One-man pack

The field ration , or shortly EPa called, is a care package of the Bundeswehr , with which a soldier can feed a day at least, if not catered by field kitchen or canteen is possible. It is long-life food that can be consumed immediately, similar to a commercially available ready-made meal, which does not have to be specially prepared except for heating with the Esbit cooker and can also be eaten cold.

The individual rations differ in size and preparation method, and there is a certain range of main meals. What they all have in common is that different eating habits ( vegetarian content) and beliefs (versions without pork / beef ) are taken into account and some menus are regularly exchanged for new ones. The individual components are mostly commercially available products (for example canned sausage), some in adapted packaging. A significant cost reduction is achieved by using these products.

The shelf life of such packages depends heavily on how they are stored. The Bundeswehr specifies the shelf life (consumption time) as 3.5 years. However, the shelf life can be extended considerably if the packages are stored at lower temperatures (for example frozen).

Designations

A Russian soldier's food package, 2016

EPa-like catering packages are also available in most of the other armies, but under different names:

Australia : Combat Ration Pack (CRP)
Belgium : One-One (one serving for one person for one day)
Denmark : Feltforplejning
German Democratic Republic , National People's Army : Food complex concentrate portion (K portion) and iron portion (E portion)
France : Ration de Combat Individual Rechauffable (RCIR)
Italy : Razione Viveri da Combattimento, Razione Viveri Speciale da Combattimento
Japan : Sento Ryoshoku (戦闘糧食), type I consists of canned dishes and type II is packed in vacuum bags.
Canada : Individual Meal Pack (IMP)
Austria : cold meals (KV)
Russia : Individual'nyj racion pitanija - povsednevnyj (IRP-P) (Индивидуальный рацион питания повседневный ИРП-П)
Sweden : Grönpåse ( Green Bag )
Switzerland : emergency strap
USA : United States military ration , Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) , Mountain Ration (only one meal)
United Kingdom : 24 Hour Operational Ration Pack (ORP)

The individual packages

The German EPa

EPA boxes from 1981

Contents of a one-man package type II

A one-man pack (EPa) contains 27 foods such as bread toppings, powdered drinks and two ready-made meals for three meals for a soldier. In addition, hygiene paper, matches, refreshing tissue and water treatment tablets . The physiological calorific value is 15.9 MJ (3,800 kcal ), the weight is 1600 g. There is also EPa vegetarian or without pork or beef.

The Bundeswehr Catering Office is responsible for the content of the EPa . Four types of EPa were put into storage during the Cold War , and stocks were abolished shortly after reunification . The total weight is approx. 1.2 kg for a food ration. With Germany's participation in various missions abroad, it became necessary again to store EPa. Since then, types I to IV have been put together. These are continuously subject to a conditional adjustment to the tastes of the troops and the offers of the manufacturers.

The EPa-Leicht is reduced in volume and weight to 1,000 g and provided with dehydrated foods such as dry ready meals, energy bars and wheat germ biscuits for the working conditions of the special forces. The calorific value is 9.2 MJ (2,200 kcal).

The EPa arctic is adapted to the nutritional needs in cold climates. The calorific value is 20.9 MJ (5,000 kcal).

Type I:

Ready meal 1: Ravioli in mushroom sauce 300 g
Ready meal 2: Indian rice pan 300 g
Snack: semolina with fruits 150 g

Type II:

Ready meal 1: Goulash with potatoes 300 g
Ready meal 2a: Ćevapčići with rice and vegetables 300 g
Ready meal 2b: Ravioli in mushroom sauce 300 g
Snack: Fruit salad 150 g

Either ready meal 1 combined with 2a or 2b, or 2a and 2b together.

Type III:

Ready meal 1: Hamburger in tomato sauce 300 g
Ready meal 2: South American vegetable chilli 300 g
Snack : semolina porridge with fruit 150 g

Type IV:

Ready meal 1: lentil stew with sausage
Ready meal 2: spiral noodles in minced meat sauce

Type V:

Ready meal 1: Tortellini with pork filling in tomato sauce
Ready meal 2: rice with turkey, squid rings and prawns
Snack: Fruit salad 150 g

Other content:
The other content that can be seen in the picture is always the same and can be complemented with each other (for example chocolate over fruit salad, processed cheese over pasta or the like).

Canned bread
Hard biscuits
sausage
Cheese spread
jam
Dark chocolate
chewing gum
Tea extract
Coffee extract
Cold beverage powder
sugar
salt
Creamer
Water disinfection tablets (no longer included in all packs, the chlorine tablets have been removed for health reasons)
matches
Refreshment towel
Multipurpose paper (paper serviette / toilet paper )

Differences to new and old EPa:

The EPa of the 1960s and 1970s contained the following:

two canned lunch meals
a can of whole wheat bread
a small cardboard box with hard biscuits
two small cans of sausage
a tube of soft cheese
a tube of margarine
a tube of jam
salt
Disinfection tablets
matches
Instant coffee
Creamer
Tea powder
two bags of fruit juice concentrate
50 grams of dark chocolate
a trash bag
a carry bag
three paper towels.

The tins had to be opened with the can opener of the field cutlery, the tubes with a knife.

The EPa from the 1980s to the early 1990s only had a different main course for type 1 to type 4. The 'old' EPa consisted of square main menus, the newer EPa of rectangular main menus. The square main menus fit into the Bundeswehr cookware , the newer rectangular ones no longer. In addition, the 'old EPa' did not contain an intermediate court.

In the mid-1990s, the EPA still contained 2 packs of hard biscuits. Since the sweet-tasting hard biscuits together with the sausage they contained tasted rather strange, a pack of hard biscuits was replaced by crackers in the second half of the 1990s, which in turn were replaced by rye bread in 2010.

Another difference lies in the durability, with the 'old' EPa the Bundeswehr specified a minimum durability of 10 years, the newer EPa and EPa-Lights are given a durability of 3.5 years.

Further information:

The energy supply from an EPa corresponds to around 13.8 MJ (3,300 kcal), with a total weight of 1.6 kg.

According to the instruction leaflet, the main meals of the EPas "can also be consumed cold without loss of nutritional value and significant loss of taste". However, we recommend heating in hot water or on the Esbit stove .

Apart from the matches, the German EPa does not contain any utensils for heating. A fold-out Esbit stove is part of personal equipment; Like shoe polish, Esbit can be received as a bulk consumable.

EPa easy

In 1999, the EPa were also easily introduced in the Bundeswehr, as it was recognized that the conventional ones are too bulky and heavy for use. The main courses are lightly freeze-dried at the EPa. The food bags correspond to standard trekking food and are produced by the same manufacturers. In addition, compared to the EPa, there are no hard biscuits, canned bread and toppings, but these contain biscuits, powdered drinks and energy bars . The disadvantage is that hot water is now required to prepare hot meals . Daily male rations are available for “cold regions” gross weight per package approx. 850 g with 2739 and 2797 kcal and “warm regions” gross weight per package approx. 700 g with 2075 and 2279 kcal for the entire food ration. In addition to the significantly higher price for the freeze-dried food, this also results in a significantly lower nutritional value.

Type VI EPa easy:

Ready meal 1: Ready meal pork goulash pot with noodles 300 g
Ready meal 2: Ready meal “Mexico minced steak”: minced steak with potatoes and vegetables 300 g

Type VII EPa easy:

Ready meal 1: Ready meal rice with minced meat sauce 300 g
Ready meal 2: Ready meal potato noodles with meatballs 300 g

Type VIII EPa easy:

Ready meal 1: Ready meal Pea stew with sausage 300 g
Ready meal 2: Ready meal Currywurst 300 g

Type IX EPa easy:

Ready meal 1: Ready meal “Bifteki plate”: Greek minced steak with vegetables 300 g
Ready meal 2: Ready meal “Jägertopf”: Noodles with meatballs and hunter sauce 300 g

Type X EPa easy:

Ready meal 1: Ready meal elk gourmet pot 100 g
Ready meal 2: Ready meal “Pasta Primavera” 100 g

Type XI EPa easy:

Ready Meal 1: Ready Meal Chicken in Cream Noodle 100 g
Ready meal 2: Ready meal Rice pan "Balkan style" 125 g

Type XII EPa easy:

Ready meal 1: Ready meal Jägertopf with beef and noodles 100 g
Ready meal 2: Ready meal Potato stew with fried onions 100 g

Type XIII EPa light vegetarian:

Ready meal 1: Ready meal forest mushroom soy ragout with noodles 100 g
Ready Meal 2: Ready Meal Noodles in Soy Bolognese 100 g

Type XIV EPa light vegetarian:

Ready Meal 1: Ready Meal Garden Vegetable Soy Risotto 125 g
Ready meal 2: Ready meal paprika soy ragout with noodles 100 g

Other content (varying):

Bread 170 g
Wheat germ biscuit 100 g
Beer sausage bread topping 50 g
Poultry lyon bread topping 48 g
Jam 2 × 25 g
Muesli Swiss style 80 g
Yoghurt dessert with wild berries 80 g
Salted, roasted peanuts 30 g
Energy bar "Chocolate" 60 g
Energy bar "Apple-Cinnamon" 50 g
Hypotonic drink powder 4 × 37.5 g
Basic module 1 bag

One carton of EPa light contains the identical daily rations for four soldiers.

Type XV day package:

Ready meals: Chocolate muesli with whole milk, potato pot with beef, pasta pot "Bella Italia", rice pudding

Type XVI day package:

Ready meals: Muesli with raisins, apples and milk, chicken in curry, vegetable risotto, "Stracciatella" mousse

Type XVII day package:

Ready meals: "Tropic" fruit muesli, "Beef Stroganoff", pasta in herbal cream, orange cream

Type XVIII day package:

Ready meals: nut muesli, fish stew "Rügen", couscous, hazelnut pudding

Type XIX day package:

Ready meals: yoghurt muesli, chervil and potato stew, “Siciliana” pasta, chocolate mousse

Other content:

Nutri "Chocolate"
cappuccino
Lemon juice powder
Xiss "cherry"
Wheat germ biscuits
Chocolate 2 x
K4 sesame bars
Additional pack: tea, salt, sugar, refreshing towel

One box of EPa light contains:

4 × main course A 80 g
4 × main course B 80 g

The 19 different main courses are paella, noodle pot “Carbonara”, bacon stone mushroom pot “Black Forest”, fish pot “Rügen”, potatoes with beef, nasi goreng, beef stroganoff, noodles Bolognese, pea stew with bacon, chicken in curry cream, potato pot, vegetable risotto with chicken , Pasta in herbal cream and others.

4 × nutrient powder 50 g

The nutrient powder can be used to make a milkshake-like drink in the flavors of vanilla, chocolate, banana and strawberry. There is only one flavor in each box.

4 × “Almond” energy bars 75 g
4 × "Lemon" energy bars 75 g
4 × wheat germ biscuits 100 g
4 × mineral drink powder 30 g

The mineral drink powder is available in the flavors cherry, lemon and tropic. There is only one flavor in each box.

4 × vitamin effervescent tablets 4.5 g
4 × tea extract 1.2 g
8 × coffee extract 3.5 g
6 × coffee creamer 3 g
8 × sugar 12.5 g
4 × salt 3 g
2 × plastic bags
1 × letter matches
8 × sheets of multi-purpose paper
8 × strips of water treatment tablets

history

The survival ration as emergency food for soldiers was officially called the Iron Ration by the Wehrmacht . In the event of failure of the regular catering , the specially packaged emergency catering was only allowed to be opened and consumed on the express order of the commanding officer . However, this reservation of orders could not be upheld during the war. The field supply officer was responsible for the supply and distribution of the iron ration.