Old rations channel

[Odahi]

My MRE experience is more recent than some, I guess. '89 to '98, and in Aviation. Which meant GP mediums, not pup tents, and fuel, for potbelly stoves or later for kerosene heaters. Although the youngsters thought I was pretty hardcore when I ate mine cold a few times. With a little forethought, one could make a pretty good meal from some of those MRE's. In the footlocker were a bottle of mustard, one of ketchup, garlic powder, real crackers, and a few other goodies. I could REALLY make a go of it now, with all the easy-mac and related lazy man's goodies. My pantry in the field kept me fat and happy for that year in Bosnia, it just takes imagination. It may not be gourmet, but it beats the hell out of T-rats. When the choice is between a 200-meter hike in full battle rattle for T's, and sitting on my bunk with a customized MRE, I'll sit my lazy ass in the tent, thank you very much. I miss being able to keep a case or two around for emergencies.

[mekender]

Make it out of an olive-drab HDPE or Lexan, semi-clear, so you can tell if it's dirty, and the leadership can see who is hydrating.

That is a pretty easy thing to tell... You just look for private dipshit on his back with heatstroke.

On the topic though... I was in USMC JROTC in High School and one day as a gift to the Master Sergeant and the class, one of the more senior students brought in a couple of cases of meals that he picked up at a surplus store. I do not think they were MRE's but perhaps whatever they had before those... Anyways, we had some kind of field day that day and were all outdoors for the afternoon and we cracked open the cases... The Master Sergeant and the Major in charge of the class damn near flipped their lids when we started pulling cigarettes out of the packages, mostly because we were on school grounds, not because they had a particular aversion to smoking.

[Denis]

... there were two items in their field rations that no-one had ever been observed to eat, black bread and tinned whitebait. He said even the cats wouldn't touch the sprats.

A shame. When it is done right, I love black bread with real butter and some Gouda.

I wonder if that's a cultural thing? I don't like black bread or most brown breads, except Irish soda bread. For some reason I do like Pumpernickel, perhaps because it's mostly molasses.

When I see black bread, I am always reminded of the scene in Pillars of the Earth, where the wayfarers receive black bread at the monastery, and Follet explains that it is cheaply made with the cheapest of cheap grain.

[JAG2955]

Make it out of an olive-drab HDPE or Lexan, semi-clear, so you can tell if it's dirty, and the leadership can see who is hydrating.

That is a pretty easy thing to tell... You just look for private dipshit on his back with heatstroke.

The goal is to catch private dipshit before that happens. Even if I wanted dipshit to get the silver bullet, I still have to take care of him. Camelbaks are easy to tell if they're full or empty. If you're sitting still, you should be drinking out of your canteen/non-camelbak source so you still have water for the journey, even if you have to leave at a moment's notice.

[skb12172]

... there were two items in their field rations that no-one had ever been observed to eat, black bread and tinned whitebait. He said even the cats wouldn't touch the sprats.

A shame. When it is done right, I love black bread with real butter and some Gouda.

I wonder if that's a cultural thing? I don't like black bread or most brown breads, except Irish soda bread. For some reason I do like Pumpernickel, perhaps because it's mostly molasses.

When I see black bread, I am always reminded of the scene in Pillars of the Earth, where the wayfarers receive black bread at the monastery, and Follet explains that it is cheaply made with the cheapest of cheap grain.

It is. It's peasant food. It is also a lot healthier than the lighter stuff. If not cultural, it might be genetic. I'm half Irish and love soda bread, too.

[PawPaw]

Down south, we eat a lot of corn bread. Is that an American thing, or do other countries eat corn bread too?

Mexico, of course, has their corn tortillas. Fresh, hot corn tortillas are a wonderful thing, a little slice of heaven.

[First Shirt]

The only place I've ever encountered cornbread was in the US., and the only place I've ever found PROPER cornbread is south of the Ohio River.

Th' Darlin' Daughter will tell you "As you start north on I-65, eventually you'll find a point where they've stopped putting sugar in their tea, and started putting it in their cornbread. At that point, you are officially out of the South."

[JKosprey]

My experience is far newer than most. The new MRE's are decent. They came out with some even never ones that are pretty good too.

All I know is: nobody EVER wanted the omelet.

[Greg]

Down south, we eat a lot of corn bread. Is that an American thing, or do other countries eat corn bread too?

Pretty sure it's just us.

Mexico, of course, has their corn tortillas. Fresh, hot corn tortillas are a wonderful thing, a little slice of heaven.

Lightly pan fried with a little oil and a little salt, til they're just a little crispy. When I lived near the Central American market... I could eat dozens of corn tortillas that way, and have. Doesn't matter what you put in them.

[Netpackrat]

Personally, I think cornbread is disgusting.