How the fuck is all western MREs 30€-a-meal tacticool m4 extrem trail hike: school schooter edition when, going by sold out online listings, I could get a chinese self heating hot pot for like 5 eurodollars?

These things would be insanely convenient to just toss in my bike bag and have a warm vegan meal on a cold days bike ride

    • 7bicycles [he/him]@hexbear.netOP
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      1 month ago

      I feel like every food that works as an MRE is some sort of slop (non-derogatory) because that just meshes will with how the thing be and that

      Pizza is decidedly not in the slop category and would never work. Hot pot is absolutely IN the slop category and that’s why it’s so good (assuming)

  • RyanGosling [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    1 month ago

    I remember watching that one popular MRE channel on YouTube and he reviewed some Chinese MRE. All the comments were talking about how “depressing” and “morale depleting” the food is because it was just nutrition brick lol. I imagine a giant military in a giant country like that will have different nutritional needs for different units.

    • ta00000 [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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      1 month ago

      How many wars is China actually engaged in right now though? They probably more have them around in case and the quality reflects that, while American MREs are made with the expectation they will be used.

      I’m just throwing out an idea really, I’m not a military guy.

      • LaughingLion [any, any]@hexbear.net
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        1 month ago

        maybe. some of it is the “what its used for”. emergency rations for pilots used to be 5 packets of lifesaver candy because its sugar - easy calories and that was it.

        a nutrition brick is basically just a souped up energy bar if this was the ration doled out for a recon mission only expected to 4-6 hours you might get this. china has other rations for other situations

    • Gucci_Minh [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 month ago

      I kind of remember the one you’re talking about, and I’m pretty sure that one was supposed to either be a survival ration or a long range patrol ration(everything optimized to save weight so you can carry it for a long time). The US has those too but neither military uses them as the standard ration, which has much less depressing ingredients that actually resemble food.

  • TraumaDumpling@hexbear.net
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    1 month ago

    China will be the first country to have those self-cooking ramen bowls from Cowboy Bebop where you pull a string on a metal base at the bottom of the cup and it cooks in a few seconds.

    • 7bicycles [he/him]@hexbear.netOP
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      1 month ago

      Ramen absolutely has it’s place in the world and I do consider it one of the miracles of modernity but man, I want like some actual vegetables in my convenience foods occasionally instead of freeze dried flavor cubes

      • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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        1 month ago

        I just throw in fresh green onion and sugar snap peas into the bowl before I pour the ramen in on top. Gives that veggie crumch that I crave.

        • 7bicycles [he/him]@hexbear.netOP
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          1 month ago

          See my thing is if I had the facilities to store and prepare green onions and peas I could probably whip up like an actual meal, I like ramen for it’s convenience of “throw it in my work locker and forget about it for 6 months until I forget or didn’t manage to pack a lunch”

          Same deal with the hot pots, plus the self heating thing would be good as fuck for outdoorsy activities so I don’t have to carry an extra thermos can of hot water

      • iridaniotter [she/her, they/them]@hexbear.net
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        1 month ago

        Bruh even the Chinese instant noodles are more advanced. The other day I got one with a dehydrated veggie pack, peanuts, and dehydrated tofu skin. It’s the only vegetarian instant noodles I’ve had that wasn’t just a pitiful vegetable pack.

  • iridaniotter [she/her, they/them]@hexbear.net
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    1 month ago

    I’ve heard of self-heating ekiben but I don’t think they’re sold in supermarkets like the hot pots are. My local Chinese grocery has the hot pots but they’re like $12 😩 however they got a new brand that’s $7 so I’m gonna try it sometime