MRE shortage

I was checking around for MRE crackers,single meals and so on for this years canoe trips. the companys said that the storms,wild fires,floods that have come one right after another have drawn down the supply until mid year.this is the first time ever in all the years I've been buying up for trips that the stock has been so low for so long.

Quite believable, based on what we have experienced here locally. But MREs aren't the only game in town

I realize it's not quite the same but you may want to head over to the Mountain House website and check out their Military meals (formerly known as LRP Rations). They're freeze dried like other MH stuff but compressed into a very compact, tight block as opposed to the loose bag that their backpacking stuff is sealed in. They're not fine dining but IMO they're at least as good tasting as MREs! Maybe a little better. Portions are fairly generous compared to an MRE and they're much lighter.

Granted, they require hot water to prepare so they're not a no-cook option like an MRE. Well, they say to boiling water but I imagine cold water would reconstitute them although it might take longer. They probably wouldn't be all that tasty cold but neither would an MRE.

I noticed that CampingSurvival.com has some MREs in stock, especially if you don't mind the reduced sodium verions. Not a huge variety but as you say, if the supply is limited you probably can't be too picky!

I noticed that as well.

I usually strip the MRE down to the entree and plan for three entrees per day for food (they pack very flat along the back of my daypack, easily getting 9 in a 20 liter pack without much impact on internal storage volume), supplemented by clif bars when on the go. So it was nice to be able to go online and buy just what I want. Locally they have the whole MRE for $5 (living near a military base) which isn't bad, I just pick and choose then strip those down.

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I just received some LRP freeze dried entrees today. Basically the same as mountain house pro pak, but packs MUCH friendlier due to the cubed shape as Phaedrus indicated -- why they don't do that for the civilian versions I have no idea.

At $10 each they're pretty steep but when you run the numbers it's not too bad -- they're just over half the weight of an MRE entree, but usually double the calories -- so you're looking at 4.5 ounces versus 16 ounces for roughly similar calories. So cost wise you'd have to compare it to buying two MRE entrees which tend to go for $3-4 these days, so it would be $10 versus $6-8 which is (a little) more reasonable.

Of course, if your area is light on water and you have to schlep it around anyway, so it may not be worth it to you, and it takes more time to constitute, so YMMV. I'm in the Southeast, water is pretty easy to find, and my plan is keep one per day and use them in the evening when I've settled in for the night, opting for more ready to eat food during the day. The end result should be more calories per day and less overall weight.

I don't go on trips as often as I'd like to, so I've decided to build up my stock a little at a time. Will definitely stock up on the MRE entrees again when they become more available again

I like the LRPs to be honest. The best of them are about as good any packable/portable meals. Typically where I go there's plenty of water around so it's a waste to pack it in (note- it will need to be treated but that's lighter than carrying water as well). They're a little bit expensive but I don't get out on longer trips as often as I'd like either, so a dozen LRP meals might last me a whole summer. And on a multi-day trip you really should be packing fresh or frozen food for the first day. A frozen steak or pork chop wrapped in a towel will be fine for the first day. After that it's LRPs, MREs, Cliff Bars, raman, etc.

What's the advantage of MREs? The military don't have access to any foods the rest of us don't and the choice is bound to be less suitable for you, than if you assembled your own?
Am I missing something?
qjs

Well, MREs are shelf stable and the retort pouch packaging is very robust. They keep for potentially well over a decade, and can last for several years even in extreme temps (like 100+ F for a couple years). They're designed to fuel soldiers so they're fairly high in calories. And of course they require no preparation at all. They can be heated (and usually a chemical heater is included) but they can be eaten cold right out of the pouch. Certainly in some situations the lack of prep required can be a godsend, especially when you're already exhausted or you find yourself in conditions where cooking is impractical.

Note that I'm not starting an MRE fan club. Just pointing out why they're popular with outdoors-folks.

I just went over to the Mountain House site and their military meals are sold out. Does anyone know of an alternate.

The alternate I prefer is what is known as real food; there are lots of options. The "normal" mountain House items are tasty and lightweight, but pricey; you also need water to rehydrate. This may be a problem in some situations.

You can quite well in any well stocked grocery store , and probably save money - think of dehydrated potato packets, paired with beef jerky, for one possible meal. Add condiments, etc. to suit.

When weight is not an issue, I like canned beef stew. Tastes better than MREs, and is cheaper as well. Lots of options in canned goods, and water is not an issue.

The last batch of MREs that I had, I was not pleased with. I had a box each of 2017 A&B menus. A few of the entrees were downright disgusting (anything Asian style), most were merely palatable (so many looked and tasted alike) and a couple were actually good tasting. I found the accessory paks and sides a lot more palatable and I take those item along when car-camping. I don't know if it was menu update or too much emphasis on southern or Mexican flavours, but I am staying well away from MREs in the future. They aren't worth importing, IMHO.

However, if I could get a hold of some IMPs, those I could eat anytime as they are far more palatable. They are not nearly as available on EBay though and sourcing local is difficult. There is also a new brand of freeze dried meals made in Quebec (Happy Yak) that has been getting very good reviews that I want to try out.

IMPs? What that?

Edit: OK, I went on eBay, searched for imp meals. They seem to be Canadian and british military meals. Are they that much better?

They are part of my long term food storage (in addition to canned food) but for outdoor purposes the form factor is what attracts me to them. I don't like bulky gear, and since the entrees are flat I can line the inside of my pack with them without sacrificing a whole lot of room inside, allowing me to turn a daypack into a 3 day pack. It is a little heavier, but the more I eat the lighter it gets

Also I rather like the taste, especially the crackers and jalapeno cheese.

Rumors were that in Afghanistan, the Americans would barter willingly and deeply to get their hands on the Canadian IMPs. They have a higher moisture content and are slightly heavier but will work in the US heaters.

It was also rumoured that UK MREs were preferred to the American ones, in Afghanistan and other conflicts in which British and American troops served.

MRE is said to stand for "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians" !

While it is nice to have a little variety, I did not prefer the UK meals to MREs. We traded extensively, and the Brits would trade a lot for MREs. All personnel from all countries would trade with others to sample their rations and to get some variety. MREs have changed a lot since they first came out. Those first ones were terrible, for sure. There are more menus now, better flavors and more accessories and supplements.

Back in the day, there were C rations. Definitely not gourmet, but a pretty good choice when there was no other option. I first experienced them as fire rations while engaging wild fires.

Later in the military, our chow hall in Korea would serve C rats about once a month. We were using up the surplus before they reached expiration dates. Does green mold on your meatloaf count as a vegetable?

In my day, the eleventh general order was to complain about the chow (an easy directive to follow). The military has gone to considerable effort to provide good chow, effort well spent...

The original MRE was a drastic step down from C rations. You could not live on the first MREs, not enough calories. Too many required rehydration as well. We stuck with C rations and LuRPs for as long as the supply system would support us. I think the new MREs are an improvement over C rations in quality and variety.

As a college student, I scavenged some C rats left in the field as the byproduct of a long and sustained search effort (also my baptism by fire into SAR). They served quite well as hiking snacks and supplemental chow. The desserts (especially pound cake something or another) were actually quite tasty. While not gourmet, C rats kept you going at a full head of steam.