallets but only got offered 8-10% discount off their RRP so really not worth it.
any numbers you get up to are nothing compared to the Military order numbers so discount will never be much if any


We stepped away for m Rat packs years ago you cna eat much better if you have a look about your local supermarket and plan