Best Place To Buy MRE's?

Podmonkey

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I don't think authentic MREs are available anywhere. If I'm wrong I wanna where to get em too. I've had the civilian look alikes but they are not near as good. No heater either.
 
prambo

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Podmonkey said:
I don't think authentic MREs are available anywhere. If I'm wrong I wanna where to get em too. I've had the civilian look alikes but they are not near as good. No heater either.
Click to expand...

Had .MIL grade back before Y2K. Used to order direct from the manufacturer, but don't remember the companies name.
 
prambo

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Podmonkey said:
Those aren't the actual real ones are they?
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Sopakco makes MRE's for the military. These are the same, with or without heaters, but are OK for "civilians" to buy - military issue have a warning on the bag that says not for resale, or whatever. I guess there used to be a "black market" in MRE's with .MIL stuff being sold off-base. Sopakco used to allow direct purchase, but as I said, that was before Y2K - 17+ years ago.

From what I understand, these are essentially identical to military MRE's. When I had them, they looked the same as the pics - heavy duty plastic packaging, etc.
 
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pmcjuryny

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I'll see if I can dig up the card of the last place I bought them from. It was a couple of years ago, but as far as I know they where authentic, they certainly seemed like the same thing I ate when I was in the usaf.

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enigma

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Looks like "real deal" military MREs are being sold to civilians, and the military isn't concerned. Could be because they are surplusing them out, or they have given so many truckloads away for relief efforts, etc., that they can't track which is their property anymore.

Here's an example of a case being sold as surplus. Can anyone with recent military experience confirm the packaging is correct?
https://www.amazon.com/Meals-Ready-..._6?ie=UTF8&qid=1489371824&sr=8-6&keywords=MRE
There's likely to be better pricing out there, and fresher MREs, but it would be a good start to know what they are supposed to look like.

This is an example of better better pricing and fresher MREs -
2 Cases A&B Military Spec MRE's 5-2017 isp For Hunting-Fishing-Camping-Prepping | eBay
But, the lack of internal packaging pictures, and the external labeling being different than the Amazon listing is concerning.
 
Uzi

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I'd try ebay. Even if it's not exactly what you're looking for, there are so many equivalent options available. I've gotten some fantastic deals on storable food, rations, and just about everything else on ebay.
 
Podmonkey

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There is a misconception regarding civilian MRE sales. If a supplier sells government marked MREs out of a contracted allotment that's, well I don't know if that's out right illegal, but it's at least improper. Once sold to and stocked by the military it's illegal to sell it as it's illegal to sell any government property. But if a company that sells MREs sells a run of their product directly onto the commercial market that is perfectly legal. It's not about denying civilians of MREs but rather not selling government property. It's just this market is flooded with inferior MRE clones and it's hard to find the real good stuff. If the above is the real deal I'd love to pickup a case. I once had several cases of "real" MREs but I ate them all during an extended period of unemployment. I supose they at least served their purpose as emergency rations at least.
@enigma that first link sure looks authentic. Gotta have the heater too, even if you don't need them to heat the food there is hours of fun to be had using them for MRE bombs!
 
Airborneguy

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I have 12 cases left from Hurricane Sandy, all have heaters but they come with a small packet of salt water to activate it unlike what I remember from the Army (just a little water).
 
tirwin1

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Apologies in advance for hijacking the thread but it raises a good question. In terms of prepping, should one favor MREs, freeze dried food or simply stocking up on canned food?
 
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tirwin1 said:
Apologies in advance for hijacking the thread but it raises a good question. In terms of prepping, should one favor MREs, freeze dried food or simply stocking up on canned food?
Click to expand...

Each has its positives and negatives.
MREs are field-expedient, but can be bulky. They can be eaten at room temp and don't require cooking. They do require special handling for long-term storage, and their shelf life isn't as long as freeze-dried or canned foods.

Freeze-dried foods are generally lighter. If kept sealed, their shelf life is stupid-long. You'll definitely need water to reconstitute them though, and water may not always be available.

Canned foods will stay for a long time too. They can also be heavy. They usually require a tool to open, and they're typically loaded with sodium as a preservative.

You need to consider your resources, your abilities, and your situation.

If your intent is to hunker down at home and ride out the next extended power outage, a case can be made for stocking the shelves with freeze-dried and canned foods. If you're thinking about getting stranded in your car during a snowstorm (travel the Thruway near Buffalo often?) there's a solid case for MREs.
 
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