That is how you know it was authentically Canadian- packed by Sasquatches. *grins and ducks*

Sorry Hacksaw!

MRE/IMP Questions

1) 5 years after expiry

2) No Imodium required, I have never had a problem.

3) After 20 years my wife ignores me; like out-of-style furniture or a tired old dog.

4) I still eat MRE/IMP's when I am in the bush and have nothing better (I think I ate 3 this month).

Mike

That's really funny. I also eat them when my wife's away to cycle through the stock. (She won't touch them.)

I've gotten sick from some "fresh" ones, but my experience is the government sometimes gives ridiculously conservative expiration dates to things to account for worst-case scenarios, e.g., they're stored in the desert for a summer or two.

Nonetheless, I'd definitely draw the line at dates from the previous century...

What's an expiration date???

Ok, we have a winner. Best response yet.

Man oh man, I had forgotten all about the Airman magazine! Last copy I remember seeing had a pic of two airmen mixed in with all the Marines at Khe Sahn during the seige. Glad they are still in print.

Re MRE's, as I have said here more than once, anyone who gripes about MRE's never had to live on C-rats. Sure, MRE's are not perfect, but they are better. A lot better...

When I was a about 11 or 12. 25 years ago I found 1/2 dozen c-rations in the barn at my grandparents house. Brown box with all of the "cool" stuff inside. Don't know if they should have had the 10 pack of smokes or not but if they should have had they were gone. Asked Grandma if it was ok to eat them. She said sure but smell them first to make sure they arn't rotten. This was my first experience with a P-38. Took me a while to figure it out.

They were left over from my uncle in WW-II. Don't know why he brought them home and I am sure he wouldn't remember now.....in his late 80's.

Anyway it's quite a reminicent moment for me. Mostly I didn't get sick and I carried the neet little gum packets around all summer and ate them sparingly.

Point being C-Rations were edable well over 50 years after production while stored in an un-tempurature regulated barn for 50 years.

Gosh I miss summering on the farm as a kid!

Cameron

Let's see...

1) I opened up an MRE that was Corned Beef Hash just a few months ago that I bought in a case of MREs back in the very early 90s. 93 was the last year of production for that treat. So, at minimum, we are talking 15 years old. I suspect it was older than that. MREs were always stored in a cool basement. Food was still good. Crackers were still... well... crackers... Jelly was still good. I was very impressed!

2) No Imodium needed. I never had a problem eating MREs.

3) My wife has tried MREs with me before. I even gave her dad some Minestrone ones and he has taken them to work to eat and enjoys them.

4) I eat them when I go camping typically.

I also like the dehydrated Mountain House meals. I guess something has to be truely vile for me not to eat it. A few "camping" meals I've tried fit that bill.

I can say that I like MREs, in fact I used to love running around in the late 70's and early 80's in my khakis and cammies, playing "war" and scarfing down c-rats I used to pick up at the local surplus store. Looking back now I'm not sure how much of it was actually enjoying the c-rats for the taste (although I loved the ham patties and still do-you can them from hormel still commercially) or the fact that I was eating honest to god army food in the bush like they used to. I admit with MREs its like comparing a McDonalds burger to a steak, inferior in just about every way. But still, tastes good enough to enjoy and fills the belly. Then again I sometimes I crave a McDonalds burger over steak so..........

-Bill Liptak