I own a real one now, but everyone should have one of these.
Posted on 04/19/2006 5:25:34 PM PDT by neutrino
I've been thinking of procuring some MREs as the hurricane/severe weather season approaches - and thought my fellow FReepers would be the best possible source of information.
It appears that there are two general options - the MRE pack from SOPAKCO - an example of which is here
The other supply seems to be assembled from contract overruns, for example the item at this link
It appears that MREs are more cost-effective than freeze dried items. I prefer to have an assembled meal instead of purchasing individual items. Also, I recognize that the Sopakco meals don't have heaters - but, those can be obtained elsewhere.
I realize that actual military MREs are available on eBay, but I hesitate to go there since I understand there are legal issues with purchasing them.
So, fellow FReepers - please share your wisdom with me. What should I look at?
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You can find them HERE
Used to just dump the coffee packet into our mouths, swish some hot water around, brace for a shock, and then swallow it without tasting, if possible.
I have to admit to not being fed a steady diet of MRE's, though, since I was Navy. However, I did spend two short spells eating nothing but when ashore for various jobs.
But I'm gonna try that coffee/cocoa combination now. Think it'll work with Nescafe instant and some Swiss Miss?
Storage conditions are important, freeze-thaw cycles are not what you want.
They'll be in a temperature controlled area (73 degrees) - unless, of course, the power goes out. In which case, I suppose I'll start eating them.
I own a real one now, but everyone should have one of these.
[The best one I ever had was my last one]
LOL, aint that the truth.
You'll eat a bit more than that, either out of boredom or necessity - MREs were never meant for continuous use. They are meant to sustain you for short durations, three or four days. If you are the typical BAMF working outdoors ("heavy work") 4 a day might be day might be a better deal if you don't augment with grains, ramen, oatmeal etc. Years ago we went on a BP trip with some friends in the mountains - I was the only veteran, everyone else took (2) MRE's a day. I knew better! They friggin' half starved, psycho-logically. They are tasty, but..
give it a bash with the nescafe and swiss miss. Probably tastes the same. Luckily, i was in the USAF and it was rare that we had to eat MREs. It was actually kind of a treat for us.
Sad but true.
Unless you are very good in rotating your stock, the MRE's have a much shorter shelf life something like ~ 7 years while freeze dried in a can, might last 30 years. Below is a link which doesn't address MREs specifically but the concept is the same.
http://www.mountainhouse.com/faqs.cfm#17
What is the shelf life of Mountain House products?
Good information - thank you for the tip!
This is a good thread. Have you pinged your ping list?
I love Vienna Sausages!
IMO, the Hormel brand is better than Armour, though. Slice them lengthwise and put 'em between two pieces of toast with a little mayo (I prefer Miracle Whip), garlic/herb seasoning and some lettuce. Or slice them crosswise into "pennies" and have them with cheese and crackers. Right out of the can is good too for a quick midday snack.
Lots of protein but aside from that, not all that good for you (fat, sodium). But they sure are tasty when a feller is rumbly in the tummy.
ping
I hesitate to do that - after all, the ping list is more for trade issues...but I'm glad you like the thread!
Vienna Sausages are really good heated up. Just roll them around in a medium hot skillet, don't microwave them!
Oh, and as for the topic of the thread, I bought some MREs a few years back to eat while on all-day deer hunts. My favorite entree was some kind of smoked pork chop. Maybe I was starving or something, but I remember it tasting absolutely great while I sat in the hayfield soaking up the October sun.
Some of the entrees (chicken and rice comes to mind immediately) are just not that great, but all are edible and none are repulsively bad. The ingredients are good quality, but there's either too much or not enough of the wrong seasonings in some of them. Things like rice and noodles are slightly undercooked so they don't turn to mush if heated in the field (which I never did, I ate them all cold). Come to think of it, I finished two cases of 12 meals, so they couldn't have been too bad overall.
My favorite dessert was the delectable "Oatmeal Cookie-Chocolate Covered". The "Snack Bread-Fortified" was kind of nasty, but again, edible. It must have been overrun or leftovers from humanitarian aid or relief programs, because it read "A Food Gift from the People of the United States of America" on the pouch. It looked like a big, puffed up Ritz cracker but had a soft, pliable texture. It was kind of dry and was like eating slightly sweetened cardboard. It made a passable "stick to your ribs" vehicle for the jelly or cheese spread though.
All in all, in a pinch MREs are the way to go for hassle-free emergency dining; but there are better tasting options like the Mountain House line of freeze-dried foods. They're pricey but of high quality Freeze-dried ice cream is great right out of the package. Eat it slowly and let it melt in your mouth...it's as creamy and rich as the normal style.
Going the variety-of-canned-foods route is less expensive but you get foods you already know and enjoy. A lot of stuff can be eaten right out of the can, too.
I've never heated them up. I'll try that next time I pick some up.
There, I fixed that for you.
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