Ration legality outside U.S.

rationtin440 · Post by **rationtin440** » Fri Oct 21, 2011 5:01 pm

I'm curious which, if any, countries besides the U.S. prohibit or severely restrict the sale of military rations to civilians. Here of course we can buy civilian copies of MREs but it is not real easy, nor particularly adviseable, to try getting the real thing in many places. I'm guessing that in places like China (PRC) and some less-than-free middle-east places, civilians probably don't have access to military issue rations.

luis0449 · Post by **luis0449** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 2:09 am

Spain: Here it is more and more difficult. The idea is that if you`re in the military you could go to the base shop and buy as many as you want but it is getting more and more difficult. Nowadays you can buy a certain ammount, not as many as you want. It's not as if you go to the counter and say: " right, I want 200 mre`s, 20 uniforms, 10 pairs of boots size7 and 7,5 15 insect repelents, canteens, ..." and so on. (if you`re a civilian forget it. You won`t be allowed inside)

They don`t want people making some extra money on them, obviously, and I perfectly understand so. If you can buy 10 mre`s you just can`t buy 11. It`s as easy as that.

All the best, people, and happy birthday to saladp on his birthdays (or as we used to say during my ibizencan years "molts anys i bons, amic").

Luis

YouTube · Post by **housil** » Sat Oct 22, 2011 6:31 am

In Germany, nobody cares...

We could buy legal German EPas at the quartermaster for DM5 (USD 2.50) before 2000.
No they stopped the selling as they use the EPas for the troops and don´t just store them.

Treesuit · Post by **Treesuit** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 2:51 pm

I would pose a question to a question. If the US imports MRE's to other countries for sale, then wouldn't that negate the selling clause we all see on the MRE cartons. There US rations but they're distributed outside the US.

Case in point, we sell or bring MRE to other lesser develop countries, during exercises. Whatever Army or service comes into posession of them, after the exercise or crisis is over, we (the US) don't want them back and so go to the host country. In turn I would think that the "re-selling" clause on the bag and carton wouldn't apply anoymore. So the legality is a moot point and if the people want to re-sell them they can.

I think that since its a US question it's one that deserves some thought.

rationtin440 · Post by **rationtin440** » Sun Oct 23, 2011 9:21 pm

I've talked to friends who were in federal law enforcement during the 1990s and they told me that one big concern then was the stockpiling of rations and other materiel by militia groups (

psycho theme music playing) but that is another topic.

Treesuit · Post by **Treesuit** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:19 am

rationtin,

Well, there is some truth to that. I think I posted a paragraph or two on this subject on another thread. It was during the Clinton administration, that they started putting the "do not sell' clause on the ration cartons and bags. This was kind of a lame attempt to prevent or discourage people from re-selling MRE's on the open market. Not only that but I think some of it had to do with the fact that some militia groups here in the Pacific Northwest were caught trying to buy some or got busted with the rations in their possession. So with that, the US Gov't put a warning on MRE's just to cover their own arses.

Unfortunately, when people started thinking about it was harder to enforce the law and keep track of all the rations that were out there.

Ration legality outside U.S.

Ration legality outside U.S.

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