Ironhold Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 Because sometimes, people don't think things all the way through... ** http://taskandpurpose.com/civilian-destroyed-eating-mres-21-days/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Military%20EBB%206-30-16&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Military%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief Earlier in the year, the United States military put out a call for volunteers. These volunteers would spend 21 days living off of water and the contents of the standard-issue US military ration as part of a study. The main goal was to determine what such an extended period would do to the human digestive system, while a secondary goal was to develop new field-expedient recipes so that service members could mix & match bits from different ration kits for better eating while in the field (IE: rice side dish + chili & beans main dish + cheese sauce packet = queso dip). Well, a civilian news organization decided to do the same. Thing is, while military service members are trained in how to properly consume the rations, this guy wasn't. The end result is that he spent most of that time in considerable misery. Backroads and Sunday21 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirkwood Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 11 hours ago, Ironhold said: Thing is, while military service members are trained in how to properly consume the rations, this guy wasn't. The end result is that he spent most of that time in considerable misery. Oh so they tell you guys to all go visit the Air Force base cafeteria instead? Seriously though, what IS the proper way to eat them? I have some as part of my storage, but they are designed to be an occasional alternate to other items, not a steady diet. Even the ones I carry at work are as a mixture to some other food items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironhold Posted July 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 1 hour ago, mirkwood said: Oh so they tell you guys to all go visit the Air Force base cafeteria instead? Seriously though, what IS the proper way to eat them? I have some as part of my storage, but they are designed to be an occasional alternate to other items, not a steady diet. Even the ones I carry at work are as a mixture to some other food items. Each MRE is designed to provide 1,000 - 2,000 calories apiece. People need to remember this, and adjust their consumption to their activity level. Too much, and it becomes lead in your stomach. For most people, a single MRE with peripherals (like the Fig Newton bar) will suffice if spread out over a single day. The big thing is that you need a lot of water when you consume an MRE. The packets of instant coffee and beverage powder aren't there just as a lark; they're to help encourage you to consume fluids. Backroads, mirkwood and Blackmarch 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightSG Posted July 2, 2016 Report Share Posted July 2, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, mirkwood said: Seriously though, what IS the proper way to eat them? Trade them for real food. Another thing worth considering is Humanitarian Daily Rations. I haven't seen them available in case lots anywhere, but according to the spec, they're about 1/5 the price of MREs, (when bought in large bulk) same size, same shelf life, same 2400 calories, but intended for refugees and such. Thus they're vegetarian, Kosher/halal, and contain some items suitable for small children. Plus, since they're geared toward a 2400cal/day diet, they're probably better for hunker down food than MREs intended to be part of a 3600+cal/day diet for a soldier in combat. I don't know if they also have the...uh...well..."corking you up" effect of MREs. Might be good to find out, though. Edited July 2, 2016 by NightSG mirkwood and Blackmarch 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David13 Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 Any food storage you have should be consumed regularly. And then storage replenished. So you know how (and that you can) prepare it, so that you know you can stomach it and eat it, so you know how you function when you do consume it, and ... so it doesn't get too old to use. dc Blackmarch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirkwood Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 I should clarify that I have eaten, and still do on occasion, my MRE's. I pick up the cracker and eat them at work throughout the year. The cheese spread too. Quote Humanitarian Daily Rations @NightSG where do I find those? I'd like to look into them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightSG Posted July 3, 2016 Report Share Posted July 3, 2016 51 minutes ago, mirkwood said: @NightSG where do I find those? I'd like to look into them. Not sure; I've seen them on eBay from time to time, but a bulk MRE vendor might know how to get them by the case reliably. AFAIK, they're made by the same suppliers as MREs, just not distributed as widely. mirkwood 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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