Lurp for sale on eBay!

[SierraTangoDelta]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/long-range-patr ... 4ac0ed4866

Not too sure about the dealer, as I'm not big on ebay. Figured you guys would get a kick out of it, though.

[dirtbag]

One of the "newer" ones, in the mylar bag.
New is a relative description.
We had the earlier version, in a ... fiber and foil ? bag.
Not sure what to call it.
It looked and felt like cloth, tho.
Last one I saw was 1972...
Not exactly fine dining, the MCI's were better, not saying much there, either !

Aha! Found it...

[The ration differed from the standard wet-pack Meal, Combat, Individual (MCI) in that it was a freeze-dried, vacuum-packed individual ration meal weighing 11 ounces (310 g) packed in a waterproof grey-green canvas envelope lined with aluminum foil.[5] Due to its discovered tendency to spoil in a wet or humid environment (i.e., all of South-east Asia), later ration packs came enclosed in an outer zip-lock clear-plastic bag to keep out the moisture. This drawback made it less than desirable as a standard ration.

[Ruleryak]

Really? The canned stuff was better than the freeze dried stuff? I really would have thought it was the other way around. I know the LRRPs and MCWs these days are much much better than any fully hydrated MRE.

As far as these go that seems to be the average price I see these days. There's almost always at least one on eBay at a time though so don't feel as though you've gotta jump on this one quick or anything.

[dirtbag]

You gotta understand, this was early days in the freeze dry era, they didn't have everything worked out then...
C-Rats (MCI's) had been used for 30+ years by then, it was the best it could be...
I think the big attraction of the lurps was mostly novelty, and they were lighter.
As long as you had a supply of clean water...
IMHO, neither one was fit to feed a dog.
BTW, the chili Lurp was inedible, the beans were like buckshot.

[Ruleryak]

Gotcha - I have definitely heard that the older freeze dried stuff didn't rehydrate quite right, plus there was the whole issue with them absorbing surrounding moisture and going bad early. I have a few of these and the older foil/canvas ones too and have always wondered what they'd be like today. One of these days I'm going to eat one, but I'll definitely avoid the chili (I have two of those, makes more sense now!)

I almost forgot to mention, with all of the older lurps I've opened, the freeze dried entree still held the vacuum seal so I bet it's likely they're still edible.

[dirtbag]

Yeah, the chili was always the last to be eaten, mostly used for trading.
Like I said, novelty factor was high!

I soaked them, then boiled them, didn't help.

5-6 years earlier, when i was backpacking, when Freeze dried stuff was brand new, we bought some items from Oregon Freeze dry , now known as Mountain house.
Very expensive then, and shipped in sandwhich bags, and not very tasty, and crunchy, IIRC.
Things have sure changed, you can buy almost everything for backpacking food at your local grocery store!

[Richard w.]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/long-range-patr ... 4ac0ed4866

Not too sure about the dealer, as I'm not big on ebay. Figured you guys would get a kick out of it, though.

FRom the description: "... real italian style, probably made in italy for our military."

I really hope that's meant as a joke.

[LogDayFreshHots]

Joke? That could swing either way. I'm sure I'm not the only member that can recall wondering if this were the case when reading a description on fleece-bay. Anyone else remember the seller who listed MRE's and described the "SF" marking on the case as being "Special Forces Issue"?

Oregon Freeze Dry was the sole-source contractor for the entrees seeing as how they developed the technology. Their entrees can be found in the cloth, paper and green plastic pouch rations. They can also be found in the brown plastic pouch ration along with Right Away Food of McAllen Texas who also supplied entrees.

The first rations were sealed in pouches consisting of three layers. The outer layer is often described as canvas but actually its a thing woven muslin-like cotton material. The inner layer is a fairly thick clear plastic moisture barrier material. Sandwiched in the middle is a foil laminate with the outside colored olive drab and the inside left reflective. As reports came back from the field describing moisture as a continuing problem each ration was later sealed in a clear plastic bag with a heat seal closure. Issuance consisted of 40 rations (5 each of 8 menus) in a solid fiber case with a protective sleeve wire-banded shut. Basically, a MCI case only larger.

The second LRP ration changed little from the first except for replacing the outer pouch with one made of foil-backed paper with clear inner moisture barrier film thinner than the first LRP ration. If you don't have one in your collection you can get a fairly decent idea of what this consisted of the next time you go to the grocery store. Look for the instant side dishes of rice or noodles in the pouches. Pretty much the same thing. The difference is the paper pouch used for the second LRP ration has a thin rubber-like film applied to the outside as further protection against moisture. Inside the components were pretty much the same except the civilian-labeled General Mills instant coffee packets were switched out for the more common brown paper packets with black labeling.

LRP and MCI ration were the extreme opposites of the combat ration spectrum. LRP rations were a novelty and the exchange rate was 1 LRP ration for 3 MCI's. The soldier with the LRP ration had his choice of what MCI's he wanted while the soldier with the MCI's took whatever LRP ration was being offered. Both rations had their advantages/ disadvantages and it was common for reconnaissance troops to find a happy medium by carrying a selection of both in the field.

If any of this is found interesting, great!

If found to be a mind-numbing rant, sorry!

[rationtin440]

One big problem with the lurp rations was an issue that seemed to plague our forces in Vietnam: scarcity of good water. I've read many accounts of soldiers in Vietnam not only getting sick from bad water, but also running low on the water that they were able to treat because the lurp rations had to be re-constituted with boiling water before they could be eaten, in order to prevent "serious and significant digestive and gastro-intestinal issues" (in other words, don't eat the lurp ration right from the pouch ) When one considers the weight of extra ammo, claymores, and other equipment, the extra water needed to re-constitute the Lurps made them less than ideal, although manytroops alledgedly preferred them over the MCIs.

[LogDayFreshHots]

Very true. The wet season provided more opportunities to gather water in the field to reconstitute the LRP rations but since water attracts life it was common for reconnaissance troops to avoid gathering water in order to avoid contact with enemy patrols. Not that they didn't take the opportunity when necessary. The taste left by water tablets also didn't add much to the flavor.

LRP's tended to carry a mix of MCI's and LRP's since the "wet" MCI rations provided fluids to combat dehydration. Carrying both rations helped break up the boredom encountered by eating the same type of ration with their limited menu options for too long a period of time. It was common to supplement LRP rations with the tinned fruit and condiments from the MCI.

The first time I ate a LRP I followed the directions adding the recommended amount of water and waiting as directed. When I thought it was ready I stirred the contents and ate. After a while the ration expanded in my gut causing gastric-intestinal distress. Basically, it felt like you had to pass gas with nothing actually happening except feeling like your gut was being pumped full of air and then the pressure being let off. Eventually the meal just wants out with one of two directions to choose from: up or down. With gravity working against you once the meal decides it doesn't want to be friends there is no holding it back. Thankfully I wasn't far from a thunder mug and once nature took its course there was no stopping. The meal really does expand!

What I learned is sometimes not following directions is a good thing. When I prepare a LRP ration I'll first open the bag and break the ration up to make soaking up the water easier. I'll then add half a canteen cup of hot water, seal the bag and wait the recommended time. I'll then stir the ration and check it for any bits that haven't soaked up any water and then add the second half of the canteen cup and wait again. That usually takes care of it. If I'm eating the ration cold I'll beak the ration up and use about the same amount of room temperature water added all at once; fold the bag down squeezing the air out and then rubber band it shut. Then I'll place it back in the foil pouch it was originally sealed in and slip it in my front pocket so body heat can warm it up. LRP's and other reconnaissance troops used this method so they always had a prepared meal ready to eat and it works fine. Sometimes you get a little leakage but nothing serious.

Believe it or not I actually managed to get the beans in the chili menu to soften up. They weren't perfect mind you. But after a period of time more than what the directions recommend the beans did soften some. My only complaint was the textured vegetable protein was not the best. Definitely had the unmistakable spongy chewy consistency where you eventually get tired trying to break it down and just spit it out.