Why no fuel in ration packs?

[AJB]

Ok, I admit it, I’m a big kid and love it – I’m brewing up in the garden on my Crusader system with white tea from a NATO ration pack, but it just occurred to me, why isn’t there any fuel included in the pack.

I can imagine hexy might taint the food but I’m sure they could package it better, but that doesn’t explain the lack of green heat. Is it just a fire risk issue whilst in storage? It would be great if it was included. Anyone got a clue?

It's amazing what you do when there's only an old Bond film on the box!

 

[mace242]

Ok - about to show my ignorance but I'll give it a go. Isn't the hexi packaged with the cooker? Therefore you'd either have to put the whole thing together (food, cooker and fuel) and add weight to each pack, or pack the fuel and cooker (usable for multiple ration packs) separate. Suppose you have a point about 'what if you run out of fuel?'... dunno. Having never been in the military I'm just guessing. I do think you're right about fuel spoiling the food. Whenever I pack I put my fuel in a side pocket well away from the food.

 

[AJB]

Hey Mace,

I’m using the Crusader system - http://www.quixotic.org.uk/Backpacking/Crusader.shtml - which I understand is now the standard in the British army. So the ‘cooker’ nests with your drinking bottle and there’s nowhere to stow either hexi or the green heat fuel. I assume in the field you carry your water and cooking system on you and are then issued with 1, 2,... days rations packs, but you will also have to be issued with fuel separately – just strikes me as one more thing to coordinate, (plus the ship full of left boots scenario in WW1), when you could include the fuel in the pack.

Just curious!

 

[MikeE]

Hexi blocks in their box are a precise fit in a hexi cooker, strange that! Hexi would certainly taint food in a big way, it often does when cooking with it! I suppose they don't include other fuel as it may be a hazard to health. The MRE food heaters could be a good alternative if we used them, I always nicked as many as poss when with US forces (or even parked nearby for a while!)

 

[Peter_t]

its probably because in some operations soldiers are on 'hard routine' which basicly meens no smoke, no fire and no heating so it doesn't give their position away to the enemy.

 

[mace242]

I'm curious about getting a crusader set. I currently use a 58 bottle and cup anyhow. How big is a crusader cup compared to the plastic one that comes with the bottle?

 

[spamel]

Hexi comes packaged inside the cooker, or in just its' box, many of them bundled in a large wooden crate. You get the stove if you need one with quite a few days worth of hexi already in it. On resupply, you get more fuel if you require it. To chuck a box of hexi in each ration pack would be wasteful as you'll not use a whole pack of hexi each day. It's also to do with cost as well I'd imagine. hexi is pretty good stuff, no matter what the doubters say. Nothing to pressurise, nothing to break, works in all conditions and climates and burns very hot. Can also be used to start barbeques!

 

[John Fenna]

No point in putting gel in - nothing would ever cook before you were redeployed!
I realy do not rate that stuff!

 

[AJB]

I just like to say again - I'm using the Crusader system cooker as per (as I understand it) the army not the old Tommy cooker which, yes, packs fuel inside, but the Crusader doesn't. As I understand it the tommy cooker is no longer issued - but I stand to be corrected on that. If Tommy cookers are no longer issued, then it begs the question again, how is fuel issued in the field?

Mace, the cooking 'pot' is much the same size as the mug and is a precise fit over the bottom of the bottle, the cooker sits under it very neatly and probably only adds an inch in height to the bottle when it's all nested together - it can't compete with a petrol stove or your Arga, but it's very neat.

Edited for ssshocking spelling

 

[spamel]

I've not seen crusader cookers on general issue. The Hexi stove has an adaptor plate for the Crusader mug to sit into. It fits over the folded stove for stowing away and makes little to no difference on pack size or weight.

Edit: tried putting the picture in but it won't let me. Can image tags only be used from Post Reply and not the Quick Reply?

 

[AJB]

Watch ya Spamel,

Yep I've seen those, but it's interesting that the Crusader's not issued, I was lead to believe they were!

Still, thinking about it, the fuel in the tommy cooker would last, what, two days at a real push, so we're back to the question, Why... which I guess we will never know the answer to

 

[IntrepidStu]

No Fuel????
You obviously havent tried burning the brown biscuits!!
They can burn for 24 hours and give enough heat to roast a pig at 20 yards.

 

[Peter_t]

the crusader kit is not general issue. they still use the goot old tommy cooker and mess tins. in the army you do prety much everything in the 'buddy buddy system' which meens you work in pairs so you cook your meal and your buddys at the same time in the same mess tin. you can not do this with crusader!! and to be honist the crusader mug isnt anywhere neer as efficient as mess tins because the boil in the bag meels stick out the top of it so you cannot fit a lid. i think the crusader cooking unit thing is useless, you dont save any space because you still have to cary the blocks which is prety much the same size a the normal tommy cooker. im not sure if it is but it seems to be slower then the tommy cooker aswell? i have never tried to gell but apparently its slower than the hexyblocks and its messy.
...but the mug is awsome for making brews

 

[AJB]

No Fuel????
You obviously havent tried burning the brown biscuits!!
They can burn for 24 hours and give enough heat to roast a pig at 20 yards.

Am I the only person in the world who likes them?

 

[Mikey P]

It's a dangerous air cargo issue. You cannot normally transport hexi fuel by air. Basically, if hexi fuel was included in rat packs, they would all become DAC and that would be a pain in the ar*e.

 

[spamel]

Biscuits Brown are very nice with a bit of Yorkie bar, a strange mix that I found by accident on exercise once!

Crusaders are issued in some units. I was issued two when I was serving with the old 24 Airmobile Brigade, which became 16 Air Assault later on. My brothers' unit (Commandos) also get issued them as do 9 Sqn RE. I'd therefore assume that all Airborne forces get them issued. They double up as a good digging implement! Normally, if you're carrying Crusader mugs, you'd not bother with mess tins.

 

[Peter_t]

Am I the only person in the world who likes them?

if you chew them with the chocolate at the same time youv got chocy biccys!!

 

[Peter_t]

Biscuits Brown are very nice with a bit of Yorkie bar, a strange mix that I found by accident on exercise once!

i thought i invented that!

 

[spamel]

Sorry, but no! And as I had patented the idea, you owe me two million quid!

 

[AJB]

Thanks Spamel,

That's why I was lead to believe they were issued I used to work with bods like that and was ‘issued’ with them as a civi to join in the fun!

I guess you get one or the other or the Crusader is slowly taking over from the tommy – once we’ve worked through all the WW2/cold war stock – am I right in thinking it’s a Soldier 2000 introduction?