Old style Ratpacks
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Old style Ratpacks
One for those that served when the old style 24hr Ratpacks (with tins) were still issued, in your opinions what was the biggest morale booster contained therein ?
My top three :
1. Babies' Heads
2. Bacon Grill
3. Cheese Possessed
The Rollos were pretty spesh, unless they'd been in the stores for 15 years.
What did you use to make them more interesting.....garlic, curry powder, Cherry Brandy ?
Maybe I could collate enough ideas to produce a new TV series involving Nigella Lawson, a deserted island and some coconut oil - "Big Naked Chef Survivor Brother".
[This message has been edited by X-QUORK (edited 28 June 2001).]
My top three :
1. Babies' Heads
2. Bacon Grill
3. Cheese Possessed
The Rollos were pretty spesh, unless they'd been in the stores for 15 years.
What did you use to make them more interesting.....garlic, curry powder, Cherry Brandy ?
Maybe I could collate enough ideas to produce a new TV series involving Nigella Lawson, a deserted island and some coconut oil - "Big Naked Chef Survivor Brother".
[This message has been edited by X-QUORK (edited 28 June 2001).]
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We used to get ratpacks GS for expeds and exercises, and discovered that the beverage whitener went like a b@stard if packed into the rolos wrapper and fitted with a 'fuse'.
Some of us also used to wind the Cadets up by telling them that the rolos (with their arabic(?) writing) are leftovers from the Suez campaign. This stopped after the staff got sick of telling the kids what the Suez campaign was.
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Oi got a bran' new comboine 'aarverster...
Some of us also used to wind the Cadets up by telling them that the rolos (with their arabic(?) writing) are leftovers from the Suez campaign. This stopped after the staff got sick of telling the kids what the Suez campaign was.
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Oi got a bran' new comboine 'aarverster...
Apparently the Boil-in-the-bag jobs are too expensive, and are only to be used on ops, hence this new one. They taste like plenty of Cake and Arse has gone into them.
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I loved the old ’24 hour man packs’ - could always ensure constipation for a 48 hour ex 
The strong tea with condensed milk from the tube was a great kick-start after a crummy nights sleep. The half tins of processed cheese went off like grenades in the end of ex clear-up bonfire
The strong tea with condensed milk from the tube was a great kick-start after a crummy nights sleep. The half tins of processed cheese went off like grenades in the end of ex clear-up bonfire
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One of the nicer things about the boil-in-the-bag sets was that you were unlikely to get an Aztec bar (if you remember them..) tucked away among the sweeties.
My best was while trying many moons ago to get into a TA unit which had a joining procedure that virtually guaranteed honorary Welsh citizenship. This was 1973, and one 5000-calorie 24-hour go-bag included a Mars Bar which had been manufactured in 1957.
My best was while trying many moons ago to get into a TA unit which had a joining procedure that virtually guaranteed honorary Welsh citizenship. This was 1973, and one 5000-calorie 24-hour go-bag included a Mars Bar which had been manufactured in 1957.
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I'm afraid X Quork I could never ever find anything morale boosting about the old rats!! I used to endure them as some kind of additional pain and suffering to the exercise. You'd get so hungry and cold you just had to eat every morcel.
I suppose everyone at first made the school boy error of opening the tinds and trying to 'cook' them in the mess tin. Mmmmmmm..... babies head mixed with chicken curry mixed with arctic rice ....oooooh I shudder even now. The mess tin of course would have to wait until the next visit to the kitchen sink to be truely clean again.
Biggles FU has a good point. I never really could dig the whole ****ting in the field/plastic bag scene. Compo would bung you up a treat and more or less save the experience till Ndex.
One bloke notched up 10 days without a dump.I'm sure it wasn't good for you.
The trouble with the new boil-in-the bag stuff was that it made you far too regular. I remember during a fairly lengthy Company attack up some Welsh hillside one bloke couldn't take it anymore and he flung his weapon down and dropped his cax and did what he had to do there and then. Sadly the 'battle' rolled on and we looked back to see Bloggs all alone, pink bottom shining in the rain.......well it amused us anyway...
How nice nowadays to go camping and just drop into the pub for dinner!
I suppose everyone at first made the school boy error of opening the tinds and trying to 'cook' them in the mess tin. Mmmmmmm..... babies head mixed with chicken curry mixed with arctic rice ....oooooh I shudder even now. The mess tin of course would have to wait until the next visit to the kitchen sink to be truely clean again.
Biggles FU has a good point. I never really could dig the whole ****ting in the field/plastic bag scene. Compo would bung you up a treat and more or less save the experience till Ndex.
One bloke notched up 10 days without a dump.I'm sure it wasn't good for you.
The trouble with the new boil-in-the bag stuff was that it made you far too regular. I remember during a fairly lengthy Company attack up some Welsh hillside one bloke couldn't take it anymore and he flung his weapon down and dropped his cax and did what he had to do there and then. Sadly the 'battle' rolled on and we looked back to see Bloggs all alone, pink bottom shining in the rain.......well it amused us anyway...
How nice nowadays to go camping and just drop into the pub for dinner!
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Biscuits AB mmmmmmmmm yum yum. I didn't even have to swap anything to get them - people would give them away.
Judging by previous posts perhaps it is true that AB stands for:........ Anal Blockage (at least that was the rumour I heard).
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I was a shiney Tiger - now I'm famous
Judging by previous posts perhaps it is true that AB stands for:........ Anal Blockage (at least that was the rumour I heard).
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I was a shiney Tiger - now I'm famous
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The nice thing about the old rats was that you could stash them by burying them in some easily remembered place. Then If you couldn`t be @rsed to carry your rats and the extra 24hrs rats you just ditched them and dug up what you buried last month when you needed them.
Not a good strategy for deployed ops though!
I personlly liked the 12-man rats. Lots of teeth-rotting sweeties and a whole tin of strawberry jam.
Not a good strategy for deployed ops though!
I personlly liked the 12-man rats. Lots of teeth-rotting sweeties and a whole tin of strawberry jam.
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Oh, the Good Ol' Days.
I have to agree that the 'Babies Head' was a treat to be enjoyed, and though the chocolate bars were more often than not white and crumbly and you mess tin became a health hazard after the first meal, it was all part of the fun.
As was, for that matter, the Smash Challenge! Trying to eat a packet of Instant Artic mash potato straight from the foil,no water allowed!
Just as a matter of interest, can fudge become toxic with age? I remember being on one exercise where before we deployed into the field a fatigue party was formed to remove all the old Cadbury's Fudge bars from the rat boxes.
Makes a change having fudge-'unpackers' I suppose!
I have to agree that the 'Babies Head' was a treat to be enjoyed, and though the chocolate bars were more often than not white and crumbly and you mess tin became a health hazard after the first meal, it was all part of the fun.
As was, for that matter, the Smash Challenge! Trying to eat a packet of Instant Artic mash potato straight from the foil,no water allowed!
Just as a matter of interest, can fudge become toxic with age? I remember being on one exercise where before we deployed into the field a fatigue party was formed to remove all the old Cadbury's Fudge bars from the rat boxes.
Makes a change having fudge-'unpackers' I suppose!
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Tubes of condensed milk, mmmmm. Apple Flakes, even Apple and Apricot flakes, yummee. Aztec bars, outstanding. But lets not forget one of the most versatile items of all, the green tube of margarine. Tasted like cr@p but stopped my rifle going rusty, could keep a GPMG firing all day and almost kept my boots, (DMS) waterproof!!
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Turnbull,
No - you got me there. And no, you won't be seeing me back on the double-headed dump truck either I'm afraid - PVR takes effect the moment my end of tour leave finishes. Sad to be leaving in some ways, but I'm ready for the big outside world now.
No - you got me there. And no, you won't be seeing me back on the double-headed dump truck either I'm afraid - PVR takes effect the moment my end of tour leave finishes. Sad to be leaving in some ways, but I'm ready for the big outside world now.
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Bad Livin chap, MREs are truyl awful. There are a few goodies in them, chocolate brownies and ickle rolls of sweeties but the best bit is the miniature bottle of Tabasco but on the whole yes they are
"Meals Rejected by Ethiopians".
Mind you it is good to see those chewy caramel bars (based loosely on card board, you know "4 Million made every week"!) have reappeared in buttyboxes.
And finally..Porridge oats from old rat packs, with tons of sugar, even a dab of chocolate powder. Yum
"Meals Rejected by Ethiopians".
Mind you it is good to see those chewy caramel bars (based loosely on card board, you know "4 Million made every week"!) have reappeared in buttyboxes.
And finally..Porridge oats from old rat packs, with tons of sugar, even a dab of chocolate powder. Yum