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Re: MRE Meals?
MRE's are made to sustain ACTIVE troops in ACTIVE combat situations. I was in the service for 8 years and have extensive experience with them. The ones made in the late 90s-early 2000s were around 3000 calories each. They are heavily fortified and taste like it, although some of them are pretty darn good.
Sometime after 2004, the Department of Defense decided that 3000 calories was not enough, as some troops in heavy combat were losing too much weight. The calorie content was upped to the neighborhood of 6000 per meal.
All MREs are made to be consumed using the included salt packet (because trust me.. one sweats a LOT in combat) and at LEAST one canteen of water, two being recommended. Over in the middle east, one has a great desire to drink a lot of water, but sometimes a "lot" is not available. I remember weeks when we were rationed one large bottle of water for an entire day. It was about a liter, if I recall correctly.
If MREs have changed since 2006, I do not know, because that is when I had to leave the service.
I would not recommend MREs for backpacking because they are indeed very heavy. I would see no harm in a family of car-campers eating them for a meal on a trip.
MRE's are made to sustain ACTIVE troops in ACTIVE combat situations. I was in the service for 8 years and have extensive experience with them. The ones made in the late 90s-early 2000s were around 3000 calories each. They are heavily fortified and taste like it, although some of them are pretty darn good.
Sometime after 2004, the Department of Defense decided that 3000 calories was not enough, as some troops in heavy combat were losing too much weight. The calorie content was upped to the neighborhood of 6000 per meal.
All MREs are made to be consumed using the included salt packet (because trust me.. one sweats a LOT in combat) and at LEAST one canteen of water, two being recommended. Over in the middle east, one has a great desire to drink a lot of water, but sometimes a "lot" is not available. I remember weeks when we were rationed one large bottle of water for an entire day. It was about a liter, if I recall correctly.
If MREs have changed since 2006, I do not know, because that is when I had to leave the service.
I would not recommend MREs for backpacking because they are indeed very heavy. I would see no harm in a family of car-campers eating them for a meal on a trip.
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