British 12h field ration pack, surplus

19,99 €
Out of Stock
4.2(5)
Product description

Delicacies of the British field kitchen packed in handy airtight godliness! A ration pack like this is supposed to keep a soldier operational for about 12 hours. Not only for being British but also because of their army surplus nature, we can't sell them for actual consumption.

Blistering with delicious Ministry of Defence-approved content, everything packed separately in airtight containers so the soldier can pick the battles - some things are best left uneaten, while others can be consumed right away... only your imagination and stoutness of mind are the limits.

The package contains:

  • Main course
  • Snacks and desserts
  • Beverage powders
  • Dental gum
  • Salt & pepper
  • Water purification tablets
  • Flameless heater
  • Cheap plastic utensils
  • A durable minigrip bag
  • Wet wipes
  • Tissue paper
  • Menu sheet

The best before dates end during 2020, but in reality, these will be good to go for many years. But oh yes, we have eaten these because, of course, we have. First of all, the jury did not die and secondly, they were positively surprised about the fact that the taste wasn't actually all that bad across the board. If someone would offer this or a proper beating, it would be a tough choice!

There's a choice of menus, like Hindu, the coveted Halal option, different vegetarian options, and few Occidental (Western-style) menus. The common nominator must be the equally high risk of diabetes, especially originating from the high-energy side dishes.

If you want the cheapest possible, get Halal - judging from the price, the British army wanted to get rid of these the most. Hmm.

Pouch compatible form

A special twist of military rations is their physical size and shape: these fit astonishingly well inside rucksack pockets and larger utility pouches in general, so it's easy for the soldier to pack the rations needed during the mission. This certainly is a god benefit for outdoor use as well.

British surplus

Unopened, unused, and in reality well edible, but NOT sold for any actual use due to their surplus nature. Sold only as a collectible.

Reviews
4.2(5)

Charles P.

09.05.2020Verified purchase
Note that although this is, at least partially, made in Britain, it is a UN ration, not an MOD one. Also it is called a “patrol ration” not a “12 hour ration,” although it states it contains half the daily requirement, so 2 a day would work. I got the Occidental 2. I needed a knife to open the bag, the resealable bag can be used to carry the ration after cutting the outer bag open. Everything that was intended to be edible was edible and quite tasty. The only problem was the sesame seed bar that was too hard to bite bits off, I broke it up with a knife and put bits into my mouth where saliva softened it. Including black pepper was unusual and I am not sure it needed the salt either. The flameless heater worked as intended. The plastic knife and fork were unnecessary as the spoon did the job. The tissues were fine for wiping most things but I recommend using 2 folded to give 4 layers as toilet paper. The wet wipes can also be used as toilet paper. I did not try the water purification tablets.

Anon

23.03.2020Verified purchase
Bought the Occidental 3 due to the fact that it's significantly heavier than all the other ones (meaning more calories? Or maybe just more water... who knows). It was pretty great. The price to calorie ratio isn't incredible, I wouldn't buy these for regular use (you can make your own MREs the exact same as this for probably a quarter of the cost). Bought it more as a curiosity, and having never had an MRE it satisfied my curiosity. I don't remember getting the chewing gum or wet wipes that were listed in mine, but it's not a big deal. Also the protein drink mix (some sort of sweetened whey powder) didn't really mix well in a glass, it was very clumpy. Perhaps you would need hot water, or to put it in a container that you can shake it in, although the instructions didn't specifically call for either of these. The sesame seed bar is pretty sweet and sticky and the stickiness makes it hard to chew. It seems like just sesame seed held together with straight unflavored syrup. These minor issues aside, the Occidental 3 was very good and maybe more importantly, very filling. I think most people wouldn't be able to finish it all in one sitting.

Ian P.

11.03.2020Verified purchase
I bought a couple of the halal menu 2 rations, because I was curious to see what troops in the field are eating these days. These are not sold for human consumption purposes so I cannot admit to eating them. However, if I did eat one, I'd probably say that the chicken and lentils were A-OK, and the trail mix and cookie flavored cereal bar weren't bad at all. Interestingly, I also imagine I would feel a rush of energy after eating just a little bit, the MoD must have engineered this stuff to be more bioavailable than normal food. Or something like that. Anyway, at this price, hypothetically these would make a great choice to take along for backpacking or a day hike, or to stash someplace in case of emergency. At these prices maybe I should have bought more. Except that they aren't to be eaten. Do not eat!