Cold war re-enactor kit

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi Roberta

I disagree that the Ham Omelet was a bad ration. Good hot or cold, tasty, and filling.

IMHO it was THE best Breakfast menu item when I was hard in my cbt arm trade in the 80s-90s, eating a couple hundred "rats" a year. Sad day when they pulled it from the menu............macaroni and cheese with peas???? Ham Steak and Mustard sauce???Breakfast choices really took a dive after the good ole "Lung in a Bag" was torn from us!!! There was brief revival with the Mushroom Omelette a few years ago but it just wasn't the same.

I concur on most of the thoughts above WRT the other kit items.

Some positives that I discovered over the years: Boots Rubber clumsy with running shoes = Heaven for a Zipperhead. Tent Slippers and Muckluck socks= Ahhhh!! Winter Crewsuit bib overalls with Peerless Parka in the arctic= great combo. American poncho liners. US Army raingear in 1985 combined with their combat coat liner. Tac Hel green leather gloves with the silk liners.

As for bad things, why hasn't anyone mentioned the .50 call BFA and those effin' J bolts? Nearly speared an Van Doo iltis in RV92!! C5 Clasp anyone? Three broken fingernails!! Melmac plates?? All three pieces!! Metal Wash basins?? It continues to this day!!

regards
Darrell

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Darrell Zinck

...

As for bad things, why hasn't anyone mentioned the .50 call BFA and those effin' J bolts? Nearly speared an Van Doo iltis in RV92!! C5 Clasp anyone? Three broken fingernails!! Melmac plates?? All three pieces!! Metal Wash basins?? It continues to this day!!

regards
Darrell

The infamous C5 clasp knife. It was always sharp - because no one could ever open the damn thing! I carried a generic red Swiss Army knife, and one particular exercise it kept me alive. We were issued US canned C-rations (late summer 1978?) and I found the little enclosed US can opener wasn't working well enough for me. The forward stroking push motion of the SAK was better. I still have an aluminum wash basin with the rim folded back. It nests nicely in the bottom of the sleeping bag valise.

Speaking of Gucci kit, show of hands. Who had a green-plastic handle Bundeswehr knife with the aluminum sheath? The ordinary folks weren't issued Russell belt knives and Gerbers didn't exist yet. Or, who didn't have a British Army sweater with the patches? Warmer than the issue Canadian green V-neck sweater. I think mine had a tragic washing machine encounter and came out sized for a 10-yr old boy.