George Shirley wrote:

> Julie Bove wrote:
>
> > "The Joneses" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >
> >>I think this is something near what we do. I don't know if I'll ever
> >>*need* this stuff, but I don't need those cases of jam either. And
> >>pickled b**ts are nice, but not essential. In thinking about
> >>saving/preserving food for disasters, I've googled up a few recipes
> >>for hardtack crackers. I can buy canned meat, but bread was a little
> >>more difficult. In the Army, the c-ration crackers were not too bad,
> >>if sorta tasteless. My goal is to make a long storing thick cracker
> >>that tastes good. I will vacuum seal them. Maybe some with cinnamon,
> >>some with garlic salt, I dunno, but I'm thinking... Egg, cheeses,
> >>herbs, chocolate.
> >> I don't really want to take this to rec.food.survivinghurricanes
> >>or rec.food.disasters because it's really just a sort of cooking hobby
> >>thing. Or is it?
> >> Any thoughts?
> >
> >
> > I've never actually tried hardtack, but from what I've read about it, it was
> > not tasty at all. The very things that kept it from spoiling are the very
> > things that meant it had no taste. I don't know that much about vacuum
> > sealing. Would that keep the crackers crisp?
> >
>
> I've never eaten MRE's but some folks tell me they're pretty good. I ate
> C-rations for years though and liked most of the selections including
> the canned hardtack along with the canned jelly and peanut butter plus
> the 90 year old cheese, etc.
>
> Makes me wonder how modern GI's take field expediency baths, shave, and
> cook stolen chickens and eggs in those kevlar helmets. The old steel
> pots (helmets) had multiple uses for us old soldiers. Bet Mamselle Jones
> "old whiskers" knows what I'm talking about. <VBG>
>
> George

Took many a "bird bath" in my tinpot. Once made a passable c-ration stew also.
After we got kevlar, I put a heavish tin basin in my gear - and a wooden spoon.
Ol'Whiskerface just didn't bathe I think (g). All that dripping water in the
jungle, y'know.
Edrena