ThatDailyDeal Sopako Low-Sodium MREs - a review

[majorhavoc]

Hopefully this will help Mac, Ebuff or any silent lurkers who got in on this deal. Or anyone who faces a similar situation in the future where you have a viable MRE, but a dead or questionable flameless ration heater.  I still have eight of those aftermarket FRHs lying around - the ones I used to complete my review in the first post of this thread.  So I'm dedicating the rest of them to this cause.  (That still leaves me with 11 Sopako Low-sodium MREs with almost certainly dead FRHs, so I'm still interested in finding an affordable source of replacements.  In other words, I'm still in the same boat as everyone else).  But when/if you do locate replacement FRHs ...

I didn't want to open the outer bag of the MRE, let alone the inner one, to insert the replacement FRH (along with a couple of extras), so I decided to just attach it to the outside of the MRE with some clear packing tape I had lying around.  This way, I haven't compromised the integrity of the MRE's original packaging, but I'm ensuring it and the replacement FRH stay together.  This also gives us a chance to throw in a couple of extra condiments that, after taste testing, I personally will appreciate in the future.

Ready for assembly
Sopako Low Sodium MREs, replacement FRHs, packing tape, some wax paper, hot sauce and those little paper salt packets.




Protecting the salt packet
I didn't want to directly tape the salt to anything, because at time of use, more likely than not you'll accidentally tear it open getting these components apart.  At first I was thinking of buying some of those tiny zip lock baggies you see in hobby stores or the jewelry making section of a Walmart.  But then I realized it's ridiculous to go to that extra expense.  Wrapping them in wax paper works just as well for this purpose.




Attaching the condiments to the FRH
I folded the FRH three ways to make tidy, compact package. I taped the hot sauce and salt packet inside the first fold.




Attaching to the MRE
More packing tape to securely attach the FRH (with condiments securely affixed inside) to the outside of the MRE.  Et voila!




Additional thoughts/ideas
In hindsight, it might have made sense to also add a wet nap, matches, TP or even a hot beverage (hot chocolate mix, instant coffee+sugar&powdered creamer) or anything else you might want to round out this bargain-basement MRE.  That way you could expand into something closer to a full-fledged, official military MRE.  Or even create a custom, super-sized MRE.  Sky's the limit! 

Instead of the clear plastic packing tape, you could use duct tape to attach the replacement FRH to these Sopako MREs.  Or insert everything into an appropriately sized ziploc baggy, or even vacuum seal them all together.  Those last two options would really open up possibilities to add a lot more than the FRH, hot sauce and salt packet that I chose.

[MacWa77ace]

Looking at this list of componants that were given regarding these MRE's...

I believe the last item on the list is the outer packaging bag. It's not vacuum sealed but it is sealed airtight. If that's the case, then you could just remove the outer bag, and then use a mylar or foodsaver bag, add in the FRH and full MRE accessories like TP, gum, seasonings, etc. and reseal it. 

TWENTY PACK of MRE (Meal Ready To Eat) Meals
Product Features:
1 pack of MRE meals
Military spec 8 oz. entree pouches in each meal
Calories per meal : 600+ Cal.
Light in Calories
Waterproof pouch
Weightless configuration and design
1-3 year shelf life
Made in the USA
MRE Contents:
1 Military MRE 8oz entree
frosted brown sugar toaster pastry
(2) 1 oz grape jelly packets
Tootsie Roll
Crackers
Individual flameless ration heater
Plastic spoon
Paper napkins
Seasonings
1 Waterproof, tamper proof, high density clear poly bag

[MacWa77ace]

20 MRE's almost fill up 2) five gallon buckets.

[MacWa77ace]

I went by Harbor Freight a week ago, their prices  Not great nowadayz.

Anyhow there is a Surplus store right next door to them and I wanted to check out the hot weather surplus boots. Their prices are now $55 for them used, none available in my size, I'd pay $30 max. I bought some years ago from this same store for $20 and the inflation calculator says I should only pay about $30 now.

Anyhow, they had MRE's. So I checked them out. They had Sopako 2018's for $10 each sold as individuals and sealed cases of 14 [without dates, probably the same year] for $99.

The guy was saying that the FRH's should last 8 years and that his all work. 

[majorhavoc]

I went by Harbor Freight a week ago, their prices  Not great nowadayz.

Anyhow there is a Surplus store right next door to them and I wanted to check out the hot weather surplus boots. Their prices are now $55 for them used, none available in my size, I'd pay $30 max. I bought some years ago from this same store for $20 and the inflation calculator says I should only pay about $30 now.

Anyhow, they had MRE's. So I checked them out. They had Sopako 2018's for $10 each sold as individuals and sealed cases of 14 [without dates, probably the same year] for $99.

The guy was saying that the FRH's should last 8 years and that his all work. 

That's very interesting. Those Sopako MREs weren't the low sodium variety, were they?  Moab found that deal on Sopako MREs at TacticalShit and now you're seeing Sopako's showing up at your local surplus store.  Aren't there like 3 major suppliers of MREs to the military?  What's prompting Sopako MREs in particular to show up at multiple outlets all the sudden? 

Two other thoughts:
1) It's hard to make sweeping generalizations about how long FRHs can or should last because it must depend on how they're stored.

2) I still don't fully understand how the milspec FRHs in the Sopako MREs we got from ThatDailyDeal, sealed as they are in airtight bags, have gone bad after 8 years while the non-sealed civilian FRHs in my Chef 5 Minute meals from the same era (2016) still work fine.

I have some ideas (such as: the Sopako FRHs were already old when the MREs were first assembled, or maybe I just store my DIY ration packs in better conditions), but I do wonder.

[MacWa77ace]

2) I still don't fully understand how the milspec FRHs in the Sopako MREs we got from ThatDailyDeal, sealed as they are in airtight bags, have gone bad after 8 years while the non-sealed civilian FRHs in my Chef 5 Minute meals from the same era (2016) still work fine.

I have some ideas (such as: the Sopako FRHs were already old when the MREs were first assembled, or maybe I just store my DIY ration packs in better conditions), but I do wonder.

I've seen IRON FRH's and then the one in this kit is not or doesn't look like IRON powder. it's silverish. So maybe its what it consists of elementally. In addition to all the outside storage factors that they may have been exposed to.

I took the salesguy's quote of 'mine all work' to be a sales pitch and that MMMV. Buyer beware.

[MacWa77ace]

What the heck is up with MREdepot.com.

I wanted to order a #10 can of freeze dried diced tomatoes. I was on amazon, ordering them along with some other stuff, They are $21.99 on amazon and free shipping. And during checkout that one item said it was shipping directly mredepot.com. So just to check pricing I went to MREdepot.com and started an order for them. The price on MREdepot is $14.99, that's $6 less. OK. then I go to 'checkout' to see what the shipping is and the only option is $15.63. So the order total from them would be $30.58.

Amazon $21.99 including free shipping.
MREDepot $30.58 including shipping charges.


So I guess I'm getting my freeze dried powdered tomatoes and diced tomatoes thru amazon.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]