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SHTF Food trial run - MRE Day

4K views 45 replies 18 participants last post by  10Gauge 
#1 ·
This is a bad idea.

The worst idea since I decided to drink rum and eat MRE crackers, cheese, skittles, a 'ranger bar' (gag) and M&Ms. Yeah it ended just as badly as you're thinking... in case you were wondering where I was on Friday.. it was making bad decisions.

Well this is even worse since I'm not eating anything not MRE today. Water is the only exception since you need it to make the drinks in the pouches.

Why am I doing this? That's a very good question... I have no idea! I busted into a case for no reason other than to get to the candy and gum and to see if it was still good.. spoilers it's still good. Kinda like how you used to open the cereal to get to the prize inside.

I've had 3 cups of coffee and 1 vanilla cappuccino, chocolate chip cookies, peanuts, cinnamon scone (HAHAHAH that shit was not good) for breakfast, and now I'm getting into some chicken and noodles with a side of pressed chicken patty for lunch.

I may or may not be updating as the day goes on, or remember exactly what I ate since that's not the goal. It's more of a lesson on why to diversify what you eat and while MREs are really portable and great for long term storage, they're not the best things to mainline day after day.

Military guys are going "NO FUCKING SHIT" but I decided to put my body (and toilet) on the line and serve as a warning for the folks who are just starting their preps.
 
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#3 ·
i KNEW you were going to say that! :roflmao:

One of the best things about opening old MREs is seeing some super old discontinued candy. It's been awhile so I don't remember specifics but This case featured treats like Wild Berry Skittles and Tropical Skittles.
 
#4 ·
At least the moist towelettes are still good. With enough time even if they're still in the packet, they shrivel up and dry out.

MRE toilet paper is pretty badass. I think one of those packets last the whole day, but we'll see!
 
#6 ·
I'm guessing newer as I think i used up the ones that were before the 00s, I don't feel like checking at the moment. heh.

These are the ones from Ameriqual not the ones from Warnick. They have a surprising amount of variety to them.
 
#8 ·
tell them to wash it down with a vanilla dairyshake.

...i think that's a hate crime in some states
 
#10 ·
When I joined the Army, we had C-rats. John Wayne bars were the shit!

LRRP rations were good, but you needed water to reconstitute them. We only had them a couple of times.

When MRE's came out, they weren't as good as they are now. Limited selection, and they pretty much just tasted like C-rats in a plastic bag. They got alot better over the years, ditching the freeze dried shit items, and adding things like the little bottles of Tabasco sauce. The heaters came out a couple years before I got out. The current MRE's are head and shoulders better than the first run.
 
#11 ·
Ergh... I didn't exert myself today at all, so I can't really speak for the longevity of a single MRE being enough for one day. I'll save that for 'hard mode'.... I can feel the components stacking up in my gut. on the plus side I haven't felt hungry all day.

cherry picking items from multiple packs made this fairly easy. nibbling on this and that and setting stuff like vegetable crackers. Some things in the packs like cornbread i avoid, and for lunch i kinda cheated by eating two entrees.. and putting the vanilla dairyshake into the freezer for 45 min was definitely worth it.. I don't think i could handle that texture at room temperature.. Blearhl.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Bad how?

One of my "beverage base powder lemon lime" didn't go into solution easily, as in I made it a couple hours ago and stirred vigerously a couple times while I waited. Tastes fine to me. Same with the candy.. a little hard but pretty good, though i felt a little funny afterwards.. might just be the Skittles @.@

The only thing that I ran into where something was inedible was the chewing gum. When that stuff goes stale it is *done* and has no flavor whatsoever. oh.. and the moist towelettes can dry out while still in the package.. though at least you don't eat those. or shouldn't anyway..unless you're a supermodel :p
 
#16 ·
Yeah heh for field expedience, having chunks of stuff swirling around your drink isn't good. Again this isn't a fair test since I'm keeping the drink in a glass in the fridge with saran wrap over the top.

I guess I have a bigger sweet tooth to be able to still eat Tootsie rolls that are more chocolate jerky than candy, though the ones that were in this pack were still soft. I haven't encountered any peanut M&Ms but I think the weak point there is the interaction between the peanut and the chocolate.
 
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#18 ·
I remember the tootsie rolls, they were tough but I made it through them. I think the peanuts were bad in the M&M's. As far as the shakes, I passed on them. It seems like they passed pretty well in you!!!!!
 
#17 ·
Meals Ruining Entrails should be another to add to the acronym list

I went from a normal morning poop to a 3 round burst this evening.. not sure if it was the vanilla milkshake that did it, though I thought the gutbusters came out of the Warnick factory... or if everything decided to make a move at once, but I think I'll be adding a fancy flushable portable toilet to my list of bug out gear because holy shit this MRE shit is match grade.... meaning you have to light a match to clear the air.

Not only that but burping brings up the taste of that damn shake I bet that's what it was fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.. ive had the chocolate one in the past but always stayed away from the vanilla except that one time i must have lucked out.
 
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#27 ·
Meals Ruining Entrails should be another to add to the acronym list
If you're thinking of taking this experiment to the logical end point of SHTF, please don't show us the fan...

-otus
 
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#22 ·
I could NOT get to sleep last night. It was after midnight before I could finally stay down then *Beep beep beep* 6am up and running...well up anyway.

Trying to keep regular hours during vacation kinda sucks but it sucks worse when shifting from vacation mode back to work mode.
 
#23 ·
Once a year (since 2010) I eat an MRE out of my stash to see how fresh they are. So far so meh.

I actually like the nacho cheese with crackers. The chicken and stuffing is pretty tasty too, even after years in the bag.
 
#25 ·
I just got back from 2 weeks in the field and had MREs everyday. They really aren't that bad, but definitely could use some hot sauce (which I brought). The Mexican stew, chili, stew, and brisket MREs are the better ones. The pound cakes are the best side items.

I have a bunch of them saved up for SHTF or camping. My wife thinks I'm an idiot. Lol
 
#29 ·
You know I do believe one of those rascals is about all you need for a full day. Eat a little bit when you get hungry and you're fine, eat three of them a day and it feel like you're going to die.
My Driver said he needed to go to the Medics one morning as I took the last radio watch from him. He explained his malady and asked him how many MRE's he had eaten in the last two days. Come to find out he had eaten about eight.
I made some very strong black coffee over the heater and as it perked away he laid back down moaning.
At the end of my shift I walked the line and faced to face with my Tank Commanders, when I got back I poured him a big old canteen cup of Tanker Coffee and gave him a Marlborough Red. I said, "Go over there and drink that coffee and smoke this and be sure and take a roll of paper with you."
About 45 minutes later he returned looking like he had just finished back to back PT tests.
24,000 calories of Meals Refusing to Exit. Yeah, you don't want to do that.
 
#30 ·
Reminds me of the Family Guy episode when Peter ate a whole year's worth of dehydrated meals then drank some water and, after swelling up to like 4 times his size, he exclaims "I have to poop..........NOW!" and everyone else scatters.
 
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#34 ·
I keep a case of MRE in the office for days like today where traffic has me locked in from all sides.
Last case i bought was "low sodium".
Should have been "No flavor". every single entree tasted exactly the same. And there were 6 different entree.

Never again.
I will have to ask people first what the best MRE is before i buy another box next month.
 
#35 ·
oh man...I can't even.

There are two leftover MREs that are 'vegetarian' that i will probably end up trading for something else. The pork rib is good.
 
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