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Hello,
I confirm what I've read on this forum a while ago: before you go for a walk with a German EPA, first check the aluminum packs have no holes or you'll end with jam and pâté juice everywhere
In my EPA II (2002) both jam packs and the beef pâté pack were leaking.
I didn't try the jam but the pâté had turned from pink to yellow (mustard exactly), no special smell but it tasted terrible: something like rancid oil. Of course I didn’t eat it.

The outer cardboard box was in good condition, no trace of shocks or crushing...

I really think there's a solidity issue with the German rations.

I agree that the packaging is very delicate.

I received my case of Type 3's from eBay last week, and it was all mashed from the mail. The 6 EPA boxes are very thin cardboard and they are all tightly packed into a big box that obviously wasn't designed for the U.S. Mail. No padding, no air spaces. The corners were dented in and the sides wrinkled.

I unpacked half the meals, and although every tin is very wrinkled and bent, I didn't find any leaks yet. Every one of the chocolate bars was broken up into 4-5 pieces and two of the gum packs had broken in half.

The only dates I found were "2002". Still making my way through my first EPA, and I have found the flavors interesting.

Hi richard,

if nothing is leaking you dont have to worry about it.

bye

jubifahrer

At least your chocolate bars where just broken into pieces. Mine were pulverized - when I opened one up, it was just like cocoa powder inside - nothing solid. I suspect this had more to do with the heat in Louisiana than shipping, though. But that was just one EPa, I haven't tried another yet.

On sunday i have eaten on 1989 epa, completly, together with my wife.because i got 32 Epas from 1989 for a few buckles. so i had to try them.

everything was ok, so dont matter about the 2002, richard

bye
jubifahrer

Ok, thanks.

I ate the Hamburgers in Tomato sauce last Friday. It wasn't bad, and I ate it cold. I'd like to know how German soldiers heat it in the field. Do you have to empty it out into a mess kit and put it over a fire? That tin it comes in wouldn't stand up to a flame, would it?

The canned rye bread is awesome, very tasty with the assorted sausage and cheese spreads.

The Italian biscuits were also good with the cherry and blackberry jams on them.

My chocolate was also ruined by poor storage, and was the only item I've not been able to eat so far.

The german soldiers heat the epa with the personal heater every soldier has. The heat is no problem for the tin.
but you have to open it before heating.

also you can boil it closed in hot water.

At home you also can put the tin opend with a tupper cover in the microwave.


the chocolate looks almos not funny, but taste will be still ok. the use the bitter chocolate with very high cocoa part, because it wont be get worse in higher temperatures.

bye

jubifahrer

The chocolate bar was also broken into 1/2" pieces and it had turned white but everybody found it very good.

I brought some packs for my friends but since they suffered from "noisy intestinal troubles" during our last meeting when they had Dutch rations for lunch, nobody would give a try to my EPA's except the Hartkeks and the chocolate

Hi jubifahrer-

I think I see-

You pull the lid off the meal and set it over a heat tab in the Esbit stove?

yes, we do. works very fast and fine.

but only for use outside, because the esbit smells very strong.

bye

jubi