I have MREs in my 72 Hour kit and in my Wildland IA Pack. MREs are not my first choice for food EVER, but they are far better than nothing.

MREs in my IA pack is a no brainer, I have no room for cooking gear and I need something that can be removed easily so if box/bag lunches are avalibe I can replace it with real food!

My 72 hour kit and search kits now carry MREs becuase they really aren't as bad as they used to be. I typically open a case of MREs and dump all of the contents of each MRE on my kitchen counter. Then I remove every piece I am not going to eat... Then I reorganize the MREs into 24hr rations with stuff like Jelly Belly Sports Beans, Emergen'C packets, GU2O powder, and HammerGel add. I then reseal the meals with my vacum sealer.

While there are tastier foods for camping and backpack, none are easier to prepare and few have been designed for high activity levels.

Yes, MREs are high in sodium, and other electrolytes which is perfect for an active survival situation. If you are sitting in a boat all day long you may not need AS MUCH electolytes as someone hiking, building shelters, etc but you still need those electrolytes.

AVOID CHEESE OMELET AT ALL COSTS!