Design your favorite ration

[rationtin440]

I dunno if anyone has considered this, but what would everyone like to see if they could have their choice of a customized ration using parts of every ration in the website from all countries represented here? What would you add, modify or perhaps even take away to make it your own signature ration? Thanks for any replies and thoughts.

[housil]

A (sparkling) beverage with Coke-taste and heateable fries side with that (MCI) dehydrated catsup

[rationtin440]

Hey housil, good ideas! The fries would be awesome and If I'm not mistaken, there was some kind of milkshake-type mix in one series of MREs a few years ago. As for the MCI dehydrated catsup, unfortunately whether it was the fact that the MCIs we got in 1988 were from 1979 and mebbe not stored quite right or what, the dehydrated catsup we occasionally found had somehow taken on the appearance of rust flakes with gray highlights. Not real appetizing, but then about the only thing that catsup would improve the taste of with MCIs (in my opinion) would have been the chopped ham and eggs.

[sodjer]

well housil, heres your sparkling cola drink http://www.fizzshop.co.uk/ ,i used to drink gallons of this as a kid,just found out they started making it again if i remember right it was fizzy and tasted like cheap coke ,but hey out on the hills any thing tastes good

[donaldjcheek]

Taking rationtins proposal to another level, I would incorporate civilian backpacking experience into the ration.

For breakfast, I would use no-cook, easy-to-consume items such as the fortified, caffeinated granola bars, honey stinger vitamin fortified gummies, beef or turkey sausage sticks, and fruit chews.

Lunch would be crackers with some type of spread (peanut butter, cheese, jam) and a no-cook entree such as pouched tuna, chicken breast, beef jerky, etc., plus a protein bar and nut & fruit mix.

Supper would be an MRE type entree with side dish.

Drinks would be the new vitamin-fortified beverage sticks made by Lipton in several flavors, plus instant coffee and tea bags.

I would also add Vitamin-C hard candy and calcium fortified caramels to the meals.

[rationtin440]

Hey donald, looks like you have some good ideas also; there's so much stuff out there these days that it would give a tremendous variety compared to the ration stuff that was available even a few years ago. One thing I learned was that the MREs are designed for soldiers who need the maximum amount of carbs and other essentials, and some of the components in the MREs as we know them may not be all that good for you unless you are doing strenuous activity and burning carbs and fat to the point that your body can use the components without them storing and causing problems. Also donald, your ideas sound like they'd be easy to handle, quick to prepare, and easy to carry.

[VictorSierra]

hello i´am new here
my favorite was frankfurter with beans in tomatoesauce !!! lecker! lecker! (yum!,yum!).
It was my first gift ( MCI )from the GI´s in the 1980 in the reforgers in Germany .
So i miss it in all MRE´s.

( sorry for my bad english )

[rationtin440]

Welcome to the forums VictorSierra! I recall that particular MCI and while it was better than some of the others, my ambulance track crew and I always had some spices and other stuff to make the MCIs taste better.

[alcockell]

Hi VictorSierra - give Vestey Foods a go; they're the main civilian supplier of MOD ratpacks...

[hannonmc]

Great topic...

Hmmm... I would want this to be a 24 hr ration...

I like the pocket sandwiches from the US FSR, so maybe one of those.
A nice brew kit selection that contains water treatment, tea, coffee, sugar, whitener, cocoa, and maybe a soup stock. Either the French RCIR or British 24 hr rations are good for those (as well as the matches).
I like having a chocolate bar in my ration as well. Nice little boost...

So, really, take a British / French / FSR / and an MRE and mingle them together and that is what I'm thinking... Maybe throw a Mountain House meal in for good measure.