Do U really stock MREs?

Spinner · #21 11/21/09, 08:46 AM

JuliaAnn, If they were free, yep, I'd take them too. In fact, If the opportunity presented itself, I'd love to get a few free cases just to try them out and use them for BOB's, camping/hiking, etc.

I've heard that heat is their enemy. I read that there were 2 truck loads of them thrown away cause they were left in the trucks in the Georgia heat and spoiled. That makes me wonder how the military keeps them in the dessert heat. I'm sure a lot of the things I've heard are nothing more than rumors but I've heard that they are ok even in extreme heat for a year or so and will stay good for up to 50 years in controlled environment.

radiofish · #22 11/21/09, 12:03 PM

Yes I have a few cases of MRE's that I received for free, through my being a Veteran and being involved in Veteran activies... Most are very tasty to me, except for some of the chicken entrees.. The crackers would last forever, unless they were at ground zero during a nuclear explosion!!!

As stated above compared to C Rations, the MRE's are a gourmet meal.. Their shelf life is determined by the ambient temperature of the storage area.

I do have a full pantry, but having the (MRE's) meals ready to eat are handy during an emergency. Would you have extra water, fuel, the time, and a means to cook if you lost your electricity? Or while stranded along the side of the road, or out in the bush??

That is why I have a few cases of MRE's handy at my place, in my vehicles, and in my BOB....

GoldenCityMuse · #23 11/21/09, 05:51 PM

I've eaten MRE's they are not bad at all. Certainly no worse than most other RTE foods on the grocery aisle [Think chef-boy-ardee].

Compared to home canned & cooked meals, they aren't near as good, but the packaging is tough, and you can keep them in your car & GOODIE bag as needed for several years.

Personally, I could eat them once a week without a problem, except for the cost. My kids love them, I gave them as Christmas & birthday gifts to my son & daughter when they were younger, they were ecstatic! [Teaching them to prep early, ya know....]

Sure wish I could find some for free here. Last batch I had were on the side of the road, must have been lost from a wildfire truck.

logbuilder · #24 11/22/09, 03:02 PM

I bought a case of MREs for a specific reason. Our GHBs are designed to support us for 3 days while traveling on foot. They are kept with us anytime away from home (ie. in our vehicles). Taste won't be the biggest concern in this situation. Replacing burned calories will be important. The MREs seemed perfect for that.

Gary in ohio · #25 11/22/09, 08:01 PM

MRE's are ok for what they are intended to be. They are not ment for long term servival. They dont have the nutritional needs to be considered for long term use.

I have a couple of cases around. If you tear them down and get rid of the bulk the mean packs are pretty small, require no head if not frozen, although they taste better heated.

texican · #26 11/22/09, 10:39 PM

No. They cost too much.

I stock what we eat on a regular basis.

Now, if like someone else mentioned, someone was giving em away, I'd get all they had.

radiofish · #27 11/23/09, 12:39 AM

The sealed MRE's package contains a water activated heating bag for the entree (or at least my Gov't issued ones do)..

On my last trip to the VA Hospital at Ft. Miley in San Francisco, there was no room for me to stay at the "Hoptel" on the Hospital grounds. So I was sent to stay at a motel in S.F. and was given a boxed meal with the world's most pitiful egg salad sandwich as the entree. It made me glad that I had packed a MRE (Cajun style - rice beans and sausage entree) in my travel bag.