Best MREs For Long-Term Survival And Food Storage
Lots of non-perishables do not taste very good.
In fact, lots of survival food tastes like crap.
Why? Because foods with extreme shelf life are usually full of preservatives.
These foods don’t make for a great gourmet dining experience.
But some survival rations DO taste fairly good.
Some might even say they taste exceptional (especially relative to other non-perishable foods).
An MRE meal is one of the best, most nutritious, longest-lasting, and tastiest survival foods.
So we’re going to dive into MREs and how they can be used for emergency preparations:
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Best MRE For Sale On The Market Today
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What Is An MRE, And How Is It Made?
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What Makes MRE Food Great
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How To Heat An MRE
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Maintaining Your MRE Stash
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DIY MREs – Make Your Own MRE’s For Cheap
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What Is An MRE & How Are They Made?
MRE stands for Meal Ready to Eat, as in, it’s ready to eat straight out of the packaging.
They come in sealed, airtight packages to prevent them from drying out or going bad.
The U.S. military originally designed these survival rations. MREs were developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
They replaced the MCI rations (Meal, Combat, Individual rations). MCI rations were the ones used throughout WWI and WWII.
And they are still in use today…
Eating MREs at Officer Training School
MREs were lighter weight, cheaper, easier to transport, and more nutritious than MCIs.
MREs were for soldiers who got trapped without food deliveries or mess halls, and they kept those stranded warriors fed and living to fight another day.
While MREs are still relatively new, the need for portable nonperishable military food goes back thousands of years.
“The generally awful reputation of military food dates to ancient times.” – Rebecca Rupp
Providing a supply of nutritious food for soldiers on the move has been an epic challenge throughout history.
The logistics of keeping an army fed on the move often made the difference between winning a war or losing it!
The Evolution Of Military Rations Throughout History
One of the ancient options was to scavenge the local areas, depleting farmers and small towns of their meager food supplies.
This practice was frowned upon back then and even more so today.
Hence, modern-day armies figured out a new means to feed an army on the move without stealing from civilians. MREs are the most recent solution to this ancient problem.
History Channel – Battle Factory – MRE (Meal Ready to Eat)
And the next obvious question is: how are MRE’s made? Here’s your answer…
How do you make an MRE? Go inside the test kitchen
MRE Mass Popularity
However, with the insane utility of MREs, they quickly became popular among the civilian world as well, especially with:
- Hunters
- Backpackers
- Campers
- Hikers
- Bikers
- Fishermen
- Etc.
Basically, anyone and everyone who spends long hours outdoors.
They’re still one of the most popular forms of survival food today.
Even humanitarian and government disaster response groups have adopted MREs. They hand them out to victims of natural disasters and national emergencies.
MREs are fantastic, and you should take advantage of the fact that they are so readily available today.
So stock up because they may not always be as cheap and as abundant.
5 Things You Don’t Know About: Rations
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What Makes An MRE Meal Great
There are a lot of reasons why MRE meals are great.
First: How long do MREs last?
They can last for up to seven years on their own, and if kept in cool conditions, they can last even longer. Theoretically, if you freeze them, they can last indefinitely.
This long shelf life makes MRE’s decent choice for emergencies.
You can store them with your survival gear, in your food cache, car, bug out location, or anywhere! And you can be sure that they will be good when you return in a year to eat them.
They’re relatively cheap.
Most of the places online that sell MRE meals do so in packs. Usually, you can get between four and twenty per package. And the more you buy in bulk, the cheaper they are individually.
A single MRE costs around $20, but buying that same MRE in a pack of twelve will cost closer to $10 or $12 each.
That’s a great incentive to buy a lot of these things. The more you have, the better off you’ll be in the long run.
Transportation and portability are critical when it comes to MREs.
These things were designed to be carried by soldiers over long, hard distances. So, weight and packability are significant factors.
MREs are engineered to be light while still packing a big nutritional punch.
And because of the way they’re packaged, they’re easily stored in a backpack, glove box, or pocket.
No spilling, molding, or mess.
They taste pretty damn good for military/survival rations.
These things do not taste like dried cardboard caked in mud, like many non-perishable meals. Many companies offer different meals and flavors, so finding one you like is not difficult.
Some offer full MRE meals (with a variety of flavors), which include most of the following:
- Main Course Entree (i.e., beef stew or chili and macaroni or cheese tortellini)
- Side Dish (i.e., rice, corn, mashed potatoes, etc.)
- Sandwich Bread Or Crackers
- Spread – (i.e., peanut butter, jelly, or cheese spread)
- Desserts and snacks (i.e., cookies or pound cake)
- Candy (i.e., M&Ms, Skittles, or Tootsie Rolls)
- Hot Sauce or Seasoning Packets
- Powdered Drink Mixers
- Flame Ration Heater (for the entree)
- Accessories – (i.e., spoon, matches, creamer, sugar, salt, chewing gum, toilet paper, etc.)
MREs make survival a tasty experience.
Being in an IT-hits-the-fan scenario does not mean you have to eat crappy food.
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Best MRE Meals On The Market Today
There are many MRE food companies out there, and they all make similar products.
So I’ve put together the following Best MRE for sale:
The Ready Store MRE Meals Bundle Deals
First off, The Ready Store is my go-to vendor of Military-Grade MRE Meals.
Not only do they sell some of the top MRE meals, but they do so in bulk and at a fair price.
The Ready Store sources its MREs from the same companies that supply the U.S. military.
I really like that you can order small, medium, or large quantities with a single purchase, for example:
- 1 CASE (12 MEALS)
- 1 MONTH SUPPLY
- 3 MONTH SUPPLY
- 6 MONTH SUPPLY
- 1 YEAR SUPPLY
So you can have confidence in the “up to 5 years of the self-life, no cooking to consume, and MADE IN THE USA!
Western Frontier 12 MRE Meal Case
These genuine US warfighter rations offer about 1250 calories per meal.
These cases include flavorful spices, matches, toilet paper, and other survival accessories.
The meals are randomly selected from two different menu options but come with a variety of:
- Asian
- Mexican
- Italian
- Traditional
- Vegetarian
There’s even an assortment of snacks, desserts, coffee, milkshakes, and beverage powders.
While the packs have an inspection date of 2019, there is no official expiration date. This means they’ll likely last about 5-7 years (or longer).
Western Frontier’s Ultimate MRE, Case of 12
Captain Dave’s 12 Military MRE Entrees, Meals Ready to Eat, MREs Case
This pack has 12 entrees (not complete meals, just the main dishes), which helps bring the price down.
Or you could use these entrees to build out your own DIY MRE Meals…
There are at least six different meal flavors included in this case. Some are chicken-based meals; others are beef-based.
This government-approved MRE manufacturer guarantees quality products.
Western Frontier Ultimate MRE Certified Genuine Surplus (6-Pack)
Another Western Frontier MRE offering.
Instead of a case of 12, this is a 6-pack option.
These MRE Meals include flavorful spices, matches, toilet paper, and other survival accessories.
The meals are randomly selected from two different menu options but come with a variety of:
- Asian
- Mexican
- Italian
- Traditional
- Vegetarian
There’s even an assortment of snacks, desserts, coffee, milkshakes, and beverage powders.
MRE (Meals Ready-to-Eat Box A, Genuine U.S. Military Surplus, Menus 1-12 by Rothco
These MREs are genuine US War Fighter Rations with 12 different Meals per Case.
Making this ideal for hunting, camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and emergency food supply.
Each MRE meal contains a flameless ration heater for a hot meal anywhere you go.
The meals also feature an accessory pack with coffee or beverage powder, matches, seasonings, gum, wet wipe, and tissue.
Designed for maximum endurance and nutrition with an average of 1250 calories per meal.
MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) Genuine U.S. Military Surplus Assorted Flavor (4-Pack)
This one claims a very long shelf life if stored per the MRE manufacturer’s directions.
Again this option is good for hunting, camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and emergency food supply.
Designed for maximum endurance and nutrition with an average of 1250 calories per meal.
MRE Beef & Chicken Entrees Combo – 18 pack
This product contains 18 pouches of MRE Beef & Chicken Entrees.
3 Shredded Beef, 3 Beef Strips, 3 Beef Ravioli, 3 Chili with Beans, 3 Meatballs, 1 Chicken noodle, and 2 Chicken Chunks.
All are 8 oz, except Chicken Chunks (5 oz).
Includes labels or cardboard sleeves with Ingredients and Nutritional Information.
1 Pallet Humanitarian Daily Ration MRE – Random Menu
As they say…Go BIG or Go Home, right? Why not buy a pallet…
Each package is brand new factory sealed with 2 Entrees, Side dishes, Dessert/Snacks, Crackers or Bread, and an Accessory pack containing Utensils, Gum, Napkin/Towelette, and Seasonings like Salt, Pepper, and Sugar.
Each HDR MRE provides an average of 2,200 calories (10-13% protein, 27-30% fat, and 60% carbohydrates).
And when properly stored, these meals can last 10+ years.
MRE Review 2021 Humanitarian Daily Ration!
Modern MRE Taste Tests
Here are a few videos of a modern MRE review.
2017 MRE Chicken Burrito Bowl Meal Ready to Eat Review
Ultimate MRE Taste Test
The BEST MRE
How To Heat Up An MRE
Of course, as the name implies, you can immediately open the packaging and start chomping away at one of your MREs. But most MRE meals suggest you heat the meal before chowing down.
There is nothing wrong with eating them cold and fresh out of the wrapper; they tend to taste better warm.
Some MRE cases will include a heating system; others leave it up to you. So, I thought listing a few different methods for heating an MRE might be useful.
Flameless Retention Heater
These nifty little ovens were explicitly designed for MREs. If your MRE includes a heating method, it will probably be a flameless retention heater.
It works without the need for matches, tinder, or fuel.
Just slip your MRE inside the flameless retention heater pouch, and add a teaspoon of water to seal it up. Now sit back and let the magic unfold.
The water starts a reaction inside the pack and generates heat to warm your meal in minutes.
How air-activated MRE heaters work
Boiling Water
Most MREs are packaged in a material that is both water and heat-resistant, so boiling them is no issue whatsoever. And it’s an easy, efficient method for quickly heating your food.
Allow water to come to a boil in a pot, and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Place the MRE inside the boiling water and allow it to soak for 5-8 minutes.
Pull it out carefully so as not to burn yourself, and you’ve got a hot and ready meal!
This method is particularly useful in survival situations. That way, you don’t require a fancy chemical heating package or a portable butane stove.
If you have got fire, water, and a pot, you can get that MRE warmed up, no problem.
The Saucepan
Get your hands on a saucepan and a heat source (a fire will do, but a stovetop will do better).
Open up your MRE, pour the contents into the saucepan, and let it heat to the desired temperature. DONE!
The Oven
If you can access an oven (rare in actual survival), you can use it to warm your MREs.
Just get an oven-safe pan, open your MRE into it, and cook it in the oven at 350 degrees. It takes about ten minutes (or until it reaches the desired heat).
Maintaining Your MRE Stockpile
Unfortunately, no survival meal is going to keep indefinitely. Even military-designed, long-lasting MREs come with an expiration date.
Knowing this, you must closely monitor when your MREs go bad.
The last thing you want is to bust into your survival food rations only to get food poisoning via a bad MRE. The food you were counting on to stay fresh. Do not let it happen!
The problem is that when you are dealing with foods that last up to 7 years, it can be hard to keep close tabs on them. It’s hard to know the precise date when it goes from edible to poison.
You can’t mark an exact date on your calendar.
So what do you do? Ration!
You should keep a running list of what you have / when you got it, and when it’s likely to go bad.
A simple spreadsheet will suffice, and you can keep it in your cache of survival foods.
Mine is on a clipboard that I reference whenever I add something new to my survival food supply. Be it canned foods, dehydrated goods, bottled water, or MREs.
Then, when some of your foods expire, you can single those out. Eat them before they go bad, and then replace them.
In this way, you cycle through the older food supplies and always have fresh survival food via rotation.
Also, remember where you store your MREs makes a big difference in how well they keep.
Don’t expect them to last if you stash them on a windowsill in direct sunlight and leave them there for three years.
They won’t be good when you eat them.
Cool, dark, dry areas are best for storing foods like MREs – think root cellar. You can help them to last even longer than their usual shelf life just by where you store them.
Pantries, temperature-controlled garages, basements, and closets all work well for this.
As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our Family First Food Planning Guide. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.
DIY MREs – Make Your Own MRE’s For Cheap
If you’re like me, you’re willing to put in some time and effort to save a few dollars.
Well, the best way to do this with MREs is to make your own!
How to Make a Real MRE for Under $5
Final Thoughts
Adding MREs to your survival food stockpile is a major step towards self-reliance.
MREs ensure that, no matter what happens, you will have food that you can eat to survive.
You can rest easy knowing you have an MRE safety net waiting to catch you in a long-term disaster.
They enable you to store savory, high-calorie meals for a long time.
That way, when the moment finally comes, you’ll not be the family that goes hungry.
Will Brendza
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