Individual Meal Pack (IMP) [Merged]

[Pikache]

Idea came from that webbing thread

Breakfast: NONE! They all taste like raccoon doodoo, esp. ham steak and mustard sauce.

Lunch: Pork Chop Suey. Beef Teriyaki

Dinner: Chicken with Rice. Chicken Breast w/ gravy. (need a fork for that one though)

 

[cheechue]

it is difficult to fathom that anyone could have a favourite...

 

[DnA]

Breakfast - beans and weenies, sausage and potatoe and mac an cheese are good

lunch - any pasta or chili one

dinner - hungarian goulash and pasta

I havent had any of the newer IMP‘s, the last time i had a IMP was 1-2 years ago when I was in Cadets

 

[GGHG_Cadet]

Well I‘ve only had one but it was good. It was Lasagna and it was from like 2001 I think.

 

[Deleted member 585]

Remember "macaroni, cheese, and peas" ?

I‘ll eat any of them -- saves the hassle of fighting over the lasagna.

 

[311]

lol...I remember my first IMP on the field ex on my BMQ. It was breakfast and I was handed “Omelet with salsa". I nearly puked when I smelt it. Lesson learned....don‘t smell it, don‘t look at it.

But the Ham and potatoes is alright...and the beef steak and beef teriyaki are alright.

 

[Doug VT]

You know what, the more I have them, the less I care. Now a days I just eat them cold, I‘ve had them all, I‘ll eat them all. The only time that I‘ll take the time to heat one up is in an arctic tent in the dead of winter or if I have one of those handy MRE heaters and some free time...
All I keep out of the pack is the two foils, the spoon/napkin and the gum/chocolate bar. That‘s all you need and it can be packed up pretty compactly.
I used to bring all the spices and hot sauce and try to mix different things in the pack to make special field "gourmet" meals, but over time it became just a waste of time.
Besides, you need all the space in your ruck for the 2 cans of C6 ammo, 2 para flares, Vector binos, PLGR, NVG‘s, 10 boxes of C7 ammo, 1/4 mile role of WD1, sleeping bag/bivi bag, and 1 pair of gitch/socks...just an example of the contents of my ruck on the last ex of the BTE(all live ammo, not including all the crap in my TV), oh and of course 24 hrs rations...

 

[Grunt_031]

I have eaten almost every type of rations the CF has come out with in the last 18 years and come to the conclusion.

"eat for function not taste".

The calories are the most important thing. If it fuels your body to reach the next objective or complete your mission it has done it‘s job. Plus you do not have to worry about fighting over the different types when are better things to concern yourself with.

 

[Gryphon]

That being said, from what i‘ve heard, our IMPs are much better then the American MREs. Don‘t know if that‘s true or not, but i wouldn‘t be surprised...

 

[Devlin]

Have to agree with Grunt_031 here these things just serve a purpose. That purpose being to keep you moving (insert bowel movement joke here) . I have heard the comments that the American MRE‘s are better as well, however I don‘t think they are all that much better, just different. And the reason we might like their‘s more is just the chance to have something different. I‘m lucky in a SVC BN food in the field is usually pretty good with at least one hot meal per Ex.

Although the heaters (haven‘t seen one) in the American MRE‘s are a nice way to go instead of hauling the pressure cooker with you.

 

[Joel85]

So, the Canadian Army doesn‘t use the heater packs? Do they eat the IMP‘s cold?

 

[Pikache]

There are heaterbags or heat tabs to warm up your food.

 

[Gryphon]

Or what we do is take a pressure cooker, and cook it in that!

 

[Deleted member 585]

While on exercise, the manifold of our 1 1/4 ton line truck was occasionally known to be covered in assorted IMPs... a method which took awhile, but since we were on the move to either lay or retrieve line, the time passed relatively quickly.

 

[Pikache]

Or what we do is take a pressure cooker, and cook it in that!

Most of the time us infantry types don‘t have the time to set up the Coleman‘s and use the pressure cooker, except during winter exs

 

[ProPatria05]

The troops that bitch about their meal and eat the granola bars that they brought are generally the ones who end up with cold weather ‘injuries‘, or fall out of long marches (often crying, I might add). I have no use for either situation.

Don‘t get me wrong, I like to joke about the ham steak with raisin sauce as much as the next guy. But at the end of the day, it is just mass in your belly like fuel in a gas tank. If you don‘t like the taste, eat it cold (heat brings the flavour out).

My 2 cents.

 

[Illucigen]

Well I agree that many have to realize that it is simply calories that you are gaining, and we should all just shut up and eat.... well, thats all fine and good if you arent eating the stuff, but if you are, we do have a right to ask for something better. You dont ask, you dont get.

Put it this way, why bother having different meals? They could just give us protein paste. Tasteless power bars. Etc.

Why bother spending money on such little things as IMPs??? Well, because if you can come up with things that arent half bad /and/ serve the ultimate purpose of nourishment, you are hitting two essential elements of warfare: food supply and morale.

Be as tough as you want, but dont redicule people for hating the Cheese Omelett and Salsa (smells and looks like puke)... Ill eat it if I want to survive, but If I am asked if I like it, Im not going to shut my mouth just to be tough and to "hold the line".

As for constantly whining while on EX about the IMP‘s, obviously that is uncalled for. Eat or starve, believe it or not it is all edible... but when you are back in the shack, feel free to make suggestions. Its why the **** survey cards are included in some.

 

[greeves]

Having eaten both MRE‘s and IMP‘s I can‘t really say if one is better than the other - they both achieve the same aim: give you the energy to move on to the next objective.
However, I do miss the old fruitcake desserts in the IMP‘s Solid as a rock in your belly...probably would have made pretty good OHP as well...

 

[Pikache]

Those Cherry baked cake dessert thingy?
UGH

 

[Danjanou]

Now I realise that it‘s been a while (fortunately) since I‘ve had to scarfe one down, but I always thought that "favourite IMP" was a bit of an oxymoron.

As more than one person has pointed out its just fuel. Sure if time and circumstances permit, such as on winter ex, you can fancy it up. You know what you can also take one home and cook it in your kitchen and probably get a decent meal out of it.

However for the most part it‘s basic purpose is to keep you going, so scarfe it down as fast as you can and get on with the job. Yeah there are better things to eat, but you don‘t see filet mignon and lobster tail served with a nice merlot in a slit trench too often.

There are also worse things out there, but you‘d be surprised what you‘ll eat when the alternative
is nothing at all. (and yeah that last remark comes from bitter personal experience both in and out of uniform)

Like more than a few here, I‘ve wolfed down IMPs, IRPs, French rats, British rats, West german rats, MREs and even old C rats. They‘re all basically the same. open wide and ram it in.

Here endeth the rant.