View Full Version : M.R.E.'s
vfherman
11-01-2010, 08:32
OK, I am planning a hike for Veteran's Day weekend. M.R.E.'s, how good are they? I saw some at the local army surplus, but am not willing to spend $10 per MRE. Are they any good, or would it be better to pack some canned soup and camp stove?
Thanks in advance for your answers.
Vinny
Raul Perez
11-01-2010, 08:41
They are not bad. Better than I thought but too heavy for backpacking. Get some mountain house freeze dried food from Sports Authority. Taste better and lighter.
g8trh8tr
11-01-2010, 08:47
They are not bad. Better than I thought but too heavy for backpacking. Get some mountain house freeze dried food from Sports Authority. Taste better and lighter.
They don't taste bad but they are not worth $10 a meal and the normal MREs are fairly heavy. If you do take them I would field strip the MRE and just carry the portion you want/need. The best MREs IMO are the arctic/cold weather MREs because they are dehydrated, light and taste very good. You can tell the difference because the arctic MRE bags are white. Good luck and enjoy your hike.
Majortrauma
11-01-2010, 09:42
Raul is absolutely correct. I actually like the taste of all of them and they're loaded with calories and protein. But...they're too heavy for hiking in my opinion having actually used them for a hike one time, I think think they're too heavy and $10.00 is a lot of money for them. If you can ever get your hands on the RCW (Rations, Cold weather) it would be worth grabbing a few of them. They're very hard t come by and are dynamite in cold weather. We ate them during cold weather training (USMC in Bridgeport and they will keep you warm.
If you decide to take them, definitely field strip them.
I like the taste of MRE's. They're heavy, but I'd rather carry an upstripped MRE instead of canned food.
sheepdog
11-01-2010, 14:39
MRE's are ok for short hikes. They are heavy, but they taste pretty good.If I was going to spend the money, I'd by mountain house meals instead.
The military does not use MREs for when their troops 'backpack'...why should we? :) This is what they use...http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/rations/programs/mcw/mcwabt.asp
If you have the logistic support of the US military..MREs work well! :)
gunner76
11-02-2010, 20:54
Besides being heavy and expensive, eating MRE's every day will gets old fast (try eating them for breakfast lunch and dinner for weeks). Much better alternatives out there for backpacking.
blind1587
05-24-2011, 03:50
MREs are not too bad for a few days, but they do get old after a while. They are a little heavy but they pack a lot of calories into those meals. And you are not really carrying too much extra weight, considering that you will not need a stove or fuel.
Although the cold weather MREs are much better tasting and have a lot more calories, you do need a stove to cook them.
beakerman
05-25-2011, 12:18
When I was younger and MRE's were someing fairly new (they got rid of K and C rats) we used to use MRE's for wekend hikes. I t made things easy and the fact taht our scout master stole them from the National Guard base made them extremely affordable. (sorry mr steve---I'm sure teh statute of limitations has expired) I can not reccomend them for hiking now. AS pointed out ther are indeed heavy and they are a bit pricey from your surplus store. You can get cheaper ones online however so that is not a big deal and in fact meal for meal the online prices compare very well with store prices I find for mountain house. That does not change the fact they are heavy. I do use them when canoing simply becasue wieght is not such a massive consideration in a canoe--bulk yes wieght not so much.
So if you buy them online they are not anymore expensive than other backpacking foods--unless you are a dehydrator person. If you are onkly out for a few days (long weekend) and you don't mind the extra pounds (at least your pack gets lighter every time you stop to eat) then they are not bad for back packing but not long distance/long term treks.
I use the MRE Cracker/peanut butter combo. they keep forever and deliver 450 calories.
ShelterLeopard
05-27-2011, 12:13
Meh. Real military MREs are not all that great. I would go with something like Mountain House or Backpackers Pantry. (here is a link http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/SubCategory___40000000226_200368408 ). They have some really good food and are lighter weight.
But if you really want to save money and have equally good food, I would just get some Knorr Pasta Sides (which taste better even though they take longer and slightly more effort) and maybe throw in a few packets of tuna or salmon to jack up the protein.
They're not bad, some of them can be pretty good actually, though I'd stay away from the eggs. They're costly but if you buy in bulk they can be cheaper. They're pretty heavy though and generate a lot of waste. For backpacking I'd steer clear of them.
Manchu Infantry
06-20-2011, 14:59
Before field operations, we always took our initial supply of MREs and broke them up into what we needed prior to heading out. Sure it made it lighter than bringing the whole thing but you still had alot of trash to haul with you once done. For extended section hiking I wouldn't advise taking them. Plus... I'm burned out on that "MRE taste"... everything tastes the same to me now, no matter what the menu says it is. Kind of like Hamburger Helper.
MREs taste awful after about a full week of eating them for three meals a day. To put some perspective on how bad the egg meal is, while I was a student at Ranger School I was issued the egg omelet, couldn't trade it, couldn't eat it, and ended up skipping the meal. I ended up losing a grand total of 35 pounds in 61 days while at the course. Those were the best 1800 calories that I have ever skipped!
Wise Old Owl
08-23-2012, 21:02
RamQuad you dug up an old thread full of misinformation, most of the thread is based on older MRE or they are consumer MRE - Feild Stripping a current (real) MRE will not make it lighter. They arn't freeze dried. They are loaded with calories and water. The pack of six heaters weighs less than an ounce and the "Fun Pack inside is an ounce or two... but with the cardboard boxes and all the other packing its not in line with Backpacking. One can get two or three meals freeze dried and 1/2 the weight and = the calories with OTC and pro pak shelf stable products. Mags post above and subsequent posts are on target with my thoughts.
Different Socks
08-23-2012, 22:19
Some are good and tasty. But there just too big and bulky.
The link for army 'backpacker' MREs via Wayback machine for those who asked:
http://web.archive.org/web/20110716095608/http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/rations/programs/mcw/mcwabt.asp
Tipi Walter
08-24-2012, 08:06
Some are good and tasty. But there just too big and bulky.
They're just TOO SALTY.
Tharwood
08-24-2012, 08:46
What ever happend to dried potatos in a ziploc bag???? Just add H2O... Simple
Sailing_Faith
08-24-2012, 10:25
I was going to offer to send one to the OP so he could try it... until I realized this thread is from 2010!
Sorry to dredge up old news. New to WB.
Sailing_Faith
08-24-2012, 21:55
Sorry to dredge up old news. New to WB.
Its all good man. Contrary to popular belief, there is no expiration date on threads....
... although they can smell funny after a while.
Welcome!
Wise Old Owl
08-24-2012, 22:02
Sailing Faith once again you kill! :sun
The tread is about MRE Ram Quad wants to know... Lets try to find the best CRE's for the job.
Seatbelt
08-25-2012, 09:46
I'm glad I had a couple of MRE's on my section hike of GA in the fall of 2010 because water was extremely scarce and MRE's take very little water to cook. Another thought about the extra weight is that with MRE's you can get by without a stove and fuel. JMO
Wise Old Owl
08-25-2012, 10:42
I see your point - but stoves are an ounce or two and the alcohol fuel is "sippin" small, it really is all about haulling water.
Precooked Rice and other "quick cook" is loaded with the right amount of water
17162
Seatbelt
08-25-2012, 10:54
I see your point - but stoves are an ounce or two and the alcohol fuel is "sippin" small, it really is all about haulling water.
Precooked Rice and other "quick cook" is loaded with the right amount of water
17162
No water to add?
Northern Lights
08-25-2012, 10:58
Costco on line also sells MREs and Mountain House foods. A lot cheaper than in the stores.
Wise Old Owl
08-25-2012, 11:20
Yea there's a group of products that are quick cook... It goes back a few years - you just warm them up by boiling the pouch or by their suggestion toss in microwave, they are already hydrated and in a pouch that can take abuse. It's FBC. Premade. No water to add.
Indian food comes that way too. Lots of choices.
Drybones
08-25-2012, 21:31
I was hiking in the Sipsey Wilderness a while back and saw a pickup with a bed full of MRE's and a sign reading "free, take all you want" so I got five of them. Some were 5 course 1300 calorie meals that were as good as I've eaten on the trail. They weighed about a pound as I remember which was not bad for the food value recieved.
Another Kevin
08-25-2012, 21:58
Hmmm. I'm a clueless weekender, so take what I say with a grain of salt (and herbs and spices to taste). For my backpacking weekends, I get dried vegetables from Harmony House, and packets of chicken or fish (or dry sausage or jerky), and rice or small pasta shapes, and cook up stews or casseroles or curries or pasta. It mightn't work for a hike where resupply is complicated, but I eat well. I don't think I would lug MRE's along, even for just a weekend.
Wise Old Owl
08-26-2012, 01:08
Yea it is a recurring thread and a repeating question - I have seen posts and articles to support the idea. Got a real one and ripped it open and weighed the components - tried to shoot a video - it sucked and well.. bit of a waste of time actually.
Drybones
08-26-2012, 09:04
Something I really liked about the MRE's I tried...they had thier own stove, spices, wet wipe and fork. A 1300 calorie, 5 course meal with stove weighed about a pound. There was a small pack of salt water you put in the entre pack and it heated in 10 minutes, and it was extremely hot...dont know how it works but thought it was pretty neat. It was nice to have a variety of items instead of one boring item. The cheese spread and thick crackers were so good I had difficulty sharing with Ruger, my trail buddy. Those big fig neutons were good too, also real chicken chuncks with real veggies and two large cookies for desert...best trail meal I've had. Did I make anyone hungry?
Wise Old Owl
08-26-2012, 09:35
Keep in mind if you are going to do this you will need a wider aluminum pot so the bags fit and your best bet is the grocery store and a little hunting. I suspect you would need a little more alcohol fuel too.
Retort bags would be the Google search
17176
I always take one stripped down MRE for emergencies. You never know when it will be raining like %$#@ when you get to camp, if there is no water, if you are ill or too tired to cook. Variety is the key. Some MRE's, some freeze dried, some Ramen, some Knorr/Liptons, some town bought food. I would get bored eating the same of anything for weeks at a time on the trail.
Wise Old Owl
09-15-2012, 15:30
What ever happend to dried potatos in a ziploc bag???? Just add H2O... Simple Don't they call that Potato Chips?:eek:
I always take one stripped down MRE for emergencies. You never know when it will be raining like %$#@ when you get to camp, if there is no water, if you are ill or too tired to cook. Variety is the key. Some MRE's, some freeze dried, some Ramen, some Knorr/Liptons, some town bought food. I would get bored eating the same of anything for weeks at a time on the trail.
Repeating the older post from before, the modern MRE cannot be stripped down enough, they contain water and lots of packing..... Remove the packing and it will still weigh a pound. Three FD meals would still be less weight and would come close to the kcal.
My son, who ate a zillion or so MRE's in the Marine Corps, told me the MRE's come in three categories: "bad", "very bad", and "not food".
My son, who ate a zillion or so MRE's in the Marine Corps, told me the MRE's come in three categories: "bad", "very bad", and "not food".
I second that! They make my head pound in just a few minutes.
We make our own retort meals. We also make our own dehydrated meals. Use instant cook rice, dehydrated onions, carrots, noodles ect add a bit of bullion and for protein we use dehydrated chicken, beef or sausage we found it on ebay. We vacuum pack it in boilable bags. All we have to do is add hot water and wait 4 minutes they are ready to eat. They cost about $1.00 per meal it is just a bit of work to get all the foods together and put them in the bags.
Make your own, their be a lot better than the military type.
fcoulter
12-21-2012, 16:15
MREs taste awful after about a full week of eating them for three meals a day. To put some perspective on how bad the egg meal is, while I was a student at Ranger School I was issued the egg omelet, couldn't trade it, couldn't eat it, and ended up skipping the meal. I ended up losing a grand total of 35 pounds in 61 days while at the course. Those were the best 1800 calories that I have ever skipped!
When in basic, we discussed the Geneva Convention and the ham and eggs C-ration. We decided that we could not feed them to any POWs we captured.
konradchen
01-08-2013, 16:52
I used to use MREs. I find them pretty tasty actually, but they are heavy given that all the water weight is still retained in the meals. Plus, they really aren't that great if you don't use the heater packet (which then adds even more to the overall weight). The downside of MRE's which people aren't always aware of, is their side effects. They are extremely low in fiber, and I've heard that this is purposely done inorder to encourage constipation. Rumor has it, the last thing we want our troops doing is constantly *****ting in battle. I've read some horror stories regarding cramping, and constipation as a result of extended MRE use. These days, I much prefer freezedried meals by hawk vittles (the tastiest!) or mountainhouse. If I have time, I also dehydrate my own meals
fredmugs
01-14-2013, 14:41
I used to use MREs. I find them pretty tasty actually, but they are heavy given that all the water weight is still retained in the meals. Plus, they really aren't that great if you don't use the heater packet (which then adds even more to the overall weight). The downside of MRE's which people aren't always aware of, is their side effects. They are extremely low in fiber, and I've heard that this is purposely done inorder to encourage constipation. Rumor has it, the last thing we want our troops doing is constantly *****ting in battle. I've read some horror stories regarding cramping, and constipation as a result of extended MRE use. These days, I much prefer freezedried meals by hawk vittles (the tastiest!) or mountainhouse. If I have time, I also dehydrate my own meals
First time I had an MRE in the field I got food poisoning and puked my guts out for a couple of hours. Just say no.
The military does not use MREs for when their troops 'backpack'...why should we? :) This is what they use...http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/rations/programs/mcw/mcwabt.asp
If you have the logistic support of the US military..MREs work well! :)
All we ever ate were MREs! Haha