MRE Storage

I just swapped out my MRE supply. It's a 7 day supply, not too bulky. I rotate them on 36 month basis and I've decided I want to up the cycle time to at least 48 months, if not 60 months. Cooler storage = more shelf life. I know that.

Here's the problem. I really don't have a "cool dry place" to store them. My woodstove is in the basement, which is wonderful, but the basement is 75+ degrees all winter long. My attic is cool and dry in the winter, but an inferno in the summer (130+ degrees). My garage is too hot and too cold no matter what time of year. I don't really want to spend the time hauling from place to place, I have a small house and allocating space is a big issue.

We are seriously thinking of digging a "root closet" directly out from my basement under the garage slab (garage is attached) - but I'm wondering if I'm missing some obvious ideas here. Can't involve electricity.

I don't have any bright ideas, but I have eaten MRE's from when my dad was in. We store them in the garage. They were all 10+ years old. I was fine. This was in Southern California, so you know they had some heat.

You should be fine in the basement, particularly with your conservative cycle time. To dampen the heat peaks, consider placing the MRS's in some kind of insulated container and keep them as low as possible. "Insulated container" could be nested cardboard boxes with stuffed newspaper for insulation, if you want to save money.

I am sure a good many MREs are kept in less optimum conditions than those which you describe.

That would cover the "cool" but how dry? Aside from the moisture in the soil, if the access to the "root closet" is from the basement, would warm moist air get into the "root closet" and condense in the cooler "closet?"

In my basement the floor is always quite cool even when the basement heat is on. Perhaps the floor would provide the "cool" and the insulated boxes provide protection from the heat. Just watch the moisture in there. I have continuing problems with dampness in the basement. . .and the consequent problems of mold.

use a cooler. It's waterproof, right? And theoretically should dampen the temperature swings somewhat.

Ah! A cooler-like box I can build and park in my workshop. It would be open to my basement floor(extremely dry because I spent a fortune on a french drain) - that would work well and keep the mice out...

IIRC you have a large deck out back, is that enclosed or open underneath ?

If it's enclosed you could probably build a little storage area under there, and it would stay nice and cold during winter, and during summer move the ice chest w/MRE to basement.

-Todd

Yeah, that's a PITA. Really a simple box, lined with some reflective insulation and plopped onto the floor will be just perfect. I even know where it will fit - back by the oil tank in this kind of almost-dead corner and furthest from the wood stove. I even have a way to vent in some cool air in winter when the stove is blasting (sounds odd, I know) and in summer, it's always cool in the basement anyway. Definitely can get a steady 60 degrees in there, maybe a little less.

If you're going to build a box, store a few gallons of water in there with it. Water is great thermal mass, not only will it help to moderate the temperature, you'll probably want some water when you're eating anyway.

Also a great place to store the wine!

A simple, and not too expensive, option might be to build an insulated storage space in the corner of your basement. Preferably the corner farthest from the source of heat. Not being load bearing you can go 24" stud spacing. Catching the corner, two sides of the space, increases the coupling of ground temperatures while the insulation decouples the warmth from the basement.

I suspect that a basic stud wall and R-13 insulation will do it and an interior door, I'd go with a 36" model to make loading easier, will be adequate. If you go with an interior door apply suitable weatherstripping and a threshold to seal the opening.

Call it a pantry. It wouldn't need to be a room per se, just a well insulated closet with shelving appropriate to what you intend to keep in it. I'd split it upper and lower so you don't need to open everything when you need something. Coolest on the bottom.

Just how long has it been since you either went to a trench rescue class, or to an actual cave in?

Seriously, if you are going into the tunneling under the driveway business, consult an engineer. I hear failed foundation, driveway collapse, unauthorized modifications, and claim denied.

By the way, I thought you were going to call while in DFW?

1. I know, I know. "Seriously considering" means "until my wife talks some sense into me" - the engineering of my envisioned room is way too much.

2. I was in one long series of meetings in DFW, aside from driving from X to Y to Z. However, if all goes well, I'll be down there a lot more this year and I'll have more time to say hello in person to a number of folks in the area.

DFW - the area, not the airport - is just so incredibly vast, it took us a long time just to get from meeting to meeting.


3. To the other comments - the "corner" model is good BUT the corner I have open is where my electric panels are, so that won't work...but I can get at least the floor and one perpetually cool wall into a "closed pantry" system.

Thanks everyone.

I may be underthinking it, but if you have a good cooler and leave it sealed, I wonder at what temp it would stabilize.

I like the pantry idea in the corner. Build it so the top can be used as a shelf for the electrician. I am supposing the depth to store a case of MREs is not that large. Just thinking....

My $.02

Having had a few MRE's, I decided to choose not to buy or store any. Problem solved!

I'll bet some mushrooms would improve their taste considerably....

MRE's are Generally,Horrible for Flavor,Stateside! Get Yourself Deployed,& eat some of the roadside rubbish that taste's like the air Over there,& You will be Quite a Humble MRE eating Junkie!

Actually, MREs are quite decent, even in situations where other alternatives are available. I have had the ones with the cool (actually hot) tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce, a very nice touch. They are definitely an improvement on the earlier C rats. They are a bit on the heavy side, but that is only a factor if you are backpacking. In emergencies, they do very nicely.

The Eleventh General Order in the military is "Complain Incessantly about the Chow, Always!"

Way back in the late '70s, my Christian Service Brigade leader took us on camping trips where we used dairy milk cans buried in the ground in the shade. In the middle of summer, the butter and milk stored quite well. You could consider something similar like a large ammo can (think mortar shell cans). MREs are wrapped in heavy plastic in the first place so moisture conditions shouldn't be much a problem. You could bury this under a exterior stair perhaps or create a buried box in the shade someplace. Then cover the hole with a plywood cover and a chunk of sod to conceal it.

http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mre-shelf-life.html

My favorite reference site for MREs

Rule of thumb: if the outer package is not "bloated" it's generally OK to eat

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/a...-Africans.html#

Dig a hole in the ground say 4' by 4' wide and deep enough to accommodate a number of stainless steel diary churns, line with a concrete floor and building brick. Place the diary churns with MREs into the void and insulate with fibre glass roof insulation between the diary churns then cover with a water proof roof with holes cut out to take the modified evaporative coolers shown in the design above which are welded with the diary churn lids. Arrange for a solar/battery powered electronic temperature control water drip feed system to be operational during the summer months. The water supply could either be a water roof run off/tank system backed up by a mains water supply.

This system should maintain around 6C or below all year round.

Why not buy a late model scratch and dent refrigerator and store the MREs in there at 60 degrees or the highest temp setting?

I think that this is worth considering, the power used will be very small, and short term power cuts of no consequence.
If the power goes off long term, then the MREs will still keep for years, but not for as many years as if not temperature controlled.
Tinned foods also keep better at a low and steady temperature, such as a fridge set to the highest temperature.

Martin,

If you store anything, especially food near oil or other petroleum storage vessels, keep in mind that some smells will transfer through plastic.

Also there is the almost inevetible hydrocarbon drip /spill / slosh factor that Mr. Murphy will happily toss over your edibles.

Regards,
Comanche7

That's a good point. For most situations, I would agree, however, I'm curious if this is true for Martin's MRE's? The metallic layer of the retort pouch is supposed to be gas impermeable, which is primarily why it's there (and why you can't microwave the pouches).

Anyone ever eat an MRE that smelled or tasted like gasoline, diesel, etc.?

I've never had an MRE that tasted like any type of Fuel,Though I've had some that,If I had Taken more than the,Few bite's that I did,I felt I'd become Violently Ill! I had to eat MRE's for Months,So knowing what to mix with them,Can make Life Much better! Toothpaste & Alka Seltzer with a bit of water,Usually Got rid of The Slime!The Slime is on the roof of your mouth,after eating them!