Has anyone tried one of these? I saw Les Stroud use one on the Sierras episode of Survivorman once upon a time, and my nearest army surplus store just started carrying them. Is it basically the same thing as an MRE heater with a reusable bag? It looks like you get 10 heating pads per set and my retailer sells them for $14.95. Worth it?

http://www.mreinfo.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4469
(I've got no affiliation with this link, it's just the most detailed info I could find.)

A few of my older Scouts use MRE heaters for both food prep and shelter heating. Wondering if this would be something for them to consider.

I have been dabbling with the Trekmate version of these so do not,available from REI, http://www.rei.com/product/849340/trekmates-flameless-cook-box-kit.

I find them to be useful, but rather expensive; over a dollar a meal seems excessive. The heating units are simple to use, but be aware that the most common chemistry generates hydrogen - be careful in confined spaces. You most commonly merely heat boil in the bag items. I have been able to do my standard oatmeal and fruit mixture quite well. I also did a very nice scrambled egg with the larger pack and it was great.

I want to see if the Trekmate bo will play nicely with the standard MRE heaters; my guess is that they will. That might help the cost a bit.

I am glad I got my unit (yes, I would recommend them to a friend). Just right for those situations where a live flame is a no-no.

It seems expensive to me too, hikermor, at least for regular use. I'm not generally a fan of disposable solutions, but I can see the advantage of these in conditions where getting a fire would be difficult. I like that they're lightweight and don't take up much room. I could particularly see carrying them when hypothermia is a risk or when fire bans are an issue.