MREs

jib-tmb
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Edited Date/Time 1/25/2012 7:15pm
I've had people tell me I'm crazy (vets mostly) but I think these things are great. I like to stuff a few items from an MRE into my pockets when I go hunting. I was never in the service so I never HAD to eat only MREs. I have friend who was a Medic in the Ranger's back in 80's and while he never understood how I could eat them, he would send me a few every now and then.
My nephew recently got these for me. Anyone else have an opinion on MREs

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Void Main
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12/12/2009 1:50pm Edited Date/Time 12/12/2009 1:53pm
I always liked them. They were a HELL of a lot better than the old sea rations. I lived on them for 7 months in the desert. They didn't have several of those in your picture back when I ate them. There were a lot more that aren't in the picture though. I recall a chicken or salmon loaf and the chicken and rice was pretty good. I think that beef stew was pretty good too.
jib-tmb
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12/12/2009 1:56pm
My buddy told me that little package of tissue above the matches is toilet paper.......Blink
Void Main
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12/12/2009 2:04pm Edited Date/Time 12/12/2009 2:05pm
Yep, I've never used it for that though, luckily there was always something more suitable around when I needed it. Smile I have a bunch of those little Tabasco bottles. I filled them with Saudi sand.
jib-tmb
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12/12/2009 2:21pm Edited Date/Time 12/12/2009 6:18pm
I haven't tried the spaghetti yet but I'm told it's one of the best. Had the beef enchilada today for lunch. The crackers take some getting used to but I like them with the peanut butter or the cheese spread you get.

The Shop

ProMed
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12/12/2009 2:21pm
Most of them were pretty good imo. Sure as heck wouldn't eat them now though...lol.
SteveS
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12/12/2009 4:11pm
Agree with Void. The C Rations sucked. The MRE's are way better.
Void Main
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12/12/2009 4:23pm
The P-38 was the best thing about the C-rations.
RNagy052
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12/12/2009 4:24pm
MREs are great when you are out in the field and you have no other option.

C rats mostly sucked except for the Pound Cake or a John Wayne bar. You could take the cocoa powder with a splash of water and make some frosting for the pound cake, which was a treat.

Eat a chocolate nut roll on day 1 in the field and it was almost a guarentee you wouldn't have to shit for a week.

Signed
The SGM
Void Main
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12/12/2009 4:25pm
Heh heh, the John Wayne bar, forgot about that. Smile
jib-tmb
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12/12/2009 4:30pm
What was the John Wayne bar?
RNagy052
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12/12/2009 4:43pm
jib-tmb wrote:
What was the John Wayne bar?
It was a round flat chocolate candy bar wrapped in foil sealed in a can. If you also could find the C rat peanut butter that would make a good combo.

Damn, I am showing my age Smile
jib-tmb
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12/12/2009 4:57pm
Void Main wrote:
The P-38 was the best thing about the C-rations.
I used to keep one of those on my keychain but I took it off after I ran it up under my fingernail a few times reaching for them.Laughing
Big Lenny
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12/12/2009 5:01pm
Thank God for food stamps,..Isn't the P-38 a can opener?...
12/12/2009 5:17pm Edited Date/Time 12/12/2009 5:18pm
Yes big lenny p -38 is a can opener, i have a couple , live near a big army base (ft campbell ,ky) and have quite a few army related items, even tho im a navy vet, ive tried both mres and c rats didnt like either.
12/12/2009 5:20pm
We ate real food lol in the navy, well except when i was in the persian gulf and had powdered eggs and powdered milk yuck to both
jonjon714
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12/12/2009 6:04pm
Ate my fair share of MRE's... I was a master at making ranger cookies.
jib-tmb
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12/12/2009 6:10pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 7:26pm
jib-tmb wrote:
What was the John Wayne bar?
RNagy052 wrote:
It was a round flat chocolate candy bar wrapped in foil sealed in a can. If you also could find the C rat peanut butter that...
It was a round flat chocolate candy bar wrapped in foil sealed in a can. If you also could find the C rat peanut butter that would make a good combo.

Damn, I am showing my age Smile
Photobucket

They should've just put these in there.Smile
RNagy052
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12/12/2009 6:12pm
jib-tmb wrote:
I used to keep one of those on my keychain but I took it off after I ran it up under my fingernail a few times...
I used to keep one of those on my keychain but I took it off after I ran it up under my fingernail a few times reaching for them.Laughing
I used to wear one on my dog tag chain until MREs came out. Every now and then it would open up while you were IMT'ing (3 - 5 second rush) hit the ground and it would let you know it was there as it impacted your chest.

The fruit was better in C rats then MRE's. In C rats you got canned fruit like sliced pears, peaches, apricots, or fruit cocktail. When the MRE's came out the replaced the apricots with strawberries, but they were all freeze dried, that was a downgrade.
jib-tmb
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12/12/2009 6:16pm
jonjon714 wrote:
Ate my fair share of MRE's... I was a master at making ranger cookies.
I'm thinking you're probably not talking about a Betty Crocker recipe here....
jonjon714
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12/12/2009 6:19pm
jonjon714 wrote:
Ate my fair share of MRE's... I was a master at making ranger cookies.
jib-tmb wrote:
I'm thinking you're probably not talking about a Betty Crocker recipe here....
Mix the creamer and sugar and heat it up to melt the sugar. Even better with a little cocoa mix.
jib-tmb
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12/12/2009 6:33pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 7:26pm
jonjon714 wrote:
Ate my fair share of MRE's... I was a master at making ranger cookies.
jib-tmb wrote:
I'm thinking you're probably not talking about a Betty Crocker recipe here....
jonjon714 wrote:
Mix the creamer and sugar and heat it up to melt the sugar. Even better with a little cocoa mix.
Photobucket

Have to try that......Might try this handy little stove they include also.
Jakes Dad
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12/12/2009 6:40pm
Had a year of the C-Rats myself until the MRE's came out. Still take the MRE's on fishing trips down to the Glades. The heat pouches are a must.
jib-tmb
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12/12/2009 6:44pm
Jakes Dad wrote:
Had a year of the C-Rats myself until the MRE's came out. Still take the MRE's on fishing trips down to the Glades. The heat pouches...
Had a year of the C-Rats myself until the MRE's came out. Still take the MRE's on fishing trips down to the Glades. The heat pouches are a must.
I love the illustration at the bottom of the pouch.."ROCK OR SOMETHING"Laughing
RonSkj
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Fantasy
12/12/2009 6:57pm
It's no longer MRE's. The newest ones are TOTM's
Tailored
Operational
Training
Meal

At least that's what I got a case of, last week.
Had the chili last night.. It was good.
RonSkj
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Fantasy
12/12/2009 7:00pm
Ohh... and it had these in it..


roost251
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12/12/2009 9:44pm
Chicken A la King, UM UM good
txmxer
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12/13/2009 6:11am
for hunting or camping, they are handy.

They've changed the menu a lot since I ate them. None of the meals we had are available now. I always like the spam and the cake things. The cakes were extremely dense.

Never had sea rats, but I used to carry a P38 with me all the time.
Cygnus
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12/13/2009 6:28am
I was in a jail once that served MRE's for every meal. No thanks after that.
Void Main
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12/13/2009 7:29am
Holy crap, when did they start putting "heaters" in MREs?!? I used to fire up a -60 and heat them up on the exhaust. A dash 60 is a jet engine powered electrical generator and produces high volume air for starting the engines on some jets.

Here's the P-38:





txmxer
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12/13/2009 9:08am
Void Main wrote:
Holy crap, when did they start putting "heaters" in MREs?!? I used to fire up a -60 and heat them up on the exhaust. A dash...
Holy crap, when did they start putting "heaters" in MREs?!? I used to fire up a -60 and heat them up on the exhaust. A dash 60 is a jet engine powered electrical generator and produces high volume air for starting the engines on some jets.

Here's the P-38:





they've been putting heaters in there for ~15 to 20 years I'd guess. I think I remember having them in basic in '89.

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