View Full Version : Using water after heating an MRE?
Submariner
09-21-13, 14:15
I went from C-rats to submarine cuisine.
I asked an SME if I heat an MRE in water in a canteen cup, can I safely drink that water or does nasty stuff leech from the bag?
I can't count the number of MREs I've heated that way, but I've got to say I've NEVER used that water for anything else.
I don't know if it's safe to drink or not.
Can the water be drunk or used for any other purpose?
Failure2Stop
09-21-13, 14:22
Usually MREs are heated with the included water activated heater thing, which makes water non-usable.
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Submariner
09-21-13, 16:22
I understand. Thanks.
My question goes to when, for whatever reason, there are no heater packs available or limited potable water.
Before MRE heaters came out we heated the meals in a number of different ways, one of which was boiling them. We were told not to drink the water used in boiling the packets as they may contaminate the water.
I don't know if it actually is bad for you but I never took the chance.
I've seen people drink that water as coffee or hot cocoa, as far as I know they suffered no ill effects.
You'd need to find out what's in the packaging, and if it can leach. You should talk to the manufacturer about that.
What's your application? Why would you consider drinking the water in the canteen cup? Is water availability limited?
Submariner
09-21-13, 21:45
What's your application? Why would you consider drinking the water in the canteen cup? Is water availability limited?
Application: hot drink, cleaning.
Water supply might be limited. Fuel to heat more more water, if available, might be limited (the water is already hot; why waste it?) Time to heat more more water, if available, might be limited.
JBecker 72
09-21-13, 21:57
I would think it would be fine and any possible contamination of the water would also apply to the food inside. And I've never heard of that being a problem.
I would think it would be fine and any possible contamination of the water would also apply to the food inside. And I've never heard of that being a problem.
It's been awhile since I've eaten one, but as I recall, they have an additional lining on the inside that may seal out leachable chemicals.
Even if the wrappers did leach, how much? It's not something that's going to hurt you once or twice or probably even 50 times. But I would find out for sure from the manufacturer before making any kind of habit out of it.
BTW, OP... have you ever looked at dried food? It's all I use. Weighs a fraction of the weight, and takes up less space to boot. Hot water used to cook it goes straight into it, so there's no worry about waste, there.
JBecker 72
09-22-13, 07:36
Ah didn't think about that.
Army Chief
09-22-13, 08:27
Flameless Ration Heaters are essentially just a combination of food grade iron, magnesium, and sodium powders -- nothing overtly toxic.
The instructions clearly state to discard the water, but I always suspected that had as much or more to do with the potential leaching of the surrounding plastics/PFTEs in hot water than with anything contained within the heater element itself.
Don't see any reason why the water couldn't be consumed or reclaimed/filtered in an emergency, but I wouldn't use it for anything unless forced to by larger circumstances.
AC
If I remember correctly, the older MRE's (in the dark brown bags) had a thin film of plastic on the outside of the foil packet, I think that was the issue and the newer packets don't have the film anymore.
The guys I saw drinking the water after boiling the packets did so because of limited time and resources, there was only so much fuel, compressed, trioxane and time to prepare a meal.
jklaughrey
09-22-13, 09:15
I always drank mine after heating meal. Coffee usually. I have no ill effects... Wait I am going into politics! :eek:
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If there is limited potable water why waste it just to heat an MRE? Drink the water and eat the MRE cold.
If there is limited potable water why waste it just to heat an MRE? Drink the water and eat the MRE cold.
Great point. I almost never bother to heat them up. The included heaters only do about half the job usually anyways.
That's a good point. There are other ways to heat them we used to use the trioxane fuel bars. You could also boil water in a kettle or pot and drop the sealed meal into it and then use that water for other purposes.
If there is limited potable water why waste it just to heat an MRE? Drink the water and eat the MRE cold.
why not just eat the MRE cold? sorry, couldn't help but stir the pot.
I used to put mine on a heater vent/by an engine. I have seen guys drop 2 or 3 in a bucket of hot water and it warmed it up. Even with the tabasco theyre still pretty poor tasting.
Submariner
09-28-13, 13:19
why not just eat the MRE cold? sorry, couldn't help but stir the pot.
What if it is cold out and you want to raise (or prevent lowering) core body temperature?
Make hot coffee / chocolate or even coolaid and eat the rest cold. Then not risk it.
What if it is cold out and you want to raise (or prevent lowering) core body temperature?
The calories in the food will do more to raise body temp than a few ounces of food being 1 or 2 degrees warmer than the being consuming them.
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