TheFull9 Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Cooking brit rat pack meals is like cooking baked beans... there's absolutely no need to, but if you want 'em hot then just provide heat to the outside somehow for as long as you feel is appropriate. All I ever got told at Halton was squidge all the actual contents in to one end, fold the packet in half (to save space in your mess tin when cooking) and leave in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. And yeah leave the water to boil up before dropping the packet in there. Link to post Share on other sites
Spacemonkey Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 My SOP is to plop one meal or meal and pud in Crusader mug and then almost fill with water. Pop lid on and place on Crusader cooker with one Green Slime sachet (squeeze out slime then scrunch up wrapper on top for maximum efficiency. Place folded tin foil under cooker to insulate from the cold ground to further aid efficiency). Once one sachet has burned, the meals are done. Remove, squish about to mix food and open. If you open across top and one side you can get at the meal easier. Add brew potion to remaining water, or top up water and burn another sachet. This with the lid will be hot enough for a big brew. Green slime will not easily boil water but get it damn close. For this reason water must be filtered/treated first. If cooking in a mug in an open fire's embers, then be careful to not melt the packet. The packets will burn in a hot enough fire if you want them too, but it has to be a good fire to do so and takes time. Link to post Share on other sites
torN- Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 cheers guys, that refreshed my memory! I just opened up my menu A and checking the dates they ran out in 2004! Are they still ok to consume? Link to post Share on other sites
Spacemonkey Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Yes... that is the date of packing and they say a 4 year shelf life from then. The reality is much more. They're fine.... Link to post Share on other sites
torN- Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Even a 2001 packet ive just found?! Link to post Share on other sites
Spacemonkey Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 One way to find out... I've got some Nam issued peanut butter tins somewhere that I'm sure are ok.. When I were a lad we never had none of this sell by nonsense. If it smelled ok, you ate it. Most of us are still alive... Link to post Share on other sites
TheFull9 Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 I've got some Nam issued peanut butter tins somewhere that I'm sure are ok.. When I were a lad we never had none of this sell by nonsense. If it smelled ok, you ate it. Most of us are still alive... Go through a lot of that fragrant dried-plant stuff in your house? (no I can't freakin' spell the word for it) I'm sure I've eaten pre-2000 packs at some point (probably during RTS) so 2001 will be fine. Link to post Share on other sites
Skarclaw Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 I found a 8 year old tin of bovril and a porecelin tub with a mouse skeleton inside at the back of my grans cupboard. Happy days. Link to post Share on other sites
RSM Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 I thought the shelf life for ORPs was 7 years? One of my guys going to the GZ weekender got 3 ORPs - one of them with a packing date of 1998...out of curiosity he ate the contents of the 10 year old one...I think he hasn't took a dump for about a week but other than that he's fine Link to post Share on other sites
Choosker Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 try the Spanish Rations... the American soldiers trade equipment for it in the sandbox Link to post Share on other sites
loki7491 Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 i have used both extensivly and there is good and bad to them both. american mre's are meant to be for one meal, brit packs are for one day. 3 brit packs equate to 9 mre's...... how rich are you!?! mre's have a wide range of meal offerings and things we don't get.... peanut butter, jallepino spready cheese and sweets, but if you want liven up your lamb stew and dumplings, take a bottle of tobasco sauce. mre's have a little heater to cook your food, whereas you will need a means of boiling water if you want to eat your brit food hot, but that water is fit for a brew, you cant drink the stuff you use in mre's cos it turns poisoness and will put you in hospital! been in regular army for 11 years and my professional opinion is stick with the british stuff. you'll save money, space in your kit and weight in you bags. also all brit food is designed to be eaten hot or cold....... on a different note take a torch to the weekender or you will not be allowed to take part in the night game - it's a safety thing incase we need to find lost bodies!! Link to post Share on other sites
Fizzy Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 One of my guys going to the GZ weekender got 3 ORPs - one of them with a packing date of 1998...out of curiosity he ate the contents of the 10 year old one...I think he hasn't took a dump for about a week but other than that he's fine Hope he enjoys his meals, I'll be tucking in to fillet steak in stilton & sherry sauce Why slum it, eh? Link to post Share on other sites
Gliderrider Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 Even a 2001 packet ive just found?! I ate a old tin of "Turkey & Herb patte" the other day with very dire results............. It tasted like dog pooo. If memory serves, that means it is normal. Seriosly though, I was told they have a 10 year shelf life, and i imagine that all the hot stuff should be OK as long as it is warmed through. Hope he enjoys his meals, I'll be tucking in to fillet steak in stilton & sherry sauce Why slum it, eh? Any mug can be uncomfortable ehh? Link to post Share on other sites
RSM Posted August 19, 2008 Report Share Posted August 19, 2008 Hope he enjoys his meals, I'll be tucking in to fillet steak in stilton & sherry sauce Why slum it, eh? Rupert Only kidding, to be fair about half of us including me have them due to the fact its easily carted about scoff, doesn't require any real preparation and offers a good amount of variety of things for the cost - the other half will probably be setting themselves on fire with the barbeque Link to post Share on other sites
Punkypink Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 I thought the shelf life for ORPs was 7 years? One of my guys going to the GZ weekender got 3 ORPs - one of them with a packing date of 1998...out of curiosity he ate the contents of the 10 year old one...I think he hasn't took a dump for about a week but other than that he's fine Thats what military rations is supposed to do isn't it? The ones we were given when I was in the SAF made the whole lot of us stop needing the loo majorly for a week. Less waste = better for soldiers. Link to post Share on other sites
John_234 Posted August 20, 2008 Report Share Posted August 20, 2008 MRE= Meal Refusing to Excrete They put something in the American ones to help digestion, I don't remember which part they changed though I think grains or something Link to post Share on other sites
RSM Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Thats what military rations is supposed to do isn't it? The ones we were given when I was in the SAF made the whole lot of us stop needing the loo majorly for a week. Less waste = better for soldiers. Oh I know that, I was just saying as the rations get older I think the digestive retardents mature with age like some perverse constipating wine... Which reminds me I have to find a new victim this year to offer biscuits browns to and then tell him what the effects are after he's eaten at least 3 packs. Link to post Share on other sites
McArthur Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 So the American MRE's require heating in order to be eaten? And each little brown MRE pack is one meal But the British ration packs do not require heating to be eaten, then can be eaten hot or cold, and one ration pack will last for a full day? Would anybody be willing to sell some to a Kiwi? Link to post Share on other sites
John_234 Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 you can eat either kind out of the bag Link to post Share on other sites
Gadge Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 You can... however a 24 hour brit ration pack wil sustain you for a week in extreme cases. the calories inputed by it per day far exceed a big man working hard. An average guy can get by on one boil bag, one or two biscuits AB or fruit and a drink (stock, screech or soup) in a 48 hour period. eaten hot and you can live on a 24 hour man pack for a week. trust me i have. Link to post Share on other sites
Punkypink Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Oh I know that, I was just saying as the rations get older I think the digestive retardents mature with age like some perverse constipating wine... Which reminds me I have to find a new victim this year to offer biscuits browns to and then tell him what the effects are after he's eaten at least 3 packs. we had an interesting ration. It was a pack of 5 biscuits, offered in vanilla and chocolate flavours. You could eat them as is, or tear a hole in the pack and pour water into it, leave it for a few minutes, and viola, the biscuits turn into cake! Link to post Share on other sites
Jagdraben Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 Regimental cookie + an officer corps who enjoy hunting way too much > MREs + Brit24hrRatPacks Link to post Share on other sites
RSM Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 we had an interesting ration. It was a pack of 5 biscuits, offered in vanilla and chocolate flavours. You could eat them as is, or tear a hole in the pack and pour water into it, leave it for a few minutes, and viola, the biscuits turn into cake! The cake is a lie! You ought to be careful what you say, could erupt into a whole 'biscuit vs cake/when is a biscuit not a biscuit' argument:P Was watching an episode of Ultimate Force (farce?) where Garvey and his American counterpart are discussing their rations as the yank finds eating cold boil in the bag rations a bit backwards. Garvey : What happens when your widget dies? (referring to the heating packs) US NCO: I get food poisoning. Perhaps not entirely accurate but then again given whats been said up thread... Link to post Share on other sites
Punkypink Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 lol "I get food poisoning" That line made me rofl! Link to post Share on other sites
Frakk2k Posted August 21, 2008 Report Share Posted August 21, 2008 The new Norwegian rations is really good :/ (http://www.drytech.no/realfieldmeal/) Ive tried the ones from the Netherlands, that was some disgusting ###### lol. Link to post Share on other sites
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