varieties of MRE,s ? The son and I are planning a camping trip and thought we'd try a few to keep the pack weight to a minimum. I have never tried them and hope some of the members can point us in the right direction.Thanks.

I have experiences with 2 different MREs.  

1) cheaperthandirt.com MRE - ewwww, this is junk, taste nasty, doesn't fill me up, and packaging is crap too.  

2) Mil*Spec MRE - this is good stuff!  I highly recommend it.
[img]http://www.survivalinstinct.com/lib/survivalinstinct/milspecpackage.gif[/img]

I guess I should be a bit more specific.Are some menus more palatable then others? A book I read some time back had the author complaining that he always got stuck with tuna and noodles. I'll take his word on that one. Won't order anything from cheeper-than- sh*t because of their attitude towards Illinois residents, but I definitely appreciate the advice!!

I think you will be better off just bringing along a few cans of Beanee Weanees, sure they weigh more but its worth the extra effort...[:D]

My favourite is the Meatballs in BBQ sauce, and there are a couple Tortellini menus that are readily edible as well.  

On the whole, tho, MRE's tend to be better than C-rats.  Good thing about C's is that they are easier to cook (in the cans....)

FFZ

Can't forget the SPAM too!

Forgot to mention - I usually buy my MRE's locally, as it allows me to pick and choose menus (I don't like the Tuna and Noodles either...)

Some Army/Navy stores also stock component MRE's instead of compleat menus, which will give you more options in packing.  If you can find the dehydrated fruits and the like, you will find them easier to deal with than the "fresh" stuff.  Also, the "Shelf Stable" bread isn't too bad, but have it with something that has a fair amount of sauce (Shelf stable breads tend to be dry, so use it like a biscuit...)

FFZ

FWIW- my experience with MREs ended on July 4, 1994. I did not get much exposure to the new and improved MREs so I may be way off. The chicken a la king was consistently bad, but edible if doused with sufficient Tabasco. The meatball entree was horrid, having the consistency of dried turds in ketchup. The prok patty and beef patty were tolerable. The pork was better. Expect mild constipation after eating all MREs, but especially the pork. The ommelette was apparently some twisted freak's idea of a diablolical psych experiment. Freshly stoned pot heads who had been starving for days wouldnm't touch the ommelette. The hot dogs were just big Vienna sausages. They were tolerable but greasy. Remember, C rats are meant to fuel your body, not provide true nourishment. They supply mostly calories and salt which are things a soldier in cold/combat needs most. The chicken and noodles and tuna and noodles were both tolerable, again, liberally drenched in Tabasco. Soak everything but the fruitcake and the toilet paper in Tabasco as a rule with C rats. I am sure I am, thankfully, failing to remember some of the entrees.  Anybody else?

They have been improving them - I remember when they first came out (and I still preferred the Cs.   At least I KNEW they sucked!)

Of course, you just hit my major complaint with MREs - not enough Tabasco in the pack!  Fortuanately, you sould still hit some guys who didn't like Tabasco, and you could trade for it...

Question - why are the crackers in MRE's worse than the one that used to be in the cans in C's?  You could use those to repair the armour plating on an M1A1 - I was tempted to use them for trauma plates...

FFZ

They're all pretty good at first, but after a couple weeks in the field they start to get old.

Stay away from the black bean and rice burito MRE.

[img]http://a1072.g.akamai.net/f/1072/2062/1h/gallery.rei.com/regularimages/610183.jpg[/img]
This stuff you can buy at your local camping store.  Taste isn't bad but it tastes way too powdery for me, you need water and heat source.

I recommend Mil*Spec MRE for taste.  But it has excessive packaging.  

Also don't go Cup-O'-Noodle if you are going to do streneous activity.  It will give you nasty stomach pain.

stick with mil spec mres

Country Captain Chicken


Aviator  [img]www.milpubs.com/aviator.gif[/img]

I had a few of these before on a camping trip and they were pretty damn good. Tasted much better then MREs. Girlfriend also liked them.