'Meals are designed to match the taste and cultural requirements of each country'

Given the likely enemies in the near future the Brit's addiction to lamb curry looks like being a useful adaptation !

The Multiclimate rations do have tissue paper as shown here;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxdVCqf2a8Q

The US MRE is a little difficult to compare with the Multiclimate ration (itself a replacement for the older 24hr ORP) because 1 MC Ration (4200Kcal) is equivalent to 3 MREs (1250 Kcal) in terms of calories.

Does the MRE have specific breakfast, lunch and dinner options considering that 3 MREs are required per day?

3 MREs per day also looks to be quite heavy and bulky compared to the older 24hr ORP (which weighs in around 1.7kg).

The cost of MREs seem to quite expensive as well. I believe that each MRE costs the Pentagon around $7.25 and as 3 are required per day per man, which works out at $22.75 The UK MC ration can be purchased for £14.58 each or about $22.40. So the costs are pretty close for the MC and MRE rations.

An equivalent cost for a case of 12 MREs will typically be around $100 compared to 4 MC rations direct from the manufacturer $98.40 (including delivery)

There appears to be other good reasoning not to purchase MREs for a survival period lasting more than a few weeks.

http://survivalacres.com/information/mres.html

Didn't Elvis pass away tragically suffering from the same affliction.

That English one looks great.

Are they all using the US method of heating ?

here's a MRE in "real life" topping a Mac and Cheese dinner.



this meat loaf with mushrooms is one of three MRE's i'll take on a wilderness canoe trip.heavy but a nice change from freeze dry something and rice.they are sort of "feast" dinners at the start,middle and end of the trip.pork riblet and chicken are two other favorites.mango tang with rum and a cookie rounds the meal off.i was in the C-Ration Army and these are of course a real meal and just not something to eat because you have too.
this is an easy meal to make.the MRE is heated in boiling water in the big section of the cook kit and let to sit while the Mac and Cheese is made in the small one and the meat loaf dumped on top.it may not look like much but i wolfed that down in short order.

Gotta hand it to the British; they have their priorities right:

From Wikipedia:
>Like every British tank since the Centurion, and most other >British AFVs, Challenger 2 contains a boiling vessel (BV) for water which can be used to brew
>tea, produce other hot beverages and heat boil-in-the-bag meals >contained in ration packs.[8] This BV requirement is general for >armoured vehicles of the British Armed Forces, and is one such >requirement almost unique to the Armed forces of the UK.

Here; everything stops for tea!
qjs

Love the 11th General Order.

I have not had newer MREs. I got out back when the 1st gen came on the scene and I must say I rather preferred the C-rations. We ate them for days on end, often times for all three meals. I can't say I'd go to a restaurant that serves them, but we found ways to make them passable. Short straw drew the beans and franks!!! Pound cake was highly prized!

Now that my diet has been transformed into herbivory, I don't guess I have much in the way of MRE options...but I've never really looked.

MREs aren't bad. Taste varies between passable to not bad.

Cost is high but is moderated by the fact that MREs are roughly 1000 calories each. Doing heavy labor over a high duration three a day at 3000 calories is about right. It might be a bit low if your working exceptionally hard or are fighting extreme cold. Three MREs and a couple of snacks should cover it. Most people don't need that sort of calorie intake and three MREs will cause them to gain weight.

Most people can get by quite well, even doing moderately hard physical labor, on two and a snack that work out about 2500 calories. Typical sedentary Americans, who have to set aside time to work out to get exercise, can get along fine on one fully configured MRE, main dish, two side dishes and desert for dinner; a fruit bar, oatmeal and coffee for breakfast; jerky and trail mix for lunch. A freeze-dried main dish, available as a separate item, might substitute for several smaller items.

MREs store well, how long depends on temperature:
Sustained Storage Temperatures °F Estimated Shelf-life (in months):
120° - 1 month ..........10° - 5 month
100° - 18 month ........ 90° - 30 month
80°- 48 month ........... 70° - 66 month
60° - 84 month .......... 50° to 33 ° -96 month

From: http://www.sopakco.com/sopakco/sopakco_faq.html#

Hey Art,You forgot to factor in Combat,of which The MRE is intended,1st & foremost!

You might find this Link useful, Also any mre with tomato sauce is good.

Lee

Yeti -

Beanie meatball was one of the best Cs going. Only tuna or chicken boned was better. Melt your cheese into the beanies and add some tabasco and you had a feast. You could keep the beef and rocks, pork slices and ham slices - blech.

I would add the chicken to some ramen, with some dried onion I carried most of the time - pure gourmet.

At one point I had a cookbook from Tabasco about how to doctor up Cs. I also think they had one for MREs IIRC. Wonder where it go to?