French Ration RCIR Notes
Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 3:32 pm
The French ration came with an adorable box of wooden safety matches, but the little definitely-not-flameless fuel tablet stove was hard to light with the matches (I wound up using a Bic Multipurpose long lighter). Little handle to hold food can over stove was oK.
Food wasn't bad. But neither is the food in regular MRE's. French ration food was more different than better, like some tinned fish thing and something else I don't remember anymore. The snacks were a little better though, but seriously go to a store and buy some chocolate and snacks, way cheaper.
Shipper (that I'm not going to name but is one of the big MRE online sellers) blatantly broke customs laws. They labeled it "camping supplies" which wasn't a lie but there are special rules for importing food and it has to be labeled as that. I looked that part up. Also the matches or fuel stove might have been a hazmat and needed special labeling, or at least likely need extra documentation to import. USPS rules, for instance, only allow matches to be sent ground domestically.
And it took a really long time to happen, like "in stock" definitely didn't mean in stock in the US (where I live). I'm not even convinced it was in stock in the warehouse where it shipped from, since it took a while before the shipping portion of its journey started.
All that said, I don't regret the purchase. It was fun. And I used the leftover stove fuel with the stove to heat some water during a power outage. (The next day my neighbor loaned me a small -I guess propane- single burner stove with a fuel can attached, so I got enough boiling water for a hot breakfast of instant oatmeal and pourover coffee.)
Food wasn't bad. But neither is the food in regular MRE's. French ration food was more different than better, like some tinned fish thing and something else I don't remember anymore. The snacks were a little better though, but seriously go to a store and buy some chocolate and snacks, way cheaper.
Shipper (that I'm not going to name but is one of the big MRE online sellers) blatantly broke customs laws. They labeled it "camping supplies" which wasn't a lie but there are special rules for importing food and it has to be labeled as that. I looked that part up. Also the matches or fuel stove might have been a hazmat and needed special labeling, or at least likely need extra documentation to import. USPS rules, for instance, only allow matches to be sent ground domestically.
And it took a really long time to happen, like "in stock" definitely didn't mean in stock in the US (where I live). I'm not even convinced it was in stock in the warehouse where it shipped from, since it took a while before the shipping portion of its journey started.
All that said, I don't regret the purchase. It was fun. And I used the leftover stove fuel with the stove to heat some water during a power outage. (The next day my neighbor loaned me a small -I guess propane- single burner stove with a fuel can attached, so I got enough boiling water for a hot breakfast of instant oatmeal and pourover coffee.)