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MRE ( Meals, Ready to Eat )

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Food that heats itself? MRE's or 'ready to eat' meals are a quick and easy solution when you don't have a cooking fire or your stove is malfunctioning. I had never tried these, but was given a box of them one year as a birthday present. The ones I've tried taste great and are very easy to prepare...just add a bit of water to a 'heating pouch' which creates a chemical reaction, producing enough heat to turn a cold meal into a hot one. Now I always pack at least one of these as an emergency meal on every trip. I've put together a short video to show you how it works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbVphBlZa5A&list=UUpsDOHysPzrBhn8S7zJ8f4w&index=7


Happy eating! Wayne
 
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Except for the heating unit and the monstrous packaging, many meals are available "ready to eat" in retort packages in the grocery store these days. Look for the microwave in the bag "label".
 
Hi DuctTape, Yes I agree there are many choices available for foods that are "pre-cooked" and just require heating. The point of the video is to show an emergency meal that will sustain you in situations where you may have run out of fuel for your stove or your stove breaks down or you are camping in an area where you cannot have a fire. As for the packaging, they are no bulkier than many of the dehydrated trail foods you can buy. You can even purchase the lightweight heating bags seperately and use them with any of those "pre-cooked" foods.

Wayne
 
Ah. now I see your point... emergencies. THERE I'll agree with you. I'm former military, and don't like them anymore, personally... too many bad memories! But I didn't want to bash them just for that. They do contain loads of extra carbs. The MRE main entrée is 'fortified' with extra starches, whereas a pouch of chicken or salmon or whatever isn't. And the other half of the ration (ex, ham slice used to come with potatoes au gratin iirc) is also LOADED with carbs. Soldiers (and other folks working outdoors) burn through a ton of calories, so as an emergency ration, I'd say they're a great idea. Not sure if the nutritional content of the "field" ones is the same as in the "disaster relief" version.

The water-powered heating pouch works well for canoers, not so well for any soldiers who have to carry all their water by human-power... That's one of the reasons the dehydrated fruit cocktail, peaches, and strawberries (delicious, btw) never went over all that big.... one had to sacrifice one's precious drinking water to rehydrate them.

MRE cocoa, btw, is magic...I don't know WHAT it's "fortified" with, but if you ever get a chance to try some, do so. GREAT stuff. Perks you right up (probably some caffeine, maybe some extra sugars.)
 
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I know that a voyageur canoe team (6 paddlers) used the self heating MREs on the Yukon 1000 mile race in 2010. I guess it worked ok for them, but they did fritter more hours than they should have with a stop and restaurant meal in Dawson, barely half way. I wonder if it was partially because of the MREs. It was however an expensive way to go with 3 meals a day for a week for them. The meals have the convenience of being edible in a voyageur while paddling, with one designated "chef" taking time to prepare meals for the crew. When my team did the Y1K, we used home dehydrated food in 2009 and 2011. Similar routine, one designated chef heated water and served the crew rehydrated meals while still underway. No stopping at Dawson for us. :rolleyes:
 
I agree with you it is expensive but I think it more perfect for any kind of journey.
 
Meals Ready to Eat

Meals Ready to Eat

I have known many about Meals Ready to Eat. I will be more helpful for me to find out perfect MRE foods. I want to know one more thing, which is the most helpful MRE food for us?
 
BONG! BONG! BONG! Dim-marcus alert!

Drift Wood you need to crank up your detector a couple of notches.

Maybe we need to charge an small membership fee, I can't see these scallyways going to all that trouble and it would give time to suss out just who's come knocking.

If the site is so easy, we all run the risk of really being knocked for a loop by some seriously bad attack, much like happened on Solotripping.

Worried,
Rob
 
WOOP WOOP WOOP..Self registration is not a good idea.

I feel like the Meerkats...now propogating the alarm.
 
That’s the second time I’ve heard about this ignore function thing, and I’m darned if I can find it. I’ve asked my tech savvy wife, but she’s not answering me. I think she’s found the ignore function.
I wouldn’t mind the idea of chipping in a $ fee to join. I have no idea what a screening process would look like. I can’t easily detect these spammers, so can only trust the more experience crowd out there. Thanks for the diligence all, and thanks Driftwood for your efforts.
Brad
 
I would pay. No problem. But I don't know if I would be so eager to pay or join before I knew what it was all about. I was directed here while looking for solotripping. I read a lot and write very little. I learn a lot from this site. My only concern is would new folks be able to read without joining/paying? That way they could decide is this site is for them.
 
Spam? I've never taken Spam on a canoe trip, but if it avoids cooking I might consider it.

I realize a lot of people feel completely otherwise, but I want nothing to do with cooking at home and certainly not in the woods. Whatever avoids or minimizes cooking on a canoe or camping trip is a good idea in my narrow opinion.

The MRE's could save bringing my Jetboil stove, but the packaging would seem to create a greater garbage problem than freeze dried meals. In addition, I don't buy the "emergency" meal rationale. To me, the nutritional content of the MRE is yucky, and I would much rather use a variety of high protein and vitamin fortified nutrition bars as my no-cooking-needed emergency food, as well as my snack food, which in fact is what I do.
 
That’s the second time I’ve heard about this ignore function thing, and I’m darned if I can find it. I’ve asked my tech savvy wife, but she’s not answering me. I think she’s found the ignore function.
I wouldn’t mind the idea of chipping in a $ fee to join. I have no idea what a screening process would look like. I can’t easily detect these spammers, so can only trust the more experience crowd out there. Thanks for the diligence all, and thanks Driftwood for your efforts.
Brad

Brad,

click on the offender's name. Then click on "view profile", and it's an option there (add to ignore list, about the 3rd one down, under add friend and PM).
 
Aha! Thanks Seeker. That’s helpful.
As for MRE’s, I’m not too bothered. My emergency food consists of energy type bars and hopefully hot drinks.
I’m a lazy cook, so anything for meals must be quick and easy.
 
When canoeing up north this August, I was thinking about taking a few MREs for some "I'm-too-tired and want-food-now" scenarios.
The airlines told me that MREs are a prohibited item and cannot even be shipped in checked luggage.
So much for that idea - back to granola bars.
Ted
 
That idea that the airlines won't allow the MRE's ; wonder if it's because of the air trapped inside the packet and altitude or perhaps the detectors can't tell what's inside. Or more likely the inspectors can't open them.
Knowing what real MREs are I decided to order two boxes of them for the emergency stash; although everything indicated that they were genuine military, when I got them it turned out to be some kind of knock off. Not the real deal.
This morning I checked them on Amazon; promised genuine and about half of the customers said they were "bait and switch".
I'd guess, if you can to buy them in person.

Best Wishes, Rob
 
When canoeing up north this August, I was thinking about taking a few MREs for some "I'm-too-tired and want-food-now" scenarios.
The airlines told me that MREs are a prohibited item and cannot even be shipped in checked luggage.
So much for that idea - back to granola bars.
Ted

Maybe because they are packed in aluminum and X rays can't tell the contents? I am guessing. Or the ration heater?
 
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