A ration, also known as a field ration, military ration or tourist food, is a set of food intended for consumption by one person. The first military rations were developed in the early 19th century, when Peter Durand patented a way to enclose food in steel cans. Military rations are issued to soldiers when they do not have access to a hot meal from a field kitchen. The food included in the rations should be durable and suitable for storage outside of refrigeration, take up little space and weigh as little as possible while retaining as much caloric value as possible. In addition, rations should be able to withstand very high and low temperatures to make them fit for consumption in extreme climatic conditions. Examples of ration composition include rusks or other durable bread, canned meat or fish, instant coffee or other instant beverage, sugar or honey, high-energy bar, freeze-dried food, dried beef or other dried meat.
Food rations are convenient, easy to carry and have a long shelf life, making them popular with hikers, survivalists, Himalayans, sailors and cave explorers. They are perfect as a meal during expeditions to the mountains or a day-long march in the woods.
Militaria.pl offers a wide selection of individual rations including Polish military rations, US MRE rations, freeze-dried food, canned military food and dried beef.
