MRE Meals?

[JPatel21]

has anyone had any experience with MRE meals? A friend and I are thinking about really roughing it for a few days and were thinking of giving them a try. we're both pretty big guys so i thought this would be more than enough.

any pointers?

[GeoBigJon]

Re: MRE Meals?

I assume you are talking about military MRE's. Biggest thing I would suggest is drink lots and I mean lots of water. Easy to pack, easy to use, and easy to store. They have gotten better through the years but they are by no means something I would want to eat for long periods, again. If you are not active I would not suggest just eating them for the fun of it, they are rich in calories and minerals. We had people eat them, then sit around all day while deployed, they gained a ton of weight fast. One of the biggest complaint I heard of them was constipation, I never really had an issue, I drank lots of water. I'm a big guy too, if you eat the meal and drink the drink mix they will keep you full. There are many things you can do with them, combining some meals with other meals can make them bearable for a month at a time. You will have your favorites, the Tabasco helps, in the end they all tasted the same to me. I say go for it, its worth a try.

[Bigdog57]

Re: MRE Meals?

MRE's are designed to keep the troops in the field going - no regard to their health...... :cool:

Very dense - as said, keep hydrated! I do use them for camping and motorcycle traveling, but if in a camp situation, I like Mountain House FD meals better.

MRE flavors have improved, and there is only one that I truly do not like. Buying the full MREs is a waste of money though - too much crap that is not used or that can be gotten locally and added. I buy the Entrees only, and build my own meal packs.

[nearlywild]

Re: MRE Meals?

I've tried some that my husband has brought home and I liked them. They are really high in calories, around 2000.

[surmisez]

Re: MRE Meals?

My husband was in the military, so we used to have (and still have) a lot of these hanging around. The meals taste okay, but like others have said, they are calorie *packed* as they are for consumption in the battlefield.

IF you are not going to be doing some serious hiking/biking, I would suggest looking to the meals they sell in EMS, REI, etc. instead. These meals are geared for the general public and do not contain a day's worth of calories in one meal.

[woodsnwater]

Re: MRE Meals?

We have some from the military too and jammed packed with calories! But, if you don't want to carry too much and only want to stop to eat as little as possible, these are for you.

[liveecofriendly]

Re: MRE Meals?

MREs are great. We have someone here from the office who was in the army, so he tells us that they are great, very heavy in calories

Also, he recommends that you try to pick a couple different types so you can find which one you like.

Also, drink lots of water and if you do plan on sitting around all day, then eat throughout the day or days as it can fill you quickly.

[Bigdog57]

Re: MRE Meals?

I find the MRE tomato-based meals a bit 'tart', more like Franco-American than Chef Boyardee, as a comparison. They also have several different chicken entrees that are pretty good. The Beef Stew is good. Wish they had a Beef Stroganoff, but I haven't found one yet.

[fermi91]

Re: MRE Meals?

if you are backpacking then romen, mashed potatos, and pasta with dehydrated sause is the way to go. MRE's have alot of packaging and they are full water content. WATER = HEAVY.

[windy]

Re: MRE Meals?

I've used MREs a few times. They are very convenient. I've never used any of those dehydrated meals, so I can't compare. The taste is reasonable. If you're vegetarian, there are usually several options. My other doesn't really care for them but will eat them as well. Drinking a lot of water is a good suggestion.

[Vex3521]

Re: MRE Meals?

Eaten my fair share of MRE's on active duty and to be honest I wouldn't camp with them. Would rather do healthier food though I do still have my favorites in MRE's. If you do... lots of water and be sure to be doing a lot of physical activity or those calorie laden meals will catch up to you fast! Honestly cost can as well so in the long run getting your own vac sealer and dehydrator will not only reduce weight but the price as well. When we camp I dehydrate and vac seal our food so it's easier to carry and also to work with. It saves money since the dehydrated foods I've seen shelved are pretty spendy and the convenience factor just isn't worth the dent in my wallet! The initial cost obviously is a lot more but to be honest it really does level out and I use them both for significantly more than just camping food.

[stanleycamps]

Re: MRE Meals?

I tried my first MRE while hiking in Yosemite this past summer. I think it was some kind of beef pasta. My buddy who is an ex-marine brought them along. It was bearable - not disgusting. The dessert was genuinely good. That said, if you don't have to get this stuff, don't. REI makes good instant meals and there's a company called Wise that makes dehydrated camping food. They sell buckets of instant meals that break down to about $2 per meal. Good deal and easier on your body than MREs.

[Hikenhunter]

Re: MRE Meals?

MRE's only if I'm going for one night. As stated above they are heavy and you got to drink lots of water or you will get constipated quickly.

[stanleycamps]

Re: MRE Meals?

Haha. Just constipation? Why even risk it? Again, make MREs the absolutely last choice. There are simply too many options these days for camping food to have to suffer the risk of constipation.

[Dave A]

Re: MRE Meals?

MRE's stands for Meals Ready to Eat, a bad batch in the first gulf war were renamed Meals Ready to Explode, and older versions were know as Meals Rejected by Ethiopia.

These days they tend to be much better, especially in taste, it varies but a main meal will give you around 450Kcal and weighs around 300g, if the MRE pouch is clean you can use the boiled water for your Tea or Coffee.

Or use a meal heater, just put any old dirty water in the heater, add the meal, and wait 5 or 6 minutes for the reaction in the heater to heat the meal.

These days, Freeze dried meals are very popular, but vary considerably in "content" some meals with the best ratio between weight and energy are made by
www.extremeadventurefoods.co.uk

All queries regarding camping and outdoor nutrition, feel free to get in touch