flea market score on MRE's

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - flea market score on MRE's

Posted: 10/9/2010 2:34:07 PM EDT

I go to this outdoorsmans flea market every fall. all kinds of stuff there. guns, fishing, boats, 4 wheelers. trucks, and alot of usual flea market stuff.

I ran across this guy he was selling these MRE's. 10 bux a box. granted they are dated late 80's. and 23 years old. but the price was right. we'll do some double checking on the worthyness of these. but anyway:
first box looks like it has been stripped down already. all the stuff is still there, but just not in a heavy bag.
the second box with the straps on is NOS stuff. everything is intact.

Heres the crap that went into my dumpster tonight. saved the pics for nostalgia content

this is what I saw when opened the pre opened box:

second box was brand new, never opened.

surprizing I only got 2 heaters with this box.

anyway, this will be part of my 72 hr. kit. for the next year or so. I'll get some newer ones then.

EDIT:
the pic's were taken on my Bug out bike, 2006 Ural Tourist.

Posted: 10/9/2010 2:45:35 PM EDT

[#1]

Can't beat that deal. Nice score!

Posted: 10/9/2010 3:49:26 PM EDT

[#2]

Whoa! 23 year old MRE's...

I call dibs on ur guns..

But really, I thought MRE's were good maybe for 15 years under ideal conditions?

Website

Note: Time and temperature have a cumulative effect. For example, storage at 100° for 11 months then removed to storage at 70° would lose one-half of the 70° storage life. Also avoid fluctuating temperatures, in and out of freezing levels. Due to the cumulative effect of time and temperature, a regular rotation of MRE's within 5 to 7 years is recommended.

Posted: 10/9/2010 4:21:40 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:

10 bux a box. granted they are dated late 80's. and 23 years old. :

wow

I would not touch them, but I bet pets would

Posted: 10/9/2010 4:31:58 PM EDT

[#4]

Dibs on Ural...

Posted: 10/9/2010 4:49:05 PM EDT

[#5]

Check them out good. Back in the 80's (I don't remember the date range), there was an issue with the meal pouches having microscopic holes in them which caused the main meal to spoil but remain in the sealed outer package. I opened a few really nasty MRE's back in the 80's.

Posted: 10/9/2010 5:41:45 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Dibs on Ural...

ok, so i bought some really expensive "accessory" packages.

anybody know if these are commercial made?? i doubt if they are USGI.

oh,, my boy sampled one of the crackers... he said it tasted good..

Posted: 10/9/2010 5:42:24 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Whoa! 23 year old MRE's...

I call dibs on ur guns..

But really, I thought MRE's were good maybe for 15 years under ideal conditions?

Website

http://www.beprepared.com/images/art/MRE-Chart.gif

Note: Time and temperature have a cumulative effect. For example, storage at 100° for 11 months then removed to storage at 70° would lose one-half of the 70° storage life. Also avoid fluctuating temperatures, in and out of freezing levels. Due to the cumulative effect of time and temperature, a regular rotation of MRE's within 5 to 7 years is recommended.

Ding Ding.

Posted: 10/9/2010 5:47:00 PM EDT

[#8]

Wow. Crazy that even the MRE's used to be woodiecam! I hated those short handled white spoons. Only thing they were good for was burning on the rifle range to blacken your sights.

I wouldn't be eating those, but it's a neat piece of nostalgia.

ETA: those MRE's didn't come with heaters. You wanted to heat those up, you tucked it inside your shirt while you rucked to your ORP.
ETA2: the accessory packs on the dark brown bag MRE's was a foil pack, not the current clear plastic packaging. Looks like your ratfracked box has some new bits and some old bits.

Posted: 10/9/2010 5:53:54 PM EDT

[#9]

Oh man you scored the good stuff..like the dehydrated beef and pork patties...

Oh yeah and the "hot dogs". Seriously dude the side dishes "might" be eatable but main courses and stuff like the peanut butter and cheese spread will be gross.

And yes those are the real deal MRE's of that era.

Posted: 10/9/2010 8:25:54 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:

Oh man you scored the good stuff..like the dehydrated beef and pork patties...

Oh yeah and the "hot dogs". Seriously dude the side dishes "might" be eatable but main courses and stuff like the peanut butter and cheese spread will be gross.

And yes those are the real deal MRE's of that era.

The dehydrated pork patties were always my favorite.

Posted: 10/9/2010 9:04:25 PM EDT

[#11]

I have now canabalized the packs.. saved the tobasco sauce and coffee.. the rest is gone by-by... oh, well,, i guess the plus side is I only lost 20 bux, and learned a lot about MRE's today.

sorry, dibs on guns, Ural, or other objects I might have have been called off, voided,, cancelled.. I live to survive another day.

Posted: 10/9/2010 9:09:53 PM EDT

[#12]

I was going to sag that was a deal until I read the part about the dates. Glad you decided to toss them. Better safe that sorry. Check eBay for deals on MREs with current dates. I jut picked up a case from there last week for $55 shipped with 2013 inspection dates.

Posted: 10/10/2010 4:45:51 AM EDT

[#13]

We were issued "heat tabs" mainly back in those days. Please do a sample taste on those. It's not worth dieing over to eat them.

Posted: 10/10/2010 2:49:40 PM EDT

[#14]

um.......no

Posted: 10/12/2010 10:18:05 PM EDT

[#15]

You know,... there are ration collectors on MREinfo.com that would have really liked to have those for their collections....

Posted: 10/12/2010 11:45:20 PM EDT

[#16]

Hey, wheres this flee market at? BTW I wouldnt eat them lol I had like a 15 year old MRE once. Yea I think the smell from the bathroom is the real reason the old lady left me.

Posted: 10/13/2010 8:39:17 AM EDT

[#17]

I would be suspect of the main meals! But the deserts and crackers I would keep! I miss the oatmeal bar and brownie!

Those there are when MRE were real rations!

Posted: 10/13/2010 9:02:27 AM EDT

[#18]

So much for my chance at being a Ural Tourist...I had the maps out and everything.

OP: Glad you are not dead.

Posted: 10/13/2010 10:23:06 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
I would be suspect of the main meals! But the deserts and crackers I would keep! I miss the oatmeal bar and brownie!

Those there are when MRE were real rations!

This. Also the freeze dried fruit blocks will be good still.

Major -10 of you tossed them, but kept 20 year old tobasco

Posted: 10/13/2010 10:03:32 PM EDT

[#20]

all the juicy stuff is gone. kept the dry goods and will rehydrate the dry stuff. and check them out. ya, the 20+ tobasco bottles are cute, we'll keep those for conversation.

great,, now i find out about collectable MRE's... well, they are mostly safely in a landfill near Lake Mills, IA if anybody is interested.

Posted: 10/14/2010 12:46:49 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:

Quoted:

Dibs on Ural...

ok, so i bought some really expensive "accessory" packages.

anybody know if these are commercial made?? i doubt if they are USGI.

oh,, my boy sampled one of the crackers... he said it tasted good..

you gave it to your kid first!?

Posted: 10/14/2010 2:14:53 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:

I would be suspect of the main meals! But the deserts and crackers I would keep! I miss the oatmeal bar and brownie!

Those there are when MRE were real rations!

This. Also the freeze dried fruit blocks will be good still.

Major -10 of you tossed them, but kept 20 year old tobasco

yeah it will be ummm "good"...

i just recently took the same vintage MRE' stuff to work for a "fear factor" test.

do not eat or burn or smear or open the cheese.

frese dreid fruit is good

brownie- super fudgy but nuts are rancid.

i never cared for the entree's i had back then or now. But the chicken and salsa kicked ass and the o melete sucked big balls.

Posted: 10/19/2010 8:51:29 PM EDT

[#23]

I throw away or give away any that are ten yrs or older here, and if they are kept outside 5 years..

dont want to risk them not being safe to eat and risk counting on them when they are bad..

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - flea market score on MRE's

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