Introducing the DRI

[dragoon500ly]

Been playing around with a few things.....

A replacement for the Ration Pack:

The Project’s Daily Ration Individual is a compact ration designed to feed one person for 24 hours. It is designed to withstand rough conditions and exposure to the elements. The DRI is also designed to be lightweight and small in size. It is designed to provide approximately 2,900 calories per DRI (consisting of 15% protein, 34% fat, and 53% carbohydrates). It has a shelf life of four years if stored at temperatures of less than 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Each ration weighs 1.13kg. Each case holds three of each menu, for a total of 27 per case for a weight of 13.15kg.

Menu 1: Filled French Toast; Beacon cheddar Breakfast sandwich; Pepperoni pocket sandwich; Cheese spread, Jalapeño; Wheat Snack Bread; Peanut Butter Dessert Bar; Chocolate Bar; Teriyaki Beef Snack, Barbecue Beef Snack, Snack, Pretzels, Morrowsauce, Cinnamon; Nut & Fruit Mix, Type III; Chocolate Protein Drink; Beverage base, Gum, Caffeine, Cinnamon, Accessory Packet B (ERGO Beverage, Lemonade or Raspberry (2); Towelette (2); Salt; Pepper; Matches; Pack Toilet Tissue; Flameless Ration Heater; Zip-lock Pouch; Spork).

Menu 2: Toaster Pastry; Italian Pocket Sandwich; Chicken Chunks; Tortillas; Peanut Butter; Crackers; Dessert Bar, Mocha; Morrow Bar, Apple-Cinnamon; Beef Snack, Teriyaki; Beef Snack, Barbecue; Morrowsauce; Dried Cranberries; Almonds; Beverage base (2); Gum, Caffeine, Peppermint; BBQ Sauce; Hot Sauce; Accessory Packet B (ERGO Beverage, Lemonade or Raspberry (2); Towelette (2); Salt; Pepper; Matches; Pack Toilet Tissue; Flameless Ration Heater; Zip-lock Pouch; Spork).

Menu 3: Lemon Poppy Pound Cake; Honey BBQ Beef Pocket Sandwich; Lemon Pepper Tuna; Tortillas; Cheese Spread; Crackers; Dessert Bar, Chocolate Banana Nut; Morrow Bar, Mocha; Morrow Bar, Cran-Raspberry; Corn Nuts; Morrowsauce; Nut Fruit Mix, Type III; Beverage base (2); Caffeinated Mints; Mayonnaise; Hot Sauce; Accessory Packet A (Coffee (2); Creamer, Non-Dairy (2); Sugar (2); ERGO Beverage Mix, Lemonade or Raspberry; Towelette; Salt; Pepper; Matches; Pack, Toilet Tissue; Flameless Ration Heater; Zip-lock pouch; Towelette (2); Spork).

Menu 4: Filled Cinnamon Bun; Mexican Beef Filled Wrap; BBQ Chicken Chunks; Cheese Spread, Jalapeño; Wheat Snack Bread; Beef Snack, Cranberry Nugget; Dessert Bar, Peanut Butter; Morrow Bar, Mocha; Energy Gel, Mixed Berry; Cheddar Filled Pretzels; Morrowsauce; Raisins; Beverage base (2); Gum, Caffeinated, Cinnamon; Hot Sauce; Accessory Packet A (Coffee (2); Creamer, Non-Dairy (2); Sugar (2); ERGO Beverage Mix, Lemonade or Raspberry; Towelette; Salt; Pepper; Matches; Pack, Toilet Tissue; Flameless Ration Heater; Zip-lock pouch; Towelette (2); Spork).

Menu 5: Filled French Toast; Toaster Pastry; BBQ Chicken Pocket Sandwich; Mango Chipotle Salmon; Peanut Butter; Crackers; Turkey Snack; Corn Nuts; Morrow Bar, Cran-Raspberry; Energy Gel, Mixed Berry; Nut Fruit Mix, Type II; Morrowsauce, Cinnamon; Chocolate Protein Drink; Beverage base (1); Caffeinated Mints; Accessory Packet C (Tea, Lemon (2); Sugar (2); ERGO Beverage Mix, Lemonade or Raspberry; Salt; Pepper; Pack, Toilet Tissue; Flameless Ration Heater; Zip-lock pouch; Towelette (2); Spork).

Menu 6: Filled Apple Turnover; BBQ Pork Filled Wrap; Garlic and Herb Chicken Chunks; Cheese Spread; Bagel; Beef Snack, Cranberry Nugget; Cheddar Filled Pretzels; Dessert Bar, Mocha; Morrow Bar, Apple-Cinnamon; Caffeinated Chocolate Pudding; Dried Cranberries; Dairy shake, Strawberry Banana; Beverage base (1); Gum, Caffeinated, Peppermint; Hot Sauce; Accessory Packet C (Tea, Lemon (2); Sugar (2); ERGO Beverage Mix, Lemonade or Raspberry; Salt; Pepper; Pack, Toilet Tissue; Flameless Ration Heater; Zip-lock pouch; Towelette (2); Spork).

Menu 7: Filled Blueberry Turnover; Beef Nacho Pocket Sandwich; Sweet and Spicy Tuna; Cheese Spread, Cheddar Potato Bacon; Crackers,; Wheat Snack Bread; Baked Snack Crackers, Hot and Spicy Cheese; Turkey Snack; Morrow Bar, Chocolate; Morrow Bar, Apple-Cinnamon; Nut Fruit Mix, Type III; Morrowsauce; Beverage base (2); Gum, Caffeinated, Cinnamon; Mayonnaise; Accessory Packet A (Coffee (2); Creamer, Non-Dairy (2); Sugar (2); ERGO Beverage Mix, Lemonade or Raspberry; Towelette; Salt; Pepper; Matches; Pack, Toilet Tissue; Flameless Ration Heater; Zip-lock pouch; Towelette (2) ; Spork).

Menu 8: Filled French Toast; BBQ Chicken Pocket Sandwich; Albacore Tuna; Bagel; Cheddar Filled Crackers; Beef Snack, Barbecue; Beef Snack, Teriyaki; Dessert Bar, Chocolate Banana Nut; Morrow Bar, Mocha; Morrowsauce, Cinnamon; Nut Fruit Mix, Type II; Dairy shake, Vanilla; Beverage base (1); Gum, Caffeinated, Peppermint; Mayonnaise; Accessory Packet A (Coffee (2); Creamer, Non-Dairy (2); Sugar (2); ERGO Beverage Mix, Lemonade or Raspberry ; Towelette; Salt; Pepper; Matches; Pack, Toilet Tissue; Flameless Ration Heater; Zip-lock pouch; Towelette (2); Spork).

Menu 9: Filled Cinnamon Bun; Italian Pocket Sandwich; Garlic and Herb Chicken Chunks; Tortillas; Cheese Spread, Cheddar Potato Bacon; Crackers; Corn Nuts; Beef Snack, Cranberry Nugget; Morrow Bar, Cran-Raspberry; Caffeinated Chocolate Pudding; Raisins; Dairy shake, Vanilla; Beverage base (1); Caffeinated Mints; Accessory Packet B (ERGO Beverage Mix, Lemonade or Raspberry (2); Towelette (2); Salt; Pepper; Matches; Pack Toilet Tissue; Zip-lock Pouch; Spork).

Shelf-stable Pocket Sandwiches can come in Bacon, Honey BBQ and PB&J.

Morrow Bars are similar to commercial performance bars (PowerBars) and come in chocolate, apple-cinnamon, raspberry, cran-raspberry, and mocha flavors. The mocha bars are fortified with 200mg of caffeine.

Morrowsauce is made with extra maltodextrin, a complex carbohydrate, for sustained energy release.

ERGO drink mix contains Maltodextrin as the key ingredient. ERGO tastes similar to a sports drink. It is intended to increase endurance by conserving glycogen, which is energy stored in the liver and muscles. The ERGO drink packs will have a “fill-to” line so users easily know how much water to pour in. Straws were desired but are not feasible, so the drink pouch was redesigned so as to be easier to grip and drink from. One or two may be added to a DRI.

Just think, you open your Team Cache and find several cases of these beauties waiting. Same nine menus.....a lovely two week supply....encourage the team to get off their duff and contact the locals....

[StainlessSteelCynic]

That's quite a lot of creativity there! Good stuff
Always nice to have some extra food options.

The only thing I would question would be the shelf life, I'm inclined to think it could be longer based on what I've seen with military rations packs - I've had ration packs while in the Australian Army that were anywhere between eight and twelve years old.
As for civilian food, as long as the packaging itself doesn't break down, get damaged etc. etc., a lot of tinned food will last for several years and still be safe to eat.

But anyway... nice work, thanks for posting it. Thumbs Up!

[nduffy]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

That's quite a lot of creativity there! Good stuff
Always nice to have some extra food options.

The only thing I would question would be the shelf life, I'm inclined to think it could be longer based on what I've seen with military rations packs - I've had ration packs while in the Australian Army that were anywhere between eight and twelve years old.
As for civilian food, as long as the packaging itself doesn't break down, get damaged etc. etc., a lot of tinned food will last for several years and still be safe to eat.

But anyway... nice work, thanks for posting it. Thumbs Up!

I recently opened a few Gulf War 1990's Era MRE's and I can attest, they were not fit for consumption. The only things salvageable were the crackers, peanut butter and the accessory packs. The peanut butter was still edible, the crackers were as well, it came with a apple jam packet ( Ewwww) and the main entree was spaghetti with meatballs ( it was a rather interesting color of brown and was rancid when opened) This MRE was stored in my closet at around 74f. The freeze dried fruit was a bit off in flavor but it wasn't bad at all. I went with freeze dried meals for my MP teams. Mountain House makes rations for the US Military, so I could easily see them making a ration for the MP or the MP using freeze dry technology and putting together their own FD rations, FD rations would save weight, have an extremely long self life 20 plus years and easily longer if stored in an ideal environment. The MP teams can find and decon water easily enough(if they are smart). I also equipped my teams with 5 gallons of water per person to start out with (sealed and preserved).

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Ouch!
I suppose twenty to thirty years is really asking a lot but I wonder if the problem is more due to the packaging rather than the food itself? A lot of food has a long shelf life but as we know, only if it's kept in the right conditions.
Ration packs once used tins, waxed paper, foil and the like but since the 1980s there's been a lot greater use of plastic which doesn't hold up as well as tins.
Even dried foods don't like being stuck in plastic packets for too long, particularly if they aren't kept at a constant temperature during storage.

Regardless of that, I do agree though, that freeze-dried rations are a far superior choice for foods that will be stored long term.

[nduffy]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

Ouch!
I suppose twenty to thirty years is really asking a lot but I wonder if the problem is more due to the packaging rather than the food itself? A lot of food has a long shelf life but as we know, only if it's kept in the right conditions.
Ration packs once used tins, waxed paper, foil and the like but since the 1980s there's been a lot greater use of plastic which doesn't hold up as well as tins.
Even dried foods don't like being stuck in plastic packets for too long, particularly if they aren't kept at a constant temperature during storage.

Regardless of that, I do agree though, that freeze-dried rations are a far superior choice for foods that will be stored long term.

I recently read that the military (US) is working on a new microwave compressed ration. Would be interesting to see how those perform in the field and also self life stability. I will have to relocate the article and post it.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Yes please do, that will be an interesting read
I'm a bit of a gear head and I love comprehensive equipment lists so having more options for rations definitely interests me!

[nduffy]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

Yes please do, that will be an interesting read
I'm a bit of a gear head and I love comprehensive equipment lists so having more options for rations definitely interests me!

I am a gear whore......

[mmartin798]

Here are some press releases and a couple links that give a little information about one of the machines used in the processing of the Close Combat Assault Ration.

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/mre-...ation-pooping/

https://www.army.mil/article/205936/...the_field_soon

https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-...han-10-pounds/

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...ghter-mre.html

https://soldiersystems.net/2019/10/1...ssault-ration/

https://www.enwave.net/case-studies/...rocess-is-best

https://www.enwave.net/how-it-works

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Thanks for those links, some enlightening reading.
Good to see that people actually acknowledge something soldiers have been saying for years - too many ration packs = constipation - so it will be interesting to see the impact of this new type of ration on that side of things.

Considering that we get something like 70% of the water content needed to aid digestion, from the actual food itself, I wonder if they're going to expect or even ask, US troops to carry more water to help prevent problems like constipation... which kind of defeats the point of removing the moisture from the food in the first place?

[mmartin798]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

Considering that we get something like 70% of the water content needed to aid digestion, from the actual food itself, I wonder if they're going to expect or even ask, US troops to carry more water to help prevent problems like constipation... which kind of defeats the point of removing the moisture from the food in the first place?

Since the desire is to reduce the volume and weight so that they can operate longer without resupply, they expect them to find water in theater. That or have a tanker truck following them.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Originally Posted by mmartin798

Since the desire is to reduce the volume and weight so that they can operate longer without resupply, they expect them to find water in theater. That or have a tanker truck following them.

Which of course can bring it's own problems and while the military of most nations can afford the logistics to provide water purification/filtration and/or supply extra water, it could be a problem for a Project team who were supplied with this type of ration.

And I mean that from a gaming potential rather than trying to enforce realism or anything like that - I like the survival aspect to this and many 'survival' games don't really push the food/water issue that much, something like this can bring it back into focus.

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by StainlessSteelCynic

That's quite a lot of creativity there! Good stuff
Always nice to have some extra food options.

The only thing I would question would be the shelf life, I'm inclined to think it could be longer based on what I've seen with military rations packs - I've had ration packs while in the Australian Army that were anywhere between eight and twelve years old.
As for civilian food, as long as the packaging itself doesn't break down, get damaged etc. etc., a lot of tinned food will last for several years and still be safe to eat.

But anyway... nice work, thanks for posting it. Thumbs Up!

The old C-Rats lasted for decades, marines in the 80's were eating 1940's rations! For civilian stuff, Hormel does almost ration level packaging, I could see these being depoted to feed survivors by the Project.