I'm back! I need more rations for Magazine

[ashleypgphoto]

Hi helpful collectors and eaters of MREs!

I'm the photographer that purchased some MREs from here and shot them for The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010 ... rtson.html

I'm back on the hunt. This time a very well read magazine you all know (yellow border...) (and also with almost no money!) want me to shoot some MREs for a story.

They have asked me to find:

. Japanese
. Saudi or Israeli
. Italy
. Russia
. SW

Can any of you help me quickly find these rations? I think some of them seem tough to find... not sure though. Feel welcome to email me at gilbertson@viiphoto.com

Thanks guys,
Ash

[housil]

Hy Ashley,

nice to have you back

What stand´s "sw" for?

[Name_not_found]

They have asked me to find:

. Japanese
. Saudi or Israeli
. Italy
. Russia
. SW

. Japanese (Never seen)
. Saudi or Israeli (Never seen in person)
. Italy Very hard to get and expensive (but there are a few recent reviews with pics that may help you)
. Russia (tricky to get but around think ebay if you are brave)
. SW (not sure SW, if you mean SA as in south africa never seen)

[Ruleryak]

Like NNF said, Japanese is pretty much going to be impossible as is Saudi. Israeli rations (the IDF Rations) are extremely pricey and a bit more than rare. I've only ever seen components offered for sale one piece at a time and for insane prices. Italy - I'll PM you and see if you're interested in the spare one I have. Russia - if you have someone in the EU that can accept mail for you, this site sells IRPs:

SovietArmyStuff

They do not ship to the states however and neither will most eBay users overseas. I've had hit or miss success with importing rations into the US (some make it through unharmed, some make it through but are ripped to pieces and then taped back together, some are confiscated and destroyed).

As for SW, I assume you're referring to Swiss Rations - is that correct? The Kampfkostpaket (KKP) isn't one I've ever seen for sale, but perhaps German eBay would be a better place to check.

[housil]

As for SW, I assume you're referring to Swiss Rations - is that correct? The Kampfkostpaket (KKP) isn't one I've ever seen for sale, but perhaps German eBay would be a better place to check.

IF "SW" would mean "Switzerland", I dare to say "impossible". The only Swiss rations thing I ever got was chocolate and I could drive to Switzerland...

The "Kampfkostpaket" is actually not a military designed ration pack. It´s civilian supermarket stuff packed in a box and given to the soldiers.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2664

[ashleypgphoto]

This is all great people. Thank you!

Italy & Japan - I've had two great people from the board write to me about Italian and Japanese, which I will be purchasing, thank you.

Soviet/Russian - I've seen a good one on ebay I'm getting. The ones at SovietArmyStuff seem aftermarket or something. I'm really unclear on which ones are real. Check out these four links, any idea which ones are really used by the military, and which are most recent?

This one on SovietArmyStuff which says it's for soldiers;
http://www.sovietarmystuff.com/Product_ ... W_IRP.html

This one on SovietArmyStuff which says it's for officers;
http://www.sovietmilitarystuff.com/detail.php?pid=15532

There are these ones on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ration-Pack-Rus ... 27d939b242
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Russian-Army-Of ... 20d8de3a7e


Israeli/Saudi - These are going to be really tough. Any ideas on tracking them down? Anyone have anything from that region? Kuwait, Jordan, UAE, Dubai, Iran, (Iraq uses U.S. Rations or/and none at all - I've been there), Syria, Egypt, Bahrain etc?

SW, well, I asked my editor what she was talking about with this, and she told me that was her signing off in an informal way, and they are her initials. Oops.

Thanks everyone for all of your help and input thus far!

[housil]

Italy & Japan - I've had two great people from the board write to me about Italian and Japanese, which I will be purchasing, thank you.

So I don´t have to chase these ones down for you?

I'm really unclear on which ones are real.

We have the Russian member "Prado67" that wrote a review about a genuine Russian ration He sent me one but I´m at work so I can´t send you a pic from here.

SW, well, I asked my editor what she was talking about with this, and she told me that was her signing off in an informal way, and they are her initials. Oops.

[ashleypgphoto]

Thanks!!

I wrote to that chap on German Ebay about Italian Rations. Just as a back up.

As for Russian, authentic Russian, I'd love it if you could send me a photo and price of yours!


Appreciate it a lot!

Ash

[Ruleryak]

This first ebay link:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ration-Pack-Rus ... 27d939b242

is the official Russian Federation IRP-P current-issue. The other camo-covered cardboard box rations may or may not be official, older, for other purposes, etc. They may also be from other former Soviet-bloc nations, but my inability to read Cyrillic prevents me from clarifying. A forum user here, prado67, explained that this IRP-P just recently replaced this one so the plastic camo wrapper would be the newest variety.

The plastic pack:

http://www.sovietarmystuff.com/Product_ ... W_IRP.html

Is a Russian Federation IRP-B. Both the P and B are 24hr rations - I wish I had more info for you on what makes them different. These may have been replaced or updated as well. The only blister pack ration I have is from 1991 - I haven't run into any new issue ones that I could get ahold of.

[Name_not_found]

This is all great people. Thank you!

Japan - I've had two great people from the board write to me about Japanese, which I will be purchasing, thank you.

I want one too! who ever it was please PM me