South African ration

[laughing_man]

I googled about the South African ration.
I found the pictures at two sites.

This says that it is a picture of the 1980s:
http://original-retnev.blogspot.com/200 ... packs.html

Although this has a bad state, it is visible to the same thing as the picture of the upper site:
http://rationworld.web.fc2.com/safrica/safrica1.html


Furthermore, I found the document at the site of the South African Department of Defence (MS-Word/4.3MB):
http://www.dod.mil.za/news/news2007/nov ... 0leter.doc
There is a report about the theft of the ration by a soldier. (P2-3)
It says that ration is completely the same as a supermarket item.

This is also an official magazine of the South African Department of Defense (PDF/2.6MB):
http://www.dcc.mil.za/sasoldier/2005/August2005.pdf
There is the report about improvement of the Patrol Ration Pack. (P8-9)

Does someone have the more information?

[MrFahrenheit]

Never seen those SA rations.

Those red sausages? cheese perhaps?

Good find.

[Bypah]

I thought they issued them biltong in their rations....

[laughing_man]

I thought they issued them biltong in their rations....

I imagined that a dark brown thing was raisin.

[donaldjcheek]

Not a whole lot of information available on the current SANDF (South African National Defense Force) ration pack, but here's what I found out.

The old SADF (South African Defense Force, i.e. Apartheid era Army) ration pack was extensively developed during the Angola/South West Africa "Bush War" 1966-89.* It came in 2 varieties, 12-hour and 24-hour, and was based on British Army ration packs of the time. Both contained a wide selection of canned goods.

*now officially the South African Border War

Based on experience in the operational area, the ration pack was modified in the early 1980s. Canned goods are bulky and heavy, and generate a lot of trash. The new ration pack reduced the number of cans to 2 or 3, and the cans themselves were smaller. The bulk of the pack now consisted of ready-to-eat foods or dried foods that could be quickly prepared in the field. There were 5 menus, differing only in the variety of canned main meals and the flavors of the accessory items offered.

A 24-hour ratpack contained:

2 canned main meal items
1 can of vegetables
1 envelope of enriched milkshake powder (3 flavors)
1 envelope or carton of ProNutro instant cereal (3 flavors)
1 envelope of instant soup mix
1 plastic bag of dried fruit (usually raisins)
2 energy bars (3 flavors)
2 small plastic tubes of processed cheese
1 pack of hard biscuits (4 total)
1 roll of vitamin C fortified dextrose tablets
3 envelopes of fortified energy drink mix (5 flavors)
packets of instant coffee
tea bags or packets of instant tea
packets of powdered creamer
small envelopes of sugar
small envelope of salt
small tube of condensed milk (later dropped from ration)
pack of bubble gum
folding can opener (P-38 type, but a little larger)
matches
fuel tablets (either in a plastic "film can" or a blister wrap)
plastic bags
napkins

Main meal cans included: chicken breyani, braised steak, corned beef, steak in onions, curried fish, vienna sausage in brown gravy, ovamboes (sausages in brine), minced beef with noodles, chopped ham, & corned beef hash.

Vegetable cans included: peeled potatoes, garden peas, mixed vegetable salad, potato salad, and beans in tomato sauce.

Cereal flavors included: malt, vanilla & "porridge"

Milkshake flavors included: vanilla, cream caramel, & lime

Powdered beverages included: orange,tangerine, lime, & lemon

Energy bars were: Chocolate Nut, Chocolate Mint, and Rum Raisin

The current SANDF ration pack is almost identical, but the number of menus was increased to 6 (with a vegetarian menu), and then later to 7 (with a Muslim hallal menu).

As an interesting aside: 32 Battalion, an elite COIN unit, used the standard SADF ration pack - but all labels were printed in Portuguese.

[laughing_man]

donaldjcheek, Thank you for the very interesting information

I investigated about 32 battalions.
Here is the information on some about ration:
http://www.32battalion.net/32%20Battali ... ipment.htm

[donaldjcheek]

Thought this might be interesting.

The SANDF (South African National Defense Force) just closed a "tender" (request for quotation) to supply Ration Pack components for the Defense Forces.

According to the tender, each prospective supplier is to deliver the meat dish, vegetable or side dish, fruit, juice and "biscuit with filling in between' components to one of six Army depots, where they will be assembled along with other items into a complete ration pack.

Interestingly, SANDF ration packs (like the old SADF ration packs) consist of a cardboard tray containing canned, dried or ready-to-eat foods and accessories, overwrapped in clear plastic. Also, instead of "menus," SANDF ration packs are categorized as "Day 1," "Day 2," etc.

Each ration pack contains:
-190 g can meat or 155 g tin fish
-215 g can vegetable or side dish
-225 g can fruit
-250 ml pouch fruit juice
-75 g biscuit w/filling in between

The seven menus, A-G, are:

RatPack A = corned beef, baked beans
RatPack B = meat balls, sweet corn
RatPack C = Vienna sausage, spaghetti
RatPack D = pilchards (sardines), baked beans
OR
RatPack D = spaghetti, baked beans
RatPack E = spaghetti, sweet corn

RatPack F (diabetic)
155 g tin pilchards
215 g can baked beans
225 g can Fruit Cocktail
250 ml "no sugar added" fruit juice
200 g sugar free chocolate chip biscuits

OR

RatPack F (diabetic)
-corned beef, whole corn, sugar free fruit juice, sugar free biscuits with filling in between

RatPack G = tinned fish, baked beans

Judging by current rations offered on eBay South Africa, each ration pack also contains:
-instant soup
-instant breakfast porridge
-powdered milkshake
-energy drink powder
-hard crackers
-processed cheese
-energy bars
-instant coffee
-tea
-sugar

[cavguy]

Very interesting how they are attempting to cater to the diabetic diet. I believe that will disqualify one from Military service in the US.

[laughing_man]

Very wonderful information

[fdsman]

I have to wonder since the SADF is on the cutting edge of battle, if they're developing a more combat ready MRE style ration.