RLW-30

Az556 · Post by **Az556** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:24 am

LMK what you think....

Post by **kman** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:40 am

Great pictures! Did you take those yourself from your collection or did you find them elsewhere?

As I was looking at the first picture, I was thinking that those looked like early forerunners to the LRRPs...so I was figuring they were from sometime in the 1970s...but then I saw 1986 and was surprised. So was there a gap between the LRRPs used in Vietnam and the older, dark brown LRPs that were around before the current MCW/LRP?

Az556 · Post by **Az556** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:59 am

I took the pics today, this is the RLW-30

Restricted Rations
Restricted rations are individual rations for use under certain operational scenarios such as long range patrol, assault, reconnaissance, or when resupply is unavailable. The restricted rations are the Ration, Lightweight (RLW-30), the Food Packet, Long Range Patrol (LRP), and the Food Packet, Survival, General Purpose Improved (GP-I).

http://www.usariem.army.mil/nutri/milrat.htm

http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=get ... =ADA184909

http://stinet.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=get ... =ADA184477

Post by **kman** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:34 am

Great links - thanks!

C-rats · Post by **C-rats** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:23 pm

How (and where) in the world did you come by that `Az?

That's really neat!

I do find it curios that there isn't any type of accessory packet included with the ration --- not even a spoon evidently?

Great info links too --- helps explain the "30" designation on the ration packet.

Az556 · Post by **Az556** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:28 pm

Ration came from an individual that was with a "unit" that was asked to take part in testing back in the day.

It was open when I got it so not sure about accessories or spoon.

Mkim340518 · Post by **Mkim340518** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 1:34 pm

So does 30-day ration mean that it is meant for consumption for only a thirty-day period or does it mean that it is a supply of food for thirty-days?

Baldy · Post by **Baldy** » Sat Jun 14, 2008 9:13 pm

Mkim340518 wrote:So does 30-day ration mean that it is meant for consumption for only a thirty-day period

That's what I think. Based on the above links and other reading, I believe '30 Days' indicates that these rations should be consumed for no more than 30 consecutive days. In other words, RLW-30 and similar packs are not fit as long-term food supplies and must be supplemented with other rations or fresh food after 30 days. That (and perhaps cost) may be why they're 'restricted': to prevent some moron from sending their unit on a six-month deployment with only RLW-30/LRP to eat.