mre

[double j]

just wondring why no one takes mre's to eat all ready to go just heat up or eat cold .is it the cost or what

[Lone Wolf]

cost and weight

[Jarhead16]

I was actually about to ask that question.

[neo]

just wondring why no one takes mre's to eat all ready to go just heat up or eat cold .is it the cost or what


i carry a few when i go kayaking:cool: neo

[Deadeye]

Cost and weight. I buy them now and then for short trips - some are very tasty. Then again, some aren't.

[Hurley]

Too much stuff in those things you don't need at all once. Some are ok, some are really bad. My friend's dad was in the Navy and had two huge boxes in the garage, and we'd take them with us on scout trips and whatnot. 3/4 of the time they tasted awful.

[PJ 2005]

I knew a guy that bought 100 of them in preparation for the trip. He ditched them by Waynesboro... thought they were too heavy and bulky. Liptons are just easier imo.

[double j]

would it be to heavy if u was just going for 2 days or so prob. would be im a small guy and a big eater ...

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

Cost too much, weigh too much and most taste awful.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

My kid brought a couple home with him on leave. The self heating rig was a novelty, but would get very old pdq. Lots of waste with little taste. I got misty for C-Rat Beefsteak and Potatos, a can of Peaches and a 4 pack of 30 yr old Luckys.

[Montego]

My kid brought a couple home with him on leave. The self heating rig was a novelty, but would get very old pdq. Lots of waste with little taste. I got misty for C-Rat Beefsteak and Potatos, a can of Peaches and a 4 pack of 30 yr old Luckys.

John Wayne bars - Mmmmmmm.

[Ghosthiker]

Another thing to consider, since they are made primarily for teh goverment, that means they are made by the lowest bidder.

[Doughnut]

I used (carried) some on my section this year, They are TOO heavy, All were good, and are loaded with Calories.
I ate them for 12 years in the Army (C-rats before that) If you can get the OLD ones with the dehydrated stuff, they are light and good, and packed full of stuff, but the new trend was not dehydrated.

I might carry one or two, picked through, for the first two nights, but would definately eat the heavy food first.

Here, Savannah, GA, they are more expensive, just for the main course, than Mountain House meals

[turtle fast]

I have used MREs on trails where dry camps were expected. Yes the weight was a tad heavy, but you don't neet the entire sealed overpack either....just take what you want and the weight is reduced. I also woulden't advocate using them solely. Also, rumor among some of my military friends was that they put something in them to lessen your stools.....I don't know if it is true or not.

[take-a-knee]

My kid brought a couple home with him on leave. The self heating rig was a novelty, but would get very old pdq. Lots of waste with little taste. I got misty for C-Rat Beefsteak and Potatos, a can of Peaches and a 4 pack of 30 yr old Luckys.

I'm not quite old enough to remember the Lucky Strikes but I do remember Ham & Limas (Ham & Motherf@%^&#s). I remember being so hungry in Alaska we'd take a buck knife and chip frozen chunks out of the cans and eat it like icecream.

[take-a-knee]

I have used MREs on trails where dry camps were expected. Yes the weight was a tad heavy, but you don't neet the entire sealed overpack either....just take what you want and the weight is reduced. I also woulden't advocate using them solely. Also, rumor among some of my military friends was that they put something in them to lessen your stools.....I don't know if it is true or not.

There isn't much in them in the way of bulk to make a proper stool, they were never intended to be used to feed troops on a continuous basis. I've had to eat a ton of them and don't care for them much anymore. They don't have a long shelf life, only about three years, so if you get them from somewhere, note the date. The US stocks are not to be sold to civilians any more but you can buy the same thing from the companies that produce them for the military.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

I'm not quite old enough to remember the Lucky Strikes but I do remember Ham & Limas (Ham & Motherf@%^&#s). I remember being so hungry in Alaska we'd take a buck knife and chip frozen chunks out of the cans and eat it like icecream.

Damn, I'm really geezen because the C-rats we picked up at Ralphs Army-Navy Surplus for BSA hikes still had the Luckies, Camels, Chesterfield and Pall Malls. They were packaged in the late 40's and early 50's. The stuff in the late 60's had them too.

[greentick]

Here's a previous thread with more opinions...

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=24927

[take-a-knee]

I was told recently that the MRE (Meal,ready to eat) is refered to by many as, "Three lies in one.".

[beeman]

I was told recently that the MRE (Meal,ready to eat) is refered to by many as, "Three lies in one.".
While the MRE has a lot of calories, the weight is the prime issue for long distance backpacking. WHy carry the water weight inherant in MRE's when there is planty of water on the trail? To see the savings in weight look at a box of mre's by weight. divide the weight per case by number of meals. multiply the per unit weight by three (3 meals per day) Now compare the equivalent in dry food meals. A rule of thumb with dry food is 2# per day. (3 meals at least). Just guessing I would imagine the weight is double or more per day.