# International Military Rations



## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

Anyone prepping with rations from other countries (for variety)

I can imagine some preppers in the Ukraine, hiding crates of old Russian rations and a WWII era rifle under their root cellar - waiting for the American invasion.

When I was in Japan in the 80s, we traded our MREs with the Japanese Self Defence Force. They have chicken and rice, some nice crackers with a clear tube of apricot jam, like a tube of toothpaste. Much neater than our apple jelly that comes out in one big glob, followed by a runny sticky liquid that oozes off your cracker and down your sleeve!

I can't seem to find much online for acquiring other than trading with troops when they train with us in the states or abroad. Going on eBay is spendy $25 shipping for one meal!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/09/04/weekinreview/20100905_gilbertson.html

http://www.mreinfo.com/international/info/international-rations.html

http://www.surplusandadventure.com/...ary-field-rations/military-field-rations.html

http://picli.livejournal.com/551.html


Some of those look really tastey! But then, the grass is always greener on the other side!


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## ai731 (Sep 11, 2007)

There's a great article about different countries' military rations that the NY Times did last year:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/09/04/weekinreview/20100905_gilbertson.htm

With full colour pictures of each country's MRE-equivalent!


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

I did some searching on Toronto, Canada and found Beaver Surplus Exchange.

I sent hem an email at lunchtime and they told me they have the Canadian Military IMPs (Individual Meal Packs).

They're $8.95 each or $80 for a case of 10.

I might pick up soem when I go up there for visiting relatives.

Or maybe hae my cousin bring a case down when he visits me!

So the Canadians are on our Northern Border. I have no relatives or reason to go into Mexico. Wonder what's in the Mexican Army rations?

Searching.....{DING!}
http://www.mreinfo.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1874

The Mexican Army, which previously imported American MREs, now issues its own combat ration. Known as the "Soldados Individuales Diarios Combaten Comidas" (Individual Soldiers' Daily Combat Meals), it consists of several MRE-like retort pouches and meal supplements packaged inside a thin olive-green plastic box printed with black ink. 

Unlike US practice, each meal consists of two retort pouches: one contains a meat product or meat mixed with vegetables (Beef, Ham, Chicken, Sausage, Tuna Fish, Pork steaks, or bacon) in flavoring sauce with spices. The other, larger, pouch contains a staple food such as rice, beans, lentils, potatoes, noodles or pasta, or eggs. A few meals consist of a single pouch, containing things like steak & eggs, tamales, or chicken with rice & beans. 

Each food item can be eaten either hot or cold, and requires no further preparation; just rip and eat. 

Also included in the SIDCC are: crackers, a small can of condensed milk, small packages of dry cream and butter, dried fruit or jam or preserved fruit, chorizo spread, a small can of sardines, sugar, salt, pepper, spices, cocoa powder, nuts, chocolate or hard candy, a pouch of sterile water, a pouch of juice, paper napkins, plastic spoon, and water purification tablets. 

These were passed out by Mexican military personnel who participated in Hurricane Katrina relief operations and were highly praised by American recipients for their variety and taste.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

I have read about American troops in WWII eating captured rations. The German Rations were highly enjoyed. Usually black bread, cheese, and sausage. Not as efficient as our C and K rations, but a welcome change of diet.

The Marines on Guadalcanal ate a lot of wormy Japanese rice, out of necessity. With the naval battles in the slot our supplies were often cut off.

They also captured quantities of Japanese beer and saki. Nothing quite as sweet as drinking the enemy's wine!

I know this is a little off topic, but thought it was an interesting point.


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

Nothing wrong with a little thread drift.

I'd always wanted to see if anyone could get a supply of Erbstwurst by Knorr.

Knorr - the soup company was commissioned during the war to make a nutritious, field portable, stick to your ribs kind of soup for German troops.










They came ups with a a wax-paper roll that looked like a sausage - hence the name "erbstwurst". in the papaer tube were compressed tablets made from ground peas and dried ham that could be reconstituted in a canteen cup of hot water into a thick, satisfying pea soup.

Apparently, this stuff lasts forever!

I like pea soup, so I figured it would make a nice storage item. There's a German gourmet store down the road, but they don't carry it.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Mongol warriors milked their mares and bled their studs and geldings. They mixed the milk and blood. This was their field ration.


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2011)

BillHoo said:


> Nothing wrong with a little thread drift.
> 
> I'd always wanted to see if anyone could get a supply of Erbstwurst by Knorr.
> 
> Knorr - the soup company was commissioned during the war to make a nutritious, field portable, stick to your ribs kind of soup for German troops.


 Dynamite soup!

:yuck:


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

If anyone finds a large supply of Norwegian lutefisk C-rations for sale, please let me know.


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2011)

Rumor has it that Iraq bought them all, but Bush never was able to find them. Probably in Syria somewhere now.


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

BillHoo said:


> I like pea soup, so I figured it would make a nice storage item....


This stuff is for sale on Ebay ==> http://www.ebay.com/itm/KNORR-Germa...672?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23177d2480


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

Cabin Fever said:


> This stuff is for sale on Ebay ==> http://www.ebay.com/itm/KNORR-Germa...672?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23177d2480


Thanks!

It's kinda pricey off ebay. But I'll buy a couple to try and if it doesn't turn out to be stomach-churning, God-awful, I might write to some friends over there to get me a case.


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## Guest (Dec 16, 2011)

If you don't have a copy of "Camping and Woodcraft" then Google "Horace Kephart" and "dynamite soup."

I've eaten Erbswurst. It's not too bad. For one or two meals. It does have it's colonic aftereffects though.


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## wildcat6 (Apr 5, 2011)

Never tried any of the foreign mre's but when I was in the service I used to love the beef frankforter meals. I have searched everywhere to find those to purchase. But, I can't seem to find them anywhere. Anyone, know where I might be able to find those.


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## BillHoo (Mar 16, 2005)

As an MRE, those were phased out around the first Gulf War.

Taste-wise, they were very similar to Armour canned Vienna Sausages. a little more solid in texture than Vienna sausages though. Came with a Bean component pack. Considering that many food canners are moving away from cans to the retort pouches, we may see those little sausages in an MRE style pouch soon. Very similar to VanKamps Beanie Weanies which someone told me taste like the old C-rations, but those were phased out a year before I entered the service.

Yoders has a full-sized canned hotdog product, but they are currently not taking anymore orders as they are backed up.

I picked up some Halal all-beef hotdogs in Saudi Arabia, but they were pricey and I never opened the can.

I've never tried to can hotdogs, but I did can Kielbasa once. It didn't turn out too good. All the flavor leached out into the liquid and then the sausages exploded inside the canning jar. It really looked like an abortion in a jar. Not very appetising.

I hear the little smokies can very well, and it's best to use dogs with natural casings and to warm them up before canning. Ballpark brand franks are also resistant to splitting when canned.

In the German-food stores, I do see hotdog-like sausages in a jar. Again lots of $$$. Breakable.









I remember an article in National Geographic on American Landfills. They found a 20 year old hotdog from 1973 (so I guess the article was published in 1993). Not a speck of decomposition. It was dried out and shriveled and it was compressed under tons of garbage in an anaerobic environment. The researcher claimed it was still edible (I doubt he tried) because of all the preservatives.

As a prep, maybe dried hotdogs, then vaccuum sealed?


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## wildcat6 (Apr 5, 2011)

Thats ashame that they phased them out. The funny thing is that they were still serving them in the late 90's and 2000's to us. I loved to put a little salt and tobassco on them with the crackers. Most of the newer MRE's look kinda gross to me but I guess I just favor the old one's.


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## pamda (Oct 14, 2004)

I bought a jar of those wenies at a banana box store a while back. I was the only one who would try them in this house, and they were not too bad. But not so good either.


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## PhilJohnson (Dec 24, 2006)

Cabin Fever said:


> If anyone finds a large supply of Norwegian lutefisk C-rations for sale, please let me know.


:yuck: I may have a bit of Norwegian blood but not enough for me to like lutefisk. I never understood how people could eat that stuff without being near death from starvation first. But to each their own


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