MRE 2019

[1978 NYB]

One of the common ***** points about the MRE's during the Iraq wars was that they took a lot of water to prepare. Probably not an issue in a base camp but a potentially big deal on LRRPs or other situations where one has to carry whatever water one is going to need. In a desert enviornment with uncertain resupply, troops need to keep whatever water they have for drinking and water is heavy. Your typical combat load is about 65lbs-80lbs, not a whole lot of wiggle room for extra water. When the extra water was figured in, the weight load was about the same as canned rations, main advantage to MRE's was they were less bulky.

Dave

Hardly any legs in Iraq when I was there. Most of us were Mechanized. It was so hot that most people ate MRE's once a day. Few of the meals were dehydrated. Most were ready to eat in plastic pouches and mostly eaten cold. I lost 35 Lbs when I was there.

 

[Davea Lux]

Hardly any legs in Iraq when I was there. Most of us were Mechanized. It was so hot that most people ate MRE's once a day. Few of the meals were dehydrated. Most were ready to eat in plastic pouches and mostly eaten cold. I lost 35 Lbs when I was there.

Had not thought about that, I guess where it is 120 F in the shade all one had to do was lay the packets on a vehicle in the sun to warm them up.

Dave

 

[1978 NYB]

Had not thought about that, I guess where it is 120 F in the shade all one had to do was lay the packets on a vehicle in the sun to warm them up.

Dave

I've seen some of the latest MRE's and the government have put in a ton of effort to make them more edible and some of the troops say they aren't bad. A lot better than the MRE's you and I ate.

 

[Davea Lux]

I've seen some of the latest MRE's and the government have put in a ton of effort to make them more edible and some of the troops say they aren't bad. A lot better than the MRE's you and I ate.

I was in before MRE's became available. Cooked a bunch of C-Rats on C-4 (Just don't drop anything on burning C-4!) or hobo stoves. The military heat tabs were usually a POS.

Dave

 

[1978 NYB]

I was in before MRE's became available. Cooked a bunch of C-Rats on C-4 (Just don't drop anything on burning C-4!) or hobo stoves. The military heat tabs were usually a POS.

Dave

Yep, I was in from mid 1970's. No one used heat tabs. Still had cigarettes in C's. I've seen the latest MRE's at the Army Test Center at APG. I worked there as a Military Contractor after I retired from the Army.