MRE's - Where to buy?

[AlaskaRocks]

Hey guys,

Yet another question from me.

Where do you all get your MREs?  I have done some searching and I have found one website that sells MREs (Sportsman's Guide) but I have also been told that those are not true MREs.  Where do you get your MREs and what are your thoughts on them?

Thanks

[lordmonar]

You can get them at the commissary on base usually for about $8.50 a pop.
Your better equiped surplus stores have them.
And of course on line.

[Eclipse]

Actual government-issue "MRE's" are not legal for sale.  Be careful because a lot of times the ones in the surplus stores have either "fallen off a truck"
or are far outside their rated shelf life.

What you can buy are commercial versions made by the same companies.  Sopako is where I usually get mine.  The heaters have to be purchased separately.  The challenge is that the shipping usually costs as much as the product.

http://www.sopakco.com/

If you have a military commissary in your area, you might be able to arrange to have someone with access purchase them for you, in some cases by the case or even pallet. We have done this for bivouacs and missions.

[AlaskaRocks]

SoPakCo's product looks pretty good - I'll look into it.  $6.50/meal (plus heaters) doesn't look too bad, unless the shipping's really as terrible as you say it is...

[Eclipse]

SoPakCo's product looks pretty good - I'll look into it.  $6.50/meal (plus heaters) doesn't look too bad, unless the shipping's really as terrible as you say it is...

Their pricing hasn't changed too much since I started using them 10+ years ago.  The trouble is these things are relatively heavy.
It's not prohibitive, more just annoying, and raises the per-meal cost.

At one point I was trying to but a pallet, but was never able to figure out a dock for the receiving.  They can't deliver a pallet unless you've
got a dock or a lift.

[lordmonar]

Actual government-issue "MRE's" are not legal for sale.  Be careful because a lot of times the ones in the surplus stores have either "fallen off a truck"
or are far outside their rated shelf life.

What you can buy are commercial versions made by the same companies.  Sopako is where I usually get mine.  The heaters have to be purchased separately.  The challenge is that the shipping usually costs as much as the product.

http://www.sopakco.com/

If you have a military commissary in your area, you might be able to arrange to have someone with access purchase them for you, in some cases by the case or even pallet. We have done this for bivouacs and missions.

Again you have no idea what you are talking about.
The contractor who supplies MREs the military is free to sell them to just about anyone.
The commissary is the base repository for the contigency plans for MREs.....and they sell off those lots of MRE's that are approaching their "best used by date".

[Garibaldi]

I usually get my MREs from the surplus store. The lady who owns it tells me she gets them from people in the military who don't eat them or have a a few "sitting around" from after their deployment.

www.armygear.net has cases for sale.

It's hard to find any with heaters nowadays but since I don't use them (I'm a culinary masochist who eats the things cold) I have a few sitting around.

[RRLE]

Just go to any gun show.

[Eclipse]

I usually get my MREs from the surplus store. The lady who owns it tells me she gets them from people in the military who don't eat them or have a a few "sitting around" from after their deployment.

Those would be the ones specifically illegal for commercial sale and of questionable vintage.

[lordmonar]

I usually get my MREs from the surplus store. The lady who owns it tells me she gets them from people in the military who don't eat them or have a a few "sitting around" from after their deployment.

Those would be the ones specifically illegal for commercial sale and of questionable vintage.

"Specifically illegal"?  Is this just an Ill thing?  To sound like I am repeating myself.....cite please.

[Spaceman3750]

www.mredepot.com

[Eclipse]

I usually get my MREs from the surplus store. The lady who owns it tells me she gets them from people in the military who don't eat them or have a a few "sitting around" from after their deployment.

Those would be the ones specifically illegal for commercial sale and of questionable vintage.

"Specifically illegal"?  Is this just an Ill thing?  To sound like I am repeating myself.....cite please.

The sale of government spec MRE's, per se, is not illegal, so a civilian who is tossed one off of a guard truck and then sells it to his buddy
is fine, however since issued MRE's are government property, that would fall until Title 108 of the UCMJ.

10 USC § 908 - ART. 108. MILITARY PROPERTY OF UNITED STATES—LOSS, DAMAGE, DESTRUCTION, OR WRONGFUL DISPOSITION
Any person subject to this chapter who, without proper authority—
(1) sells or otherwise disposes of;
(2) willfully or through neglect damages, destroys, or loses; or
(3) willfully or through neglect suffers to be lost, damaged, destroyed, sold, or wrongfully disposed of;
any military property of the United States, shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

You won't find any legal ones commercially available that have been packaged for sale to the US government.

In my personal experience, though the ethics of the resale are an issue, the real concern to our members is the shelf life.
During the Ice Quake in KY, we were told that the Army disposes of MREs as unusable for repack (meaning bringing them back to
the supply depot after running them out for use), if they are more than 1 year old. 

I've seen MRE's on the shelf for years at a time in the local shops, but I'd say a good guess is that anything you're buying at
"Sarge's Surplus Hut"  is likely at least a year or two old, so unless you eat it on the way home, you're gonna be at risk
on the shelf life if it sits in the average member's gear packed in the trunk for another year or two. 

I cycle a lot of these because they make great meals for the bike and when I'm teaching, and anything outside of two years
tends to be dicey.

www.mredepot.com

Excellent example of the issue.  They want top-dollar price for MRE's that are already over 2 years old.

[Eclipse]

This is the generally accepted shelf life for MRE's now (though different manufacturers show slight variations.


Considering most CAP members store them in the garage, basement, or car trunk, anything over 36 months is pushing it.

[Eclipse]

While we're at it, we might as well dispel the calorie wive's tales.

MRE's average 1200-1500 calories per meal, nothing close to the numbers I've heard from people that range from 3-6000 each.

[Spaceman3750]

Last time I was at NESA they were using these http://www.longlifefood.com

[Eclipse]

Heh - "exotic"

[Fubar]

Heh - "exotic"

Hmm, I wonder if that's as expensive as "tactical"

[AngelWings]

MRE's are not what you want in your system, trust me. I worked very long and hard hours at my JCLC for JROTC and we were given them. They caused a great portion of my platoon constipation. Just pack your favorite canned food in a special pack that won't leave mission base (lock it if you feel someone is going to steal it on you) and bring what you need with you. So far, that has worked for me. Poptarts or mini donuts for the morning, chef boyardee for lunch, and in a cooler sandwich stuff at mission base for dinner, or otherwise supplemented by chef boyardee if I am not there. MRE's are very hyped up for energy this, survival that, "ooh, I'll have what the military is having", but they're not all they're hyped up to be.

[RogueLeader]

MRE's are not what you want in your system, trust me. I worked very long and hard hours at my JCLC for JROTC and we were given them. They caused a great portion of my platoon constipation. Just pack your favorite canned food in a special pack that won't leave mission base (lock it if you feel someone is going to steal it on you) and bring what you need with you. So far, that has worked for me. Poptarts or mini donuts for the morning, chef boyardee for lunch, and in a cooler sandwich stuff at mission base for dinner, or otherwise supplemented by chef boyardee if I am not there. MRE's are very hyped up for energy this, survival that, "ooh, I'll have what the military is having", but they're not all they're hyped up to be.

They are good for the field where quick trips behind a tree are cut back. I still use them. There are reasons that people use them, not just because the military use them.

[SarDragon]

Different strokes for different folks. They affect each person differently. I've never had any issues with them, other than some flavor/taste dislikes. Drinking more water helps the exit problem.

[Eclipse]

Different strokes for different folks. They affect each person differently. I've never had any issues with them, other than some flavor/taste dislikes. Drinking more water helps the exit problem.

Ditto - never had any issues, prefer some over others, as to the "over water drop" issue, in most cases where I'm eating them, I'm not in a hurry to "release the demons", anyway.

[Major Lord]

You can buy all the MRE's you want from an Air Force dining facility as long as you have an MSA and identify all the people in your activity and the number of meals you will be providing to your happy campers. It is significantly less costly. On the lawful issue, had I known how evil it is for civilians to have Government issued MRE's, I guess I would have had to arrest all those Red Cross and Salvation Army people handing them out after hurricane Katrina. Those Red Cross people always seemed suspicious to me! Personally, if I never eat another MRE again as long as I live, I will be a happy panda. (Except the pound cake, and possibly the peanut butter)

Major Lord

[AngelWings]

You can buy all the MRE's you want from an Air Force dining facility as long as you have an MSA and identify all the people in your activity and the number of meals you will be providing to your happy campers. It is significantly less costly. On the lawful issue, had I known how evil it is for civilians to have Government issued MRE's, I guess I would have had to arrest all those Red Cross and Salvation Army people handing them out after hurricane Katrina. Those Red Cross people always seemed suspicious to me! Personally, if I never eat another MRE again as long as I live, I will be a happy panda. (Except the pound cake, and possibly the peanut butter)

Major Lord

K-rations is more like it 

[krnlpanick]

All you need is TacBac - Shelf life of 10 years, each can contains 18 servings...

[cap235629]

SOPAKCO gives CAP units special pricing of $59.00 per case (with heaters) plus shipping.  PM me for the details

[caphornbuckle]

Government Accountability Office Report on MRE sales on e-bay.

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06410r.pdf

As a result of unauthorized sales to civilians, DOD began requiring that "U.S. Government Property, Commercial Resale is Unlawful," be printed on each case of MREs (see fig. 1).1 Furthermore, although no statutes or regulations specifically prohibit the sale of military MREs, DSCP's customer eligibility policy states that DOD regulations permit the sale of MREs to a limited number of organizations, including, among others, U.S. military organizations and federally funded activities.2 Consequently, servicemembers, federal civilian personnel, and contractors selling stolen MREs could face criminal charges related to theft of military property.3

3 For laws applicable to military personnel, see U.C.M.J. Art. 108 (sale, loss, damage, destruction, or wrongful disposition of military property); Art. 121 (larceny and wrongful appropriation); and Art. 134 (stolen property: knowingly receiving, buying, or concealing). For laws applicable to civilian personnel and contractors, see 18 U.S.C. § 641 (taking public money, property, or records).

Edited to add foot note

[SarDragon]

Of particular note:

"As a result of unauthorized sales to civilians, DOD began requiring that "U.S. Government Property, Commercial Resale is Unlawful," be printed on each case of MREs (see fig. 1). Furthermore, although no statutes or regulations specifically prohibit the sale of military MREs, DSCP's customer eligibility policy states that DOD regulations permit the sale of MREs to a limited number of organizations, including, among others, U.S. military organizations and federally funded activities. Consequently, servicemembers, federal civilian personnel, and contractors selling stolen MREs could face criminal charges related to theft of military property." [footnote numbers redacted to improve readability]

So, if a civilian vendor obtains MREs legally, he may sell them, despite any markings to the contrary.

[lordmonar]

Yep.

It is on the order of most "hold harmless" letters....makes the lawyers feel better....but have little or no legal standing.

The effort was to stop unit supply NCO's taking a pallets worth of MRE down to the local surplus store to make some extra cash....not stopping the surplus store from ordering them from the contractor and selling them.

[AirDX]

Gotta be at the right place at the right time - we just picked up four pallets of MREs dated 7/2012 from our local FEMA warehouse.  They'll take good care of our field and emergency needs for a year or two. 

[im_not_a_sir]

why are they always so expensive?

[im_not_a_sir]

All you need is TacBac - Shelf life of 10 years, each can contains 18 servings...

this would be good, but it doesn't serve a full meal, is there some else to go with it

[Eclipse]

why are they always so expensive?

Define "expensive".

You can't eat a meal anywhere but in your home for less then $5 (even at home you'll probably come close to that).

An MRE is specially prepared food to be made simple and easy to eat in the field, with a shelf-life of 1-3 years (in normal use).
They also generally include a way to heat themselves.

You should not be paying more then about $8 each for an MRE.  If you are, you're paying for the convenience of having it handy, or
not shopping very well.

[devone529]

OK, all this talk of USED MRE's, where can i get NEW MRE's?

[RogueLeader]

OK, all this talk of USED MRE's, where can i get NEW MRE's?

Online. [lmgtfy]MRE[/lmgtfy]

[PHall]

OK, all this talk of USED MRE's, where can i get NEW MRE's?

Enlist, you'll get all you can stand.

[Nikos]

Meyers Custom Supply

I have bought from him for a few years now.  All of the MREs are new from the mfg.

[SARDOC]

[lmgtfy]Meals ready to eat[/lmgtfy]

[devone529]

www.thereadystore.com ITS THE BEST rather cheap, and who would say no to a BBQ BEEF SAMWICH

[Garibaldi]

www.thereadystore.com ITS THE BEST rather cheap, and who would say no to a BBQ BEEF SAMWICH

It's SAMMICH! And only Heck Yeah!!

[devone529]

Stupid question, but AlaskaRocks, do you live in Alaska, and if so, they have a Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program or ar you a senior?

[SarDragon]

Stupid question, but AlaskaRocks, do you live in Alaska, and if so, they have a Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program or ar you a senior?

AlaskaRocks' vitals are all contained in his signature block, shown below.

C/MSgt James Sagstetter
Cadet Aerospace Education NCO
Southeastern Minnesota Composite Squadron (Rochester)
NCR-MN-047

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Read The Furnished Materials

[RogueLeader]

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