Mick: Those Brit 24 hour packs look like the Forest Services rations for their firefighters. Some say they are K-Rations (US), but I have only heard them called emergency rations.

Chris K: I thought I was the only one who carried fruit cake in a hiking ruck along with chocolate. Here is a recipe for Pilot Bread AKA Hard tack.

Recipe Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups milk
4 Cups flour
4 Tablespoons butter
3 Teaspoons brown sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons salt
Serves: 12

Mix the ingredients into a dough and roll out to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Cut into squares. Prick the squares with a fork or knife. Place them on a lightly greased baking pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Yield: 24 2 x 2-inch bars.

Calories: 101
Carbohydrates: 15.9
Cholesterol: 2.8
Dietary Fiber : .5
Fiber: .6
Protein: 2.5
Saturated Fat: 1.2
Sodium: 141
Total Fat: 2.8