Desertrat, I'm not saying they aren't. I'm just saying that for the cost, weight and bulk, in many BOBs (as opposed to E&E packs, which are a different matter, IMO), you can add other things to your pack to suppliment them. I eat rice daily, so a bulk item that is familiar to my belly is of great value in everything goes south, and while I can get MRE rice, it isn't worth it to me. MREs are something I like to save for the end of the day, becuase thier fats will fuel me through the night while I lay low.

And that is a good point about everyones pack being different. I plan on going on foot and covering 100 miles in three to four days, and going to ground every night, while burning internal reserves. Trust me, I've been called the Cranky or Fuzzy Budda because of those reserves. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> But that means my kit can't weigh as much as desertrat's would. Heck, his rations weigh more than my pack does when I put it together. But I am never more than a mile, mile and a half from a stream, river or pond if I follow the my planned routes, so I don't have to worry so much about finding water as someone in the desert does.