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MREs
Meals, Ready to Eat. Before a survivor can grow or find their own food, but after the panic, MREs could become a common source of food. Much like after the New Orleans Hurricane issue. However, many people are not familiar with MREs or their menus. This page aims to familiarize people with MREs and their commercial derivatives.
An MRE has a central entree, which is a packet that can be eaten cold or heated with a water-activated heater, and an accessory packet. Depending on the meal, they may have one snack packet and two bread packets.
Most MRE's pack about 1200-1300 Calories and are designed to supply a single meal, while comparable designs like the British 24-hour Ration Pack are designed for a fully day. They're surprisingly durable and climate resistant, generally lasting several years in moderate weather.
Things found in an MRE
Entree
The main course will be found in a green foil sealed package. This will be in a cardboard box. One of the first things to be discarded if somebody is "field stripping" the MRE is the box. It is not flexible, and it's to bulky to put in certain spots (pockets, ammo pouches, a nearly full rucksack). Soldiers have been known to cut up the box and use it as postcards. Certain years, the box actually came with the postcard lines already printed on them. Accessory Pack
An accessory pack is usually found within a packet inside the MRE's package. They contain various items, from forks to toilet paper, and this is a list of the items contained within them. Most of these will be rather generic as the exact brands and items tend to change over time.
Instant coffee - This is a packet of dehydrated coffee. Add hot water and you get extremely strong coffee. MREs usually have a packet of sugar and sometimes a packet of cream. The brand name changes every now and again, but the size of the package remains the same.
The gum - Can anybody say "chicle chicle"? If you don't get it, go to Mexico. Two small pieces of gum. They don't contain a laxative but there are rumors that they do. If you do need a laxative, try some (lots of) sugar free gum, which contains the laxative sugar substitute Sorbitol.
*If you get an older MRE, the grape juice can be used as a laxative, too. However, the peanut butter can help regulate any problems you may be having. - Jahadaz
The matches - These are insanely useful. For lighting cigarettes or starting fires, (although lighting cigarettes tends to be the most common use) they are great, and most MRE matches are designed to survive somewhat moist climates for a while.
Toilet Paper -The small brown packet is some tightly coiled toilet paper. It's not very large, but will be big enough for a single person to use if they are careful. >Can anyone get the exact length/size?<
Hand Wipes - Moist towelettes are very useful for simple hygiene concerns if you're eating with your hands. Use it to clean surfaces in a pinch.
Sugar - Usually a generic packet ("Chef's Best" or other stock name), these contain, well, sugar. They are good for adding to the instant coffee.
*However, as the coffee is pretty strong, an unnatural sweetener such as Sweet'N Low is sometimes better. Sweet & Low is, if I remember properly, is around 200+ times sweeter than sugar. - 182crazyking
Salt - In case you needed even more sodium in your MRE, there's usually a packet of salt inside, too.
Generic Flavor Drink Mix - Usually, this mix is "Lemon-Lime Drink." It's kind of like Gatorade, but it's powdered. Add it to a few cups of water to get a very sweet beverage. If using a plastic canteen, mix this drink in the cup, as any type of flavored beverage is difficult to clean out and can cause the canteen to rot - see "hot beverage bag" below for details on that.
Bread
It depends what meal you got but you generally get two. Snack Bread - This is super-dense bread. You either like it or you hate it, and if you hate it, that's because it's not very light. Add some of the jelly or even cheese sauce (below).
*It comes in wheat flavor, but it tastes just like white. Spooky! - 182crazyking
OR
Crackers - It's been argued and debated for years if it is possible to eat an entire package of these (there are two) in under a minute with no water. Much like the bread, most people love them or hate them without much middle ground.
*It's always tasted like dry cardboard. However, they can be alright with some cheese sauce or jelly (below). - Jahadaz
Sauce
These vary from MRE to MRE but the sauce or spread tends to match the meals. Cheese Sauce - Most people agree that this is the best thing in the MRE by far. It comes in three (known) flavors - Bacon Cheese, Jalapeno Cheese, and plain Cheese. It's a cheese spread, and that's all there is to know. Think of the things with the crackers and dense cheese mix that you find in Costco. It's amazingly great on the snack bread.
*Ensure you squeeze or "knead lightly" before opening. It can be fairly disgusting on a hot day, if you open the cheese and a bunch of unidentified yellow liquid squirts out before the cheese does. - Jahadaz
Hot sauce - This gives the person eating the ability to change up their selection, a LOT. I imagine this was put into MRE's specifically for this reason. For anybody that is going to be eating these for a extended length of time, not having this would be cruel. Also, completely useless trivia, but it will melt ants if you get bored!
Jelly - This can add a much-needed dose of interesting to the crackers, snack bread, or even the main course. Its usual flavor is 'grape'.
Picante Sauce - I distinctly remember one of the Mexican food packages coming with Picante Sauce. Either the Black Bean Burrito or the Enchilada. Snag one of these and you can improve any meal almost as much as cheese would.
- SteelRain
Other things found in a common MREs
Forks, Spoons, and Knives - I hope that you know what these are. In most MREs, they are usually spoons made of plastic. If you need to stir something, like a drink mix, use the back end of the utensil so that you can stir something else with the front. As a side note, The spoons have been known to be used as replacements for the little clip on US military radio handsets. Chemical Ration Heater - How this invention works is a question for thinking people - and we're hungry people! You simply fill the pouch up with water to the middle of the line, put the pouch containing your desired entree inside of it, fold it over, put it in the box your entree came in, and prop the box up on a rock or other surface for around 15 minutes. It's sorta that simple. Before you do anything, look to see if the packets of what looks like gunpowder are in place. If they have all been dumped to the bottom of the ration heater pouch, then it has been improperly stored or it's out of date (that doesn't mean the food's bad). Use a microwave to cook it instead if you have electricity.
*These WILL melt through a boot when set on fire. It uses Magnesium in the heater. This thing will burn very very hot when lit. Possible tests to see what it can burn through? Also works as a nice hand warmer on cold nights! - SteelRain
Energy Bar - This space-food like bar is supposed to give you energy. In most people's opinion, however, it is awful. The bar is usually too dry to be palatable.
USA Cookies - In some MREs, you will find a little pouch of USA cookies. These are tasty little treats- they taste somewhat like Teddy Grahams, but with less honey. They also feature such all-American figures as the word "USA," the Statue of Liberty, and even Uncle Sam. Admit it, you've always wanted to eat Uncle Sam, right?
Hot Beverage Bag -I have no memory of these things but I just opened one up, and what do you know? Most likely put into the meals due to constant complaining that the kool-aid destroyed canteens and made them taste funny for months. Pour a beverage into one and bam! An instant drink pouch. It's sort of like drinking through a Ziploc baggie.
- Jahadaz
The Types & Menus
The US military has changed them several times. Generally, the makers like to have soldiers test what flavors they have and vote on what to introduce next year. This is a business after all, and they (US military MRE makers) want to continue being the leader that makers of MRE's. Hence the democracy of the meal selection. There are multiple menus separated by "case". Currently there are 24 different meal selections. There might be multiple of the same meal in one case so don't be surprised if you get two Beef Ravioli's.
1 - 12 in case A, and 13 - 24 in case B. Currently the selection for US military members consists of, (although most military units and warehouses have stockpiles of older selections so you may end up with others),
Case A
1 - Chili with Beans
2 - Chicken Fajita
3 - Beef Ravioli
4 - Maple Sausage
5 - Mediterranean Chicken
6 - Beef Patty
7 - Beef Brisket
8 - Meatballs w/Marinara Sauce
9 - Beef Stew
10 - Chili and Macaroni
11 - Vegetable Lasagna
12 - Spicy Penne Pasta
Case B
13 - Cheese Tortellini
14 - Ratatouille
15 - Southwest Beef & Black Beans*
16 - Pork Rib
17 - Pork Sausage w/Gravy
18 - Chicken w/Noodles
19 - Pot Roast w/Vegetables
20 - Spaghetti w/Meat Sauce
21 - Lemon Pepper Tuna
22 - Chicken w/Dumplings
23 - Chicken Pesto & Pasta
24 - Buffalo Chicken
*Click on the above link for a review!*
Other types of MREs
There are various other kinds of Meals, Ready-to-Eat...
Kosher/Halal/Passover Meals - For strict religious food requirements, there are meals that don't contain offending ingredients for these religions. There are even meals Passover!
Humanitarian Daily Ration - The HDR is similar to an MRE, but it was intended for refugees or displaced people. The HDR can feed a person for a full day, and includes a list of menus palatable for cultures and religions everywhere - generally completely vegetarian.
Meal, Cold Weather - Replacing the Ration, Cold Weather, these white-packaged MREs contain freeze-dried ingredients to be prepared using hot water. They also contain more powdered drinks.
Meal, Long Range Patrol - These are really just like the MCWs above, but they are lighter and easier to carry. They were designed for troops that would receive little or no supplies, so there would have to be more MREs in their original equipment loadouts.
First Strike Rations - Essentially a modernized K-ration, the FSR uses pocket sandwiches, bagged drinks and snack bars. The idea is that they require almost no preparation, ideal for forward troops and assault forces, but they're allegedly not suited to long-term subsistence.
Ways to make a better meal than the original
Most members of the Military have their own little "recipes" for these. Most of them are pretty good tasting, although some are just crap. Feel free to add your own to the list. 1 - Add the hot sauce to any meal.
2 - Add the crackers (crushed) to the clam chowder and eat cold.
3 - Add the grape jelly to any spicy stew for a sweet/spicy mix.
4 - Melt cheese and add to mac / chili. Add hot sauce and enjoy the awesomeness.
LJ126 |
Latest page update: made by LJ126
, Dec 12 2011, 12:10 PM EST
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| cas13f | I eat an MRE. For a PURPOSE! (page: 1 2) | 29 | Aug 26 2012, 3:13 AM EDT by 11ACRBlackhorse | ||
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Thread started: Jan 6 2011, 9:31 PM EST
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And that purpose is to let you know what an MRE is like as a person. I got this box only a couple of days ago, but the MREs were made quite a while ago. They were just spare boxes banging around in our storage room. They are still good, and well within the dates.
The MRE, Cheese Tortellini in Tomato Sauce. This was the MRE that was pulled randomly out of the box. They are not packed so that you can see what is in them until you pull them out. In the spirit of my training, "I got what I got and I can trade later." The pictures, in order, since I cannot post them inside of a post, are in a photobucket album at the bottom of the article. The overall look is the same as in the article, with a different packaging company. Once opened, this packaging company did not use the inner clear plastic bag. You can plainly see my snack, which I am eating while writing this. This MRE actually turned out pretty good for me. It came with the entree, spiced apples, peanut M&Ms, a Hooah bar, crackers, peanut butter, and a raspberry drink mix (not pictured, didn't notice in in the bag when I took the picture) The accessory packet, rather than coffee, has spiced cider. I'll be eating this meal cold, as the chemical heater puts off hydrogen, and there is no way in hell I'm eating outside. Well, let the eating begin. It doesn't look very appetizing. Hopefully the seasoning packet it came with will make it taste better than it looks. Down the hatch! Not too bad, actually. It would be much better hot. It would probably be better if it hasn't mildly frozen in the car while we were working. On ot the spiced apple pieces! I've had them before, my first MRE in fact, and love them to death. Them and spiced pears. Ok, those looks like they are made different. I'm looking for SOPAKO for my next box. On to the HOOAH! Bar then. Chocolate flavor. |
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| Zee-Man | Dehydrated Foods | 4 | Feb 11 2012, 8:49 PM EST by JunkCollector | ||
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Thread started: Feb 11 2012, 11:04 AM EST
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Search revealed tons of hits for MREs. This page seemed to be the best place to put this
Dehydrated foods AKA Freeze dried are, to me, a class of MRE. They do need to be re-hydrated, but they are ready in short order. here is a useful link to a "Survival Food" supply house, where you can get a free sample. http://www.myfoodstorage.com/request-a-sample-pouch I would be interested in knowing other sources. If there are enough responses Ill put up a page. |
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| jilez09 | frs | 0 | Oct 10 2011, 10:03 AM EDT by jilez09 | ||
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Thread started: Oct 10 2011, 10:03 AM EDT
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I am a marine marine myself and i just have to say that when we got FSR we hated them. they are nice because they are different and one does contain enough for a full day, but the fact that you dont have the hot food aspect in it the way you do in an MRE makes them grow very old, very fast.
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