Special US Army food designed to be rehydrated with urine

[shecky]

P-rations, anyone? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3915659.stm)

[Soapy Sam]

Who would be a soldier of the 21st century.

Smart weapons and piss poor food. What next?

[zakur]

And what did the inventor exclaim when he succeeded?

Urethra!

[Goshawk]

Well, actually, on paper it's kind of a nifty idea: the ability to use "dirty water" to rehydrate food.

It's just the "taste issues" involved... We need a Mr. Yuk smilie.

[TeaBag420]

Originally posted by Goshawk
Well, actually, on paper it's kind of a nifty idea: the ability to use "dirty water" to rehydrate food.

It's just the "taste issues" involved... We need a Mr. Yuk smilie.

Actually, "on paper" it's an old idea.... NATO forces have been issued drinking straw filters since the 1980's that would allow one to drink out of a toilet. They are commonly available in camping stores.

[scribble]

Originally posted by TeaBag420
Actually, "on paper" it's an old idea...

Yeah, and in Dune they had special suits to recycle bodily fluids. Yum Yum! That was written, what, in the late 60s?

[RSLancastr]

Originally posted by TeaBag420
Actually, "on paper" it's an old idea.... NATO forces have been issued drinking straw filters since the 1980's that would allow one to drink out of a toilet. They are commonly available in camping stores. Yes, my dog uses one.

[American]

Can I use the blood of my enemy?

[TeaBag420]

Originally posted by RSLancastr
Yes, my dog uses one.

What, your wife can't find any peanut butter?

Da dush dush!

[TeaBag420]

Originally posted by American
Can I use the blood of my enemy?

Depends on how you slaughtered him... hang him up, sever the vein in the neck, and FOR GOD'S SAKE STAY AWAY FROM THE SCIATIC NERVE!!!!

[American]

Originally posted by TeaBag420
Depends on how you slaughtered him... hang him up, sever the vein in the neck, and FOR GOD'S SAKE STAY AWAY FROM THE SCIATIC NERVE!!!!

Ew. I only meant if they died naturally and were given proper respect.

[TeaBag420]

Originally posted by American
Ew. I only meant if they died naturally and were given proper respect.

Okay, no kosher franks for you.

[shecky]

Originally posted by American
Can I use the blood of my enemy?

Sure. Garnish with the dandruff of my enemy.

[tracer]

Originally posted by shecky
P-rations, anyone? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3915659.stm)
"The firm behind it says soldiers should only use urine as last resort - as the membrane can not filter out urea, which in the long term causes kidney damage."


It can't filter our urea?! What the hell good is a urine purification filter if it can't filter out the main chemical that makes urine urine?

[Goshawk]

Hah. Good point. But I'm assuming that The Powers That Be are only interested in short-term effectiveness--"Give us a water filter that will enable grunts to get from Point A to Point B without dying of dysentery in subsequent weeks".

But that they're not particularly worried about long-term effects--"Kidney damage? Eh, that's the VA's problem, talk to them about it..."

[Rolfe]

Urea is a pretty non-toxic compound which is routinely fed to cattle as a source of nitrogen. I'd question how significant this concern is.

Rolfe.

[Hellbound]

Just to point out something, the system is not designed to be a urine-purification system. It's designed so soldiers can use any available water source to rehydrate the rations. The primary use would be to gain water from, say, streams or ponds in the area of operations. The filters allow the soldier, as a last resort, to use urine if nothing else is available; claiming it was designed for such purpose is somewhat disingenious.

[tracer]

Yeah, but still, if I'm gonna pee on my lunch, I at least want it to have its own pee-proof shield!

[shecky]

Originally posted by Huntsman
Just to point out something, the system is not designed to be a urine-purification system. It's designed so soldiers can use any available water source to rehydrate the rations. The primary use would be to gain water from, say, streams or ponds in the area of operations. The filters allow the soldier, as a last resort, to use urine if nothing else is available; claiming it was designed for such purpose is somewhat disingenious.

Just to point out something, I don't think anyone here really thought it was a urine-purification system. Which is why it's so icky. :p

[Psi Baba]

I noticed this in the article:
The idea has come from the Combat Feeding Directorate, part of the US Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Massachusetts. The organisation is also the brains behind the "indestructible sandwich", which can stay fresh for three years.
which I thought sounded familar. Compare to Monty Python's Cycling Tour episode:
Gulliver: I'm making a special study of accidents involving food.
Pither: Really?
Gulliver: Do you know that in our laboratories we have produced a cheese sandwich that can withstand an impact of 4,000 lbs per square inch?
Pither: Good heavens!
Gulliver: Amazing, isn't it?