New British 24 ration pack menu

[Daithi]

I had to live off the 25hr Multi Climate ration packs on a winter tour of Afghanistan in 2011-2012 for the better part of 3 months. In some ways they were pretty good, in others....yeuch. Upside was lots of cold drink mixes in different flavours and some nice snacks, like Oreo biscuits. Downside was some of the menus were pretty foul, not enough hot breakfast options, too much muesli that was a real sod to mix up correctly, not enough hot drinks, I'm used to something like 8 litres of strong tea, coffee, hot chocolate and beef drink with 25gm bags of sugar. The new style rations have barely enough brew kit to cover half a day. The worst snack was Western Tuna pasta, hot or cold it looked and tasted like something a cat would turn it's nose up at ! Some of the menus are going to be sod to cook in a tactical field environment with separate curry and rice retort pouches.

Overall. A change that probably will start to evolve as we stop deploying to hot sandy areas and start living in wood blocks on Salisbury plain in January again.

For those interested a complete 24Hr MCR is rated at 4000 calories, if you eat everything single bit of it. I'm pretty sure I was scoffing at least 5000 calories a day during the mid winter, and the coldest period, and with the daily routine I think I lost about another 5kgs in weight.

[housil]

First fo all, welcome to forums

I´m too curious to hear more first hand experiences about having rations in deployment. Maybe you have some (any) pictures you like to post? We are all big military fans (except us Germans, we are not allowed to like the military ).

I always liked the British ORP for their huge selection of tea, hot chocolate and their great milk chocolate. As we are not used to warm breakfast, I´m OK the way they are. The new Multi Climate Rations were designed for hotter areas like the desert. I don´t know if these guy´s didn´t know that even in a desert it´s getting cold at night an there is also winter in Afghanistan?!

[Daithi]

The new ORP's contain 4 packs of tea and coffee, 4 tiny packs of whiteners and 4 tiny packs of sugar. The problem with them is that the standard 58 pattern water bottle mug is 500ml in size so needs a pretty big shot of sugar to taste sweet and good strong teabags or large amounts of coffee. Although lots of lads used to carry a hipflask for a shot of something strong British habits have been for hot food in the field for mornings for both warmth, energy and just generally nicer than easting something cold when it's cold outside....

[housil]

(...) and just generally nicer than easting something cold when it's cold outside....

That´s right. That´s why I got me a (also British used) :

I can cook my tea/coffee with canteen cup on the tommy cooker and keep it warm inside in this.

[rabidwolf]

AuxiliaryJohn: Nice catch there. I've always liked 24 hour ration concept. Something about the perceived efficiency of it.

Dalthi: Welcome. I wish to say thank you to you, and by extension Great Britain for the continued alliance with the United States. From what I have seen on this site, and also from most of my own
experiences. The rations shown and reviewed here. Are prepared and consumed within what can be called an environment as luxury. If not simply within a stable environment. Reading or hearing
about the consumption and practical use of field rations within a tactical setting is eye opening.

[sodjer]

hi diathi,always good to welcome a brit to the forums even if you are a sassanach ,theres not many of us on here,i havent tried the latest packs yet i am only just getting the 12 hour packs
housil is that mug living up to my expectations???? mine is with me 8-12 hours a day.
the brew kits in the british orps have been a disapointment for a few years,the hot chocolate is getting better though,having said that i am using danish ration hot chocolateas it is lower in fat and higher in protein,and no transfats

[housil]

housil is that mug living up to my expectations???? mine is with me 8-12 hours a day.

Haven´t use it yet but using another mug at my 12hrs ambulance duty each shift.

[Daithi]

Thanks one and all

I've been enjoying the delights of the ration pack on and off since 1982 and think I've spotted one or two flaws. I miss the old 4 man rat pack as we used to cook up some amazing scoff with them... I miss apple flakes, the old biscuits fruit, babies heads (steak & Kidney pudding) and the cake in a tin. But I don't miss the old tins......

I do miss the old tea bags, massive bags of sugar and tube of milk condensed. Sweet, hot brews of strong tea every chance you got to brew up

The newer ration packs got slowly better and better with the food, through the MCR range have some odd things that nobody likes. The brew kits have got smaller and smaller with fewer hot drinks. The standard mug takes a pint/500ml of fluid and that's how much brew I want

[housil]

I miss the old 4 man rat pack as we used to cook up some amazing scoff with them...

Is it this one?

It contains "only" the amount of 4 x ORPs. Is this different?

[sodjer]

hi housil ,those ones are just sawn-off 10 man packs,the same with only 4 mans food,the orginal 4 man or tanky or op ration was different.good but hard to get, http://www.forces80.com/ration_pack.htm , it was more expensive than either the 24 hour or the 10 man and was issued less,.
hey diathi,how did we survive on the famous four menus,the kids now have about 20 bacon grill and rolled oats with chocolate ,(the healthy option)half the size of kids today and no dumpsters all over training areas full of rations.