View Full Version : MRE's
Considering all that appears about to happen (and no, I'm not some fringe kook who thinks the world will end in x days), I've been thinking it might be a prudent move to provision some food stocks. Anyone on here have experience with prepackaged meals that can stand relatively long term storage (2~3 years) and can provide decent substantive calories? Taste and palatability are important, but not overriding criteria.
telecustom
12-16-08, 11:49
The new MRE's are much better than the old ones. If you can get a couple cases they would do you well. That is what I did.
What are you going to do when you run out of MRE's? Unless you can stockpile years worth somewhere, you'd have to go out an find food anyway. I suppose a couple weeks worth could be handy tho, in a flood situation.
Littlelebowski
12-16-08, 12:25
MREs are always handy. One should not "plan" to go out and forage.
Guess I should have asked, does anyone on here have first hand experience with MRE's from any particular supplier/manufacturer?
Regarding running out, my guess is I'd only have about a maximum of 6 months on hand at any given time. Like I said, I'm not a end-of-the-world type, just trying to insure a supply of food if it turns ugly out there. Besides, living in a hurricane prone region of the country, if for no other reason I should have some supply of food and water on hand for that eventuality. Just the mention of a hurricane coming in this general direction is enough to clear the grocery shelves of bottled water, canned goods, etc.
That's why God created other people and portable BBQ's. :D
What are you going to do when you run out of MRE's? Unless you can stockpile years worth somewhere, you'd have to go out an find food anyway. I suppose a couple weeks worth could be handy tho, in a flood situation.
Do you have a good supply of canned goods, rice, etc on hand? It might not hurt to have some of that stuff along with the mre's. That way you can build up a larger supply of food for when you have to hunker down in your home and can save the mre's if you have to be on the move.
The Wornick Company is the one company that I mostly remember. I believe that they are located in Texas.
I'm not a "SHTF" type of person but I learned alot from a self reliance site that really doesn't get political or on the band wagon about anything. Just straight forward what it takes to survive at the time Y2K but seems to evolve since then. I think it is a good read and it addresses food stores both from can and scratch.
http://www.endtimesreport.com/
Just wanted to share that site.
Scott
canned foods with high protein is probably the best crap to stock up on. MREs are great for emergency situations, but stocking up a 6 month supply would run almost $4,000 per person, and they only have a 3-8 year shelf life, depending on what temp they're stored at- there's definately cheaper alternatives.
i'm building a 1 year supply of the barest essentials for survival in the form of canned stew, beans, corn, etc. I've found there doesn't seem to be any way to store grain for longer than a year without getting bad weavel infestations, so i don't bother. i've got a couple cases of MREs that can be grabbed and thrown into the back of the truck in a hurry, but that'll only last my family a couple days.
Im not even sure you can buy MREs from the companies that make them for the US .mil, something about their contract w/ the .gov
Id LOVE to be able to buy Military grade MRES, not the half assed wannabes
Im not even sure you can buy MREs from the companies that make them for the US .mil, something about their contract w/ the .gov
Id LOVE to be able to buy Military grade MRES, not the half assed wannabes
yes, you can buy the over-runs. i see them on the internet from time to time, just google MREs.
FirstSpear
12-16-08, 15:08
Try campingsurvival.com (I am not affiliated or anything, I just happen to know that they have MREs).
These look to be authentic.
http://www.mredirect.us/
All this talk is makin me hungry for some Chile-Mac! :D
Have you guys ever thought of just buying those dehydrated meals(just add water) they sell at camping and outdoor stores?
Have you guys ever thought of just buying those dehydrated meals(just add water) they sell at camping and outdoor stores?
Yep. Those are pretty spendy...
All this talk is makin me hungry for some Chile-Mac! :D
mmm chilli mac and tabasco:D or buttered noodles and tabasco, or rice and tabasco or captains chicken.
i have fond memories of MREs... mostly just because any time i was eating them i was so ****ing hungry a three-week-dead goat would have tasted great. chilimac was definately the best. lemon pound cake was always a good score- slobber infantryman's pudding all over it and it was almost like eating a slice of birthday cake. i always saved the tobasco and other condiments for later... you dont feel nearly as hungry after you down a half ounce of straight tobasco. at least not until your mouth and throat stop burning.
bigshooter
12-16-08, 16:45
Im not even sure you can buy MREs from the companies that make them for the US .mil, something about their contract w/ the .gov
Id LOVE to be able to buy Military grade MRES, not the half assed wannabes
right here
http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-270/MRE-Military-USGI-Meal/Detail
When my food supplies run out I'm going to eat SHEEPLE:D
M1A2_Tanker
12-16-08, 17:27
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11219554
Emergency Food Kit
275 Servings
Weather Proof Bucket
Item # 104893
Rated 3.8 out of 5
Rating Snapshot (4 reviews)
5 stars 0 4 stars 3 3 stars 1 2 stars 0 1 star 0 (out of 4 reviews)
3 of 4 (75%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.
$84.99 SHIPPED
http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/ProductLarge/104893LL.jpg
Calories per servings are a little low, But the fact they can be stored for up to 20 years at 60 degrees make them well worth it. Comes out to be about .31 cents per serving.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11219554
http://content.costco.com/Images/Content/ProductLarge/104893LL.jpg
Calories per servings are a little low, But the fact they can be stored for up to 20 years at 60 degrees make them well worth it. Comes out to be about .31 cents per serving.
no meat... better stock up on cans of stew too. it doesn't say much about nutrition information...?
I prefer canned squirrel it reminds me of simpler times check them out at
http://www.Internet-grocer.net/squirrel.htm
Scott
M1A2_Tanker
12-16-08, 19:17
The costco buckets say "Vitamin and mineral fortified for complete nutrition". I dont know the actual values. They are somewhere around 200 cal. per serving (1 Cup) I would not rely on this product alone, but to supplement other foods. 200 cal. 3 times a day and you'll starve to death! This combined with canned meats, wild game, or fish should be enough to "get by" on for a while. Also you need 1 cup of water per serving thats a little under 18 gallons per food bucket. (divided into mylar bags of 5 servings) and a way to cook them. I would prefer the MRE diet but the cost is far out of my reach. Family of 5!
20 years though?, buy a years worth and forget it while you stock the other items you need!
+1, Honu beat me to it. LOL
Speaking of stockpiling food supplies... has anyone tried these?
http://www.disastercow.com/mainstay-emergency--food-bars.html
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-16829587173318_2033_13811516
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-16829587173318_2033_13853526
At that price I'm half tempted to order a case or two of the 2400 calorie bars. I certainly don't mind lemon at all, and the cost and volume of each day's rations are much lower than full MREs.
right here
http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-270/MRE-Military-USGI-Meal/Detail
A 100 month lifespan at 70 degrees, with those pretty appealing menus filled with several condiments is certainly impressive. Canned food is also good. Most beef stews out there will do just fine for most and are very sustaining.
I bought a couple of cases of the MRE's at a gun show about 3 or so years ago and they have been stored in a cool dry place (my bedroom closet). How long will they last?
Thanks guys. This was the kind of information and idea exchange I was hoping for. Except for Soylent Green.... It would be too hard to set up the processing and freeze dried plant ;)
Get the Menu C MREs they are pretty close to real ones. But whatever you get make sure you get the heaters. Also look at how many calories they are. Some of the MREs come with approx 1/2-2/3s of the calories of the Menu C ones that
http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/the-270/MRE-Military-USGI-Meal/Detail
has.
Remember if you actually need them, you want calories.
See also
http://www.mreinfo.com/
Remember if you actually need them, you want calories.
But won't calories make me chubby?
:D
Outlander Systems
12-16-08, 22:50
Screw MREs. The best bang for the buck is Chef Boyardee, and Hormel Chili.
For all the canned items out there, Hormel Chili has the highest protein to calorie ratio.
As well, DAK ham has a 4-5 year shelf life, and is dirt cheap.
+1 for the Costco bucket-o-grub. Ordered one a few months ago. If it was all you had, you could MAYBE make it for 3 months.
Foodflation is already kicking majour ass, and it's only getting worse.
Tuna has a pretty high shelf life.
My gripe with MREs is that I don't typically eat MREs on a daily basis; however, I'm always in the mood for some Fritos and Hormel Chili.
bigshooter
12-16-08, 22:58
Hormel Chili has the highest protein to calorie ratio.
Indefinate shelf life also.
rangertab1
12-16-08, 23:16
Hey No.6, your instincts are correct. Food will be an issue, soon (no later then 8 years from now). Think long and hard about the reality of our future. Food-on-the-move is good (MREs, Tuna, dried fruit; anything lite and compact). Food at home is of greater importance (gardening, native/landscaped food sources). If you don't have the ability to become a cyclic food producer, move to safer and fertile grounds. Remember, you will die in 4-6 weeks without food, but you will die in 3-5days without water. Secure your water source and buy a Katadyn water filter. Trust your instincts, you ain't crazy. Sorry its come to this, but the party will soon be over. Cheers.
Go to ebay they have mre meals by the case cheap to. I often take the on 1 day hikes not bad food. Good luck. Check the date on the cases
My plan is fairly simple, have enough MRE's and general canned stuff to last about a month or so, bottle water as well although maybe not a months supply.
Several good rifles with many many rounds of quality ammo, body armor and I will just take whatever else I need from the local hoodlums and the sheeple.
:D
DANGER CLOSE
12-17-08, 10:41
mreinfo.com has all the info on mre's.
mredepot.com these mre's were apparently produced for a private military corp by one of the 3 mre contractors (from mreinfo site). i plan on buying some in Jan.
right now i have a local store that has the mil ones for 4.50 a pop, woo hoo! i just stock up every couple of weeks. check them surplus stores out. i have a several cases on hand, but i could always use more. the mredirect.com ones look like a really good buy especially since it comes with the heater. i like variety so i just get military ones by the case instead of the civilian ones.
What nobody likes canned squirrel?
www.internet-grocer.net/squirrel.htm
(www.internet-grocer.net/squirrel.htm)
:D:D:D
CleverNickname
12-17-08, 19:33
Speaking of stockpiling food supplies... has anyone tried these?
I've had a couple in the BOB that lives in my car trunk for quite awhile. About a year ago I took one out that had been in there for 4-5 years and ate it, it tasted fine. I wouldn't want to live on them but they'll work for a meal in a pinch.
I've had a couple in the BOB that lives in my car trunk for quite awhile. About a year ago I took one out that had been in there for 4-5 years and ate it, it tasted fine. I wouldn't want to live on them but they'll work for a meal in a pinch.
Thanks for the response, I appreciate it! Looks like I have something else to stash in the BOB.
Do they add loperamide to MREs to reduce the # of times you dump? I heard that urban myth during desert storm. I doubt it was added to MREs (it would cause constipation for some people) but maybe some soldiers took it during combat.
Never a bad thing to have a few cases a person on hand.
I buy my MREs from The Epic Center. They seem to have a good selection and priced well.
http://theepicenter.com/
They also sell singles so you mix it up some.
theblackknight
03-12-09, 03:03
Try to get the MREz from Indiana. Like if your lucky enough(haha) to get stuck with veggie cheese omelet , the indiana made ones have a salsa packet vs the tabasco bottle. The salsa plus some cracker crumbs makes that one not too bad, but plain its terrible.
FAV MRE: Beef Encilada
Worst: Veggie Omelet.
30 cal slut
03-12-09, 10:03
this thread should be stickied somehwere in the survival subforum
LittleRedToyota
03-12-09, 10:32
i have always had good luck with sopacko sure-pak MREs
http://www.mreinfo.com/civilian/mre/sopakco-sure-pak-mres.html
Ridge_Runner_5
03-12-09, 14:06
I buy my MREs from The Epic Center. They seem to have a good selection and priced well.
http://theepicenter.com/
They also sell singles so you mix it up some.
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/89Sunbird/stupid/anim_rofl2.gif
Welcome to the forums, but that would be The Epicenter, as in, the center...
Mmmmm, craving the spaghetti. Dump the cheese spread in there. Heat it up, eat everything else while the main meal heats up. Warm tasty sphagetti w/cheese:D
cheese sauce in spagetthi. mmm mmm
what other 'tricks' or recipes do ya'll like
It should not require someone to justify "being prepaired" as being "not paranoid". Lived a long time in Kalifornia being constantly warned that the "Big One" could occur at any time. Had some pretty good quakes, but never had the "Big One" yet as far as I know. Being in Emergancy response, we encouraged everyone to have an emergency stash of food, water and other necessities to tide them over until such time as the infrastructure could be re-established. Of course there are always those that ignore the common sense aspect of all the experiences that have occurred in the past, and choose to ignore such cautions. Simply look at it as you would many things, such as a fire extinguisher. Most don't expect to have a fire to deal with, but it is good judgement to be prepaired just in case and have one available.
My favorite was always the chili mac with the jalapeno cheese mixed in.
DANGER CLOSE
03-14-09, 04:17
Mmmmm, craving the spaghetti. Dump the cheese spread in there. Heat it up, eat everything else while the main meal heats up. Warm tasty sphagetti w/cheese
you forgot to add crumbled crackers and tobasco sauce.
Not a big fan of MRE's. It's like pushing out a brick when everything is said and done. I actually made it through my whole Iraq deployment without a single MRE. :D
Machinehead
03-14-09, 18:57
canned foods with high protein is probably the best crap to stock up on. MREs are great for emergency situations, but stocking up a 6 month supply would run almost $4,000 per person, and they only have a 3-8 year shelf life, depending on what temp they're stored at- there's definately cheaper alternatives.
i'm building a 1 year supply of the barest essentials for survival in the form of canned stew, beans, corn, etc. I've found there doesn't seem to be any way to store grain for longer than a year without getting bad weavel infestations, so i don't bother. i've got a couple cases of MREs that can be grabbed and thrown into the back of the truck in a hurry, but that'll only last my family a couple days.
The part about the long term grain, bean, pasta, rice, lentil, weavil infestation is not quite correct, LDS's have been doing this for a very long time and have been given quite a boost with the new technology of MYLAR, 02 absorbers, dessicants, and such. I knew some of these people when I was a kid and in the basement (given the climate) even back then, they could keep hard wheat in lined trash cans much longer than you would think. We used to sneak handfuls of the stuff to chew on, you wind up with the germ left in your mouth and I guess it gives you something to do at a young age but the stuff was who knows how old. They are definently the folks to follow in the long term storage department because they have been doing it for so long, why re-invent the wheel?
Machinehead
03-14-09, 19:22
My plan is fairly simple, have enough MRE's and general canned stuff to last about a month or so, bottle water as well although maybe not a months supply.
Several good rifles with many many rounds of quality ammo, body armor and I will just take whatever else I need from the local hoodlums and the sheeple.
:D
You sure? Are you serious? You could mistake me for one of those sheeple, and I have something for your body armour.
As long as these keep growing I should be good!!:cool::cool:
http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii126/sapper5353/DSC01759.jpg?t=1237079942
The best thing is, if I do my job right I get to keep using the same ammo!!
...in the institutional foods section @ Wal-Mart...huge cans of Hormel w/beans=$4.56...I mean big...
http://emoticons4u.com/smoking/rauch06.gif
...no need for canned squirrel...the lil' tree rats are so spoiled, you can bean 'em in the eye with an airsoft and sic' yer' teenagers on 'em...
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