Need advice on MREs
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Re: Need advice on MREs
You will be better off, cheaper and with a happier family if you just buy the appropriate canned goods.
This is from a guy who's father was a VP of one of the largest MRE producing companies.
You will be better off, cheaper and with a happier family if you just buy the appropriate canned goods.
This is from a guy who's father was a VP of one of the largest MRE producing companies.
Re: Need advice on MREs
I love mre's and have just ordered two cases from beltfedmg. But.........I am gonna have to agree with lonewolf here........
Mre's are very well suited to some tasks and not so much other ones--especially once money and storage is figured.
I use them for staying mobile. I camp and travel a lot and being able to throw a couple of meals into a pack and not having to worry about dishes, pots, clean-up or heat source is absolutely awesome---when I am mobile.
However, for bugging-in and riding out power outages, bad weather or zombie attacks at home they are not the best option. They are pretty bulky and expensive. 200 meals = about 17 cases.....
17cases x $70 (a decent internet price with shipping) = $1160
$1100 buys a lot of rice, beans and canned beef stew.......and even some fruit cocktail for the kiddies
I love mre's and have just ordered two cases from beltfedmg. But.........I am gonna have to agree with lonewolf here........
Mre's are very well suited to some tasks and not so much other ones--especially once money and storage is figured.
I use them for staying mobile. I camp and travel a lot and being able to throw a couple of meals into a pack and not having to worry about dishes, pots, clean-up or heat source is absolutely awesome---when I am mobile.
However, for bugging-in and riding out power outages, bad weather or zombie attacks at home they are not the best option. They are pretty bulky and expensive. 200 meals = about 17 cases.....
17cases x $70 (a decent internet price with shipping) = $1160
$1100 buys a lot of rice, beans and canned beef stew.......and even some fruit cocktail for the kiddies
Re: Need advice on MREs
Also consider freeze dried foods. Mountainhouse makes good stuff, and has a shelf life of about 30 years stored at 70degrees.
For $500 you can get a 6 month supply of freeze dried #10 cans, which would be 2 months for your family of 3.
As stated above, MREs can't be beat for grab and go, but if all you want is long lasting easy to store food, freeze dried supplemented with store bought canned food can;t be beat.
madd0c
Also consider freeze dried foods. Mountainhouse makes good stuff, and has a shelf life of about 30 years stored at 70degrees.
For $500 you can get a 6 month supply of freeze dried #10 cans, which would be 2 months for your family of 3.
As stated above, MREs can't be beat for grab and go, but if all you want is long lasting easy to store food, freeze dried supplemented with store bought canned food can;t be beat.
madd0c
Re: Need advice on MREs
+1 to everything above, there are far better alternatives to MRE's they are designed to be portable and high calorie meals for the fighting man for a maximum of 21 days (with no other nutrition). if i had to stay in my basement for 30 days i would have alot of those freezer dried chicken and rice meals that just require boiling water, you can get the same meal heaters from surplus stores and camping stores, canned goods, that can be eaten cold, you could get way more for way less money, the problem with mre'
s is that the companys that make them for the military can charge the military whatever they want, much like surefire suppressors, and they could care less whether civvies buy them or not. they have a fixed contract and bump their prices.
lots more here. they are high in fat and low in fiber and dehydrate you, as any of you that have eaten them for a long period know you shit bricks after a while. and have to chug down water along with them.
more here
survival
+1 to everything above, there are far better alternatives to MRE's they are designed to be portable and high calorie meals for the fighting man for a maximum of 21 days (with no other nutrition). if i had to stay in my basement for 30 days i would have alot of those freezer dried chicken and rice meals that just require boiling water, you can get the same meal heaters from surplus stores and camping stores, canned goods, that can be eaten cold, you could get way more for way less money, the problem with mre'
s is that the companys that make them for the military can charge the military whatever they want, much like surefire suppressors, and they could care less whether civvies buy them or not. they have a fixed contract and bump their prices.
lots more here. they are high in fat and low in fiber and dehydrate you, as any of you that have eaten them for a long period know you shit bricks after a while. and have to chug down water along with them.
more here
survival
Re: Need advice on MREs
Went the MRE route and ended up throwing them all away 5 years later. I had no idea if they were any good or not. You CANNOT rotate the old with the new unless you want to buy more MRE's. Maybe your different but the MRE's gave me stomach aches and gas. Plus they did not taste all that great.
I think you would be better off buying quick cook items from the grocery store. Much cheaper and you can eat them without getting gas.
Canned tuna
Canned fruit
Canned vegatables
Mac N cheese
Soups
Stews
Chile
Crackers
Cheese spread
PBJ
Spaghetti + sauce
Beans
Rice
Cup of soup
Just go through the store and see what will last on your shelf. Rotate the food in and out like the mormons.
Went the MRE route and ended up throwing them all away 5 years later. I had no idea if they were any good or not. You CANNOT rotate the old with the new unless you want to buy more MRE's. Maybe your different but the MRE's gave me stomach aches and gas. Plus they did not taste all that great.
I think you would be better off buying quick cook items from the grocery store. Much cheaper and you can eat them without getting gas.
Canned tuna
Canned fruit
Canned vegatables
Mac N cheese
Soups
Stews
Chile
Crackers
Cheese spread
PBJ
Spaghetti + sauce
Beans
Rice
Cup of soup
Just go through the store and see what will last on your shelf. Rotate the food in and out like the mormons.
Re: Need advice on MREs
Efoods direct if I remember correctly is a good source for storable foods. They advertise highest quality, no GMO's. I believe they are out of Utah. I agree with the above stated opinions on mre's, short term, portable etc. Probably got enough preservatives in to make sure your gut is tanned.
Just as well store foods you would actually LIKE to eat. At least you won't waste your $$ buying shtf supplies that don't get eaten. If or when sdhtf you might as well have a larger amount of edible food. Mama and the kids are apt to balk at food that hardened warrior types have been known to threaten mutiny over. JMNHO
Efoods direct if I remember correctly is a good source for storable foods. They advertise highest quality, no GMO's. I believe they are out of Utah. I agree with the above stated opinions on mre's, short term, portable etc. Probably got enough preservatives in to make sure your gut is tanned.
Just as well store foods you would actually LIKE to eat. At least you won't waste your $$ buying shtf supplies that don't get eaten. If or when sdhtf you might as well have a larger amount of edible food. Mama and the kids are apt to balk at food that hardened warrior types have been known to threaten mutiny over. JMNHO
Re: Need advice on MREs
I simply went into the pantry and made a list of long lasting foods my family already buys. I then bought extra, dated it and put it in the basement. When ever my wife needs the stuff, she pulls it off the basement shelf... I then replenish once a month or so, buying in bulk.
Net outcome...
-our yearly grocery costs went down by 5-10% because we now buy in bulk (that's a boat load of money when you are feeding a family)
-we have a six month reserve
-I invest perhaps 2 hours of my time a month
After living on MREs for a time during 9/11, I wouldn't feed them to my dog.
I simply went into the pantry and made a list of long lasting foods my family already buys. I then bought extra, dated it and put it in the basement. When ever my wife needs the stuff, she pulls it off the basement shelf... I then replenish once a month or so, buying in bulk.
Net outcome...
-our yearly grocery costs went down by 5-10% because we now buy in bulk (that's a boat load of money when you are feeding a family)
-we have a six month reserve
-I invest perhaps 2 hours of my time a month
After living on MREs for a time during 9/11, I wouldn't feed them to my dog.
Re: Need advice on MREs
I have a few cases of MREs they are handy to throw in your pack for hunting etc.My longer term emergency stuff is mountain house freeze dried.In the cans it is good for 30 years.That and a well stocked cupboard with stuff you normally eat will handle most short and medium duration problems.
I have a few cases of MREs they are handy to throw in your pack for hunting etc.My longer term emergency stuff is mountain house freeze dried.In the cans it is good for 30 years.That and a well stocked cupboard with stuff you normally eat will handle most short and medium duration problems.
Re: Need advice on MREs
I have enough freeze dried (Mountain House, etc) to last me and mine about 6 months. MRE's are not bad, I have about 1 month of them seperated (I don't buy full cases, I buy them individually, so I get the ones that I and my son like.)
Rice, a billion+ chinese can't be wrong. I have about 250 lbs in 5 gal buckets in mylar and dry-ice sealed. Same with beans.
Generally, what the others have said is true. If the s truly htf, your body will be stressed. Forcing your children, or yourself to eat food you are neither used to, nor enjoy is going to really mess you up. Constipation isn't fun.
Buy canned goods. They last years, in most cases. Every time you go to the store, but a few more cans than you need at the moment. It will build up. Store them by date and rotate them out. Couple of years of doing this and you will have a lot more stored food than you might think.
Buy lots of hard candies. You would be supprised how a whiny child will respond to jolly ranchers or life savers. Plus, they will ease hunger pains for short terms. The saliva I think.
I also don't smoke, but I have many many of the bulk tins of tobacco and rolling papers. Those 3 pack a day smokers will trade ANYTHING for some smokes after a couple days of none. Would be better for them if they quit, but....
I have enough freeze dried (Mountain House, etc) to last me and mine about 6 months. MRE's are not bad, I have about 1 month of them seperated (I don't buy full cases, I buy them individually, so I get the ones that I and my son like.)
Rice, a billion+ chinese can't be wrong. I have about 250 lbs in 5 gal buckets in mylar and dry-ice sealed. Same with beans.
Generally, what the others have said is true. If the s truly htf, your body will be stressed. Forcing your children, or yourself to eat food you are neither used to, nor enjoy is going to really mess you up. Constipation isn't fun.
Buy canned goods. They last years, in most cases. Every time you go to the store, but a few more cans than you need at the moment. It will build up. Store them by date and rotate them out. Couple of years of doing this and you will have a lot more stored food than you might think.
Buy lots of hard candies. You would be supprised how a whiny child will respond to jolly ranchers or life savers. Plus, they will ease hunger pains for short terms. The saliva I think.
I also don't smoke, but I have many many of the bulk tins of tobacco and rolling papers. Those 3 pack a day smokers will trade ANYTHING for some smokes after a couple days of none. Would be better for them if they quit, but....
Re: Need advice on MREs
Another little known source for canned/dried food in bulk is Azure Standard out of Oregon. They have built a pretty extensive bulk food business. They deliver once a month over much of the west. A $500 order to one drop point = free shipping. Around here several, sometimes dozens of people order, for drop at a central point to get the free shipping. First quality goods and you could live out of their catalog foodwise.
Last I knew they were delivering as far east as 50 miles north of San Antonio.
Another little known source for canned/dried food in bulk is Azure Standard out of Oregon. They have built a pretty extensive bulk food business. They deliver once a month over much of the west. A $500 order to one drop point = free shipping. Around here several, sometimes dozens of people order, for drop at a central point to get the free shipping. First quality goods and you could live out of their catalog foodwise.
Last I knew they were delivering as far east as 50 miles north of San Antonio.
Re: Need advice on MREs
Some misconceptions here since my original post.
MRE's are healthier than most of what we eat on a daily basis.
They are "shelf stable" because of the cooking process, NOT because of preservatives. They work much the same way cans do. You cook the hell out of them and cool them correctly to kill anything in the pouch.
Yes, they will stop you up and you do need to hydrate properly. This is why when we went to the field we rarely ate more than a whole MRE each day. If it was really cold we may go through two, but we rarely had room to carry three a day or time to eat them. When we came back from the field, tequila, corona and taco bell was the menu to get things flowing again.
Some of the later MRE's are pretty damn good. If I was trekking across the desert I would not mind a ruck full of MRE's. If I was working in the mountains where water is plentiful, then freeze-dried food is a better choice. Anyone who has ever been issued "Mountain Rations" knows how good those can be, and how lite they are to carry. Bunker in place, nothing beats rice, beans and cans. I haven't been too many places that aren't lousy with those long eared rats we call rabbits. They stew up nice and you can kill them with a heavy stick or rock.
Some misconceptions here since my original post.
MRE's are healthier than most of what we eat on a daily basis.
They are "shelf stable" because of the cooking process, NOT because of preservatives. They work much the same way cans do. You cook the hell out of them and cool them correctly to kill anything in the pouch.
Yes, they will stop you up and you do need to hydrate properly. This is why when we went to the field we rarely ate more than a whole MRE each day. If it was really cold we may go through two, but we rarely had room to carry three a day or time to eat them. When we came back from the field, tequila, corona and taco bell was the menu to get things flowing again.
Some of the later MRE's are pretty damn good. If I was trekking across the desert I would not mind a ruck full of MRE's. If I was working in the mountains where water is plentiful, then freeze-dried food is a better choice. Anyone who has ever been issued "Mountain Rations" knows how good those can be, and how lite they are to carry. Bunker in place, nothing beats rice, beans and cans. I haven't been too many places that aren't lousy with those long eared rats we call rabbits. They stew up nice and you can kill them with a heavy stick or rock.
Re: Need advice on MREs
One other thing to consider, MREs do not have a 30 year shelf life like the freeze dried foods. Like problemchild stated above, you can't rotate them out unless you are buying new ones! The Army throws a ton of them away all of the time because of expired dates! They will still be good for a long time after they expire, but if that is all you have, are you willing to take that risk?
One other thing to consider, MREs do not have a 30 year shelf life like the freeze dried foods. Like problemchild stated above, you can't rotate them out unless you are buying new ones! The Army throws a ton of them away all of the time because of expired dates! They will still be good for a long time after they expire, but if that is all you have, are you willing to take that risk?
Re: Need advice on MREs
If you're dead set on buying MREs and if you have access, you can go to the Commissary on your base/post/installation. If they don't carry them, they can order them, but it's usually by the case. I have 1 case of 12 that cost me like $65 from the commissary, but that's only for hurricane season and if we need to be mobile for a few days. Maybe I should see about the freeze dried stuff. Anyone have a good site for that?
My "shtf in place for months food" sits in my pantry, lots of canned and dried goods.
If you're dead set on buying MREs and if you have access, you can go to the Commissary on your base/post/installation. If they don't carry them, they can order them, but it's usually by the case. I have 1 case of 12 that cost me like $65 from the commissary, but that's only for hurricane season and if we need to be mobile for a few days. Maybe I should see about the freeze dried stuff. Anyone have a good site for that?
My "shtf in place for months food" sits in my pantry, lots of canned and dried goods.
Re: Need advice on MREs
I heard eating MRE's were actually not healthy for you if that's your strict diet for more than a week. It takes a toll on your body after time.
And MRE's are for mobile packing meals. If your looking to be stationary or go to a camp site I'd suggest canned foods. MRE's are aimed for packing for mobile use for the solder to be out in battle while not on base.
I heard eating MRE's were actually not healthy for you if that's your strict diet for more than a week. It takes a toll on your body after time.
And MRE's are for mobile packing meals. If your looking to be stationary or go to a camp site I'd suggest canned foods. MRE's are aimed for packing for mobile use for the solder to be out in battle while not on base.
Re: Need advice on MREs
First, I want to say thank you to all who have replied. You all have provided some great information and I will be taking the advice given.
I will be buying some MREs but probably only 2 or 3 cases.
I will be stocking up on canned goods, freeze dried and some dehydrated foods. Also rice and beans. I'm behind on my food storage preparations so I will be concentrating on this pretty hard over the next several weeks, I personally dont believe we have two years. It is time to prepare now.
Question about these #10 cans...seems like that's alot of food to each can. How many will each #10 can feed and how long is it good for once opened, especially if there is no power?
Thanks again guys.
First, I want to say thank you to all who have replied. You all have provided some great information and I will be taking the advice given.
I will be buying some MREs but probably only 2 or 3 cases.
I will be stocking up on canned goods, freeze dried and some dehydrated foods. Also rice and beans. I'm behind on my food storage preparations so I will be concentrating on this pretty hard over the next several weeks, I personally dont believe we have two years. It is time to prepare now.
Question about these #10 cans...seems like that's alot of food to each can. How many will each #10 can feed and how long is it good for once opened, especially if there is no power?
Thanks again guys.
Re: Need advice on MREs
http://www.survival-warehouse.com/food/index.htm?gclid=CMSi7eW02qICFViP3wod5jk6mQ
From the website:
The #10 cans dehydrated food contents is protected until you are ready to open and use the freeze dried food (not dehydrated foods). After opening, its recommend using the freeze dried or dehydrated foods within 1 to 2 weeks for the very best taste; using the convenient re-sealable plastic lid between uses. Treat any leftover freeze dried or dehydrated foods as you would fresh food.
http://www.survival-warehouse.com/food/index.htm?gclid=CMSi7eW02qICFViP3wod5jk6mQ
From the website:
The #10 cans dehydrated food contents is protected until you are ready to open and use the freeze dried food (not dehydrated foods). After opening, its recommend using the freeze dried or dehydrated foods within 1 to 2 weeks for the very best taste; using the convenient re-sealable plastic lid between uses. Treat any leftover freeze dried or dehydrated foods as you would fresh food.
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