I find MRE's great! Got two real MRE's but damn they are expensive, and i will only eat them when i really must! :) Anyway, try out Drytech Real field meal, i think it's the best for the money!
I love mres, there is much more food in one of those compared to freeze dried store garbage. If you strip them down to just what you need/want there isn't that much trash in one.
MREs are disgusting and I had to eat them for 9 1/2 weeks straight, 3 times a day...they are designed to sustain combat troops, not regular use!!! And they will give you constipation
Freeze dried back country brand are really awful! I've not had an MRE but a British equiv. was ok but bulky. I don't go anywhere with bears so can take frozen meat and noodles much better.
How cost effective are MRE's? I'm a truck driver, and we don't eat that healthy when we're on the road -- KFC, Mickyd's, etc. I'm sure MRE's are more healthy than McDonalds. But what are your thoughts? I looked up MRE's and saw some for about 75$ for 24 meals. So let's say about 90$ with shipping. That comes to about 3.75$ a meal. Sounds pretty damn good, and sense they last a long time, you don't have to use all of them right away. Might save some money this way. Any advice?
@anzwertree Just watch the sodium content! MRE's definitely got more palatable over my time in the military, but they still have a LOT of sodium... too much for some for long term. Also, make sure you eat plenty of fiber...
@anzwertree i do believe MREs contain 2500 calories... Not 100% sure but it's somewhere around there. If you simply make your own meals and dry them in a dehydrator I think you would benefit more on cost and health.
to avoid the heavy bag left over just buy the civilian mre version with the clear bag instead of the big bulky one which I just use for short term camping trips. But for long range hiking trips I like to use the mountain house ones and just bring my own snacks and sides.
I think bugging out would be better with MRE, otherwise urban survival and all should be easier with freeze dried...unless you live somewhere that doesnt have water
Good comparison, but i find that a there is such a limited menu to the backpacker that I take food of every kind and mix it up for variety. Mountain House and MRE's get old fast. i always keep an eye out for food that is going to retort (similar to MRE) packaging in the grocery stores. Mountain House and Backpackers Pantry taste good but are only one course where as the MRE is a complete meal with snack, I break down the MRE and take only the food, don't take all the packaging with you.
In my opinion the mre is better because it is a heavier meal and fill you more where as the mountain house is light so you need to eat more often and therefore carry more. what is you opinion on that? also one mre can last you up to a day.
In my opinion the mre is better because it is a heavier meal and fill you more where as the mountain house is light so you need to eat more often and therefore carry more. what is you opinion on that?
for urban survival or a bugout bag i would have to say MRE. especially if you live in a desert like myself. there is no way in a survival situation i can possible carry enough water to stay hydrated and to put in a mountain house when its 118+ in the summertime and the nearest water source is 70+ miles away. cool vid dude!
@hbk42581 -- all those MRE's (and M16's and SAM's) have been stolen either by gypsies or irish :P Watch up, you could end up queuing with Bin Ladin for some 2nd hand nukes :P Cheers from Spain.
with an mre you take it apart and prop it up with a stick next to the fire for 5 min. Rotate and leave for another 5 min. and enjoy. The proper heat is you need to be able to hold your hand in that spot for 6 secounds before you pull away.
@beast12101 Would u think you could use the heater to heat up freeze dried if you already cooked it if its cold? That wouldd probably be less bulky and not using a pot.
As always great video. I like to have both. I few FDM packages help cut down on weight & give me more meals. I found that breaking down the MRE's helps with the unwanted weight also. Tks for the hard work & the videos!
I ate IMP's (canadian issued MRE's) in CFB Cold Lake for six weeks during a Survial Course and they are pretty fantasic as for you feel like your are getting a full meal deal. But after a couple weeks of them you tend to get some nasty constipation, not that that matters in a weekend trip...but something to duely note. I wonder if the freeze dried stuff is the same way?
I've read some outdoor stories that involved freeze-dried and over an extended period freeze-dried stuff just doesn't give enough calories.
The problem with ALL the world's MREs is the lack of fiber. I would suggest maybe checking out the health food stores and looking over the various powdered fiber supplements they stock. There are also fiber in tablet form. Off the top of my head I'd try getting something like Lewis Labs Fabulous Fiber, and pit in a ziploc bag.
Add a couple scoops of the health food fiber powder to whatever fruity drink mix that comes with the MRE and hopefully you'll have nice poops. I've been doing a little research and I think all MREs should have two envelopes of some powdered drink mix with fiber added. Though I don't know how well that can substitute for fresh fruit and veggies. In a brief weekend trip you can pack a few apples and oranges. That'll take care of things.
Oh, and apropos of pooping you'd be advised to pack some baby wipes. That innovation has definitely made toilet paper obsolete. I hear our troops over in the sandbox will kill for baby wipes.
I like the mre's personally. But then again, I'm not an ultralight hiker. 60lbs is really no big deal to me. So I like to take a lot of extra gear that will give me more options when I get to where I'm going. But I do like how the mre's have a variety of food in them, not just one entree like the freeze drieds.
@beast12101 another reason mre's are better is that, if there is very little water around like where I live (Arizona). Your not wasting as much of the water your carrying for heating.
What i do is pull everything out of the plastic case and cardboard, then use food saver bags or OD green mylar bags and vaccum pack it so it becomes compact and less waste.
If you opened the MRE and just took the meal portions with you (86 the spoon, matches, etc.) you would have much less bulk & trash. There is a good video called "feild stripping an mre" you might like. Nice info on the actual weight of the meals.
@goodnightChesty1775 there is a surplue store in the tacoma area of washington. near fort lewis called "the fox hole". they sell MRE case's for $60.00 ( us army issue )
@beast12101 yeah but i keep getting the same sites and most of the good deals are just entries and heaters i want the full meals but im going to keep looking
omg BBQ ribs and chowder? lol who thunk up that menu?
Good information, I have had the freeze dried deserts and they were not very good...
how tight can you roll the MRE compared to the freezedried after used? lol just joking with you! Awesome Video, not sure why Youtube is not letting me know about video's lately...
great video i prefer the mres over the freeze dried as well because you dont have to use water and like you said if your packing in the water they are the same weight. i usally take my mres out of the main bag in the frst place and just put it in a zip lock with the entree and the side dish i want and it would end up being lighter then the mountain house after you added the water and less trash to hike out.
I havnt tried the mountain house or any of the like but I do prefer the mre because i have had so many great meals with them so why stop a good thing. On the other hand i cant get the mre here no surplus stores for hours and hours. Part of living in the boonies.
I have no experience with the Moutain House foods, but 1 MRE is meant to be a days worth of food.
Stripping down the things you dont care for will cut weight, and you can always reseal the main pouch with the items you do keep.
I use MREs in my go bag, and wont be taking out trash, I would be burying it. With that said, I believe in reusing what I cant, and saving the main pouch is a worthwhile thing.
Another good video Beast. I'm kinda partial to MRE's mostly because just about all of the Mountain House meal I've had was so salty I was pounding water for hours to get the salt taste out of my mouth. And if water is in short supply thats not always a good thing to have to deal with.
The Mountain House 'pro' are smaller and have far more calories per serving. They cost more of course but for the purpose of conserving space they can't be beat. You can get them most places but I have found Winco has the best price so far. However, the epicenter website has more variety at competitive prices.
I like the mountain house meals for a fast tasty meal when I am at a camp, or just waking up, and getting ready to go...they also for the most part tast a little better than the MRE, but I agree you get alot more in an MRE...and around here...they cost about the same per unit...the MRE may be about 80 cents more, but thats nothing when you consider all you get in the pack
Keep those (Flavor savers) Dessicant packets. Place in oven at 250 for 30 min to re-activate (dry) them. Put your garden seeds in a 1 qt mason jar, with the dessicant. If you keep the jar in the fridge, your seeds will remain viable for years.
Thanks for that comparison. I have always wondered what would be better for backpacking. And lets be honest, if I'm not worried about alerting people around me, I will burn all the trash after eating it.
I find MRE's great! Got two real MRE's but damn they are expensive, and i will only eat them when i really must! :) Anyway, try out Drytech Real field meal, i think it's the best for the money!
HarbardWild 1 month ago
idk why im watchin this but its makin me hungry
MightySandwich79 2 months ago
Damn, You got a good MRE. Love the Pork Ribs.
PharsaNets 2 months ago
I love mres, there is much more food in one of those compared to freeze dried store garbage. If you strip them down to just what you need/want there isn't that much trash in one.
neo71665 3 months ago
MREs are disgusting and I had to eat them for 9 1/2 weeks straight, 3 times a day...they are designed to sustain combat troops, not regular use!!! And they will give you constipation
jraybu09 5 months ago
MRE FTW THUMBS UP IF U AGREE :D
boob485 5 months ago
Meals Rejected by Ethiopians ;)
kozarac5 6 months ago
Freeze dried back country brand are really awful! I've not had an MRE but a British equiv. was ok but bulky. I don't go anywhere with bears so can take frozen meat and noodles much better.
Passbookable 6 months ago
Nice video..well done..thanks
Dojocho 7 months ago
How cost effective are MRE's? I'm a truck driver, and we don't eat that healthy when we're on the road -- KFC, Mickyd's, etc. I'm sure MRE's are more healthy than McDonalds. But what are your thoughts? I looked up MRE's and saw some for about 75$ for 24 meals. So let's say about 90$ with shipping. That comes to about 3.75$ a meal. Sounds pretty damn good, and sense they last a long time, you don't have to use all of them right away. Might save some money this way. Any advice?
anzwertree 7 months ago
@anzwertree they arent meant to eat all the time, but it would be wise to keep some in the truck just in case
beast12101 7 months ago
Comment removed
purdyquibb 7 months ago
@anzwertree I'd say that MRE's would be better for you, but that's not saying much.
spiderpig85 7 months ago
@anzwertree Just watch the sodium content! MRE's definitely got more palatable over my time in the military, but they still have a LOT of sodium... too much for some for long term. Also, make sure you eat plenty of fiber...
bigdavemaine 3 months ago
@anzwertree i do believe MREs contain 2500 calories... Not 100% sure but it's somewhere around there. If you simply make your own meals and dry them in a dehydrator I think you would benefit more on cost and health.
HatedEnt 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i drank a dairyshake and didnt get sick, and it was the series recalled.
agentz100 8 months ago
Comment removed
agentz100 8 months ago
to avoid the heavy bag left over just buy the civilian mre version with the clear bag instead of the big bulky one which I just use for short term camping trips. But for long range hiking trips I like to use the mountain house ones and just bring my own snacks and sides.
dantheawsomeman 8 months ago in playlist delta
poor dog. just got stomped
qaz12341 8 months ago
whAT would you say is better?
Flammin1000 9 months ago
I think bugging out would be better with MRE, otherwise urban survival and all should be easier with freeze dried...unless you live somewhere that doesnt have water
starshock01 10 months ago
Good comparison, but i find that a there is such a limited menu to the backpacker that I take food of every kind and mix it up for variety. Mountain House and MRE's get old fast. i always keep an eye out for food that is going to retort (similar to MRE) packaging in the grocery stores. Mountain House and Backpackers Pantry taste good but are only one course where as the MRE is a complete meal with snack, I break down the MRE and take only the food, don't take all the packaging with you.
RECOIL64 10 months ago
In my opinion the mre is better because it is a heavier meal and fill you more where as the mountain house is light so you need to eat more often and therefore carry more. what is you opinion on that? also one mre can last you up to a day.
InsertGun 10 months ago
In my opinion the mre is better because it is a heavier meal and fill you more where as the mountain house is light so you need to eat more often and therefore carry more. what is you opinion on that?
InsertGun 10 months ago
MREs r worth the extra weight
EmofacePS3 10 months ago
Pick your poison. Which ones gonna kill me quicker?
xXKOSTRALXx 11 months ago
lol win i go to bear country i bring a gun then i can bring all the food i want and sleep were the hell i want :)
huntz2471 11 months ago
a recall on the shakes? do you think they fixt it yet?
huntz2471 11 months ago
for urban survival or a bugout bag i would have to say MRE. especially if you live in a desert like myself. there is no way in a survival situation i can possible carry enough water to stay hydrated and to put in a mountain house when its 118+ in the summertime and the nearest water source is 70+ miles away. cool vid dude!
GUITARISTKRC 1 year ago 4
@GUITARISTKRC thanks
beast12101 1 year ago
@GUITARISTKRC thats wat i thought too i live in las vegas and its a desert.. but i think u can eat mountain houses raw
megalizardfreak 1 month ago
cheese poofs!!
spartanthree8 1 year ago
where and how did you get that MRE ? (government property) :P
clustergarde 1 year ago
@clustergarde You can get genuine military issue MRE's on ebay, easily.
hbk42581 1 year ago
@hbk42581 -- all those MRE's (and M16's and SAM's) have been stolen either by gypsies or irish :P Watch up, you could end up queuing with Bin Ladin for some 2nd hand nukes :P Cheers from Spain.
clustergarde 1 year ago
what camera you use and how much it cost?
MrGodOfWarful 1 year ago
the mulit-metal shell s made of like 7 layers of aluminum with a plastic coating. theay are meant to be reused for whatever reason
DeathDart2k 1 year ago
with an mre you take it apart and prop it up with a stick next to the fire for 5 min. Rotate and leave for another 5 min. and enjoy. The proper heat is you need to be able to hold your hand in that spot for 6 secounds before you pull away.
andrewsheldonreeves 1 year ago
did you ever have a british ration pack?
TheBigpunn421 1 year ago
I would say to consider the weight of having a stove for mt. house too because mre's have a heater so you can leave the stove behind
eatsleepbike 1 year ago
@eatsleepbike great point but with all the differences in stoves I left it out, thanks
beast12101 1 year ago
@beast12101 Would u think you could use the heater to heat up freeze dried if you already cooked it if its cold? That wouldd probably be less bulky and not using a pot.
ncdaking123 11 months ago
Very informative video! -Nax
NaxTactical 1 year ago
As always great video. I like to have both. I few FDM packages help cut down on weight & give me more meals. I found that breaking down the MRE's helps with the unwanted weight also. Tks for the hard work & the videos!
Hoffa3381 1 year ago
I ate IMP's (canadian issued MRE's) in CFB Cold Lake for six weeks during a Survial Course and they are pretty fantasic as for you feel like your are getting a full meal deal. But after a couple weeks of them you tend to get some nasty constipation, not that that matters in a weekend trip...but something to duely note. I wonder if the freeze dried stuff is the same way?
Cheekee13Monkee 1 year ago
@Cheekee13Monkee
I've read some outdoor stories that involved freeze-dried and over an extended period freeze-dried stuff just doesn't give enough calories.
The problem with ALL the world's MREs is the lack of fiber. I would suggest maybe checking out the health food stores and looking over the various powdered fiber supplements they stock. There are also fiber in tablet form. Off the top of my head I'd try getting something like Lewis Labs Fabulous Fiber, and pit in a ziploc bag.
pinz2022 8 months ago
@pinz2022
Cool thanks for the tips on fiber tablets!
Cheekee13Monkee 8 months ago
@Cheekee13Monkee
Add a couple scoops of the health food fiber powder to whatever fruity drink mix that comes with the MRE and hopefully you'll have nice poops. I've been doing a little research and I think all MREs should have two envelopes of some powdered drink mix with fiber added. Though I don't know how well that can substitute for fresh fruit and veggies. In a brief weekend trip you can pack a few apples and oranges. That'll take care of things.
pinz2022 8 months ago
@Cheekee13Monkee
Oh, and apropos of pooping you'd be advised to pack some baby wipes. That innovation has definitely made toilet paper obsolete. I hear our troops over in the sandbox will kill for baby wipes.
pinz2022 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Awesome vid check out mine
gravitystinks 1 year ago
have you tried to strip down your mre so that you only get what you want out of the mre instead of having to carry the whole thing?
MrZotZot 1 year ago
I love eating these. But im kinda limited to 2-3 meals since imma vegetarian.
somekid1564 1 year ago
The commercial retail, Like mountain house freeze dried stuff is WAY TOO salty.
nolobede 1 year ago
I like the mre's personally. But then again, I'm not an ultralight hiker. 60lbs is really no big deal to me. So I like to take a lot of extra gear that will give me more options when I get to where I'm going. But I do like how the mre's have a variety of food in them, not just one entree like the freeze drieds.
MahaloMoFo 1 year ago
The mac & cheese freeze dried one sucks, my fav one for hiking are all the different chicken meals they make have rice and a lot of veggies
orang3c4rt 1 year ago
what did you say about the dairy I couldnt make it out
wkgm11 1 year ago
@wkgm11 dairy shakes were recalled for saminilla
beast12101 1 year ago
@beast12101 another reason mre's are better is that, if there is very little water around like where I live (Arizona). Your not wasting as much of the water your carrying for heating.
xenomorph856 1 year ago
@beast12101 I think you mean Salmonella, thats the bacteria that causes most food poisonings. Great comparison.
TheLateBoyScout 1 year ago
@TheLateBoyScout you are correct
beast12101 1 year ago
What i do is pull everything out of the plastic case and cardboard, then use food saver bags or OD green mylar bags and vaccum pack it so it becomes compact and less waste.
Kevin32001 1 year ago
I like to mix n match rations, ill take a few Freeze dried meals, and a few MRE entrees (beef patty ;P) as well as a few UK retort pouches.
I find the MRE entrees (deboxed) are really great when put together with another meal.
Ohh and dont forget the MRE cheese dude :D
DarthCelcius 1 year ago 3
where do you get your mres from
manhip 1 year ago
by the way ware do you bye your mres?
airsofthero1 1 year ago
@airsofthero1 down on first ave.
beast12101 1 year ago
yes but u have to remember in the mre thare is more food.
airsofthero1 1 year ago
If you opened the MRE and just took the meal portions with you (86 the spoon, matches, etc.) you would have much less bulk & trash. There is a good video called "feild stripping an mre" you might like. Nice info on the actual weight of the meals.
mrfrack 1 year ago
me and my brother ate some mountain house meals about a week ago. i just bought a mre today but havent ate it yet
drfeelgoodfilms 1 year ago
can anyone give me a link to a MRE website i want to buy a case of them
goodnightChesty1775 1 year ago
@goodnightChesty1775 there is a surplue store in the tacoma area of washington. near fort lewis called "the fox hole". they sell MRE case's for $60.00 ( us army issue )
hamm336 1 year ago
@hamm336 thanks man thats cool bit i live in orange county CA ahaha but thanks
goodnightChesty1775 1 year ago
@goodnightChesty1775 have you tried google
beast12101 1 year ago
@beast12101 yeah but i keep getting the same sites and most of the good deals are just entries and heaters i want the full meals but im going to keep looking
goodnightChesty1775 1 year ago
omg BBQ ribs and chowder? lol who thunk up that menu?
Good information, I have had the freeze dried deserts and they were not very good...
how tight can you roll the MRE compared to the freezedried after used? lol just joking with you! Awesome Video, not sure why Youtube is not letting me know about video's lately...
Thanks for sharing good info!
JimboJitsu 1 year ago
mres tend to constipate you but i love the fact their loaded with cals....nice video
dayton112 1 year ago
i know you can pick up mountain house meals at REI. eastern Canada doesn't have REI, we have a Mountain Equipment Co-op.
so far. MEC doesn't carry MRE meals, is there any other place you buy those from?
Tancrad 1 year ago
great video i prefer the mres over the freeze dried as well because you dont have to use water and like you said if your packing in the water they are the same weight. i usally take my mres out of the main bag in the frst place and just put it in a zip lock with the entree and the side dish i want and it would end up being lighter then the mountain house after you added the water and less trash to hike out.
jab0505 1 year ago
Great side by side comparison of 2 popular options for the outdoors.
I dig your honest approach
CampfireTalk 1 year ago
i was about to say, ten miles is my average day hike with my BOB. just training ye old legs. when i say old im mean young.
molemanlivesagain 1 year ago
good points, there are certainly things to consider.
Ghostkamo 1 year ago
good examination of the products.
usframe 1 year ago
I havnt tried the mountain house or any of the like but I do prefer the mre because i have had so many great meals with them so why stop a good thing. On the other hand i cant get the mre here no surplus stores for hours and hours. Part of living in the boonies.
FixedByDoc 1 year ago
@FixedByDoc ...you can buy the military MREs on ebay....I live in the boonies as well...lol
GiveMeLiberty80 1 year ago
@GiveMeLiberty80 Thanks I will give it a look.
FixedByDoc 1 year ago
Good video, gives you something to think about.
biguy525 1 year ago
Good video. Very informative. Take care.
BugOutVehicles 1 year ago
@OnlyMeDMG kodak zi6
beast12101 1 year ago
Never thought about compairing the two meals, but very interesting video.
5***** or thumbs up or like or what ever means great video nowadays.
cornflake71 1 year ago
I have no experience with the Moutain House foods, but 1 MRE is meant to be a days worth of food.
Stripping down the things you dont care for will cut weight, and you can always reseal the main pouch with the items you do keep.
I use MREs in my go bag, and wont be taking out trash, I would be burying it. With that said, I believe in reusing what I cant, and saving the main pouch is a worthwhile thing.
usarmycaptainamerica 1 year ago
(cont)
You can use half of the pouch and some tape to manage a gunshot wound to the chest (sucking chest wound)., or use the entire pouch for water etc.
I think overall the MREs offer you the most bang for the buck.
Great review Beast...
usarmycaptainamerica 1 year ago
I think MT house have a lot of salt in them but maybe its me.
GlockAnimal 1 year ago
Another good video Beast. I'm kinda partial to MRE's mostly because just about all of the Mountain House meal I've had was so salty I was pounding water for hours to get the salt taste out of my mouth. And if water is in short supply thats not always a good thing to have to deal with.
Keep the good videos coming. 5/5
05MagnumSXT 1 year ago
The Mountain House 'pro' are smaller and have far more calories per serving. They cost more of course but for the purpose of conserving space they can't be beat. You can get them most places but I have found Winco has the best price so far. However, the epicenter website has more variety at competitive prices.
TheBackyardBushman 1 year ago
that was excellent info......thumbs up
ironhead41 1 year ago
I like the mountain house meals for a fast tasty meal when I am at a camp, or just waking up, and getting ready to go...they also for the most part tast a little better than the MRE, but I agree you get alot more in an MRE...and around here...they cost about the same per unit...the MRE may be about 80 cents more, but thats nothing when you consider all you get in the pack
MrCableguyken 1 year ago
Do you eat "indian fare" from trader joe's?
superfisto 1 year ago
You'll want to strip down your MRE's and lose the crap. Nice scale.
gwmiv 1 year ago
Keep those (Flavor savers) Dessicant packets. Place in oven at 250 for 30 min to re-activate (dry) them. Put your garden seeds in a 1 qt mason jar, with the dessicant. If you keep the jar in the fridge, your seeds will remain viable for years.
GoatHollow 1 year ago
★★★★★...Great job.
3charter 1 year ago
★★★★★...Great job.
3charter 1 year ago
Some very good points on MRE vs MOUNTAIN HOUSE with water being a valued resource if it is in short supply. Good video, BEAST.
jolietjake1970 1 year ago
Thanks for that comparison. I have always wondered what would be better for backpacking. And lets be honest, if I'm not worried about alerting people around me, I will burn all the trash after eating it.
TheConstitutionMan 1 year ago
5:24 The mac and cheese is not a meal. It is an entree. It can be eaten as a meal, if you eat enough of it, but it is unbalanced vs. the MRE.
pshinspections 1 year ago
that is a great to evoid bears. i will have to give it a try next time. it will may also work on two legged perditors too thanx for shareing.
when will i see more bug out vehicle vids thanx.
MrSaber152 1 year ago