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Where to buy MRE's?
- Thread starter higginsworksforme
- Start date
Only if you’re gonna be traveling / hiking and need something quick and convenient to eat.
Otherwise all that crap is a HUGE waste of money. Better off getting large stores of bulk foods at 1/10th the per calorie cost, along with some #10 cans and whatnot. Way WAY more bang for the buck.
Of course, you didn’t say anything about your situation, so… be careful with MREs. They are definitely all NOT the same and the per meal cost can be $10, which is nuts.
Mountain House is fine. They’re a known quantity and their stuff is generally decent. But they too have a high per meal cost.
If you have a MIL PX close by, you can usually buy very fresh, legit A/B menu MREs there for a semi-reasonable price, but still $5-8/meal.
Also, check your local Craigslist. I see deals there all the time. Keep an eye on expiration dates. They have 5-year EXP dates on them(not a big deal, as I’ve had some that were 10+ years old and were just fine), and no idea how they have been stored (more important). Newer boxes will have had less chance of being stored in someone’s 140° wet shed.
Otherwise all that crap is a HUGE waste of money. Better off getting large stores of bulk foods at 1/10th the per calorie cost, along with some #10 cans and whatnot. Way WAY more bang for the buck.
Of course, you didn’t say anything about your situation, so… be careful with MREs. They are definitely all NOT the same and the per meal cost can be $10, which is nuts.
Mountain House is fine. They’re a known quantity and their stuff is generally decent. But they too have a high per meal cost.
If you have a MIL PX close by, you can usually buy very fresh, legit A/B menu MREs there for a semi-reasonable price, but still $5-8/meal.
Also, check your local Craigslist. I see deals there all the time. Keep an eye on expiration dates. They have 5-year EXP dates on them(not a big deal, as I’ve had some that were 10+ years old and were just fine), and no idea how they have been stored (more important). Newer boxes will have had less chance of being stored in someone’s 140° wet shed.
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I figured as much. And I don't think I'd eat half the stuff in a typical MRE anyway.
just buy Twinkie's, small, portable, high calorie content, and cheap and they last forever literally
Depends what your want or need is.
Mountain House are good for 25-30 years, while MRE's are around 3 years. IIRC. Stored reasonably climate controlled. 75F and under, or therabouts. I wouldn't eat an MRE that'd been in my truck year round after 4 years, unless starving. I would take a mountain house can or pouch stored the same on a backpack trip tho, and likely enjoy it.
Mountain House require water, and boiling/hot water to be quicker/tastier. MRE's can be eaten as is, may not be great, but still food.
Then there is the weight / bulk consideration.
As to where to buy both / either, as in all things, "it depends". We are in Oregon (We'd pass Mountain House in Albany on the way to our old range ARPC Albany Rifle & Pistol Club) so Mountain House are relatively easy to buy / trade. No big bases around, so MRE's aren't as easy to source, but we have in the past.
If your question is in regards to starting a long term storage food plan for your family (good for you, for caring for your family!)? The most inexpensive is to do it yourself bulk bought, split into Mylar with oxygen absorbers, the next least expensive is LDS (latter Day Saints) #10 canned bulk foods. One need not be LDS to shop there, and there are Bishops Stores in about every State IIRC. Great folks too. Those 2 are just the start of a plan, given that they are primarily just beans & grains. You would supplement them with whatever (include Mountain House & corrolary quality freeze dried)-further on that note, run away from anything branded " Wise" "Ready Wise" & most if not ALL multi day "kits".
MRE's do not fit a long term food storage plan, simply due to there shelf life. They are however great for any number of midterm to short term plans, IF you maintain rotation. Things like tornado shelter, hurricane, wildfire evac, week long power outage etc.
IMO...
If I remember right, actual MRE’s are not sold to the public.
Anything that comes on the market as MRE’s for sale is either expired or about to expired and has been moved out of inventory.
That and there is a reason that they are referred to as meals rejected by Ethiopians.
There’s better options out there for survival food. Or camp food.
Cheers.
Anything that comes on the market as MRE’s for sale is either expired or about to expired and has been moved out of inventory.
That and there is a reason that they are referred to as meals rejected by Ethiopians.
There’s better options out there for survival food. Or camp food.
Cheers.
If you have diarrhea problems, eat a few MRE's, then you'll be so plugged up, you'll wish you had the squirts back.
I'm assuming your looking at MRE's for long term food options in case shit gets spicy, or for future food security issues like famine, shortages, unrest, aliens, ect.
TheHorta said the (IMO) best option.
I would add, learn to do your own canning. Buy meat when it's on sale, and can it. Canning eliminates the need for refrigeration. Power goes out, refrigeration is a problem (unless it's winter). Deer meat, hamburger, beef, chicken, pork, it can all be canned. Correct, it's not likely to be quite as tasty as your fresh grilled chicken, but it's gonna beat the pants off of starving. And if you think that if the whole country is having a food problem, that you can just go out and shoot a deer, there's 100 million other assholes banking on that same thing. Deer are going to disappear like a fart in a strong wind. So are cattle that aren't guarded, horses, cats, dogs, chickens, anything that someone stumbles across that looks like meat, there's a hundred starving assholes that will eat it. Learn how to make bread. Bulk flour is dirt cheap. Bulk Salt, and Sugar, both cheap. Yeast is cheap, but has a shelf life. You can maintain your own starter and you don't even need yeast then. I could go on and on, but think of a way to stack massive amounts of calories, very cheaply, that store for a long time, and start there, then you can add the boujie stuff as you go along. Get a nice freeze dryer too, and learn to use it.
Branden
I'm assuming your looking at MRE's for long term food options in case shit gets spicy, or for future food security issues like famine, shortages, unrest, aliens, ect.
TheHorta said the (IMO) best option.
I would add, learn to do your own canning. Buy meat when it's on sale, and can it. Canning eliminates the need for refrigeration. Power goes out, refrigeration is a problem (unless it's winter). Deer meat, hamburger, beef, chicken, pork, it can all be canned. Correct, it's not likely to be quite as tasty as your fresh grilled chicken, but it's gonna beat the pants off of starving. And if you think that if the whole country is having a food problem, that you can just go out and shoot a deer, there's 100 million other assholes banking on that same thing. Deer are going to disappear like a fart in a strong wind. So are cattle that aren't guarded, horses, cats, dogs, chickens, anything that someone stumbles across that looks like meat, there's a hundred starving assholes that will eat it. Learn how to make bread. Bulk flour is dirt cheap. Bulk Salt, and Sugar, both cheap. Yeast is cheap, but has a shelf life. You can maintain your own starter and you don't even need yeast then. I could go on and on, but think of a way to stack massive amounts of calories, very cheaply, that store for a long time, and start there, then you can add the boujie stuff as you go along. Get a nice freeze dryer too, and learn to use it.
Branden
House is the name brand freeze dried food for backpacking. IMO it’s the safest bet for quality meals, especially if you can get them on sale. However, there are lots of new and upcoming freeze dried meal companies that have different recipes similar to House meals, as well as some unique meals not offered by House that are worth a try.
If you’re not backpacking, don’t bother with buying freeze dried food unless you’re buying the bulk 10# cans.
If you’re not backpacking, don’t bother with buying freeze dried food unless you’re buying the bulk 10# cans.
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When we did 10 day plus backpacking trips, peak refuel, or Mountain house was the go to. Light, decent taste, takes very little water and most can be cold soaked. we also use a platypus water treatment/filtration along the trail. Most of the meals are 2 servings and would get you to the next day with a small snack somewhere in-between.
They will stop you from shitting, plenty of calories and not much fiber. Try them, enjoy mud butt and an aroma that brings a tear to your eye. Hahahahaha.
MREs will kill you over the long term if eaten as an overwhelming portion of your diet.
I know this all too well.
Go to your local Mormon church and ask them where the Ward's food storehouse and sales location is.
Best band for your buck out there.
Do not buy MRE's.
I know this all too well.
Go to your local Mormon church and ask them where the Ward's food storehouse and sales location is.
Best band for your buck out there.
Do not buy MRE's.
I prefer the mountain house meals.
I always have a few in a camping box with a few other canned and dry foods when I just want to grab the box and go and not have to screw around with anything else.
I used to keep a couple of the 5 gallon pails of them but my oldest son really liked them so they all disappeared.
I always have a few in a camping box with a few other canned and dry foods when I just want to grab the box and go and not have to screw around with anything else.
I used to keep a couple of the 5 gallon pails of them but my oldest son really liked them so they all disappeared.
I have had more than my share of MRE's and there are better options. With that said, XMRE's are pretty good and are new, not old stock. Here is a link.
XMRE Meals
XMRE Meals
Yup. Worst chewing out I ever got was as a Rifle Company XO by our Bn Co because I refused to eat MREs and had my own stash in my rucksack of canned oysters, hot sauce, and trail mix that I would live on in the field ( but he didn't know about that part). I finally just went through the motions and would eat some of the MRE in public while chowing down on my snacks in private. I never had an issue with C rats.
I've only ever heard complaints about MRE's.
Mountain house and Peak make some pretty good meals but they aren't cheap, I only use them for back pack hunting
Mountain house and Peak make some pretty good meals but they aren't cheap, I only use them for back pack hunting
Having consumed thousands of MREs, I’ve given all but a case (zombie apocalypse stash) to the Boy Scouts, who seem to love them.
Mt house et al last 40 years and some of the new stuff is quite good. And hydrated meals weigh 3-4 times dehydrated meals.
Dehydrated. No MREs.
Mt house et al last 40 years and some of the new stuff is quite good. And hydrated meals weigh 3-4 times dehydrated meals.
Dehydrated. No MREs.
Mountain house is in my opinion the best of the freeze dried foods , the most expensive too thought , I've tried most of the major brands and MH is hands down the best tasting of the bunch , I started with the just in case buckets ,that have 12 meals in them ,supposed to feed two but I always ate one by myself , but in a survival situation you could feed two , but with the bucket you can find out what meals you like best then order the# 10 cans of that item and have the meals you know you'll eat. I just ordered a few cans a month until I built up a years supply , they have a 25 year self life , and probably last much longer than that , just lose some of there taste. I also mixed in some other brands that were on sale , augmason farms and peak fuel and don't forget a good water filtration system.
