Cheers, I appreciate the compliment. Kit will always be secondary to skills though. Knowledge and skills should always trump kit, but what kit you do have, it's important for it to be essential and of the highest quality. Thanks for watching.
I fully agree with going to your supermarket and buy the food you need there. All these special trail meals are just crazy expensive and military MRE's usually suck. But still that's a lot of food you bring for 24 hours. At home I don't eat couscous but when going outdoors on a hike I fill up a 1/2 liter clean water or soda bottle with couscous and add some dried seaweed flakes and/or goji berries. That's my staple for dinner. I bring a salami or smoked and dried ham/bacon (when in Scandinavia I buy a blood sausage). I bring hartkeks for breakfast and/or lunch or take flower to cook me bannock or damper. For oil I just use coconut oil also to protect my non stainless tools and take care of my leather gear. I bring two spices in very small bottles being Chinese 5 spice and whole cloves. I do bring a bit of instant coffee. Tea I make from pine needles. I also bring some sugary sweets for the energy boost and probably some nuts for longer lasting energy as snacks. This is enough for a 10 day hike. The rest is foraging, catching fish, maybe even hunt small game. I don't bring metal containers. They just add weight and I don't care if they have Pathfinder on it.
That sounds like an interesting mix with some good ideas. There is more food in one of my 24 hour packs so you only need 4 for a week. I find the same with the Aussie army ration packs, there is a little more than you need, so I kept that theme. The ideas I have are only suggestions. Everyone will have their own versions and tastes. Thanks for the suggestions and thanks for watching.
Great content Gordon. I bought a PR1M for the first time in years and after eating it, I remembered why I make up my own food for hiking! Just a small point - that processed cheese is made by Bega (Australian owned company) and not by Kraft.
nice video. I live on ration packs a lot as a remote area firefighter in the RFS. Very similar to the military ones (i’m ex- military too), but not as high in calories and no sundries. With any ration pack you have the ability to eat it hot or cold. Would be interested in what you would see as a non-cooking option for a main meal while still reducing pack weight. Time to cook or access to extra water is not a luxury we have while working a fire in the mountains, but a heavy ration pack meal is sometimes too much to stomach. New subscriber 👍
Thanks Gordon - some great ideas there. Love the idea of creating specific breakfast/lunch/dinner options. The brew kit is a great idea with the extras too.
Would have added some spices (curry, harissa etc) , can take the same plain meal and make it different and take no room and add no weight. Great explanation of supermarket options.
i have been doing this for the last few years, motivated by an attempt to keep costs down, Recently i was gifted some British army combat rations, excellent range of food, all tastes good, but i was shocked at the amount of sugar the packs contain, .... I was in the infantry some 20 years ago ... i thought there was a lot of sugar in the rations back then, but its nothing compared to the modern rations.
This was great, Gordon. Thanks for sharing. Very useful information and a great way to custom make ration packs, particularly on a budget. Often people spend so much on gear and food, kind of defeats the purpose of the simple outdoor life so, this was great. Thanks, Ivan.
Enjoy your vids Gordon,keep up the good work.I'm also a ex Grunt, Rat packs have come along way,always like to swap different items with your mates.I love the bush and camping,started my own Survival gear,Rat pack etc,look forward to your next vid mate.Cheers
So glad this came up. I actually just made some ration packs before watching the this. I ended up sticking with only stuff that could be eaten on the move like food bars, snack stuff, instant oat meal (which can be eaten cold). It all fit nicely into 1 quart bags, contained, over 2200 calories, and 3 of them take up little more space than the emergency boat rations. They don’t have the longevity of the boat rations but I don’t mind rotating them. I really like your brew kit and the add-on items. I’ll definitely add honey and individual peanut butter packs.
Yorkshire tea, that cracked me as I come from Yorkshire. I would replace my the tins for strong plastic bags. I would also make up my own porridge bags and maybe add some de-hydrated fruit and soak overnight. Thanks Gordon very informative. British military ration packs are very well put together to help with all dietary needs. Very high in calories but all the healthy options not bad sugar's.
Interesting stuff. It was all a bit carb heavy. I'd personally want to try and go a bit heavier on the veggies and proteins. I also hate tuna with a passion, so I'd maybe look at jerky type products.
It's just an option and all personal taste so you can supplement where you want. It's also what you can buy in small light packets. Thanks for watching.
Greetings, all Ration packs worldwide I have tried are similar. The extra sugar obviously helps them last longer and gives you more quick release energy which is beneficial when you exerting yourself. Definitely not good for you long term though. Thanks for watching.
I do similar. I drink brews black are tea or Robert Tims coffee bags. Electrolytes I buy sachets. Aldis do good packs of nuts Foresters brand. Handy size for a snack. Pumpernickle bread is a great option. Very dense carbs, filling to. Peanut butter in sachets is a good option to. BTW love the Bergen. Tad heavy in comparison to modern stuff, but awesome kit. I have the shorty and longback. German or NATO folding sleep pad in with the frame, added comfort humping it around👍
Look mate most of what you've recommended was my standard lunch kit for school and for good reason, because it's actually low in sugar/carbs and high in everything else which is what you need to survive. You're a legend.
Funny, that pretty much replicates what I am using. Two small tips: put at least one pack of paper hankerchiefs into each pack. Multiple uses... And keep some sachets of soup with your brewkit. In a pinch you can use them together with the cous cous to make a meal.
I love army ration packs for the nostalgia. These packs are superb, some great ideas, I like the separate brew kit with the little extras, Thanks from the UK
I like having a seperate brew kit because I enjoy having a few days during the day and it's what I also use in the the army. There are so many options in creating these packs and you are only limited by your imagination. Thanks for watching.
Gordon, l love the Yorkshire tea too. Proper strong for me but no milk or sugar. Just black with some honey once in a while. Your rat packs are pretty much the same as I make. Must be the Aussie army influence too.
Settlers pantry is an Australian company worth mentioning :) Dehydrated, Australian meats and vegetables. As well as premade, dehydrated meals.. Without fillers and unhealthy extras.
Breakfast cereals are very lightweight, and if you mix in some whey protein with powdered milk and maybe some creatine and/or cocoa powder, you have some very lightweight and nutritions food that dont need refridgeration. Vitamins and minerals are also ideal to bring on trips where it can get difficult to eat healthy. Vitamin D is also very good against Covid, and everyone should be taking this during the winters when we dont get our vitamin D from the Sun.
A couple of sachets of tuna a day are generally fine. If doing strenuous work or hiking I might add some powdered plant based protein powder. I also often supplement my rations with wild food gathered such as fish and wild edibles if available. Thanks for watching.
Love this mate. I could make some 24 hour packs and keep them in the pantry. When I want to go bush for a day or two days I can just quickly grab some and go.
Thanks for the positive praise and I'm glad you enjoy the episodes. Please feel free to share them to help others know who may also be interested in the content. It would be my pleasure to have you on one of our courses., please see the website for more info on how to book one of them. Thanks so much for watching and your continued support.
G'day Gordon, once again you've made another awesome video. Up until two months ago I would have been all over the foods you presented in this video, but now I'm on a low carb no sugar diet/ life style and I would say 98% of the foods you're using are off limits to me. I've been toying with the idea of making meals and dehydrating them and also looking into cryovacing protein as I've been lead to believe it can last for quite a while without refrigeration, which would be handy. I suppose I'll have to apply the principles you've laid out here and apply it to the foods I need. Cheers mate all the best for the new year and stay safe. 👍🏻🇦🇺
Good idea mate , avoiding sugar is a very good idea , the crash after a sugar rush , weakens the immune system and leaves you feeling down , who needs that out in the bush hauling packs , honey is a much better choice , and is much better for our body's . Most people eat far too much food , and not enough water . Designing our own ration packs and brew kits is great because we can specify to our own needs and choice of products . Love that pack too ! One thing you might like to consider for your ration packs is NUTS . They are great , long life ,high in proteins And you can eat them without preparation . They also provide us with energy for a long time , if you eat six almonds before bed time , you wake up with more energy ready to go in the morning , true. Nuts and jerky are a good add , to any kit . Salt as well , good salt like pink Himalayan or Celtic salt . Dehydration is a real threat in the bush , if you don't have hydro lite , Celtic salt is your next best choice ,it's got over 90 different trace minerals in it . We need minerals as much as vitamins , and the salts help reduce cramps we get with dehydration . Avoid processed table salt .
Yes I agree and sometimes I'm guilty of that myself but then will do periods with nothing.. Sugar is really bad and it's astonishing how much there is in our foods we buy including many foods that should not have sugar at all. Honey is definitely a better alternative (in moderation) and also has many medicinal uses as well. Thanks for watching
Thanks for your kind words. Nothing is cheap in Australia but it is possible to put a few things together that give you a few more options.thanks for watching.
Cool ideas mate as weird as it sounds kind of miss the old rat packs now and then. Love the emphasis on the brew kit a quick cuppa goes a long way when you haven't had a lot of sleep and don't have any down time. Adding couscous to your ration pack was genius. Tabasco sauce goes good on everything. Nice video
Cheers and thanks for watching. The new Australian ration packs, that I'm currently consuming now on exercise are much better than the previous one. Couscous goes a long way.
Thanks so much again for the positive feedback and I'm glad that there are people out there that value the content more than simply just being being entertained....that is my aim. Thanks again for watching and your support.
Nice stuff Gordon. Must say the CR1Ms are nice for an overnight hike but I do prefer doing my own suited to my own requirements and taste. Great video...
Good one gordo, have you consider redesigning the ADF ration :-). As usual outside scope but the gentle listener should consider planning a 3-5 days menu to limit packaging.
Mr Dedman, when you cook your brown rice packet, I noticed you said it was microwaveable. Do you just bowl water and pour? I’ve seen some of these in Walmart. Thxz for answering my question.
I have a kit in my car of this stuff but watch the use by dates, I recognise that salami stick and they have annoyingly short use by dates. I got through my bag 3 times a year to swap stuff out. My snacks, lunch and breakfast are from Coles etc and my dinners are from a camping store. I also have a hygiene kit separately as well. Sadly I don’t think the tuna comes in sachets anymore.
Sounds like a good system. Use by dates are varied and need to be checked.regularly for all things. There is no such thing as the perfect kit that you can pack and forget for months on end, unless of course you have a supply of army ration packs which can last for years, but I wouldn't wish that on anybody! To be fair the current issue combat ration packs (which are made in NZ) are much better than they used to be and the use by dates much shorter. Being able to supplement store bought food with foraged food is a great way to increase versatility, freshness and longevity. Thanks for the input and for watching.
Love the vid Gordon, super useful and clear information as always. Just wondering where you get the drawstring bags from to keep your brew kit and food organized? Can't seem to find them anywhere. Cheers
I’ve seen a few videos now and I haven’t seen a cooking source. You have “microwave satchels” here of pasta, I know they take a while to cook. The sealed packed stuff I know just needs to be warmed. But what are your cooking methods?
Cooking pots etc I use can be seen in most videos. They are also detailed in the equipment videos. Usually it's just a matter of boiling water and adding the content of the packet to the boiling water or putting the enclosed packet in the water. This can be seen on several videos even though I don't point it out. I will make a note of this and mention it next time. Thanks for the question.
It's my pleasure and I'm happy they are useful. Unfortunately I don't know of any plant foraging books specific to WA but there are some general ones that cover the whole country such as Tim Lowe's Wild Food Plants of Australia. Bushfires and Bushtucker by Peter Latz is a good one for central Australia which may have some cross over plants. There would be some local WA native food plant books but it's just a matter of searching for them. Thanks for watching.
I'm glad you are finding the videos helpful Nathan. Its great to see someone your age taking an interest in nature and the fun life skills that go with learning about it. Respect. Thanks for watching.
Beauty Gordie, well covered tucker bag mate, but mate it appears traditions are dying, or maybe tast buds have been modified, you've missed the health food of a nation, VEGEMITE, or don't they sell those little plastic bubbles anymore, our old ration packs used to have tube of it (which for some unknown reason reason the Yanks called axle grease) and also a packet of teeth shattering whole wheat biscuts, a bit like a super hard sao. Is loose leaf Billy tea still available in OZ, or has that gone to tea bags. You did agreat job on this one mate, and good the sugar has being reduced.
Vegemite...I'm afraid I've never been a fan 🙂. They still have a yeast extract in the ration packs today which is Vegemite in disguise I'm sure. Thanks for watching
Got a bit of a question with powdered milk having only recently discovered that I like it how much do u put in the pasta I know that to make 1/4 a cup of milk is 1/4 water and 3/4 powdered milk but do u still add the 1 cup of water
I don't usually put powdered milk in pasta. The only thing I use it for is tea and coffee, bread making and breakfast as I can't find powdered rice or almond milk. I'm sure you could add it to make a pasta sauce, but it wouldn't be very much. Thanks for watching
G'Day Gordon. How can Civi's get hold of the good old Army Rat Packs???? Ex Military myself and would love to be able to get hold of some current AJ Rat Packs??
Unfortunately you can'!. I get mine from the left over portions from patrols and exercises which I regularly do but you can't buy them anywhere as they are ADF property. I appreciate the question and thanks for watching.
A hunting licence, permission and private land are the norm for feral animals. Above all else, a need to hunt, respect for the animal and make sure you use all of it without wasting it! That's is our duty. Thanks for the question.
