new German EPA leicht

[laughing_man]

I looked at new German EPA leicht at some auctions.
http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/a ... n132192675
http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e149262289
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2x-KSK-EPA-leic ... 1244828269

Is such EPA leicht the formal rations of the German army?
Or are these commercial items?

[housil]

Is such EPA leicht the formal rations of the German army?

They say "Erprobung" on the label means "testing". So they are no real issued rations of the German Army (yet?).

See here the officially page of the German Army about their 19 regular rations

[Name_not_found]

oooohh ahhhh a prototype ration!

[laughing_man]

Thank you, housil.

I may try it

[rationtin440]

Laughing_man's question about items being formal German Army rations or commercial, made me think----unlike American MREs, many ration snacks and other components from France, the UK, and many other countries are indeed commercial items which flankertanker and other reviewers her in forums and on youtube have mentioned can be bought at Hyper-Marts/convenience/grocery stores in other nations. Not only that, but they come in the same form and with the same labeling as they do in the rations. Hmmmmmm......I wonder if Natick Labs has caught on, or ever will?

[housil]

I wonder if Natick Labs has caught on, or ever will?

There are some snacks, candies etc. also in US MREs they are "just" commercial like M&Ms, or the Combos (cheese filled pretzels), beef jerk, crackers with peanuts butter, taster choice coffee a.s.o.

Most countries are too small with a too small budget to have are real, own military food industry. Mostly they are civilian companies, doing the same products just in "plain" pouches like Mountain House doing freeze dried rations as "Oregon Freeze Dried Company" "ACME"
I think Natick also just do tenders with a "user requirement specification" and the companies (we know) send their products.

The German Army does their own packing (by hand). Workers sitting on a rotation machine having the rations items there, packing EPas by hand. They tried before to outsource this to a company, but non succeeded.

[rationtin440]

Thanks housil, what you said makes alot of sense and I had not considered that. Also I had forgotten about the MRE m&m packets.

[rationtin440]

Another thing about this housil goes to the post about different countries rations. I see the commercial stuff in the French, British, and other rations and it just makes me think that MREs could be alot better than they are.