At the time of this review, still available:
20 Pack Low Sodium MREs - $49.80 (https://www.thatdailydeal.com/home.php?id=67445&sscid=71k8_rt9d1)
Special Delivery
I didn't weigh it, but the box had to have weighed close to 20 lbs.
(https://i.postimg.cc/4dLrRh1R/Special-Delivery.jpg)
G.B.B.O.M.
(Great Big Box o' MREs)
On the first count I thought I lucked out and got 21.
(https://i.postimg.cc/MTKhLYVY/Opened-box.jpg)
Inventory Time
But taking them out of the box and re-counting, I confirmed that I only received the advertised 20. Vendor says a random assortment of entrees that vary from order to order. This is what I got:
6x Beef Ravioli in Meat and Textured Soy Protein Sauce
5x Penne with Vegetable Sausage Crumbles in Spicy Tomato Sauce
3x Vegetable Lasagna
3x Spaghetti With Meat and Textured Soy Flour Sauce
2x Cheese Tortellini in Tomato Sauce
1x Chili-Mac Macaroni and Beef in Sauce
(https://i.postimg.cc/XvgRxPGJ/Box-contents.jpg)
Suspicious Looking Character
They all looked more or less similar except for this guy. Uh oh ...
(https://i.postimg.cc/Yq6BhjrY/Suspicious.jpg)
Not looking good
If it's the entree that's leaking I'm in trouble. At this point, I'm taking pictures as much for a possible customer service claim as I am for a UFOZS review.
(https://i.postimg.cc/W1SRwKJ4/Not-looking-good.jpg)
The culprit
As it turns out it was the Tootsie roll. It's retail packaging failed at some point.
(https://i.postimg.cc/L6KM9jpm/Blame-it-on-Tootsie.jpg)
Fudge Factor
Should this next part be in "Near Death Experiments with Food"? I'm a guy, so naturally I decided there's only one way to settle this ...
(https://i.postimg.cc/VkzQM1vT/Fudge-factor.jpg)
Mmm ... GOOD!
Not in any way, shape or form trying to justify this packaging failure, but this actually tasted better than the normal rock-hard Tootsie rolls that have sat, inert for years. I ate the whole thing. I've had worse things as an appetizer, believe me.
(https://i.postimg.cc/tggKS5hN/Mmm-good.jpg)
Clean up crew
Food disaster averted, but the Tootsie roll leaked all over. Besides the cardboard sleeve, the flameless ration heater and the accessory package were very sticky. Too bad this kit didn't include a wet nap. I had to use one of my own and still had to wash my hands. Twice.
(https://i.postimg.cc/50hDtWDs/clean-up.jpg)
Rest of the kit contents
Not pictured: the kit comes with two apple jelly packs, not one. I didn't notice one had fallen to the ground until after I took this picture.
(https://i.postimg.cc/DyKtkFrZ/MRE-contents.jpg)
Accessory Pack
Very basic. No super heavy duty milspec spoon, no toilet paper, matches or chewing gum. Seasoning pack and pepper are included but alas, no salt. If a salt packet were included, I guarantee you every GI would use it (more on that later) so I guess its omission was intentional to preserve this meal's "low sodium" rating.
(https://i.postimg.cc/T2cc168h/Accessory-package.jpg)
My additions
And boy, did these ever end up getting used ...
(https://i.postimg.cc/QCcw9n3h/My-additions.jpg)
Flameless Ration Heater
The big disappointment of this kit. ThatDailyDeal's product description warned that the potency of these things wasn't guaranteed. But I wasn't expecting it to be dead as a door nail. I even tried the old GI trick of adding salt to the water. Absolutely no signs of life.
(https://i.postimg.cc/T2bZ4hWF/FRH.jpg)
Bringing out the big guns
I realize not everyone has a back up option like this. The magic of the self heating FRH is part of the MRE experience, so sorry about that. I bought these after market FRHs over 10 years ago. They were advertised as a supercharged version of military FRHs. Supposedly you could cook a raw potato with one. And based on how the first few performed, I'd believe it - within seconds of activation they'd literally balloon to the verge of exploding with steam visibly and audibly pouring out of that little vent hole at the top.
(https://i.postimg.cc/sXQtygHB/Bringing-out-the-big-guns.jpg)
Now you're cooking
OK, after 10 years these things have lost a lot of their original oomph. But still, they were almost too hot to handle within the few seconds it took to insert the entree, seal the top and stuff it into this homemade insulated heating cozy. Just as effective as a fresh authentic FRH, in my estimation. I made up a bunch of these insulated cozies from that Reflectix mylar bubble wrap material and have them squirreled away in my various emergency kits. A repurposed Amazon bubble wrap shipping envelope costs nothing and would probably work just as well.
(https://i.postimg.cc/3JCz361Z/Supper-s-on.jpg)
Meanwhile ...
While the main course is doing its thing, I moved on to the crackers. Yep, they even released that vaunted vacuum seal 'hiss' upon opening.
(https://i.postimg.cc/QdFgfKFW/Mmm-crackers.jpg)
Like giant Saltines ... only more bland
I felt like Moses leading his people out of Egypt and living off unleavened bread. I hear they nearly mutinied eating this shit and came close to tossing Moses into the Red Sea ...
(https://i.postimg.cc/65jLVfpX/Crackers-and-apple-jelly.jpg)
Apple Jelly my ass ...
Ingredients: Apple Juice, Corn Syrup, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Water, Citric Acid, Pectin, Potassium Sorbate (as a preservative). In other words: two 1-oz packages of runny syrup with a few bits of unidentifiable brown goo mixed in. Which mostly stayed on the crackers on their way to your mouth (or onto your shirt). At least it was sweet ...
(https://i.postimg.cc/bNN92B8g/Tastes-better-than-it-looks.jpg)
The Main Course
It was starting to get dark outside, so I moved indoors. The entree heated up nicely. For the sake of a totally fair review, I sampled it first without any added seasoning.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Z5zYM1RF/Main-course.jpg)
If looks could kill ..
All the flavor intensity of a wet noodle. Perfectly edible, mind you. But describing it as "uninspiring" would be an insult to the word "uninspiring". First, I just added the pepper and vegetable seasoning packets that came with this MRE. Definitely better, but I still ended up throwing in some salt and hot sauce. After that ... it was actually pretty good. Not great mind you, but perfectly edible. Others may disagree, but I've come to a point in my life where food doesn't always have to be delicious to be satisfying and serve its core function of nourishment. I'd much prefer nourishment + tasty, mind you. But I'm OK as long as what I'm eating is at least: not unpleasant. And in an emergency situation I strongly suspect than people's concerns about the taste of emergency rations will take a back seat to genuine gratitude that they at least have something to keep them going. YMMV.
(https://i.postimg.cc/mr8bhkS8/If-looks-could-kill.jpg)
Toaster Pastry, Frosted Brown Sugar
If it sounds like a Pop Tart, walks and quacks like a Pop Tart ...
(https://i.postimg.cc/4dyXcGLZ/Toaster-pastry-frosted-brown-sugar.jpg)
Yeah ... it's a Pop Tart
(https://i.postimg.cc/sgPfdwGF/Just-a-Pop-Tart.jpg)
Culinary Fusion
Stack two Pop Tarts together and seal them into a package. Put that into another package and vacuum seal that. Then stuff that between a half dozen other flat packages and squeeze that into a plastic bag. Seal, squeeze into yet another plastic bag, seal again. Then store for God-know-how-long stacked by the pallet load in a warehouse somewhere ... and you get this.
(https://i.postimg.cc/N0gsgmRK/Culinary-fusion.jpg)
Thank God Almighty, I'm free at last
With a little help from a sharp edged friend.
(https://i.postimg.cc/c4n4TssL/Alone-at-last.jpg)
Never was a fan
Even as a kid. They always seemed too dry to me. The frosted ones were a bit better, but I considered all of them to be good flavor combinations that were poorly executed.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gJ7mq7Qh/Yep-a-Pop-Tart.jpg)
Yes, this is cheating
F*ck it, show's over, people. I gave up chicken sausage and red bean gumbo tonight to give you this review, so I deserve this. And honestly, I couldn't let this open can go to waste, right? You know what they say: a spoonful of delicious vanilla cake frosting helps the dry Pop Tart go down ...
(https://i.postimg.cc/4x8fxnPw/Show-s-over.jpg)
Final thoughts:
At approximately $2.50 per package, this 20-pack of semi-full fledged MREs is certainly worth the money and is a legimate medium term storage food prep. The dead FRH is actually more disappointing to me than the bland flavor of the food itself. A reasonably nourishing entree that heats itself without need of a functioning power grid or external heat source is part of the appeal of MREs as emergency food. Yes, they can be eaten cold, but hot food is a real morale boost in a disaster situation. So it's a shame that capability is lost. Maybe the FRHs in some of the other packages still have some potency, but I have to doubt that. And even if they do, I wouldn't expect them to remain viable for much longer.
Except for the one package I opened and sampled tonight, the other 19 MREs that I received appear to be in good condition. And based on the last batch I bought from this same seller many years ago, I have no doubt these will remain perfectly edible for at least another 5 years. Now, if only I or someone else can get a line on inexpensive, reliable FRHs, I'd buy them too and still feel like I've come out ahead.
I know at least one other UFOZS'er bought these. Would love to hear their thoughts.
Mine arrived today as well. I'll spare you the pictures, since those have been covered by others. Mine all have the Tootsie Rolls, not the Skittles and I don't see any that are compromised.
I received:
- 6x Spaghetti with Meat and textured soy flour sauce
- 5x Chili-Mac macaroni and beef in sauce
- 4x Vegetable Lasagna
- 3x Cheese Tortellini in tomato sauce
- 2x Penne with Vegetable, sausage crumbles, in spicy tomato sauce
I'll have to try a few of these out just to see how they are, not having had any of this brand before. But as others have said, at this price it's hard to pass them up. Heck, it costs twice as much to get a frozen meal that's only 1/2 the calories of one of these!
Quote from: majorhavoc on July 31, 2024, 09:35:46 PMCulinary Fusion
Stack two Pop Tarts together and seal them into a package. Put that into another package and vacuum seal that. Then stuff that between a half dozen other flat packages and squeeze that into a plastic bag. Seal, squeeze into yet another plastic bag, seal again. Then store for God-know-how-many-years stacked by the pallet load in a warehouse somewhere ... and you get this.
That's what I was thinking when I was looking at this but I was concerned about the crackers. How did yours survive and not look like breadcrumbs? Are they more like a hardtack than a saltine or club?
I got three different types of packaging. Only one looks like what I expected with a rectangular box housing the entre. The rest were either the type
@majorhavoc has pictured, or a type that has a white paper insert with the entre name and info on it.
My INVenTORy7) Spagetti w/ meat and textured soy flour sauce
1) Pork w/ Sauce and Rice menu 2
4) Vegetable Lasagna
3) Pasta w/ Garden vVegs in tomato sauce menus 6
2) Cheese Tortellini in tomato sauce [in two different packaging types]
1) Sweet & Sour Sauce w/ rice and chicken menu 5
2) Penne w/ veg sausage crumbles in spicy tomato sauce
I think mine and
@majorhavoc box o' meals musta been exposed to some serious heat. IMO it takes quite a bit to melt a skittle into a packet of mush. But I'm inexperienced to skittles so I don't really know their melting point. My wife was asking if maybe some of the FRH's were set off or slow burned in the box. I will try one for lunch at work soon. And add some pics of the different types of packaging later.
Can you heat those entre packets directly in a microwave? :smiley_shrug:
Yes, we need to source some
Quote from: majorhavoc on July 31, 2024, 09:35:46 PMinexpensive, reliable FRHs
And figure out those packaging codes.
@EBuff75 did your's have any date or packaging codes?
I found an MRE date code converter. just enter the first string of 4 digits you encounter.
https://www.mreinfo.com/mres/mre-date-converter/
Of the codes i listed
2 are 2017
1 is 2016
1 might be 2014 [4272A] :smiley_shrug: you can't enter the A.
ETA:
I think it goes like this
Code = 7087
First digit is the year
Last three are the number of day into that year.
So 7 = 2017
087 = 87 days or March 28
There is a 4-digit code on the meal inside the plastic and a matching code that is embossed into the outer package. The few that I just pulled out and checked were 6319 or 6315. According to the MRE Date Code Converter (https://us.mealkitsupply.com/pages/mre-date-code-converter?argumentConv=6319), that means they were packaged in November 2016. (the first number is the last digit of the year and the next three are the Julian date to indicate which day of the year)
The fact that they're 8 years old probably explains why they were so cheap! Someone was trying to clear out the old stuff in their warehouse.
Makes me wonder if this could be the same overall batch I bought from ThatDailyDeal back in 2016. If so, that would explain the dead FRH. Those seem to go bad long before the food itself ever does.
It's a shame these aren't at least slightly newer stock. But as
@EBuff75 says, that explains why they're so cheap. FWIW, I'm not at all worried about the food itself. As my review and countless YT videos demonstrate, these things keep way longer than advertised. I mean if even that Tootsie Roll with the open wrapper tasted good after all this time, I'm not concerned about the other, far-better-packaged components.
Don't worry about the crackers,
@MacWa77ace. They were fine, as 'fresh' as any MRE cracker I've eaten before. Like I said, there was an audible hiss when I opened them, signaling the vacuum sealing was intact. I likened them to saltines but they're slightly denser than that. Passover matzo is probably a better comparison, if you've ever eaten that. It's what triggered the joke about Moses and unleavened bread.
I was serious about my thought on the morale boost of hot vs cold food, so I feel the dead/dying FRHs in these Sopako MREs is kind of a big deal. I'll look for a bargain on FRHs, but since I've never found one before, I'm not too optimistic.
Walmart used to sell a UST branded clone of the Esbit folding emergency stove, including 8 fuel cubes for a mere $4.88 - a real bargain. That and a small pot or even a Sierra cup would easily be the heating equivalent of 8 FRHs. With something like that, you could heat the unopened MRE entree in a pot of water. That way your pot wouldn't get dirty and you could even use the heated water for a hot beverage. Spread out over 8 MREs, the weight penalty of the stove and pot would be manageable.
Just spitballing ideas here.
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 01, 2024, 09:59:52 AMI mean if even that Tootsie Roll with the open wrapper tasted good after all this time, I'm not concerned about the other, far-better-packaged components.
Anything with high sugar content will not go bad as long as there's no fat or oil. Sugar keeps bacteria out. Flavoring may disappear but it would still be sweet. There have been discoveries of 4000 year old honey that was still good. The main stay of lifeboat survival packs food is flavored dextrose 'candies'.
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 01, 2024, 09:59:52 AMPassover matzo is probably a better comparison, if you've ever eaten that. It's what triggered the joke about Moses and unleavened bread.
I have, but haven't heard that joke.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.-mCh0eJvGJu2jM-XHaxwSAHaFX%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=164f69916f03be870ff6a24b27d127bdae1eb26cc3ca97c5793a9e71832befc1&ipo=images)
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 01, 2024, 09:59:52 AMWalmart used to sell a UST branded clone of the Esbit folding emergency stove, including 8 fuel cubes for a mere $4.88 - a real bargain. That and a small pot or even a Sierra cup would easily be the heating equivalent of 8 FRHs. With something like that, you could heat the unopened MRE entree in a pot of water. That way your pot wouldn't get dirty and you could even use the heated water for a hot beverage. Spread out over 8 MREs, the weight penalty of the stove and pot would be manageable.
You might be able to heat them in a metal canteen if you have one with a large enough mouth and its not vacuum lined. The difference between a canteen and a thermos. You'd fold the entre long ways, less water. :smiley_shrug:
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Foffgridsurvival.com%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fchurch_10%2Fimages%2F2008%2F10%2Fkleankanteenonafire.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=ef8767c3832a203eb2ea8f01de6fff251c8efba3e386c75bdc0fa888fa752c81&ipo=images)
More spit.
is this going to be the price to beat on the FRH's?
Amazon FRH (https://www.amazon.com/MRE-Flameless-Heater-CASE-24/dp/B0128CRV9A/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=1232553540867703&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Mh_qpnYZ-PjBd5HD-x43c7sGcTR5ScUpqxUW_j3WhyJN9uqYDDqKLFy5N8uknrPym9HacK6tj7R6SOWwlzjN3WK2CoOcbim5WYBBLnKa7JLgqboBxgNhIeOGr7k2HS9s0qP_jyyCK5bBfCcPRfSDy5Qbnq19XVPSCkF5TizDNXuDR1hhj6lu7aOaetzDpQmhBQiV9BZH9S4-3abVv1RC1ZGX9HKNADB1bHv2Ew3zdqCy2Eeco8aOcrXZNbmW7571NQZcfc09jCW0UoLbdHi4-HDK_7Hu7516FEXMNGOU7LM.rqwlkdv3qS8fAgirPjAzcVlhKfXID3XlUgJznml-WXk&dib_tag=se&hvadid=77034727154321&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=109639&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-77034861146804%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=24608_13649064&keywords=flameless+ration+heater&msclkid=c041960be9031f47508af0a032716863&qid=1722538874&sr=8-4) $1.79 ea
EpidemicProof (https://epidemicproof.com/products/flameless-ration-heater-frh-usgi?variant=43555377873086) $1.75 ea
MREMountain (https://mremountain.com/products/mre-flameless-ration-heater) $1.40 ea
How do we know if these are still good?
I do notice that some say 10 year shelf life and some say new production. But some don't.
the highest price I've found so far is $2.99 ea TheReadyStore (https://thereadystore.com/products/mre-heater)
Cheapest was $1.00 ea but is pickup only in Oregon
Except for Amazon, I don't know any of these suppliers.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on August 01, 2024, 02:19:08 PMis this going to be the price to beat on the FRH's?
Amazon FRH (https://www.amazon.com/MRE-Flameless-Heater-CASE-24/dp/B0128CRV9A/ref=sr_1_4?adgrpid=1232553540867703&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Mh_qpnYZ-PjBd5HD-x43c7sGcTR5ScUpqxUW_j3WhyJN9uqYDDqKLFy5N8uknrPym9HacK6tj7R6SOWwlzjN3WK2CoOcbim5WYBBLnKa7JLgqboBxgNhIeOGr7k2HS9s0qP_jyyCK5bBfCcPRfSDy5Qbnq19XVPSCkF5TizDNXuDR1hhj6lu7aOaetzDpQmhBQiV9BZH9S4-3abVv1RC1ZGX9HKNADB1bHv2Ew3zdqCy2Eeco8aOcrXZNbmW7571NQZcfc09jCW0UoLbdHi4-HDK_7Hu7516FEXMNGOU7LM.rqwlkdv3qS8fAgirPjAzcVlhKfXID3XlUgJznml-WXk&dib_tag=se&hvadid=77034727154321&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=109639&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-77034861146804%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=24608_13649064&keywords=flameless+ration+heater&msclkid=c041960be9031f47508af0a032716863&qid=1722538874&sr=8-4) $1.79 ea
EpidemicProof (https://epidemicproof.com/products/flameless-ration-heater-frh-usgi?variant=43555377873086) $1.75 ea
MREMountain (https://mremountain.com/products/mre-flameless-ration-heater) $1.40 ea
How do we know if these are still good?
I do notice that some say 10 year shelf life and some say new production. But some don't.
the highest price I've found so far is $2.99 ea TheReadyStore (https://thereadystore.com/products/mre-heater)
Cheapest was $1.00 ea but is pickup only in Oregon
Except for Amazon, I don't know any of these suppliers.
Wow, that's some quick sleuthing. Thanks! MREMountain I've heard of. Their product description really emphasizes their FRHs are new, fresh stock. $7 for a pack of 5 seemed reasonable so for yucks sake I dropped 4 5-packs in my cart and went through the checkout process. Until it showed $13 for shipping. Ouch! That makes the total cost almost as much as we each paid for our MREs! Back do the drawing board.
Anyone else want to crack open one of their Sopako MREs and confirm my FRH wasn't just a random dud?
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 01, 2024, 03:38:47 PMAnyone else want to crack open one of their Sopako MREs and confirm my FRH wasn't just a random dud?
I'm going to do it but in a minute, maybe lunch tomorrow. Can I put those entres in the microwave if the FRH doesn't work?
There's going to be shipping most online places.
What's the total per FRH each with shipping from MREMountain? I get $2.05 ea. [(1.40 x 20) + 13] Not including tax.
You should do 5 five packs that gets you closer to apples to apples with the 24 pack on Amazon. is it the same shipping with 5? = $1.92 each if the shipping is still $13
I can get free shipping on Amazon is that going to be the better deal?
Weird, that amazon 24 pack ships from ammocanman.com. And when I go on their site they only have a 20 pack version for more money.
https://ammocanman.com/products/mre-flameless-heater-1-12-or-20-pack-new?variant=45054414127268
+ $9.95 shipping and tax. $1.94 each not including tax. That site might not be adding tax.
This is an amazing topic. And review. Plus the comments & conversation afterword as well. Thanks.
Wonderful addition to UFoZS disaster/hard times/emergency prepping.
:smiley_clap:
Quote from: Ever (Zombiepreparation) on August 01, 2024, 05:09:06 PMThis is an amazing topic. And review. Plus the comments & conversation afterword as well. Thanks.
Wonderful addition to UFoZS disaster/hard times/emergency prepping.
:smiley_clap:
Well, as we talk about replacement flameless ration heaters or alternatives, I can't help but think of the legendary
Sterno Inferno! If your disaster prep plans focus mainly on sheltering in, the weight wouldn't be much of an issue. On the otherhand, if you're not going to be bugging out, there are better emergency food options than these MREs. Still ... need to consider all options. :smiley_knipoog:
@MacWa77ace I looked around online this evening (I even found that Oregon place that's pick up only). I'm not finding anything better than what you found. Too bad we don't all live closer - we could do a bulk buy of 60 or 80 FRHs from MREMountain, save on shipping and then get together to divy them up. Maybe we should angle for a MREMountain sponsorship of UFOZS ... :awesome:
Here are the three different types of packaging that were in my case of 20.
(https://i.imgur.com/7qmClP0.jpg)
2014 2016 2017
And here is the age distribution.
(https://i.imgur.com/kSQd8kS.jpg)
5 from 2017
1 from 2014
The rest from 2016.
A 10 year old MRE. These really must be from the same stock that was sold to me by TDD several years ago. I don't think a vendor has any business selling MREs that old without dislosing that fact. I personally am not going to ask for a refund, but I wouldn't blame anyone else who does.
Between this and Moab's bad experience, I'm going to think long and hard before I post a deal from this vendor again.
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 02, 2024, 09:50:06 AMA 10 year old MRE. These really must be from the same stock that was sold to me by TDD several years ago. I don't think a vendor has any business selling MREs that old without dislosing that fact. I personally am not going to ask for a refund, but I wouldn't blame anyone else who does.
Between this and Moab's bad experience, I'm going to think long and hard before I post a deal from this vendor again.
If its just the heaters I don't have a problem with them. I'm really not going to eat skittles unless its the last food on earth.
Compare 2023 production MRE pricing at $10+ each to these Sopako's at >$2.50 ea
https://mredepot.com/products/case-12-meals-of-menu-c-military-mres-with-heaters?variant=40865689436196
OK, that was filling and satifying. I ate everything at once for lunch at work today. But the heater didn't work. So I put the entre in the microwave and the poptarts in the toaster oven. [they got a little dark on the corner]
2016 Spaghetti menu
(https://i.imgur.com/hjnuDDX.jpg)
I had grape jelly and made little jelly and cracker sandwiches. Which were fantastic. The crackers were 'heavy' and very filling. They didn't crack apart like crackers though, more like a cookie really, but maybe that's because they were old, or because that's the way they're supposed to be. The Jelly was dark brown, and had separated into that liquidy stuff and then some jam like stuff. Tasted like grape but not strong flavor.
The poptarts were perfect, except I couldn't get mine apart in the minute attention span that I had for that task, so I just ate them like a really thick poptart. Heating them up in the toaster is great.
The spaghetti was fine. Comparable to high school cafeteria stuff, but flavorful, I ate some cold, then microwaved it and put the seasonings that came with the pack on it. Pepper and a seasoning pack. I didn't have to add salt. The seasoning pack was iffy, it had sort of hardened into a squishy brick, I gave it a good smell [to test for biological hazards] and broke it up and put half the pack on the spaghetti.
The tootsie roll had melted and then re-hardened so had to scrape it out of the paper, it was perfectly fine.
(https://i.imgur.com/LAdmFsS.jpg)
I autopsied the heating element. It's not what I expected. I don't know what this stuff is but its not iron shavings. I bet if it was it would have worked after 8 years.
(https://i.imgur.com/SfJM4ZZ.jpg)
Wow, so the military paid about $2 each for the FRH's in 1990 doing a bulk buy. That's 4.81 in today's dollars.
Quote from: wiki51 million FRHs were purchased for $25 million, and approximately 4.5 million FRHs were shipped to Southwest Asia for the Gulf War.
Ration heaters generate heat in an electron-transfer process called an oxidation-reduction reaction. Water oxidizes magnesium metal, according to the following chemical reaction:
Mg + 2H2O → Mg(OH)2 + H2 [+ heat (q)]
This reaction is analogous to iron being rusted by oxygen, and proceeds at about the same slow rate, which is too slow to generate usable heat. To accelerate the reaction, metallic iron particles and table salt (NaCl) are mixed with the magnesium particles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flameless_ration_heater
Thanks for the review! So the spaghetti wasn't bad even without adding salt, huh? Maybe I'll try that one next. I'm assuming the beef ravioli and the chili-mac will be my favorites, so I sort of want to save those. In case - you know - a real need ever arises.
Very informative about FRHs. But 51 million FRHs for $25 million would be around $0.50 apeice, not $2. If the gubmint really was willing to pay a $2 unit cost they'd be better off.ordering straight from MREMountain!
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 02, 2024, 01:35:14 PMThanks for the review! So the spaghetti wasn't bad even without adding salt, huh? Maybe I'll try that one next. I'm assuming the beef ravioli and the chili-mac will be my favorites, so I sort of want to save those. In case - you know - a real need ever arises.
Very informative about FRHs. But 51 million FRHs for $25 million would be around $0.50 apeice, not $2. If the gubmint really was willing to pay a $2 unit cost they'd be better off.ordering straight from MREMountain!
I don't use much salt cooking or adding to food, so my tolerance/taste might be skewed for salt. so YMMV.
Bad math again, must be the botulism kicking in and effecting my brain from lunch today. :icon_crazy:
I'm going to do the 2014 one next week for lunch. Cheese Tortellini in Tomato Sauce.
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.
(https://i.postimg.cc/9QnTYrLN/Components-read-for-assembly.jpg)
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.
(https://i.postimg.cc/KzNtLQwt/Wrapping-salt-in-wax-paper.jpg)
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.
(https://i.postimg.cc/3xRmGgFv/Attaching-condiments-to-FRH.jpg)
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!
(https://i.postimg.cc/g0LhSm5c/Attaching-to-the-MRE.jpg)
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.
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. :smiley_shrug:
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
20 MRE's almost fill up 2) five gallon buckets.
(https://i.imgur.com/82qvbwk.jpg)
I went by Harbor Freight a week ago, their prices :smiley_shrug: 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. :smiley_shrug:
Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 09, 2024, 12:20:09 PMI went by Harbor Freight a week ago, their prices :smiley_shrug: 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. :smiley_shrug:
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? :smiley_chinrub:
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.
Quote from: majorhavoc on September 09, 2024, 01:34:31 PM2) 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.
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.
:rolleyes1:
So I guess I'm getting my freeze dried powdered tomatoes and diced tomatoes thru amazon.
:)
It's taken me until now to test one of these out, but I finally tried one of the Sopako low-sodium meals tonight. The heater did not work (no surprise) so I just heated up some water and placed the meal in the hot water for about 10 minutes. That was just about perfect.
Entree: (290 cal) The one I picked was the Chili-Mac Macaroni and Beef in Sauce and it was fine. Reminded me of those Chef Boyardee Beefaroni cups quite a bit (even the after dinner burps tasted the same!). Since this was the low-sodium meal, it was a bit bland at first, but perked up a bit when I added some salt. At least doing it this way gives you the ability to season it to your own taste, rather than having a salt-overloaded meal that you can't do anything about.
Crackers & Apple Jelly: (180 cal crackers, 70 cal per jelly) Dry, dry, dry! Basically a couple of giant saltine crackers, minus the salt. The jam was very runny, but tasted okay. I only used one packet of it, spread across both the crackers. I'll toss the other into my condiments drawer and maybe use it on some toast or a sandwich sometime. They do tend to break apart when eating, which makes quite a mess with the runny jelly. I had to wash my hands after this part of the meal to get the jelly off of them.
Tootsie Roll: (50 cal) Mine was more intact that what some people have reported, but it was permanently adhered to the paper, so I also just sort of scraped it off with my teeth. Tasted fine, although Tootsie Rolls aren't my favorite.
Toaster Pastry (aka Pop Tarts): (210 cal) When I peeled open the outer package, it tore the inner one as well. No biggie, since I was planning to eat it anyway. I didn't bother trying to separate them and just ate them as a sandwich. The Brown Sugar and Cinnamon is actually my favorite flavor, so that was good.
Overall, not exactly haute cuisine, but perfectly serviceable. It's also quite a few calories, 800 total, plus another 70 if I'd used the second jelly packet, unlike a lot of those "survival in a bucket" sort of foods. The crackers and jelly is the worst of the meal. I didn't use the pepper or seasoning packets that came with it, so I'll toss those in my condiments drawer as well.
I'll try to do a comparison dinner with one of the MREs from King Surplus (https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?topic=2854.0) later this week. I pulled out a Spaghetti with Beef and Sauce as a similar meal for comparison. I could've picked the Chili and Macaroni, but that's a little too on the nose!
To the one, each and every one of your observations match mine. Right down to how you need to scrape the Tootsie Roll off the paper tray with your teeth. They aren't exactly my favorite candy either, but soft like that, I actually preferred it to a "fresh" Tootsie Roll. :icon_crazy:
Quote from: EBuff75 on August 19, 2025, 06:44:40 PMCrackers & Apple Jelly: (180 cal crackers, 70 cal per jelly) Dry, dry, dry! Basically a couple of giant saltine crackers, minus the salt. The jam was very runny, but tasted okay. I only used one packet of it, spread across both the crackers. I'll toss the other into my condiments drawer and maybe use it on some toast or a sandwich sometime. They do tend to break apart when eating, which makes quite a mess with the runny jelly. I had to wash my hands after this part of the meal to get the jelly off of them.
Sounds exactly like the jelly in mine. Mine was 'grape' but brown color and more like syrup. I wonder if the age changed the color to brownish and the substance to a syrup or if that is the original consistancy.
Funny how your poptarts stuck together just like mine. I did toast mine in a toaster oven and that was great.
You know, I didn't notice the 'bland' salt free flavor as I'm a low salt eater anyhow.
Anything that is high in sugar content like jelly or candy should last forever as long as pests don't get into it.
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 03, 2024, 10:42:53 AMHopefully 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.
(https://i.postimg.cc/9QnTYrLN/Components-read-for-assembly.jpg)
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.
(https://i.postimg.cc/KzNtLQwt/Wrapping-salt-in-wax-paper.jpg)
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.
(https://i.postimg.cc/3xRmGgFv/Attaching-condiments-to-FRH.jpg)
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!
(https://i.postimg.cc/g0LhSm5c/Attaching-to-the-MRE.jpg)
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.
This is a great idea. An MRE without hot sauce is a sad one, indeed. As sad as I was to see the mini Tabasco bottles go (more nostalgia than anything else) the powdered hot sauce that some MREs now have is an improvement.
I had a Menu 3 Chicken and Egg Noodles with Vegetables in Sauce for lunch this week, and the powdered hot sauce was the MVP of the meal. That shouldn't be as sad as it sounds, but it really made a huge difference.
I like the idea of adding coffee, too. Whoever the sadist was that took the instant coffee out of (some) MREs should be force fed a pallet of Menu 21 Tuna, Chunk, Light, Water Packed, Lemon Pepper.