US Army MRE

[Geuf]

Maybe you can make a poll?

mre = good
britisch = better
French/Belgian= haute quisine

IF YOU CAN get a french/belgian ration. do it. You can actually get a country side vegetable dish with excuisite sause/gravy and Salmon chunks. Thats the best ration I've ever had.

The Dutch suck by the way.

 

[OzaawaaMigiziNini]

MREs are alright, used to eat em alot.. only problem I ever heard of from the army guys I know.. "it constipates you".... which explains why none of us used the washroom when camping

 

[rik_uk3]

I got a few US MRE the other day. They are ok, the heater was working well, but not long enough to heat the rice/bean meal to boiling hot. Anyway, the tobasco was needed. Hardly any flavour.
I also go a few dutch 24h meal packs used for cold weather. They are good. Lots of goodies inside. Better than the US MRE's. I got them from a local dump store. He got a few from millitary guys offloading their stock after a training excercise.
I was wondering where I could get the UK or french rations. Anyone idea's?

Damnn, Can't upload image... Anyone idea's?

Read this link about posting pictures, or, email me the pic and I'll post it for you

http://spiritburner.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=300&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

 

[Nick123]

Thanks for the bucket link.

Any idea where I can get the French or Belgium ones?

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Does the US MRE heater have enuff heat to make a brew ?

Nick

 

[Ahjno]

Does the US MRE heater have enuff heat to make a brew ?

Nick

From what I understand it just heats water, or better: your meal. Don't know if it brings it to a boil for a brew ... I.e. if it's hot enough
Received a MRE last week from my mate in Afghanistan (probably nicked it somewhere) - hadn't had the time to check it's contents, but the package had an extra heater pouch

Think I'll throw it in my daysack next time I'm out

BTW: are these MRE's meant for 24h? As my first thought would that they are not, as it has a main course, side dish and an entree - makes more look like a big(-ish) dinner ...

 

[clcuckow]

From what I understand it just heats water, or better: your meal. Don't know if it brings it to a boil for a brew ... I.e. if it's hot enough
Received a MRE last week from my mate in Afghanistan (probably nicked it somewhere) - hadn't had the time to check it's contents, but the package had an extra heater pouch

Think I'll throw it in my daysack next time I'm out

BTW: are these MRE's meant for 24h? As my first thought would that they are not, as it has a main course, side dish and an entree - makes more look like a big(-ish) dinner ...

They are a meal but are meant for military levels of activity and as such they average about 1000-1250 calories each (the older ones tend to be at the top end according to mreinfo) so if you are just walking and living on them you might end up putting on weight!

 

[Tourist]

Ahjno, do not expect the heater to be too good either - take a hexi cooker with you also.

 

[rik_uk3]

Does the US MRE heater have enuff heat to make a brew ?

Nick

No Nick, won't make a brew. The heater is basicly a plastic bag, you add a couple of spoons of water and the chemical reaction from the contents create heat. You slide your MRE pouch into the bag, wait 10 mins and you get a warm meal. I was given 50 about 3 years ago, and they work ok, not great, just ok. The brit pouch is a tight fit but will work with them. I sold the last of them on ebay last year, and to be honest, would not pay for them myself. Don't use them in an enclosed space unless you like the smell of rotten eggs given off by the chemical reaction

http://science.howstuffworks.com/mre4.htm

PS, the MRE pound cake is very nice as are the crackers, the rest you can keep, I'll stick with the brit packs mate

 

[Tourist]

French ones are the best.

 

[rik_uk3]

French ones are the best.

Not since they stopped adding little plastic bottles of wine to the pack there not

 

[Tourist]

Not since they stopped adding little plastic bottles of wine to the pack there not

Caused uproar in La Legion. Each man [in the Legion] was entitled to a litre of wine per day, so they gave them a wine concentrate solution to be diluted with water. The problem was the alki's used to knock back the concentrate, having the equivelent of a litre of wine in a shot sized portion.

They are still lovely rat packs though, I have a mucker in the Belgian Para's who can get them for around 5-6 euros a piece - in boxes of 12. I'll give you one in February .

 

[ddokkum]

When we (Dutch Marines) train in Norway we use these arctic rations.
They are 6000 Kcal.
They include 2 dinner meals, 2 breakfast meals, and 2 desserts and various drinks, hot chocolat, coffee and tea. And some items for your snackpack.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Good info chaps.

Re the heater, it's to chuck in my hillwalking pack as in winter it would be nice to get a hassle free warm meal. I have ued the cans of cappucino etc but they are diuretic of course.

i have used Soya Beanfeast with aded dried egg, milk powder and dried veggies to make a dehydrated meal but obviously it needs heated. I love oatso simple with milk powder and blueberies, just needs a splash of hot water,it's a great meal and lasts for 3-4hrs.

Anyone got any Brit hot choc for swaps ?

Nick

 

[rik_uk3]

ddokkum do I spot packets of biscuit brown and biscuit fruit there I love them both

Tourist, I'll happily take you up on the offer of the rat pack, I've not eaten the French type for about 10 years to be honest, but it was (is?) a lot of high quality tinned food.

Nick, like you, I love my oats in the morning, and a bowl of oates so simple after is wonderful On a serious note, I really do like them, but I need two sachets in me to be honest, and I'm set for hours. Knock up a second course of Lidl Bacon Grill/Spam/bacon/hotdog sausage etc, sarnies and your set up until supper time.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Nick, like you, I love my oats in the morning, and a bowl of oates so simple after is wonderful On a serious note, I really do like them, but I need two sachets in me to be honest, and I'm set for hours. Knock up a second course of Lidl Bacon Grill/Spam/bacon/hotdog sausage etc, sarnies and your set up until supper time.

I need two or three ! Good thing is it's easy to fortify it with nuts and dried fruit. I also take a wee smoothie that I make in the house. Just had a 6 carrot smoothie at lunch, amazingly sweet.

I'm a veggy, only coz what they put in meat now and after reading a few books, but chorizo or merguise sausages are tasty . But now you can get veggy sausages that actually tastes and has the texture of a meat sausage and folk can't taste the difference .

Nick

 

[Matt Mallery]

I've necer eaten the British MREs, but have tried different USA MREs. The Western Rice and Beans are dry and bland. The Enchiladas are good, as are most of the pastas. The chicken noodle soup is good to. Some are good, some are not.

 

[Tourist]

Rik, the French Rat Pack is mainly tinned food.......somewhere between Waitrose and Fortnum & Masons, it'd make Marco Pierre sit up and take notice though.

Sadly I would'nt want to go carting them around in the Ulu as they weigh around 3lbs a pack, if I recall they have a calorific value approaching 3500 for the day [even without the vino].

I never did like the US MRE's they always seem to taste of re-processed cardboard but conveniently you get a little bottle of tabasco to hide the taste.

Arctic rations are generally good though, nice and light, lots of it and loads of calories to keep you going and fight the cold.

 

[ddokkum]

That is correct Rik uk3. the one and only Fruit and Brown Biscuits...