Review: 1989 Ration, Cold Weather (RCW) Components, Part 1
Posted: Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:32 pm
This has been my second chance to try out one of the older Ration, Cold Weather ration items (predecessor to the current production Meal, Cold Weather). I picked these up about a year ago at a surplus store and was surprised to find them. I know some of these components are highly sought after. Some of the packaging was starting to wear down so I decided it would be better to review these sooner than later. The items were randomly assorted in a box, the outer bag was not included. So I decided to pick and choose some items from my collection. This will be part 1, what I designated to be the breakfast part of the ration.
Here are some closeups of the oatmeal in its packaging and during preparation.
Here are the items included in the accessory packet.
This is the chicken noodle soup, prior to adding water.
Here's a closeup of the strawberry fruit soup prior to and after adding a small bit of hot water.
Here's the entire ration prepared!
The oatmeal smelled like soap in its packaging. After adding some hot water, I let it set for about 10 minutes. After this, it smelled great. I have no idea how they did it, but it was simply amazing. The oatmeal bits were perfectly soft and chewy, the apple bits gave it a unique, almost aged-like flavor and overall just had a slightly sweet cinnamon flavor to it. For those who have had the Quaker instant oatmeal packets, they're nothing like this. This is far better.
The nut mix was still edible but the nuts were starting to turn a bit sour. I ate a few handfuls but had to toss the remainder of them. The chicken noodle soup reminded me of that Lipton stuff you can buy from the store. In my case, it was really salty because I didn't add enough water. But it was still perfectly edible, but by no means the best part of the ration. Coffee Instant Type 1 by itself is nothing to write home about, in my opinion. But if you combine it with creamer and sugar, it makes the best instant coffee imaginable. The sharp flavor nicely complements the creamer and sugar better than the standard coffee they use in modern rations. The iced tea was a nice addition because it something cold and sweet to drink making it a refreshing way to finish off the oatmeal.
I saved the fruit soup for last. For those who watch Steve1989, you know he really raved about this stuff. He would have been a great salesman for it if they ever sold it to the general public. I guess that's how you know he's serious.
Despite what the instructions say, I followed his advice and added a few tablespoons of hot water so it would stir into a thick consistency. It was very sweet and had a partly artificial but partly natural tasting strawberry flavor. Imagine eating a spoonful of strawberry jam. Now imagine if Mountain House made a freeze dried version of that, that's what this tastes like. It's a great ration item that is highly coveted by many. I'm happy that I was able to try both flavors and document my experiences for others to read before they all disappear. If you ever do find any rare ration items that you are going to try, I encourage you to take some pictures and share the experience with us so it can live on!
The nut mix was still edible but the nuts were starting to turn a bit sour. I ate a few handfuls but had to toss the remainder of them. The chicken noodle soup reminded me of that Lipton stuff you can buy from the store. In my case, it was really salty because I didn't add enough water. But it was still perfectly edible, but by no means the best part of the ration. Coffee Instant Type 1 by itself is nothing to write home about, in my opinion. But if you combine it with creamer and sugar, it makes the best instant coffee imaginable. The sharp flavor nicely complements the creamer and sugar better than the standard coffee they use in modern rations. The iced tea was a nice addition because it something cold and sweet to drink making it a refreshing way to finish off the oatmeal.
I saved the fruit soup for last. For those who watch Steve1989, you know he really raved about this stuff. He would have been a great salesman for it if they ever sold it to the general public. I guess that's how you know he's serious.
Despite what the instructions say, I followed his advice and added a few tablespoons of hot water so it would stir into a thick consistency. It was very sweet and had a partly artificial but partly natural tasting strawberry flavor. Imagine eating a spoonful of strawberry jam. Now imagine if Mountain House made a freeze dried version of that, that's what this tastes like. It's a great ration item that is highly coveted by many. I'm happy that I was able to try both flavors and document my experiences for others to read before they all disappear. If you ever do find any rare ration items that you are going to try, I encourage you to take some pictures and share the experience with us so it can live on!