10 Best MRE Meals in 2020 For Survival Scenarios And Emergency Preparedness
March 18, 2020 by Bob Rodgers
In the last ten years or so, MRE meals gained a lot of popularity amongst preppers and survivalists. Even more, the average Joe has realized the usefulness of having a decent quantity of MRE meals in his pantry as these foods offer peace of mind when the brown stuff hits the fan.
Nowadays, looking for the best MRE meals available online to be prepared for a disaster scenario has become a real ordeal. There are so many types available that it almost seems impossible to find the best MRE meals for your family.
A history of MRE meals
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Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) are meals developed by the United States Department of Defense designed only to feed soldiers during wartime. The main idea behind the MRE meals was to provide the troops with a highly mobile and low-cost, nutritional meal.
MRE meals were adopted as the Department of Defense combat ration in 1975, and the large scale production began in 1978. However, the concept of food ration for the troops is much older and can be dated back to the Revolutionary War. Back then, the meals for the soldiers had to include enough food to feed a man for one day. The initial foods were mainly beef, peas, and rice.
MRE meals evolved over time, and various military conflicts left their print on MREs. During the American Civil War, canned goods were being utilized on a large scale, and later on, the U.S. military provided self-contained kits with entire rations containing canned meats, coffee, bread, sugar, and salt.
At the beginning of the First World War, the food rations of soldiers moved away from canned goods, and lightweight preserved meats (mostly salted and dried) were the best alternative to save weight but also allowed better mobility for the soldiers since they were able to carry more rations on foot.
During World War II, canned goods came back in force, and canned C rations were issued to U.S. troops regardless of their operating environment or mission. During this time, Spam gained its popularity since it was estimated that more than 100 million cans were sent to the Pacific.
In 1981, MRE I was the first large scale production to be issued, and the long process of testing and improving the MRE meals started. With each armed conflict, the United States Department of Defense managed to gather data from soldiers in the field, and based on the results, the manage to increase the consumption and acceptance of MRE meals.
What are MRE meals? Can their content satisfy everyone?
While the first MRE meals (MRE I) had only 12 menus, since 1994 the Department of Defense started experimenting by increasing the menus from 12 to 18 to 24 in order to overcome food fatigue (or food monotony if you will) and allow MRE meals to be used for longer periods of times.
In 1998, they finally settled on a menu count of 24, and it still remains so till today, as you can see in the MRE meals menu of 2019.
General contents of a MRE may include the following:
Even more, there is also a vegetarian option nowadays, with four different meals included. Over the years, I’ve tested various types, and if you are familiar with my website, you know by now that MRE meals were recommended for various SHTF scenarios and survival needs.
- Main dish;
- Side dish;
- Crackers or bread;
- Spread of peanut butter, cheese or jelly;
- Dessert or snack (usually a soldier fuel bar);
- A powdered beverage mix (various types such as coffee, tea, sport drink, fruit-flavored drink) and a beverage mixing bag;
- Utensils (most provide a plastic spoon)
- A flameless ration heater
- An accessory pack (may contain napkin and toilet paper, a moist towelette, seasonings, and chewing gum)
My Top-Rated MRE Brands: The ones recommended for your survival needs
Before we discuss more in-depth about various MRE meals, I think it’s important to list the most trust-worthy MRE brands available today on the market. Some of these brands have been around for a long time, while others made a rapid ascent in the last five years or so. They are all appreciated and recommended by consumers, but as you know, in the end, your own needs will decide on a single (or more?) brand.
MRE Meals Brands to keep an eye out for:
This is perhaps the best MRE brand, in my opinion, and I get a box or two whenever I get the chance. These are created by the US Department of Defense and are mainly available for our troops. However, they are sold to civilians when they are in surplus, and over the years, I’ve noticed them to be available during major holiday sales. I, for one, buy them during the Black Friday sale.
- US Military MRE
These are also part of my survival pantry since Wise Foods has managed to create affordable and dependable dehydrated foods. These simple foods are of high quality and have great taste. However, the number one selling point for me was their shelf life of 25 years.
- Wise Company
Sopacko is one of the official MRE meals manufacturers for the US military. The sure-pack is their official civilian product, which is very similar to their US military counterpart. They created waterproof and shelf-stable meals, and as they state, “We employ the same technologies we use to make the military meals.”
- Sopacko
This brand is a premium MRE option in today’s market. Although they are not manufacturing MRE meals for the US military, they focus on wholesome, affordable, and flexible buying options for you that have a long shelf life. As far as I know, they are using Military Grade Technology to ensure top-notch products, and even more, they are currently marketing their products for the government. They are trying to partner with FEMA in order to deliver their products to the general public.
- XMRE
Datrex is an all-American brand known to preppers and survivalists since they manufacture and advertise their emergency rations for the general public (preppers, survivalists, campers, etc.). Although not a classical MRE, per se, their food bars are of excellent quality with an impressive 5-years shelf life.
- Datrex
This is a respected brand that offers various survival products besides their freeze-dried and powdered foods. Perhaps one of the trusted brands on the market today and one of the pioneers in manufacturing survival food (since 1972), they are offering various food offers with a 25-year shelf life.
Augason Farms
This brand is manufacturing MRE meals for the US Department of defense, and all their ingredients are US military MRE ration components. They advertise their products as the closest thing to Military MREs you can get without breaking the law. I only got a three-course box of 12 MREs from them, and I honestly say the quality is excellent.
- Meal Kit Supply
Another well-known brand, Western frontier, focuses on producing MREs, and their survival meal kits provide all the needed calories to sustain your energy during a time of crisis. Their products are marketed as all verified fresh, and this means you won’t have to worry about the quality. They are light, individually packaged, and an excellent addition to any survival bag.
- Western Frontier
Just like Augason Farms, the Mountain House brand focuses on producing freeze-dried foods, and they have one of the most advanced production lines in the freeze-dried food industry. They specialize in all sorts of MRE meals to provide the best quality for their clients. One important thing to mention is that almost all their products have a 30-year self-life, which makes them a great option for the serious prepper.
- Mountain House
This brand does not manufacture MRE meals for the US military. However, they are supplying various US government agencies (DHS, CIA, and NASA) with MREs. Their products are developed to match the official US military MRE meals closely and their prices are affordable to the general public.
- MRE Star
Also read: What You Need To Know About Meals Ready To Eat (MREs)
MORE INFO IF YOU FOLLOW THE LINK
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