Good call. I'm not sure why I didn't think of turning it around half way. Only a little corner piece of the steak was cold so I wasn't unhappy with the results all things considered.

I've tried the flameless heaters before. They certainly get crazy hot but with only 70mL of water in them, you have to have the entree pouch JUST right and then set the whole thing on a level surface JUST right. And even then it's hit or miss because it's not fully submerged.

Hi BigDaddyTX

I've just weighed the British Army Mess Tin and Hexamine cooker and it weighs in around 530 grams. 10 Flameless Ration Heaters (2-3 day requirement) weigh around 400grams and are just as bulky (probably even more so when it comes to realworld packing) as the Mess Tin and Hexamine Cooker. Its slightly heavier but the additional 130 grams ensures piping hot meals and lots of hot drinks and virtually no waste water. 10 FRHs will consume a considerable amount of water in activating the chemical reaction. This is actually an important consideration if water has to be carried on the person for the duration. 50 ml/FRH equates to 50grams/FRH, 10 FRHs = 500 grams of water, which cannot be consumed. When the FRHs have all been consumed, there is no easy means left to boil water over a conventional fire, but there is when the Hexamine or gas fuel runs out. You still have a pot/mess tin to boil water with using fuel gathered from the surrounding environment.

A comparision would be the 750ml Titanium Pot/Mug (crusader cup equivalent), the 100 gram gas canister and the Optimus crux stove which weighs around 400 grams. This setup can again boil enough water for around 3 days use. It is very fast in boiling water and has all the advantages such as controllable heat ouput, which FRHs lack. FRHs are poor performers in comparision being slow, messy, bulky and even force the soldier to become totally reliant on the fuel/food supply chain. FRHs do have some advantages but these are very specific to certain military operations. I've also believe that for very short periods at very high altitudes they some advantages as well.

Hacksaw:

Great post! I am very interested in the Crusader Cup rig you are using, and any feedback about it, such as:

How do you like it?
How is effective the cooker/windscreen/stand?
Is that a soda can alcohol stove in the cooker in the image?


Many thanks.

…..CLIFF
(like, who else?)

Great review, well written and complete.

It looks like an item worth getting. Taking up a lot of space is not a big issue for home storage or taking a few car camping with my Son and myself.

I can see that it would be an issue with a BOB. But there is enough other light food for that. I’m trying to keep a diverse selection of food stored so no one thing gets boring to eat, and adding a case of these would help. I have a few cases of US MREs already. And lots of grocery store food, and Mountain House & Richmore but always looking for different things to add to the mix.

Does anyone know of a good source for these within the USA so I don’t have to deal with shipping across the border?

It's the full Crusader canteen rig from Bestglide.com. I usually piece stuff together but that time I just ordered everything. It was a little pricey but I think it was worth it.

To answer your first question I like it a lot. I've posted about it on the site before...if you do some searching you'll find other posts. It's on the heavy side but since I picked it up (which hasn't been all that long to be honest) it's been able to cover all of my needs. The Canteen is very rugged, the plastic cup is light weight and fits well. The steel cup is VERY sturdy and with the optional lid, is a very effective vessel for boiling 2 cups of water. You can even get a hanging handle to suspend the steel cup over a fire. I have one but haven't used it yet.

The cooker doesn't fit super well when nested around the rest of the system but it's good enough for me and once in the carrying bag it's a non-issue. I've used the cooker in many different ways since I purchased it including hexamine tabs, liquid alcohol (poured in bottom like a tealight stove only there is no stove), a candle, gel chaffing fuel, and the stove you see. I've yet to try building a mini fire in it or putting hot coals in kelly kettle style but it's definately on my to do list. I don't think it's going to keep out any super strong winds but I carry some HD aluminum foil just in case. Speaking of windscreens, I've also used it as a windscreen for a tea light candle when I need some light...works pretty well for that too.

The stove is a Vargo titanium alohol stove which has had it's feet and pot stand legs removed...they were getting in the way. I wrap it in a piece of cloth and keep it in the cooker...gives me something to wipe up fuel if I spill as well. The stove really likes to be in there. In the winter I can intentionally spill some fuel around the stove so when I light it, there's some extra priming fire...maybe a bit wasteful but you really need to make sure those stoves prime properly or they'll burn all the fuel before getting hot enough to burn properly. I've been using that stove all winter and despite the bad hype about using alcohol in the cold, I've been pretty happy with the results as long as I don't ask too much of it.

I purchased the bag that goes with. It's a bit big but recently I've used that space to my advantage keeping a 4oz. bottle of fuel (enough for 3 runs), a waterproof container of matches, a bic, and my MSR MIOX pen. Slung over my shoulder along with my other shoulder bag, I can easily do day hikes without the need for a backpack and still get a couple of meals in.

I happened to get a spare steel cup and cooker out of my order. I keep that in my emergency car kit with about a dozen hexamine tablets.

No, they're pretty hard to get now days. I'm unsure as to why but I assume it has something to do with Iraq. If you do find a case of IMPs on ebay, they'll probably be ~$120+ shipped. The shipping alone can run you $40+. Best of luck if you do find them though.



Kinda pricy aren’t they? Sounds like MREs are a better choice.

MREs cost $50.00 a case and the Army Navy store 3-min (walk) down the road has them for $5.50 each meal bag and I can pick what I want, not get stuck with a random filled case.

Thats roughly the weight saving when comparing to dehydrated entrees. I wasn't really comparing the differences between hydrated and dehydrated entrees, just the way they are prepared.

10 MRE entrees = 5 pounds.
Cooker and I assume fuel = ~1 pounds

To eat 10 MREs with a Cooker and Fuel (Hexamine or Gas) gives a saving of around 1 lb over the MRE system using FRHs. But this of course depends on if there is no water available in the local environment. Using dirty water or urine with a FRH is not a very good idea since the MRE food container will be covered in the mess the FRH produces. Bacterial contamination so near the source of food (potentially covering the outside of the entree meal package) could be a source of concern.

If water was plentiful in the local enviroment then dehydrated entrees are the way to go. The weight savings would then be approaching nearly 4 lbs. As the water for the dehydrated entree will be brought to a rolling boil anyway the only filtering would be that of removing debris using a very lightweight system such a Millbank bag.

The other disadvantage the FRHs have is the lack of a suitable metal pot or mess tin in which to boil water and cook properly when the fuel source to reheat MRE entrees runs out. Even if the weight advantages are marginal between the various cooking and reheating systems there is a considerable advantage in allowing an individual soldier the ability to sterilise drinking water and cook food from other sources, which have not been supplied from the military supply chain (or when that supply chain is no longer available)

MREs, IMPs and UK 24hr ORPs all have entrees which can be eaten cold. Its just that most of the entress, whether they are US, UK Canadian, etc as much more palatable when piping hot. Even when they are just moderately warm, they can be pretty disgusting.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_aldlRKzvQ

So far I prefer the dehydrated meals as well for preparation. The steel cup holds just enough water to prep 2 servings of just about any freeze dried entree I've seen...and I can put the lid on to save fuel!

You can eat some freeze dried meals without water...but if you're doing so because you don't have much water that might be a bad idea due to their typically extreme sodium content...the one down side to eating a lot of them.

MRE poundcake is good, but Mountain House raspberry crumble... It's REALLY good.

ha ! you actually like this one. this hamsteak is the one everyone avoids like the plague while on ops. yucch

some ufi. the rations are expected to be field stripped before being packed into the soldiers gear. all the packaging helps protect them to some deg because they are often air dropped or carried on top of armored veh to save space inside. as soon as they are given out they are stripped down for easier carry. There is a second type of Canadian IMP not avail to civies ( I think) called recce rations by the troopies(LMP oficially, LIGHT MEAL PACK). these are usually given to troops who have to hump the food over long distance and are must smaller but with a much higher calorie content. They come in a small od foil pouch and are filled with chocolate, jerky, sausage, dehydrated cheese, dried fruit and granola bars. these have the hot beverage bags and stuff in them. as far as survival food we ate nothing but these IMPs for 6 months durring op apollo and we all lived/survived just fine. IMPs bind you up after a week and you become a little irregular so to speak. You will have a sore stomach after eating them for a month, and then your body will adjust to them. we usually throw them away by the case after a field ex as we are so sick of eating them. a few guys like taurus will take them home and use them for camping (or barter items) with civilian friends to avoid seing them wasted but not me.

the bigest beef the Canadian troops have with these is that a lot of items rely on hot water and are harder to eat on the fly when boiling water is not possible (instant rice, mashed potatoes , dressing etc)