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

  • RyanGosling [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    6 months 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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      6 months 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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        6 months 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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      6 months 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.