MRE's - good? bad? OK?

[CPW]

Originally Posted by SteveSmith

I retired from the military in 2003. up until that point, they were not that good. Although they had gotten better than they were in the 80's and 90's.
We always called MREs "Meals ready to excrete" or "meals rejected by Ethiopians"!
Sorry if that inappropriate!

I was in when the army transitioned from C-rats to MREs. We always called them Meals of Recycled Excrement.

Originally Posted by ZachO

Back in "the day", they came with cigarettes!

I remember C-rats coming with cigarettes, but I believe cigarettes had become "unacceptable" by the time MREs debuted. Could be wrong however, that is a long way back to clearly remember.


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[ZachO]

No, could be I had c rations mixed up with MREs. This is just what I'd hear from people on fires when we'd be eating MREs.

[Bill Nolen]

A web site that has many reviews of back-camping gear and food is one of my favorite sources for camping information.

Take a look and I believe you will find it interesting.

BackpackGearTest.org - Home Page

Bill

[Bill Nolen]

I believe the US Army's K-Ration was the forerunner of MRE's.

The first K-Ration I saw, and ate, was in 1943 or 1944 when my step-father brought one home. He was a Army Pilot.

It was a small olive drab cardboard box that contained a few food items..plus a couple of cigarettes, and as I remember a small quality of toilet tissue paper.

The cardboard box was covered with wax, so the box could be set on fire to warm the terrible stuff that passed for instant coffee!

The photo below was a much later version, and had solid fuel tables, I believe.



C-Rations were much better!

Bill

[CPW]

Bill, you are correct. K-rats did come before C-rats, and were before my entry into the army in 1969. WW2 era. I personally never got to "feast" on them, but from what I have been told, MREs are far superior.
While we did complain (the troops aren't happy if they are not complaining) about C-rats, most of us preferred them to MREs. Some of the C-rats weren't bad if heated. I think the move to MREs was made due to both shelf life and weight. A soldier can probably carry three or four times as many dehydrated MREs as fully constituted canned meals. Somewhat the same reason that the M16 replaced the M14. Because the 5.56 round is smaller and lighter than the 7.62, a soldier can carry more ammo. Still a debate as to which is a better weapon.


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[ZachO]

MREs aren't dehydrated, though right? At least the ones I ate weren't. Best way to think of them is "canned meals in a bag". Rather than Campbells chunky soup in a can, it's chunky soup in a bag, or a cut of chicken, demolished to pieces, mixed with fillers and vitamins and other stuff, then "re-formed" into a chicken breast-like shape and put into a sealed bag with some liquid.

Tasty if you don't think about it too much.

MREs are just kind of fun, when they're a novelty and not what you've been eating for days. You get those cool little individual mini-sized bottles of tabasco, moisture-proof matches, and my favorite ones came with crackers and slightly chalky artificial tasting but still enjoyable jalepeno cheese spread.

[monB]

Friend of mine came out of the Army in '80 and gave me three large trash bags of MRE's. They were ok in an emergency, but nothing you'd want a white tablecloth for. The John Wayne bars were a treat.

Today, Mountain Home/House (forget which) has some good food...pricey, but good, and I'd beat someone over the head for the chili mac.

Mon

[Paul O.]

Just came across this:
K-Rations meet Fear Factor: Online groups sample, review MREs from WWII to present day | Fox News
Now those things are collectors' items? Amazing.

[Thane]

This website has a lot of information on MREs, including menus and instructions on how to figure out the age of a case of MREs; individual MRE packages are not dated and the case does not include a manufacturing date.

Your Source for MRE Information | MREInfo

I buy a case of MREs every couple years on Ebay and keep two or three MREs in each car with a couple bottles of water. I usually pay about $70 per case of 12 including shipping.

My son and I (or his friends) eat the older MREs when we restock the cars. Sometimes we having them camping, just for the fun of it. If you look at it as an adventure and not a gourmet meal then they are great. If you are looking for taste and texture then there are better and cheaper alternatives. If you haven't tried them before, get a couple and try them out.

The flameless heater will heat your food and keep you warm for a while if you are stuck in the snow. There is enough food in each package to keep you comfortable for a night if you get stranded. Just throw them and a bottle of water in with your spare tire or under a seat and you are ready for a night of car camping.

For an example, this link shows the 2016 menu. MRE Menus 2016 | MRE Info

Some of them are pretty good, some not so good. Most have matches and all have snacks and some pretty good accessories like coffee, tea, hot chocolate or water flavorings.

I bought a case for my mom so she and her horse riding club could sample them. All the ladies liked them so I bought 2 more cases so all could have their favorites. They all stocked their saddle bags and cars. Getting stuck, stranded or hurt in the Rocky Mountains is a possibility and having food and warmth could make a difference.

I set up a picnic at work where we climbed over and in a couple tanks then had a MRE picnic. For $7.00 everyone got a MRE and a bottle of water. Most liked the MREs and we bought a couple cases that were shared so folks could stock their cars or have a picnic with the kids.

If you have kids or grandkids (especially boys) then MREs are a lot of fun.

Our Boy Scout troop has them 2 or 3 times a year and they are always a hit, just make sure you collect the matches.

Heck, we may have one today...