[So] Today I purchased and ate a MRE. [Pics]

BratRice · 01-07-2008, 04:25 AM

So this morning I went to the Army & Navy shop in the downtown crossing section of Boston to look for some camping odds and ends. During my browsing I happened to notice a box full of MREs (meals ready to eat) available for purchase.

My curiosity was sparked.

Alive with the spirit of adventure, I proceeded to acquire a "Vegetable Stew with Beef" MRE and head home. After arriving at the apartment I tear into my new meal in a bag package, contents are as follows:

1 Cardboard box labeled "Vegetable Stew with Beef" - Foil bag of stew is enclosed
1 Flameless heating bag
1 3 ounce New Millennium Coconut flavored energy bar
2 packages of "Seasoned Ry Krisp" crackers, 2 crackers in each package.
1 1.3 ounce Daddy Ray's Nutra Fruit Fig Bar
1 .5 ounce packet of grape jelly
1 packet of 97% caffeine free Farmer Brothers coffee, serving size 1 cup
1 packet sugar
1 small packet of both salt and pepper
1 plastic spoon
1 moist towelette
1 book of matches

Some photo documentation:

So far I've just "made" the stew, which consisted of putting the stew bag into the larger flameless heater bag. That in itself was mildly interesting, you add a little bit of water, fold the end of the heater bag over the MRE bag then stick it all back in the cardboard box to cook for about 15 minutes.

Conclusion of the stew: Surprisingly tasty, although I thought the portion was a little small, all the more so if I had been out in the field all afternoon though of course I still haven't eaten the rest of the package. As a side note, I wasn't ravenously hungry (in the sense that you're so hungry a leather belt would taste good).

Also, I was slightly concerned during the 15 minute cook time, whatever chemicals are at work in the heater bag make for a mildly nasty smell, but the stew itself smelled good.

As I work my way through the remainder of the package I'll post updates.

Also, one of the thoughts behind doing this was to compare a civilian MRE to the meal packs places like EMS offer in terms of cost, taste and quantity.

Edit: It cost $8

oldE · 01-07-2008, 04:49 AM

I think it was Harold Coyle in one of his novels about the modern Army who said something like,
"A MRE, which gave three lies for the price of one."

Glad to hear it was edible.

Les

flashgordon13 · 01-07-2008, 05:01 AM

I use them for a quick lunch or dinner when camping sometimes. Most of the meals are actually pretty good and will fill the belly when you eat the entire meal. If you eat the stuff cold, it leaves a little to be desired, but the heaters really do a good job. As a side note, the gas given off by the heater is hydrogen and makes for some entertainment when you have a few matches. If you let the gas build in the bag and release it into a flame, a nice fireball is produced. The boys in our scout troop find this to be even more fun than eating the meal.

id10t · 01-07-2008, 05:04 AM

I used to get the late 80s vintage stuff all the time (in the early 90s...). Chicken A La King was great, as were the chocolate nut cake desserts.... and the little bottles of Tabasco are the cutest.

Mo_Gearhead · 01-07-2008, 05:08 AM

Contents = What? No Cigarettes?

Anything must be a step up from the old "C-rations"? Not sure when they switched over (I got out in 1971). We had some (in Nam) dated mid 1960s.

Jar Head slang terms: Beans and Baby D*cks. Ham And MuthaFuchers, etc.

All canned. You had to use a 'heat tab' to warm them. Coco/coffee was in packets. And yes, each has a small pack (2 or 4, I forget?) of smokes!

Hard-Deck · 01-07-2008, 05:39 AM

They've come a long way. 20 years ago, they were edible, but not as much as the modern ones. I lived on the ones like you bought in Iraq for 4 months and it was fine. It's a bonus when you get a case at at time and can mix and match.

Hard-Deck · 01-07-2008, 05:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

All canned. You had to use a 'heat tab' to warm them.

I gave some heat tabs to my troops about six years ago. They looked puzzled.

The Gaijin · 01-07-2008, 06:18 AM

I think I would pack my own "spork".

Also, who is on KP is everyone is preparing their own meals?

nynor · 01-07-2008, 06:31 AM

i've had a few MRE's. i like them. they aren't gourmet, but they pack A LOT of calories.

Tim Hancock · 01-07-2008, 06:39 AM

What is up with the "decaf"?

In the 80's, I actually liked most of them, but you had to eat the whole thing including the crackers if you wanted to be full. Many guys back then did not like the dehydrated beef patties and I could usually score a few to save for later (d@mn tasty with the dehydrated ketchup sprinkled on them).

BratRice · 01-07-2008, 07:06 AM

A couple military friends told me that the one I bought was actually the civilian version and that the ones the military currently gets are different (different container, bigger serving I think).

Can anyone confirm this? And if so, is there somewhere I could buy them?

Also, one of the more suprising things I discovered was that the stew was only 160 calories and had just 1 gram of saturated fat...although of course the bars had double that

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Why would you eat an MRE if you don't have to? I ate the first and second generation MRE's when I was with the Marines from '82-'91 and I have have nightmares about those things...

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

The MRE's I ate were in a plastic pouch labeled "Right Away Foods, Inc, McAllen, TX" or something similar.

Tim Hancock · 01-07-2008, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by azasadny

Why would you eat an MRE if you don't have to? I ate the first and second generation MRE's when I was with the Marines from '82-'91 and I have have nightmares about those things...

I actually did not mind them, but the longest time I was on them was for 2 weeks in the mountains of Honduras while in the Army reserves in the late 80's.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

I ate those horrible things for months in the desert (8/90 - 3/91). When I didn't get a fresh goat from my Bangladeshi buddies, I ate those things and they had an amazing ability to constipate you and make you feel so bloated you thought you were going to explode. I know, I know, TMI!!!

Rikao4 · 01-07-2008, 09:17 AM

No heat tabs,
so Medic's always have heat. Playing 'Patton' atop my 577 APC, it's a Aidstation on tracks in the snow in Germany. Just throw it it in the heaterbox, now these are old style C-rats CANS / okay done.
Cruising along ,when boooom, WTF..look down into the track..spagetti & meatballs everywhere..
oops, newbie error..forgot to vent the cans.
Rika

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Yep, I ate some Vietnam-era C-Rats when I was in Okinawa, Japan ('84-'85) and some of the can exploded because we forgot to open a vent hole. Did I mention I was a medic with the Marines?

legion · 01-07-2008, 10:28 AM

I used to eat the dehydrated meals when I went backpacking at Philmont.

Man...I'd love to go back there. I need to hurry up and spit out some kids so I have an excuse.

beepbeep · 01-07-2008, 10:37 AM

Norwegian are best, US Army worst, UK are plain weird. Swedish are so-so (the new ones). Old cans from 1956 are funny.

I lived on that stuff trough my coledge.

JavaBrewer · JavaBrewer's Garage

Looks like the MRE's I was eating in Korea during UFL last year. Sorta fun to eat...at first. Sorry to say these things are = in quality/taste to food served in enlisted mess on the Reagan.