If the heaters are like those in MRE you can use them to make little hydrogen fires… That never ever happens… 
I do recall a certain squadron sending cadets to a fieldcraft weekend with fire lighters instead of hexi blocks, as they had run out of hexi. Their CO said it would be fine.
The cadets started to use the said firelighters which combusted at speed with loads of smoke and fumes . This was put right by the wing fieldcraft staff , who had a hexi supply. The squadron is now known as the ‘firelighter’ squadron. The CO never got involved in any practical fieldcraft or AT type activities!!
The idea of the 12 hour rat pack was to save money, as those who are out for a day and a bit don’t require 2 x 24 hr packs. I haven’t seen one yet though.[/quote]Folly really. My County used up the last of it 12 hour packs because it ran out of 24hr packs. Just issued two for the whole day!
If we are only out for 8-12 hours we get a horror bag or a norgie container meal.
Many moons ago, a visiting RC made the observation that hexi was bad because on combustion it “drips” toxic nasties into the ground, presumably doing some damage there. The point was moot at the time as the cadets doing the demo were working on stone.
Why on earth we persist with hexi, other than it is cheap, is a mystery. You would have thought that by now all rat packs (not just 12 hour) would be self-heatiing. It would cut down on the need to carry the whole paraphernalia (and on-cost) that goes with hexi, ie burner/stand, mess tins and something to light it with. I bet the MoD has a contract for several thousand tons of hexi.
I would imagine that eventually they will all go that way
Hmmm, some exo-thermic self-heating packs can result in the production of calcium hydroxide = poisonous!
Anyway, when did they invent self-heating water for the troop brew? Or for very cold cadets on field craft? 
There is as far as I can see no reason why you can’t have a boil-in-the-bag brew just as you would soup…
There isn’t as they are an actual thing.
[read that wrong]
Boil in the bag tea or coffee? It would stew the Earl Grey don’tcha know!
Larger volume drinks (self-heat) packs AVAILABLE.
Otherwise, get some " flameless ration heaters."
Or, go LEMON TEA.
Was thinking more just a sachet of water, to which you could add powder.
Nah, you need to have adequate supplies of “proper” cold water in case you burn yourself on the hexi!
Its cheap. Thats the point. And its easier to ship to remote places. And its easily packed, the size of a crate of them compared to a crate of gas. It has a few cheeky uses outside of cooking too…
Its a bit old fashioned but it does the job. In the jungle only a 1/4 of a square is needed to boil water.
In the Arctic you use Multi Fuel burners Because gas or hexi wont work. (Interestingly I have been so cold the liquid in my compass froze) Multi fuel has its pros and cons.
(que the story of how I turned myself into the human torch, FLAME ON!)
If you want to make your Hexi a little more user friendly, carry a small bit of tinfoil to wrap around your mug (or messtin). Makes cleaning a lot easier.
Jetboils are ok, but bulky! Huge amount of space taken up and the price is just ridiculous.
The new MSR rival to it looks fantastic though.
A smally pocket rocket is just as good, and you can get wind shields for it.
Quite frankly I would stay away from Multi Fuel burners unless you know what your doing and the terrain your going into.
Alpkit have a jetboil like cooker for £35. I got my original jetboil for £45 back in the day and it is still going strong. The MSR offering is very pricey compared to a jetboil.
I have just tried a self heating, boil in the bag type Lancashire hot pot. There was much fizzing from the heat bag once water was added and the whole lot got red hot. V tasty.
The only problem I can see ref not having some sort of stove is the inability to make a hot brew. ‘Instant’ brews tend to taste disgusting (like rat pack instant tea…bring back the enormous Tea bags) and also would require more heat bags and therefore more packaging to be got rid of.
I have also tried gel fuel. It blew out in strong winds!! Interesting to use and apparently good for helping get hexi blocks to ignite properly.
One day, I expect, someone will come up with a better fuel than the dreaded hexi and at a similar, or cheape,r cost.
My Primus Type 96 stove is small, light, very efficient and cheap to run; plus it boils water quickly
Oh, and its clean burning…
My Kelly kettle is very efficient, boils water very quickly and costs nothing to run. It is, in effect, carbon neutral as it uses fallen twigs, scrap wood, camel dung etc etc. The pan attachments make it excellent for cooking with while the water is heating up.
[quote=“angus” post=22251]
i’m sure, however, that the fried chicken retail sector in Lincoln will always be looking for good people[/quote]
but It won’t find them in HQAC…
[quote=“talon” post=25093][quote=“RearAdmiralScrinson” post=25089]
Jetboils are ok, but bulky! Huge amount of space taken up and the price is just ridiculous.
The new MSR rival to it looks fantastic though.
A smally pocket rocket is just as good, and you can get wind shields for it.
[/quote]
Alpkit have a jetboil like cooker for £35. I got my original jetboil for £45 back in the day and it is still going strong. The MSR offering is very pricey compared to a jetboil.[/quote]I have seen a report on t’interweb with pictures of one that melted. It was returned to the manufacturers who said it was used with the ‘wrong type of gas’ and that invaldated the warranty.
That’s crap, and also does not affect your statutory rights about fitness for purpose. It should be able to use any brand of screw threaded valved canisters, whether Coleman, MSR, Epigas etc. You couldn’t sell a torch and say it can only use Duracell alkaline batteries but not Varta alkaline, and using the Varta is what caused it to melt/explode/kill your budgie etc; because clearly it was the torch, not the batteries at fault