I wish Army "C Rations" were still available.

[Freebooter]

Hello all,
I wish Army "C Rations" were still available. I was in the 1/6th Infantry in Germany in early '70s and that us what we were issued for in t field. I loved them and wish they still made them. They'd be good for touring n camping in my opinion.
Freebooter
Alabama

 

[spam16v]

Mre's were bad enough when I was in 99-02...

 

[TimLaw]

C Rats good? )

You've got issues!

 

[EricV]

C rations, (Meals, Combat, Individual), were produced until 1966, if I recall correctly. You can still find them on ebay, but as collector items. There is a case of 12 for $700! Individual meals running from $25-49 each.
http://sale-fire.com/C%20Rations%20Military?p=gcb&sf=48&gclid=Cj0KEQiA-4i0BRCaudDcrrnDi6kBEiQAZSh5f5KNEd7c6VyXy6tx_5AKAoiP9T0R_bt9phJH24Puo80aAlQW8P8HAQ

The only thing I liked about the C rats over the MREs is that every meal came with a 'stove' and they were easier to combine into better chow. The early MRE bean meals were inedible w/o heating, as were the dehydrated pork patties. I used to pour water in the baggie, then leave it sitting on a turned over 155 spent shell casing for about 4 hours in the sun and they were 'ok'. Later on the MREs got better. Big score to get the ham slice.

But back on topic for moto camping, C rats are bulky and take up a lot more space than more modern meals. And I don't need a 'shit disk', TP and chicklets in every meal when moto camping.

 

[EricV]

Google is your friend. Someone actually started making reproduction C rations.

http://soldiersystems.net/2013/05/27/new-reproduction-c-rations-available/

 

[TimLaw]

They stopped making them in 1966?! Man, I ate those all the way up to 1983. A little old I guess.

 

[EricV]

They were using them up for USMC Boot Camp and Army Basic training in the early '80s, but regular field units were getting MREs. I ate C rats in USMC boot camp in '81 and in Okinawa in '82-3, but state side we got MREs '83-on. When John Wayne died in Nov, '81, the DIs made us start calling the P-38 a "Clint Eastwood" instead of a "John Wayne". LOL, it didn't stick. But I knew it as a P-38 from Dad, who was a Korea vet, so didn't really matter what you called it, it was always a P-38 to me.

 

[timothy.davis]

During my first tour in the Marine Corps (1974 - 1976) I was attached to the Eleventh Marines, an artillery Unit. Being in Arty meant you were mobile, you didn’t hump you drove. Being a field radio operator we had M151 Jeeps and this meant we always had a stove for our C-rats, the manifold. Manifold cooking is an acquired art and also required that one could not be squeamish. The possibilities that mean nasty's could infiltrate your meal was a given. Environmental conditions and engine temps were key factors when developing cooking times. The Olds Salts would get this down to a science but would always guard the greatest secret, always puncture the lid of the C-rat before wiring it to the manifold. Newbie's were often exposed of their lack of culinary skills when there C-rat cans exploded. The wonderful smell of Uncle Sam's Misguided Children when they returned from playing in the field.

 

[Madhatter]

c rations, now that is an adventure. funny how all the bad crap that didn't kill us ,we look back on in our later years as something cool or fun....cold ,chewy, no flavor, and guarantied constipation all in a box....yea I want me some of that....

 

[True Grip]

c rations, now that is an adventure. funny how all the bad crap that didn't kill us ,we look back on in our later years as something cool or fun....cold ,chewy, no flavor, and guarantied constipation all in a box....yea I want me some of that....

::008::

 

[Checkswrecks]

Hello all,
I wish Army "C Rations" were still available. I was in the 1/6th Infantry in Germany in early '70s and that us what we were issued for in t field. I loved them and wish they still made them. They'd be good for touring n camping in my opinion.
Freebooter
Alabama

We occasionally eat MRE's for work in remote places. The young new guys think it's cool, while the packs us old guys carry will have what we know and like from home. I've pretty much always got modern camping food, always lots of my favorite bars, and maybe some local bread and cheese and fruit if possible.


No offense but you can keep your rations. One of the best, simplest, and most memorable meals I've had was passing around simple Greek long breads with cheese, tomato slices, and oil sitting on a ridge line near Marathonos, while we looked out over the sea.

 

[Pterodactyl]

I was a regular Army infantry officer from 1975-2000. I was in the 7th Infantry Division from 79-82 and we were eating C Rations. I distinctly remember when one of my troopers punctured a can of rancid pork slices with his P38 and a six foot stream of stinking pork fluid erupted from the can. It landed on several guys and they were all gagging. I think we began phasing in MREs in the early to mid 80s. C Rats sucked and were hard to carry.

 

[Buelligan]

ah, the memories come flooding back...

USMC retired 1972~1994

I can eat pretty much anything when I'm hungry, but come on, we are not grunts anymore, lol ) ::008::

 

[timothy.davis]

Did you ever stick the purple heat tabs, Trioxane Solid Fuel Tablets, in the little can of peanut butter? It would burn long enough to cook your main can of food plus heat up water in your canteen cup to make coffee.

USMC Retired 1974 -1976 1978 -1998

 

[Pterodactyl]

Heat tabs seemed to be an on and off thing; we always got them in the Ranger course. Soldiers would carry Sterno and were inventive in making stoves out of the cracker cans when they did get heat tabs.

 

[TimLaw]

Heat tabs were dangerous when used in a foxhole when it was freezing outside. Guys would light them and put their face near it. The blue flame would take away the oxygen and at times, guys would fall face first into them....not good. That shit was like napalm.

 

[Freebooter]

We heated ours on manufolds too or the tabs n lil stive things. I never had prob w c rats and thought they erre good. Lol!

 

[bigbob]

Environmental conditions and engine temps were key factors when developing cooking times. The Olds Salts would get this down to a science but would always guard the greatest secret, always puncture the lid of the C-rat before wiring it to the manifold.

Army in the early to mid 70's. Worked in a radio rig with old style lamps, the ones where the bulb got hot. When I started a shift I would put the cans that needed heating on top of the lights sitting against the bulbs. One night I ate the meat dish but forgot the beans. About 7 hours into the shift the bean can exploded. Spent the last hour of my shift cleaning beans off me, radios, teletypes and the walls and floor. Thought all I need was clean clothes and a shower and all would be good.

Two days later coming on shift the guy before me said the rig stinks. I forgot to clean the light bulb and reflector that kept the light out of you eyes. It was full of rotting beans!

 

[Ramseybella]

MRE Beef Stew in the aluminum pack, (Crackers and hot sauce packets snagged from convenience store )..
I have a box of them I will bring a couple when I am out on long trips camping and I don't want to mess with store food..
I noticed the newer batch has crappy Shmeat and not real beef chunks like the older issue.
Has enough sodium to stun a horse!

 

[tomatocity]

1969 I enjoyed 'Inflight Rations' for two weeks during combat training (camping) in Northern Florida. Only a couple meals I did not care for but did eat.