THE MINUTEMAN Volume 16, August 2024
FEMA Rations, ChiCom Chest Rig Mods, and upcoming book releases from The Professional Citizen Project
ChiCom Chest Rig Project
The classic ChiCom Chest Rig really revolutionized the way soldiers carried rifle magazines and other gear. Today it is a great, surplus and budget option for the Modern Minuteman. Better yet, it makes for a great platform for modifying to suit your own needs and creative tastes. A little sewing, some spare buckles, a few feet of webbing, and then just add your own creativity.
I have a few of these rigs and the last one was modified with some inspiration from Ivarr Bergmann. Made a radio pouch and holster for it in lew of the grenade pockets.
But just last week I happened upon another Type 56 rig that, although was pretty beat up, was just asking to be put back into service. So I cleaned it up, took off the original straps and added a new H-harness that wasn’t being used…
and soaked it in water to stretch the magazine pouches to accept double AR mags…
Then gave it the rattle can treatment…
The mag pouches will now accept 2 aluminum GI AR mags giving you a total of 6 mags on your chest.
I will eventually remove the grenade pouches and add small gp pouches to it but in the meantime we have a useful, modified ChiCom rig.
Looking to do your own ChiCom Rig modifications, surplus ones are getting harder to find but there are some reasonable reproduction ones available. Check them out at the links below…
Humanitarian MRE’s
Humanitarian daily rations (HDRs, "humrats") are daily rations made in the US by the same companies that produce regular MRE’s for our military but for humanitarian efforts here at home and around the world. They are designed to provide a single days rations (approximately 2200 calories) and include:
2 Meatless entrees
2 packages of crackers
1 package peanut butter
1 package of jelly
1 breakfast pastry (think pop tart)
1 Shortbread cookie
1 Fig Bar
Spoon, napkin. Salt/pepper, red pepper flakes, moist toilette
These Humanitarian Daily Ration packs have an approximate 3 year shelf life and weigh 30 Oz. The package they come in is international safety orange and can be used as a water collection container, for collecting trash, as a small signal panel, or a myriad of other uses.
First used in Bosnia in 1993. Humanitarian Daily Ration packs have since been delivered all over the world including India, Congo, Somalia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Afghanistan, and even here at home.
From a Minuteman, or prepping, point of view, I think these are a worthwhile investment (especially when compared to regular MRE’s) and can easily be supplemented with packages of tuna or chicken and packages of instant coffee and electrolyte drink for food kits for go bags, patrol packs, and more.
You can order Humanitarian Daily Ration Packs by the case (10 per case) HERE.
Regular MRE’s (12 to a case) available HERE.
The Professional Citizen Project (new releases coming)
That’s right, the team at The Professional Citizen Project has been busy at work on new Citizen Manuals for you! They will be available at The Professional Citizen Project website and on Amazon. More details to come on the new titles and release dates!
Thank you all for the support you have shown us authors and the project!
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Good stuff. Glad the old rigs are getting a better (more democratic) life!!!
Hey Jay. I could not get the MRE link to work. Great write up. Thanks, Larry