Taiwan equivalent of MRE rations

I know this is a massively tall order but I’m wondering if anyone has run into the Taiwan equivalent of Meals Ready to Eat Rations.

Perhaps Taiwanese Army rations?

I’m putting together something of an Earthquake survival kit for my family and would like to find some Taiwanese rations that are store-able.

Any suggestions would be swell.

Thanks in advance

Check the Typhoon Thread. People have suggested the ready meals available at the camping stores -not bad actually. Locally made, really cheap. Check the ones in Zhongshan Road or in your area.

Here, more data: Disaster prep?
Preparing for a Typhoon - What You Need to Know :facebook:

[quote=“sedition”]I know this is a massively tall order but I’m wondering if anyone has run into the Taiwan equivalent of Meals Ready to Eat Rations.

Perhaps Taiwanese Army rations?

I’m putting together something of an Earthquake survival kit for my family and would like to find some Taiwanese rations that are store-able.

Any suggestions would be swell.

Thanks in advance[/quote]

When I was in the army all we got are those cookie thingies… not exactly MRE.

Taiwan MRE = getting the local biendang laoban on the phone and ordering up 400 buckets of rice with simmered porkfat and pan drippings on top. And a little Yakult.

If they were available I’m sure I would have seen hikers with them. Lots of dried camping meals available at the camping stores around the train station as icon says. These are pretty good: curries, beef and rice, that sort of thing. I use them often when camping.

Of course you still need water and fuel to cook these.

No they do have MRE, but they just don’t distribute it to the general population. However, my friend in the Taiwan marines just told me about this blog that talks about MRE. You can check it here: mesotw.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=880

If you go through the pages, it will tell you that there is a place in yunlin county that you can buy those. You get crackers, coffee powder, beef/pork jerky, candy, and other stuff. He said usually you need to buy a massive order though, due to the apparent low demand on the market.

tw.myblog.yahoo.com/daiwan-tw/ar … l=f&fid=42

^and yeah, there is a camel on the logo, don’t know how in the world that animal relates to the Taiwan military.

Those aren’t really MRE’s though. MRE is actually a meal which is sealed in some package, that comes with a chemical heater to “cook” the food when water is added. I have not seen anything like this in the Taiwan military.

The camel logo has to do with operations in China.

I don’t know if this will help, but the Chinese word for MRE is 自熱即食餐 zi4re4 ji2shi2can1 or some other similar variant. The word implies heating through a chemical reaction with water. If you see jia1re4 加熱, that means you will need to heat the food using an external source…

I have my own MREs. Basically some cans of Mackeral and tuna. Also, Also Ritz or Digestive crackers. Combine that with a ziplock of rice. I also have a some bags of mixed MMs, raisons and nuts in a few zip locks. I keep these stored in my “to go bag” just in case. The rice and nut snacks I update every few months. I also got some of those moisture absorbing bags that I saved from other products that I keep with the rice and the MMs. Actually, I think if you pop a ritz cracker in each bag, that will work too. The point is to keep the moisure under control.
I looked at the camping store stuff and it’s ridiculously expensive. My “to go bag” would keep me and wife going for at least 2 weeks (except water) but I did buy some purification tablets at the camping store. Now I know how to purify my own. Check on line. A small bottle (a couple ounces) of chlorine is a good addition. Always keep a bag ready to grab and run when living abroad.
Sounds crazy but maybe ask some folks today in Syria if it’s not a good idea.
Internet has some good examples but some are REALLY overdone. Hell, you’d have to have a stronger back than mine to haul it more than a few blocks. Keep it simple, warm and nourishing.

You can also get some Hexamine from a chem shop at Tienshui rd. (Firstchem sells them at 200nt per pound) which is very good for starting fires or for cooking a small quantity of stuff. Alternatively (but more expensive) you can also buy Esbit fuel tablets which are the same thing with a little bit of additives and pressed into a cube for easier handling and lighting.

These stuff burns with a nice yellow, steady flame, and you can place it under a pile of wood, light it, and it will pretty much light the wood/charcoal for you. The supermarket firestarters are not even good compared to this. If its powdered hexamine you will have to somehow turn it into tablet form (press into a small plastic bag) to make it easier to use. Just be careful the stuff smells BAD, like rotten fish but not everyone can smell it (its like Cyanide, only some can smell it).

Good addition. I have a VERY small camper’s stove that uses one of those small gas cans but it’s not included in my bag. My thinking is that there are enough trees and wooden buildings where, in an emergency, I can get fuel.
What I didn’t mention that is included, and in which most of my dry food supplies are tucked away, is the “lunch box”. If you go to any hardware store, you will find an aluminum workers lunch can that has about 3 different size pans tucked away inside packed one inside the other, from small to large. Good addition for boiling water, boiling rice and heating other mixtures of food. It weighs next to nothing and is a good rainproof container for your drygoods. As for the fire, some ripped wood from a building or a roadside tree and then a fire pit. Add a few rocks to lift your lunchbox off the coals and you have a hot meal and rice/fish meal along with cups of tea.
This wasn’t meant to be a “survival” thread so I don’t want to get too far off topic. Internet has all that. My point is that if your looking for MREs, go to your kitchen and/or your nearest supermarket and DIY. Don’t get ripped off at the camping store. BTW, I tried one of those MRE packs similar to the one in the pic. Try one before you buy 2.

BTW, a stick of Wriggley’s gum in each bag of your “drygoods” tends to keep the smaller critters out, even if ziplocks. Seems they don’t like the stuff but . . . . who does? I am told that it keeps any wayward eggs from hatching or living. mmmmmmmm. Scary but my Wriggleys is in place. When as a youngun, I know we kept large cans of 25-50 pounds of flour, rice, milk powder and sugar. (Large family) All the drygoods were in plastic bags tucked and wrapped in large (new) garbage cans and each had a few bay leaves, (hard to find here) and some sticks of Wriggleys Spearment. Never had a weavil problem.
Sorry, again off topic but hope it’s helpful.

I say Hexamine/Esbit for firestarting because they work better than lighter fluids/paint thinner. Lighter fluid evaporates really fast, and liquids can leak and evaporate possibly causing explosion hazard. Hexamine has an unlimited shelf life, even a 50 year old Esbit tab will burn very well. Lighter fluid is also not that good for starting fires because it normally burns top down whereas if you want to start a wood fire you want it to burn from the bottom. Furthermore they are almost like alcohol… burns so fast that the burning action actually cools the stuff it’s on and ends up not actually burning the stuff, and as soon as the fuel runs out the fire dies and your wood is still unlit, that is unless you use a LOT of lighter fluid, enough to be dangerous.

While we are on survival, include a flare or other signaling device. Firework might work, but the problem is they’re so common here people are likely to ignore them. Contrary to popular belief flare guns have been legalized several years ago so you can buy them. Electronics like smartphones would help but as soon as the battery dies, its useless. Rocket flares are sold for about 250 a piece and flare guns are around 1000+. Those things are VERY bright, those LED crap are no substitute because they would never put out 10,000+ candle powers a magnesium flare would put out.

because CAmels are “hao ke ai oh” The TW military is into Ke Ai now with all the softie recruits they got now.