Rat packs of the world
I still have a soft spot for MREs - Meals Ready to Eat, or as we were told at the time, the rather less PC Meals Rejected by Ethiopians. Other than the chilli cheese dip, they were largely awful, but you could have some real fun making 'MRE bombs' which was a childish if not amusing way of whiling away several months.
Strangely enough though, I do like the biscuits brown in our own rat packs and I have absolutely no idea why.
Strangely enough though, I do like the biscuits brown in our own rat packs and I have absolutely no idea why.
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"to constipated you,"
Not sure whether it was the old and new style of Oz rat packs
or just the old style but out bush, you could go days without !
As a result, a few took a Salami along, often held in the 66mm
Rocket Launcher and have a few slices each day. Worked wonders
for keeping things moving !
Not sure whether it was the old and new style of Oz rat packs
or just the old style but out bush, you could go days without !
As a result, a few took a Salami along, often held in the 66mm
Rocket Launcher and have a few slices each day. Worked wonders
for keeping things moving !
I'll tell you,what, when nature finally wretched back control of the outflow valve, it was a loud, painful affair. Small little pills to help launch the ship on a regular basis became as popular as adult beverages.
Oh for the delights of good old fashioned (& mostly very old) Compo Rations, no sign of a "Best Before" date. Guarranteed to bung you up. Start the day with bacon grill & beans (yum!) test your resolve later with a Babies Head & in the evening use the tinned tomatoes for training in the dark art of playing Freckles (because nature & the compo stopped you producing the required ingredient) then use the cast off cans with some purloined speed tape to fashion a cannon / mortar.
No Best Before Date.?.
...Oh yes, early 60's we would go from Singapore up to the air to ground firing range at Asahan, complete with compo rations for 10/14/21 days depended on how much practice was needed. On route we would always stop off at a small village in the middle of nowhere and swap compo rations with the local headman(?). American, Aussie, Kiwi plus others, some of it old but as said elsewhere, no sell by date and it made a change from the cr*p we were being given. How they came by it, no one asked but they always had cases of the stuff!
The other bonus was we normally had army cooks who would work wonders with a field kitchen and the stuff we had.
The other bonus was we normally had army cooks who would work wonders with a field kitchen and the stuff we had.
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West Coast
Sums it up well
You felt so relieved as well.
The one that got me was a 9 day selection course, we did so much exercise
and ate so little, nothing left to come out !!! I think I lost more than a few kgs !
Sums it up well
You felt so relieved as well.The one that got me was a 9 day selection course, we did so much exercise
and ate so little, nothing left to come out !!! I think I lost more than a few kgs !
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"The other bonus was we normally had army cooks who would work wonders with a field kitchen and the stuff we had."
I was always a bit amazed at what a cook could do with a 10 man ration pack.
Although never got used to ? the Rice pudding ? and the Evaporated milk !
I was always a bit amazed at what a cook could do with a 10 man ration pack.
Although never got used to ? the Rice pudding ? and the Evaporated milk !
Couldn't agree more cliver029, after a couple of weeks at Wideawake, Asc. they opened a field kitchen next to Tanker tent city, it was run by an Army Sgt. chef, what he couldn't do with compo rations wasn't worth bothering with, brilliant man.
It was a different story down at the Georgetown kitchen where the standard fare was " babies heads and train smash ", a Royal Marines delicacy which consisted of building a mashed pom wall across your mess tin with a babies head one side and jam roly poly on the other.
It was a different story down at the Georgetown kitchen where the standard fare was " babies heads and train smash ", a Royal Marines delicacy which consisted of building a mashed pom wall across your mess tin with a babies head one side and jam roly poly on the other.
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The current Menus are on https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...ngv5_0webU.pdf , Ch 8, Annex A. There used to be a Kosher menu but I'm buggered if I can find it now.
Last edited by GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU; 20th Feb 2014 at 13:38. Reason: Finger Trouble
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"I was always a bit amazed at what a cook could do with a 10 man ration pack."
In my day, it was called Honkers' Stew!!! (or at least it was when it was in the pan in the Shack Galley).
In my day, it was called Honkers' Stew!!! (or at least it was when it was in the pan in the Shack Galley).
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I always liked the "biscuits brown" with a can of cheese or "biscuits fruit" with a toothpaste tube full of strawberry jam.
The Yorkie bar wrappers made me smile.
I remember the boil-in-the-bag sticky toffee pudding being a brick that's swimming in treacle. I've never eaten anything with so so much sugar, it would make my teeth hurt.
I've always wanted to try the yank MRE as I'm intrigued by their self heating bags. Do they work ok?
The Yorkie bar wrappers made me smile.
I remember the boil-in-the-bag sticky toffee pudding being a brick that's swimming in treacle. I've never eaten anything with so so much sugar, it would make my teeth hurt.
I've always wanted to try the yank MRE as I'm intrigued by their self heating bags. Do they work ok?
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Does The Guardian read PPRUNE or is this article shear coincidence?
How the world's armies get fed... The eat of battle ? how the world's armies get fed | Life and style | The Guardian
"Hello" to The Guardian if you're reading this.
How the world's armies get fed... The eat of battle ? how the world's armies get fed | Life and style | The Guardian
"Hello" to The Guardian if you're reading this.
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In the days before Yorkie Bars - there were the Cadbury Bourneville Fruit (dark chocolate with raisins) and the blocks of "Tiffin", each 5 bars to the tin. I remember when I was an air cadet on my first hill walking exped (in Easter 1969), sitting outside a café in the Peak District and opening a tin (with the little can opener) much to the amusement of the locals.
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Don't worry, he'll catch up soon 
Ptr175, thanks, checked and Tesco's do them too, so will give one a try
500n My mind was in overdrive as to how you un bunged yourself with a Salami in the outback, but apparently you eat it..... What a let down
Ptr175, thanks, checked and Tesco's do them too, so will give one a try
Not sure whether it was the old and new style of Oz rat packs
or just the old style but out bush, you could go days without !
As a result, a few took a Salami along,
or just the old style but out bush, you could go days without !
As a result, a few took a Salami along,
500n My mind was in overdrive as to how you un bunged yourself with a Salami in the outback, but apparently you eat it..... What a let down
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Nutloose
I've never had anyone say that before !
They were always 66mm diameter, I reckon it might be a bit hard
but never tried so wouldn't know.
I hate to think what they put in those Salami's, never once had one
go off or get mouldy even in up to 35 / 100 degrees !!!
I've never had anyone say that before !
They were always 66mm diameter, I reckon it might be a bit hard
but never tried so wouldn't know.
I hate to think what they put in those Salami's, never once had one
go off or get mouldy even in up to 35 / 100 degrees !!!