these are new manufacture and here is the link:

http://www.nitro-pak.com/product_info.php/products_id/1133

I can't vouch if they are as good as or better than the military one

I have used nitro-pak.com before and was happy. I am in no way affiliated with them. I also plan to buy some MRE's and P-38's from them pretty soon unless I hear ether wise about the P-38 from nitro-pack. I plan to report later on the quality of their products. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

So basically, I shouldn't be suprised, and just run with it, huh?

FYI, this one came from Ranger Joe's.

The P-51 looks promising. I once went to Canada and made some jumps with the now defunct Canadian Airborne and went on some excercises. They gave me a large P-38 thing that is super for opening cans with gloves or mittens on. Looks about like the P-51. The really nice aspect of the trusty old P-38 is that it is so compact and light. One of those classic inventions that keep going and going. The thing is, today most cans have pull tabs on them. When I was a kid and we went backpacking, everything was in a can, today nothing comes in cans. They are heavy, you have to pack them out and most stuff can be had in foil packs today. Cheers!

I've bought all of my recent P-38's and P-51's from the Georgia Outfitters page, except a few I've picked up at the local surplus store. I carry a P-51 in my daypack, partly because it is easier to use but mainly because it makes a better screwdriver for large screws. It's a bit big for pocket carry IMO. A P-51 in the kitchen is a good thing though.

I bought quite a few P-38's from the afore mentioned site a while back and carried extras around and gave them to people. It was interesting from a sociological standpoint to see people's reactions. Younger people (teens and twenty somethings) tend to just look at me like I was handing them something worthless. The only people I ever got good reactions from were older men that were in the military back when they got C-rations.

I was never in the military but grew up in a career military family (the main reason I never joined) so I have had a P-38 since I was a kid and always thought it was amazingly useful. I think the younger people I gave them to didn't "get it" because they have grown up with so few canned products. Most cans now days have pull ring tops on them.

Have had mine since June of 1972, still hangs on my keychain, looks nasty, but still does the job without all the fuss and muss of modern day equipment. Would not take a million dollars for it... <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I have been using the can opener on my Leatherman PST for a while now and it is awesome. I want to get a P38 but I cannot find one around my location.

reconcowboy - I can send you one... I ordered a bunch from various sites to compare quality. PM me can probably ship in normal envelope too.

Yet another reason to love this place- a great bunch of people that help each other out.