Timeless information yet again. I didn't realize the MRE heater had magnesium as a component. And utilizing the MRE bag for water...brilliant! Thanks again for your time and efforts. I come from the era of C-Rats, and John Waynes. Stay safe.
I've got 3 years left before retirement and I did not know you could use mre heaters with a ferro rod. I will be testing this out because that's awesome.
Thank you corporal for this video. The improvisation of the FRH for firestarting and MRE sleeve for water transport is ingenious. I'm always learning something new in watching your videos. Outstanding!
mre's are great , especially for emergencies . My two favorites are the chicken pesto and pasta and the beef brisket . Made several meals out of each .
My dad used to go on TDY a lot when he was in the Army and he always came back with a few of these that he would give to me and my sister. But they were usually in a box and they always had that can opener. This was the 80's though. I think that's where I acquired the taste for instant coffee and salisbury steak.
Thanks for an excellent lecture and demonstration. I keep some freeze-dried rations in my rig all the time, they just aren't MREs. With this lesson, I will do some additional research on MREs and see about packing a few of them along with me too. It's always good to have options.
I really liked the additional uses for MRE components part :) . Using tape it can also be used for transporting human waste to another location, and extra water carriage.
North of the border we call them IMP's Individual meal packs. The Ham Omelette is fondly referred to as a lung in a bag. 3063 is also called the Julian date.
Cpl. Kelly, Thank you for your service to our country and for this informative video. My beautiful partner in crime here in the Philippines now understands the art and science of the MRE. She is asking where we could get some MREs for emergencies. I am thinking MREs are "out of stock" permanently on this side of the pond.
Hope they include Tobassco sauce still. Remember those tiny little bottles in the crat boxes. Lol. Carsup, Tobassco sauce and kool-aid use to be a common thing in care packages lol. Those little bottles are collectors items now. Hated the mistery meat loaves.
Well, it may sound unprofessional as the Gent above noticed, maybe "or something suitable" could be better. But guys, come on, in a SHTF or war scenario nobody would check your vocabulary or grammar.. especially if you are in a trench or shelter and need to eat ASAP then continue moving. Not mentioning that the situation may require you to prepare it in almost complete darkness. Cheers!
Meals Refusing to Exit! Some of ones they have nowadays aren’t bad actually. Those things certainly provided entertainment value in the field. Wish they didn’t get rid of the little bottles of Tabasco. You can get these as singles (~$9 a pop) or by the case right out of the Commissary now. Great tip on using the heater as a fire starter. Thanks brother. /Jase
Thank you for a video, I didn't think you could use the MRE pouch for anything, so I would break down the MRE and take only what I needed and leave every other part at home. Now I will pack the pouches away and use them for what you suggested. Thank you for some more tid bits on how to survive and using something you would normally throw away. :)
That’s awesome stuff. I’ve been looking at the bags when I finish them and thinking how nice and thick they are, and how it was a shame to just throw them away. I had no idea it was magnesium in the FRH. I need to see if the used ones will burn. Think I have one laying around
Not likely. The reaction with water turns the powder into magnesium oxide. I don't know how well magnesium oxide burns, and if it does, be careful as exposure to the fumes can give you metal fume fever.
Hi. I was playing with my MRE heaters to see how they work on Hormel compleats dinners, and i found 4 heaters that did not work, I just noticed in the bottom of the bags had little white crystals. Any ideas what went wrong or what I did wrong. I did get one to work though
Have not tried the MRE, but for C-Rations I did like the Scrambled Eggs... One MRE in a Day Pack will be a good start for emergency food... A Day Pack with "The Ten Essentials" by the Seattle Mountaineers will keep you safe over night and bring you home safe the next day. And remember the Day Pack evan for the short hikes ! Thank you for the video ! tjl
I don't care what they say; they're still "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians". The Army's idea of a good time. sic You tend to adopt that attitude toward them after a lifetime of eating them like I done after serving a career in the good ole U.S. Army.
Hey Corporal what are your thoughts on survival food like this given the current state of the Union? What do you recommend would be a reasonable amount set aside per household member just for a rainy day without making a tinfoil hat?
I miss the corn beef hash ones. No one else liked them. The cheese spreads was bad ass as well. I onl ate them up to 2001, so I dont know about the new ones out but never liked the first brown bags out, nasty stuff. LOL I see they changed the design on the MRE heaters. First ones out you could actually take the dried heater out, crumble it in a 2 liter soda plastic bottle, add a little water and put on cap fast. Home made noise maker
The cheese spread is a form of Currency..... MRE's are a great ration option because of all the accessories (Pouches, TP, matches, the heater, etc.) but they are heavy. You should balance the weight vs usefullness against other lighter options, like freeze dried meals. I carry a mix. Eat the heavy stuff first, keep the useful accessories, and save the lighter weight stuff for later when you might be more exhausted.
Thought this would be just another MRE review. Glad i watched it. One question: using the heater as a fire starter, do you use it before you actually used the heater or can you use it after use? Or both?
when did they start using heaters for the food? C-Rations could be heated by burning the cardboard box. I've had MREs years ago, but they required boiling water if you didn't want to chew on freeze dried food (not that I didn't mind lol)
John Doe, My first MREs were issued while in Beirut, Lebanon in the summer or fall of 1983. I can assure you that the change, from C-rats, was not welcomed by most Marine grunts including myself. The “Chicken ala King” meal was particularly despised. As far as “heaters” are concerned, the MRE bag included a “heating tab” that could be used to boil some water, in your canteen cup, and heat the entree pouch that way. Those “blue tabs” were low flame/low smoke and effective but gave off an ungodly chemical smell that would let any enemy, downwind, know that you were upwind and stopping to eat. A perfect time to attack. So, unless you were hunkered down in a “known by all” defensive position or were back at base, they were rarely used. I don’t remember any meals that were freeze dried. My memory is that the only things that required rehydration were the coffee/creamer and the cocoa mix. But, we’re talking about 37 years ago so I can’t swear that all of this is factual. Hell, sometimes I can’t remember what I ate yesterday, lol.
Awesome vid! So 2-3 MRE's per day while out? I think I can only cram 2 into my Alice field pack. Should we strip them down to fit more or keep them together for the material as shown? I never realized there was magnesium in the heaters. Is it usable after it has heated a meal, or do you have to use an uncooked one? Thanks.
stripping them allows one to carry more, however one MRE is 1200 to 1300 calories if you eat the entire meal not just the main course........give and a take
I miss the chicklets that came with the old MREs. Shove the MRE under your armpit and eat it warm and save the water heater to keep you warm on a cold night.
Remember - these meals are meant for adult, male soldiers doing hard duty - tough both physically and psychologically. If this is not what you are doing, adjust your calorie intake accordingly.
I've said it before - nuts! Mixed nuts don't require cooking, or spoil and are probably more nutritious than processed meals, providing healthy fats, protein, minerals and fibre.
The Canadian Army equivalent is called an IMP (Individual Meal Packs). In Afghanistan I spent time with the US Army and ate American MRE's. My opinion: the IMP's have better main meals but the MRE's have better snacks (just my opinion). Of course, if you really want the best MRE's the Italian Army combat rations include a little plastic bottle of wine (or so I've been told). And, oh yeah, make sure you put a lot of tobasco on these bad boys to facilitate, well, you know what.
I like MRE's, keep two in my emergency kit in my car, case in my house(will get more but I prep for other food items as well.) I all so have them for my B.O.B. Plus every once in a while I'll take one to work, a lot of co workers look at me weird, then they ask questions. Next time I'll point them to this video. All so, F*ing awesome about the holding of the water and the fire starter out of the MRE's. Jeez!
I subbed a while ago. I am watching all your older vids. I like your calm, no drama, no backround music, no bs approach.
sir I'm only 14 but just wanted to say thank you for keeping our country safe and thank you for service
Respect kid ✅😎
Thank you for serving our country and thank you for responding to my messages. I have learned so much from you. Thank you again.
Timeless information yet again. I didn't realize the MRE heater had magnesium as a component. And utilizing the MRE bag for water...brilliant! Thanks again for your time and efforts. I come from the era of C-Rats, and John Waynes.
Stay safe.
I've got 3 years left before retirement and I did not know you could use mre heaters with a ferro rod. I will be testing this out because that's awesome.
Thank you corporal for this video. The improvisation of the FRH for firestarting and MRE sleeve for water transport is ingenious. I'm always learning something new in watching your videos. Outstanding!
Thank you for the explanation of expiration dates and the different ways to use the MRE sleeves. Thanks again
mre's are great , especially for emergencies . My two favorites are the chicken pesto and pasta and the beef brisket . Made several meals out of each .
My dad used to go on TDY a lot when he was in the Army and he always came back with a few of these that he would give to me and my sister. But they were usually in a box and they always had that can opener. This was the 80's though.
I think that's where I acquired the taste for instant coffee and salisbury steak.
Thanks for an excellent lecture and demonstration. I keep some freeze-dried rations in my rig all the time, they just aren't MREs. With this lesson, I will do some additional research on MREs and see about packing a few of them along with me too. It's always good to have options.
When I was in the army. They were called C rations! and they included 4 cigarettes in every pack. And the CanOpener’s were called P-38.
I really liked the additional uses for MRE components part :) . Using tape it can also be used for transporting human waste to another location, and extra water carriage.
Great information once again. You are quickly becoming my first choice for videos. On behalf of my family, thank you for your service.
MRE's are great. I grew up eating these while in the back country for weeks at a time. 100% fantastic food in an emergency situation.
Your old videos are popping up all over today. Awesome
North of the border we call them IMP's Individual meal packs. The Ham Omelette is fondly referred to as a lung in a bag. 3063 is also called the Julian date.
Cpl. Kelly, Thank you for your service to our country and for this informative video. My beautiful partner in crime here in the Philippines now understands the art and science of the MRE. She is asking where we could get some MREs for emergencies. I am thinking MREs are "out of stock" permanently on this side of the pond.
NewHampshire Jack Ebay or Amazon. thanks for watching
I had a friend that was a reserve staff sergeant in the USMC at a job I had. He used to bring me MRE's in once in a while. They were pretty good.
Thank you sir for your service what do you think of cold weather camping in NY should I do it or no
Hope they include Tobassco sauce still. Remember those tiny little bottles in the crat boxes. Lol. Carsup, Tobassco sauce and kool-aid use to be a common thing in care packages lol. Those little bottles are collectors items now. Hated the mistery meat loaves.
That "rock or something" always cracks me up, I dunno why.
***** It is Idiot Proof, lol, thanks for watching.
+Mathias Laakkonen That graphic made me laugh out loud too. I'm glad someone else noticed it.
I love it. The ever professional military with the words "or something" showing unprofrssionalism.
Well, it may sound unprofessional as the Gent above noticed, maybe "or something suitable" could be better. But guys, come on, in a SHTF or war scenario nobody would check your vocabulary or grammar.. especially if you are in a trench or shelter and need to eat ASAP then continue moving. Not mentioning that the situation may require you to prepare it in almost complete darkness. Cheers!
@@recall5811 You'd think that, but I've seen at least one soldier think the "or something" means a hand grenade.
I never had any luck with those MRE heaters it's nice to know that you can use them start a fire I never thought of that
Meals Refusing to Exit! Some of ones they have nowadays aren’t bad actually. Those things certainly provided entertainment value in the field. Wish they didn’t get rid of the little bottles of Tabasco. You can get these as singles (~$9 a pop) or by the case right out of the Commissary now. Great tip on using the heater as a fire starter. Thanks brother. /Jase
Another excellent video! , I’ve served for years in the army and no one taught us this stuff
Thank you for a video, I didn't think you could use the MRE pouch for anything, so I would break down the MRE and take only what I needed and leave every other part at home. Now I will pack the pouches away and use them for what you suggested. Thank you for some more tid bits on how to survive and using something you would normally throw away. :)
Nice, I save the packaging for dry storage in my packs. It was cool to learn the use of collecting water. Thanks a bunch!
One of the best cheese I’ve had was from the C Rations during the early 80’s(1982), some of the main courses was great too.
That’s awesome stuff. I’ve been looking at the bags when I finish them and thinking how nice and thick they are, and how it was a shame to just throw them away.
I had no idea it was magnesium in the FRH. I need to see if the used ones will burn. Think I have one laying around
Not likely. The reaction with water turns the powder into magnesium oxide. I don't know how well magnesium oxide burns, and if it does, be careful as exposure to the fumes can give you metal fume fever.
I friggin love MREs... I work in the field and do not have access to normal food.... MREs make my very busy day great
Hello. I rewatch a lot of your videos for what I can learm. But I love yhe sound of your voice. Thank you for all the hard work on the videos
Hi. I was playing with my MRE heaters to see how they work on Hormel compleats dinners, and i found 4 heaters that did not work, I just noticed in the bottom of the bags had little white crystals. Any ideas what went wrong or what I did wrong. I did get one to work though
"poulet aux tomates et au fromage feta" is it written in French for canadians?
UK Forces Rations are the same. French is the Second language in NATO.
I ordered 26 peanut butter 1.5 oz packs. Plus seperate entreys to keep 3 days in my EDC at all times.
Very helpful information.
Have not tried the MRE, but for C-Rations I did like the Scrambled Eggs... One MRE in a Day Pack will be a good start for emergency food... A Day Pack with "The Ten Essentials" by the Seattle Mountaineers will keep you safe over night and bring you home safe the next day. And remember the Day Pack evan for the short hikes ! Thank you for the video ! tjl
Great use of the MRE bag.
I don't care what they say; they're still "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians". The Army's idea of a good time. sic You tend to adopt that attitude toward them after a lifetime of eating them like I done after serving a career in the good ole U.S. Army.
After 4 years in the Marine Corps, I too am tired of them as well, but if I HAD TO I would.
Ronald Ziehlke gotta love food that comes with Operating Instructions.
I would like to know about your stainless steel water bottle. Is it a insulated bottle and where can I get one.
I never use an insulated bottle. /if you put that into the fire it can crack rendering the bottle useless. Single wall only
Glad I watched this..! Mine are 4 years old but the outer circle is still darker than the inner.
Outstanding af!
Where is the best place to buy fresh military issue MREs?
I've eaten MREs only a few times; haven't they come light-years from K or C rations?.
I actually worked in a plant that made the MREs you're showing here made me think my hometown
Hey Corporal what are your thoughts on survival food like this given the current state of the Union? What do you recommend would be a reasonable amount set aside per household member just for a rainy day without making a tinfoil hat?
Great vid
What ruck was that you were wearing
I miss the corn beef hash ones. No one else liked them. The cheese spreads was bad ass as well. I onl ate them up to 2001, so I dont know about the new ones out but never liked the first brown bags out, nasty stuff. LOL I see they changed the design on the MRE heaters. First ones out you could actually take the dried heater out, crumble it in a 2 liter soda plastic bottle, add a little water and put on cap fast. Home made noise maker
Lots of good info in this episode
The cheese spread is a form of Currency.....
MRE's are a great ration option because of all the accessories (Pouches, TP, matches, the heater, etc.) but they are heavy. You should balance the weight vs usefullness against other lighter options, like freeze dried meals. I carry a mix. Eat the heavy stuff first, keep the useful accessories, and save the lighter weight stuff for later when you might be more exhausted.
Thought this would be just another MRE review. Glad i watched it. One question: using the heater as a fire starter, do you use it before you actually used the heater or can you use it after use? Or both?
I don't care what you say, you're Steven Segal!! See you Monday Big bro!!
when did they start using heaters for the food? C-Rations could be heated by burning the cardboard box. I've had MREs years ago, but they required boiling water if you didn't want to chew on freeze dried food (not that I didn't mind lol)
FRHs were developed in the late 80s just in time for Desert Storm.
John Doe, My first MREs were issued while in Beirut, Lebanon in the summer or fall of 1983. I can assure you that the change, from C-rats, was not welcomed by most Marine grunts including myself. The “Chicken ala King” meal was particularly despised. As far as “heaters” are concerned, the MRE bag included a “heating tab” that could be used to boil some water, in your canteen cup, and heat the entree pouch that way. Those “blue tabs” were low flame/low smoke and effective but gave off an ungodly chemical smell that would let any enemy, downwind, know that you were upwind and stopping to eat. A perfect time to attack. So, unless you were hunkered down in a “known by all” defensive position or were back at base, they were rarely used. I don’t remember any meals that were freeze dried. My memory is that the only things that required rehydration were the coffee/creamer and the cocoa mix. But, we’re talking about 37 years ago so I can’t swear that all of this is factual. Hell, sometimes I can’t remember what I ate yesterday, lol.
Awesome vid! So 2-3 MRE's per day while out? I think I can only cram 2 into my Alice field pack. Should we strip them down to fit more or keep them together for the material as shown? I never realized there was magnesium in the heaters. Is it usable after it has heated a meal, or do you have to use an uncooked one?
Thanks.
stripping them allows one to carry more, however one MRE is 1200 to 1300 calories if you eat the entire meal not just the main course........give and a take
Justin Somerset "...magnesium in the heaters. Is it usable after it has heated a meal, or do you have to use an uncooked one?"
I wonder this, myself.
i know this post is like 2 years old, but the heaters are one time use. It's a chemical reaction that heats it up.
I miss the chicklets that came with the old MREs. Shove the MRE under your armpit and eat it warm and save the water heater to keep you warm on a cold night.
The lake looks like south lake in Oregon near mt hebo
Remember - these meals are meant for adult, male soldiers doing hard duty - tough both physically and psychologically. If this is not what you are doing, adjust your calorie intake accordingly.
Even camp food packages are loaded with fat and calories. Especially ones from Eastern Europe and Russia.
What happened to the small bottles of tabasco
I've said it before - nuts!
Mixed nuts don't require cooking, or spoil and are probably more nutritious than processed meals, providing healthy fats, protein, minerals and fibre.
Make sure you chew the gum, right? I was told it was good for digestion. Or is that a myth?
Outstanding!
If the date stamp is 3067.....how do you know its year 2013 or maybe 2003???
The Canadian Army equivalent is called an IMP (Individual Meal Packs). In Afghanistan I spent time with the US Army and ate American MRE's. My opinion: the IMP's have better main meals but the MRE's have better snacks (just my opinion). Of course, if you really want the best MRE's the Italian Army combat rations include a little plastic bottle of wine (or so I've been told). And, oh yeah, make sure you put a lot of tobasco on these bad boys to facilitate, well, you know what.
We used the 2nd gen I believe.(1984-88)
The old dehydrated pork patty and cheese and crackers....uggg...lol.was gourmet in the field...
Thank you for your service, i like your videos. ..
I like MRE's, keep two in my emergency kit in my car, case in my house(will get more but I prep for other food items as well.) I all so have them for my B.O.B. Plus every once in a while I'll take one to work, a lot of co workers look at me weird, then they ask questions. Next time I'll point them to this video.
All so, F*ing awesome about the holding of the water and the fire starter out of the MRE's. Jeez!
You can also boil water in those MRE bags.
I bet you could use hot rocks to boil your water inside of the MRE bags if you lost you SS pot. I haven't tried it yet but want to
Corporal, you are good to go!
Where can I get a single wall one at I am trying to get my bug out bag together.
amazon
That was really helpful information. Thanks. Great stuff as usual.
Another great video. Thank you Sir.
It looks a lot better than my c rats in Nam. We used to open them up and throw them outside the bunker to feed the rats to keep them out.
Some taste better than oth ers, had them for camping God Bless you
Besides high calories, MRE's are high in Iron. This is what causes you to only defecate once a week lol :)
and when you do...your proud to spit out rabbit turds
Heck, three-to-five years? Better tell that to Steve, the MRE Dude here on UA-cam.
Why do people pick MREs over freeze dried food?
Are you gonna make a survival kit video
Where did you find that atac-fg bag?
Wake Up Canuck thehiddenwoodsmen.com/huntsmen-light-pack/ thanks for watching
Do I have to eat the entire MRE right after I open it?
no
We had C rations in 1974. They were good AF though. Of course with a little tabasco from the mess hall. LMAO
"Rock or something" lmao.
Just happen to be watching this again on March 4, but in 2023 @5:23
One time I ate a MRE from the space center designed for an Astronaut..............I think it was about 2000 years old
Because holy sh*t.
Good information! Thanks
Good old Pulp Fiction... :)
very well done video
+Andrew Gordon Thank you
I'm hungry
👍👍
Thanks! Great video sir!
Thank you for the comments and views
You look like Roark from CoD: Ghosts :D
All its missing is a couple packs of lucky strike nonfilter
do they cater for Yiddish or Muslim bug out chaps
Thanks for the vid and your service but i'll pass on the MREs except if I am starving. I like real food.
+Richard M different strokes for different folks. thanks for watching
Why no bacon?
was there bacon shown in the MRE?
@@recall5811 I didn't see it in this video but in the cold weather MRE I did see bacon and eggs.
I've eaten about 11 MRE's in my life (their most of the time good) and im only 12
Now’ let’s get this on a tray
man I miss the rat packs from my infantry days in the british army lol
Can you do a video where you eat expired mre. Then survival in the woods with food poising.
Nice
I want to get some of these and stick im in my alice pak
too bad the civilian MREs don't offer the heaters but I can hang