The Ration, Cold Weather is a dehydrated ration that can be reconstituted with hot or cold water or consumed dry. This ration was developed to satisfy a Marine Corps requirement in 1983 for their annual deployment of units to Norway for cold-weather training. Subsistence items and rations available at that time were unsatisfactory for three reasons: (1) they were too bulky or heavy; (2) they contained amounts of sodium and protein that were in excess of requirements and added to the metabolic water burden; or (3) their high water content made them susceptible to freezing.