page_title: Field ration
hierarchical_section_title: Field ration
caption_attribution_description: MRE 2003
context_page_description: A field ration is a canned or pre-packaged meal, easily prepared and consumed by military troops. They are distinguished from regular military garrison rations by virtue of being designed for minimal preparation in the field, using canned, vacuum-sealed, pre-cooked or freeze-dried foods, powdered beverage mixes and concentrated food bars, as well as for long shelf life. Most field rations typically contains meat as one of its main course. The iron ration is a soldier's dry emergency rations.
  Such meals also prove invaluable for disaster relief operations, where large stocks of these can be ferried and distributed easily, and provide basic nutritional support to victims before kitchens can be set up to produce fresh food. Rations intended for emergency or disaster relief are often referred to as survival rations.
  Most armed forces in the world today now field some form of pre-packaged combat ration, often suitably tailored to meet national, regional or ethnic tastes.
  Traditionally hexamine has been the preferred solid fuel for cooking rations. An alternative is gelatinised ethanol.
context_section_description: A field ration (also known as combat ration, ration pack, or food packet) is a canned or pre-packaged meal, easily prepared and consumed by military troops.  They are distinguished from regular military garrison rations by virtue of being designed for minimal preparation in the field, using canned, vacuum-sealed, pre-cooked or freeze-dried foods, powdered beverage mixes and concentrated food bars, as well as for long shelf life. Most field rations typically contains meat as one of its main course. The iron ration is a soldier's dry emergency rations.
  Such meals also prove invaluable for disaster relief operations, where large stocks of these can be ferried and distributed easily, and provide basic nutritional support to victims before kitchens can be set up to produce fresh food. Rations intended for emergency or disaster relief are often referred to as survival rations.
  Most armed forces in the world today now field some form of pre-packaged combat ration, often suitably tailored to meet national, regional or ethnic tastes.
  Traditionally hexamine has been the preferred solid fuel for cooking rations. An alternative is gelatinised ethanol.
caption: Two packs of Meal, Ready-to-Eat, the current and most commonly used combat rations of the United States military
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