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I'm thinking of the more powerful frhs like the British one... You know how many canned meals could be cooked by immersing them in water, has anyone tried with rcir tins or similar?

Cos I know it works with German rations.

I know I can always nuke them, but I have a pannus that means I have to lean back some....

The idea has been into my mind, but when I'm outdoors and eating canned. The prefered method of heating has been to start a fire

alcockell wrote:I'm thinking of the more powerful frhs like the British one... You know how many canned meals could be cooked by immersing them in water, has anyone tried with rcir tins or similar?

Cos I know it works with German rations.

I know I can always nuke them, but I have a pannus that means I have to lean back some....

This guy did it - heated Polish can in an FRH - don't know how warm it was
https://youtu.be/VERJdnUwNcA?t=6m7s

It can be done, though it will likely take a couple of them (or more) to adequately heat the contents of the tin. The retort pouches work much better for use in FRHs since it is pretty thinly distributed throughout the package and can be heated quickly.

You can also use a ration heater with the tins, though just as with the FRH it will take longer than a retort pouch. Works great though.

alcockell wrote:I'm thinking of the more powerful frhs like the British one... You know how many canned meals could be cooked by immersing them in water, has anyone tried with rcir tins or similar?

Cos I know it works with German rations.

I know I can always nuke them, but I have a pannus that means I have to lean back some....

What ever you decide to do DO NOT put the cans or tins directly on the Esbit Stove or other flame-based stoves. That includes alcohol stoves.

We had a familiarization course when we did wargames with NATO and in one of the classes this wonk from DFSC told us that the tins in European rations - and some trays - have their insides coated with a film to protect the metal from food acids and if you apply flame to the outside of them, it literally leaches the film into the food. That's bad because in addition to giving you a raging case of cancer down the line, they said some of the chemicals used could damage your kidneys.

So basically when we consumed the Italian rations we decanted them into our mess tins and cooked them that way... Just saying, Cancer sucks. Kidneys are necessary for things like drinking beer. Want to be careful with that then, right?

Right!

RECNEF wrote:
What ever you decide to do DO NOT put the cans or tins directly on the Esbit Stove or other flame-based stoves. That includes alcohol stoves.

We had a familiarization course when we did wargames with NATO and in one of the classes this wonk from DFSC told us that the tins in European rations - and some trays - have their insides coated with a film to protect the metal from food acids and if you apply flame to the outside of them, it literally leaches the film into the food.

"We" were heating rations straight on ESBIT stoves for decades and in basic training any soldier get taught how to cook a ration on an ESBIT stove.

Me on a winter training back in the 80s After sleeping, we got up for "breakfast", heating an EPa entree (my buddy was gross, he ate entrees for breakfast )

RECNEF wrote: So basically when we consumed the Italian rations we decanted them into our mess tins and cooked them that way... Just saying, Cancer sucks. Kidneys are necessary for things like drinking beer. Want to be careful with that then, right?

Italian and some other rations (French, Dutch etc.) made from regular off the shelf canned food. They are made for civilian use and you are right, their cans have an "isolation layer". But especially German EPa entrees were designed to be "cooked" on open fire and the square shaped containers didn´t have that isolation. We added some margarine that came with the EPas to prevent the food from scorching and cooked/fried it right on the ESBIT stove.

Current containers have changed. Once you heat them too long/hot in boiling water, you can "cook off" that "plastic layer" off the container.
I still "cook" EPas on an ESBIT stove without hesitation and also any other can of any other ration.
Last "winter" we (reserve unit friends) did a little "mechanized hike": 1992 EPa - 24 years "old"

housil wrote:
Last "winter" we (reserve unit friends) did a little "mechanized hike":

Looks like you had a good time. Great photos.

Mpitt wrote: Looks like you had a good time. Great photos.

Check the whole thread about over here:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=7076

Housil,

I'm curious what cooking stoves you guys used to heat your food?

Treesuit wrote:Housil,

I'm curious what cooking stoves you guys used to heat your food?

On that trip? Just ESBIT folding stoves.