Dutch 24hr Combat MRE

[CavCop]

Got in a MRE from the Netherlands. One of their Airborne Infantry guys who I trained with, brought me one, meal #8. They have a 4 year shelf life per expiration dates on meals, and get packed based on missions. OrifO a popular European ration and emergency supply company makes most of the items. There are 8 menus, each with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then there are standard items that are included in each, but can/get substituted at times. They are light weight and high calorie 5,299 calories for the 8 menu. In this video I do the unboxing and hope to sample the meals and get a video for next week on them. They do require water/hot water. Everyone says they are better than the US MRE’s I ate for 20 plus years (I might need to try the newer US ones, I hear they are better).

 

[CavCop]

 

[Two Gun Bob]

LOL I remember the dutch field rations as a kid (long time ago), they had stew, carrots, potatoes, beets, bread, fruit, all kinds of things, all together, in separate layers, in one can. Open the bottom and you could start supper with the dessert.

I used to dig through piles of old US rations and get the lucky strikes to trade to the GIs for comics. I don't know how old they were but the gum may as well been made of granite.

 

[Texasjack]

I remember a couple of Vietnam vets talking about rations. "Beanie Wieners" was a favorite, along with canned peaches. The worst, according to them, was the canned bread. When they were traveling on trucks, the little Vietnamese kids would be begging for food and some of the guys would toss them rations. If they tossed them the canned bread, the kids would actually throw it back at them.

Someone made a series of YouTube videos about rations from various countries. I think the Italian rations were rated the best, but don't quote me on that. I seem to recall some Russian rations that were pretty questionable as to whether or not it was actually food.

I saw a video about Civil War rations and how the troops came up with ways to try to make them palatable by mixing stuff together to make a sort of stew. One of the issues at Gettysburg was that the Confederate soldiers barely got enough to eat and when they hit Pennsylvania, cherry trees were full of fruit. Eating lots of fresh cherries gave them the trots really bad.

 

[CavCop]

I remember a couple of Vietnam vets talking about rations. "Beanie Wieners" was a favorite, along with canned peaches. The worst, according to them, was the canned bread. When they were traveling on trucks, the little Vietnamese kids would be begging for food and some of the guys would toss them rations. If they tossed them the canned bread, the kids would actually throw it back at them.

Someone made a series of YouTube videos about rations from various countries. I think the Italian rations were rated the best, but don't quote me on that. I seem to recall some Russian rations that were pretty questionable as to whether or not it was actually food.

I saw a video about Civil War rations and how the troops came up with ways to try to make them palatable by mixing stuff together to make a sort of stew. One of the issues at Gettysburg was that the Confederate soldiers barely got enough to eat and when they hit Pennsylvania, cherry trees were full of fruit. Eating lots of fresh cherries gave them the trots really bad.

When I grew up as a kid, I liked C Rations. When I joined the Military in the lare 80’s, they had some of the worst MRE’s.

Chicken aka King was one of the worst. Our PSG made sure our LT got every one of them, just to watch him puke and later not eat the main meal. We had dried beef and pork patties, a ham and turkey loaf, and ham slice. At night you only knew if it was dehydrated or soft. You could not tell what flavor you were eating. Best meals were the 5 fingers of death (hot dogs) and marinated balls (bbq meatballs, not the new meatballs in spicy Tom sauce).
Sides were just as bad with dehydrated fruit blocks, like styrofoam with flavor.

We would barter/trade things and have recipes. Cheese spread on pound cake was surprisingly eatable.

Newer ones are little better. I might see about getting a few to try.

 

[Aus_Schwaben]

One advantage of the C-rats over MREs was that the cans were useful after the meals were eaten not to mention the fact that the meals could be cooked in them.

 

[zackmars]

I remember a couple of Vietnam vets talking about rations. "Beanie Wieners" was a favorite, along with canned peaches. The worst, according to them, was the canned bread. When they were traveling on trucks, the little Vietnamese kids would be begging for food and some of the guys would toss them rations. If they tossed them the canned bread, the kids would actually throw it back at them.

Someone made a series of YouTube videos about rations from various countries. I think the Italian rations were rated the best, but don't quote me on that. I seem to recall some Russian rations that were pretty questionable as to whether or not it was actually food.

I saw a video about Civil War rations and how the troops came up with ways to try to make them palatable by mixing stuff together to make a sort of stew. One of the issues at Gettysburg was that the Confederate soldiers barely got enough to eat and when they hit Pennsylvania, cherry trees were full of fruit. Eating lots of fresh cherries gave them the trots really bad.

The modern Russian rations aren't half bad, not the most durable, not the longest lasting, but great drinks and i love the beef kasha. The 24hr ones are probably the best deal if they still sell them

The british ORP's are good. The orange hot chocolate is amazing. To the point i tried to see if the company would sell me a few boxes of it, but no dice.

The Norwegian rations are kinda bland. I had the one with pizza. What a let down.

The dutch ones are great, lots of food, great mains

Ukrainian ones are very basic, mains, a patè, and stale crackers.

German rations have the best patès

Spanish rations i think are mislabeled POW meals. I had one that was chorizo and beans, the main had one small piece of sausage. The drinks were all extremely bitter and no amount of sugar helped.

French rations are pretty good.

Lithuanian ones are pretty good. Their beef kasha isn't as good as the Russian ones.

 

[CavCop]

The modern Russian rations aren't half bad, not the most durable, not the longest lasting, but great drinks and i love the beef kasha. The 24hr ones are probably the best deal if they still sell them

The british ORP's are good. The orange hot chocolate is amazing. To the point i tried to see if the company would sell me a few boxes of it, but no dice.

The Norwegian rations are kinda bland. I had the one with pizza. What a let down.

The dutch ones are great, lots of food, great mains

Ukrainian ones are very basic, mains, a patè, and stale crackers.

German rations have the best patès

Spanish rations i think are mislabeled POW meals. I had one that was chorizo and beans, the main had one small piece of sausage. The drinks were all extremely bitter and no amount of sugar helped.

French rations are pretty good.

Lithuanian ones are pretty good. Their beef kasha isn't as good as the Russian ones.

The Czech Republic ones I had were not bad. They thought I would not like their pate, which came in cat food size cans. I ate it and told them it tasted like the Oscar Myers Braunschweiger I eat at home. But they got me with Beechnut or something like that dip/tobacco in a small tin they had. Not something to take a big pinch of…

 

[RedArmy]

I've got a US issue Vietnam era dessert, any volunteers? It's still airtight.

 

[CavCop]

I've got a US issue Vietnam era dessert, any volunteers? It's still airtight.

Probably most of the guys I work with, me included would eat it, if it passed the smell test.

 

[zackmars]

I've got a US issue Vietnam era dessert, any volunteers? It's still airtight.

Probably still good. Its the meat units that go bad. Actually no, the nuts are probably racid

 

[RedArmy]

Here's one that was opened, my can is in much nicer shape than this one. I like the can so I don't plan on opening it. I kept trying to get the full kit that came with either a pack of Marlboro Reds or Winston's, they always went for more than I was willing to pay on e-Bay though.

 

[zackmars]

Here's one that was opened, my can is in much nicer shape than this one. I like the can so I don't plan on opening it. I kept trying to get the full kit that came with either a pack of Marlboro Reds or Winston's, they always went for more than I was willing to pay on e-Bay though.

Mre mountain had the accessory pack with cigarettes for like 110$ a few years ago

 

[RedArmy]

Yeah that's more than I wanted to pay. I'll settle for the prop version for $20.00, lol. I stopped collecting kit a while back anyway and sold a lot of it off. Just have have a few odds and ends now and some ordinance decorating the man cave.

 

[zackmars]

Anyone want some vomlettes?

 

[majormadmax]

One advantage of the C-rats over MREs was that the cans were useful after the meals were eaten not to mention the fact that the meals could be cooked in them.

Technically, MREs replaced MCIs ('Meal, Combat, Individual') which were issued from 1958 to 1980 and were so similar to the C-ration (officially 'Field Ration, Type C') that people simply continued to use the old term.

I joined in 1981 and was issued MCIs while overseas 82-84. We joked they were the C-rats our fathers refused to eat during the Korean War, not realizing until much later they were different.

I still have a few brown bag MREs laying around, plus a few Humanitarian Daily Rations (HDRs) intended to be supplied to civilians and other non-military personnel in humanitarian crises. Those cost approximately 1/5th of a MRE, and were first supplied in Bosnia in 1993 as part of Operation Provide Promise. I've never actually ate one; I have a source where I can pick more if I decide to do so...

Full disclosure, I am not the biggest fan of MREs! I've consumed my fair share of them over the years, and still get the opportunity to do so during our ATs and FTXs; but prefer to bring and cook my own grub when I can!

 

[CavCop]

Did this video going over the main meals in the number 8 menu. All great meals. Now I want to try the other 7
Probably the best MRE I have tried. All require water, 3 need hot water. Less than 250ml/1cup for them. Healthy filling meals for a military ration.

 

[CavCop]

Here is a video on the Dutch beverages. A lot of drink options. None of them were horrible. A few were rather good. Better than the US MRE’s for drinks.

 

[CavCop]

These are the side meal items in every menu 1-8. Unlike American MRE’s with random items in each meal, the Dutch provide the same stuff in each meal, and it’s not that bad. Their brown wheat crackers were probably the least favorite to me, but better than the wheat bread in US MRE’s.