MRE Review & Heater Demo

[demon1damon]

Thanks this helped a lot.

[TheArmyKid999]

CHEW AND SWALLOW THE GUM AFTER YOU ARE DONE OR YOU WONT BE ABLE TO SHIT!!!

[SuperBloogs]

If you eat MREs, make sure to chew and swallow the gum when you are done eating!!!! If you don't you won't shit for a week!!!

[luvslord1]

Very very informative... I really appreciate knowing about the heater too.

[BooyaaPwned]

Doggy @ 0:41

[PatsoPat2007]

God I love Ration Packs!

[Vyppaaa11]

Please note that the gum contains laxatives to help aleiviat the constapation usualy ascotioated with MREs. So if you did'nt eat the MRE don't chew the gum.

[xxCpxxDr0n3]

great video mate, you explained perfectly how to use them

[iyBesao]

Anyone know if there is a specific reason why it's called Meals Ready to Eat?

Why not Ready to Eat Meals?

REM? :)

[7ShadowsofLight]

@iyBesao Maybe because they already have a military word for REM. I know that REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. Plus, MRE is kind of catchy.

[FuzorDragon480]

German Shepherd!!! Awesome dog!

[heythisrocks]

are these cheap and where can i get these im more than likly leaving with my bike to the woods i lived in the woods for 1 week before when i was 15 after i got kicked out well lost my job and same problem again people that can help me dont give a fuk and neathier do i ive had these before but dont know how to get them and any tips to keep bugs off of u its mosquitos wil drive u crazy without a tent wats the best stuff

[M3T4LSTORM]

Fast fuel, lasting shortly: sugar, rice etc

Good ballance: wheats (dough, noodles), potatoes

Fuel later, lasting long: whole grains, beans

Usually when you need energy, a good comnination would be:

a bit of "fast" energy, to help right away

a fair ammount of "medium" fast energy

a good amount of "slow" energy

The slower ones are the least easy to digest by the body, but they provide energy for a long time. You also get hungry much later. Most common meals are "medium" fast energy.

[M3T4LSTORM]

Your body DOES need sugar to survive, but does not need the intake of actual sugar, it will make sugars out of things you eat. So if you eat a can of beans it will make sugars among other tings. Also, most food does contain sugar, though it might not be much.

Eating sugars (unprocessed by body) can give you energy very quick, but is the least effective fuel for the body. Also before of a sugar crash

(2 much sugar= a lot of energy now, low on energy later: a crash).

[STEVENNGUYEN6783]

good shit

[borderraven]

I tested an MRE in Air temp of 75 F, with water to activate 78 F, in 10 minutes it reached 170+ F.

[snakeman6459]

the gum is also a laxative

[DstroyEvil7]

your body DOES need sugar crazy. The most important organ in the body, the brain, needs oxygen and sugar in order to function. if you do not have enough sugar in your body you will become hypoglycemic and die if not corrected. Too much sugar can fuck you up pretty bad too. The reason why the salt packet is so large is to #1 add taste #2 retain water in the body. adding small amounts of the salt to a canteen is the taught method to staying hydrated

[GoNavy95]

the MRE brownie is the best food item ever created by man.

[tboy1022]

dont drink the milk shake it will give you samonella poisioning

[GoNavy95]

whats in the milk shake mix? I haven't gotten that one yet...

[foxden242]

Great videos, thanks for taking so much time to do these, I am an Army vet and still learn stuff from you. One should never stop trying to learn more. Thanks again.

[loku1125]

or if you are under 19 you can join cadets and get them for free

[brianfrance728]

That video was very informative. Ive just joined the army and my recruiter gave me an MRE to try. Chicken Fajita... mmmmmm. haha. Havent tried it yet because I wasnt sure about how to heat it so thank you very much.

[rotorleopard]

Hauling ass. For example, an emergency situation. There is a flood coming. You won't be able to take much and you're on your own.

[th3boy75]

watch out for the bacteria on your hands. It seems odd since your in the woods, but the bacteria that you pick up can mean the end of your survival if you get sick. Try getting the spoon or spork out of the package with your mouth, since the bacteria in there isn't gonna kill you. its little steps such as that that keep you alive for another day. Also, a good idea would be to keep a ziplock bag with salt in it to disinfect and to dry meat and hides should you need to. Some quick rabbit socks?

[bgaman15]

I have found mre's for like $50 at my local flea market so preppers check flea markets and there are other prep items

[CombatWarrior420]

I want to buy some of these military MREs but don't know which websites are to be trusted. Can you help?

[rotorleopard]

Did you Google, "MRE promotion?" It'll probably show up with results that lead you to online retailers that do sell these packages.

[1UltimateFighter1]

use this toilet paper for all types of things, such as wiping your ass

[miller4546]

constipation will occur after 4 to 5 day use.

basically he field stripped the MRE out of all the bulky packaging and down to the bare necessities.chicklets, are gun, that is all nothing else. also ,

[nethdaniel552]

lol my dad is in the air force so i can get MRE from his office wen ever

[rwa96]

bugging out = fast exidous away from a bad situation that endangers yourself and or loved ones. I.E. GTFO

[JoeDurobot]

Thanks for the review, anyone already tried civilian type MREs like the ones from A-Pack?

[johnny5999]

MREs are fine for short term use. yes they bind you up some but can sustain you for a month longer than that is unwise. In the military they alway try to get local food food as soon as possable and limit MREs to less than 30 days

[matthewfisher96]

i like your German Sheapred

[brynjar88]

Really intresting/helpfull video thanks alot , gona have to try out theese MRE's . Anyone you guys recomend for a "first timer" ?:)

[voyerist1]

Hey ryanjcus --  I was wondering if you know if MSG is put into MREs??

[rwa96]

No MSG in MRE's too many people join the US military with too many food alergies to afford MSG and or food additives.

If you can eat cool ranch doritos you can eat an MRE.

[Benz2533]

I like that speech. If you can eat doritos you can eat an MRE. That just nice one man. I agree and maybe that is why MRE is such a good storage of food when war time or natural disaster.

[jeffero80]

ummm...those aren't Chiklets.those 2 "pieces of gum" are actually a Laxative in gum form LOL

[rwa96]

Do you know that for a fact or from personal experiance. I am a member of the SDARNG and at drill this month I chewed the chicklets from all 3 MRE's I had and as a matter of fact I didn't take a dump all weekend. Just hydrate alot.

So to conclude the Chicklets=laxative is an urban myth/legend.

[suasponte67]

um,,NO there is not anything in them,,get real

[onbraveoldarmyteam]

Very informal video, loved it!

[Aircraftkiller]

When you eat an MRE, you don't shit for a week... why they included toilet paper, I've no clue...

:P

[voyerist1]

Damn! Are you serious or just joking?? I have to ask. LOL Maybe I won't go buy any afterall.

[Aircraftkiller]

Flush it out with PLENTY of water and you'll be fine. Drink AT LEAST a liter or so a day, however. NOT ALL AT ONCE THOUGH.. because you'll get sick.

[nerdysquag]

i still cant find out were to buy those mre s except for online which i dont really like to do. but this was one of your best videos  GREAT JOB MAN!

[eli89ki]

army surplus store:)

[NBaimf]

I got my first mres last week. I've only tried one but there was all this gray sandy shit in the heater bag with the heater itself. It got all over the outside of the meal bag. terrible mess.

[YIRATxADONAI]

Right on man! Whenever I cook an MRE and one side is not warm enough or the whole pack is not warm enough, I flip it over and add more water until I get a boiling hot meal. Thanks for the awesome vids!

[jeepnicc]

Right on bro. All good info. I love these things BTW.

[colemanscott77338]

Very informative. Thanks for posting!

[JoeOnTheRoad]

As always great video! I always wondered how to heat the MRE up I messed up the last time now I know what to do Thanks!

-Joe

[jonvssocrates]

Good review. I think I'm going to put some in my disaster prep kit. Thanks man.

[Survivalist2008]

Great vid as usual.

[infomaggot]

you can fielf strip your mre by cutting open the top of the mre bag-remove food from cardboard boxes-put the food back in the mre bag-compress and roll or fold the cut side of the bag down-tape it with electric tape or duct tape-store in your bob,knap sac,or pack-

[ryanjcus]

Good advice. Thats basically what I did to mine in the video. The cardboard takes up alot of valuable space. The heaters work w/out em anyways. Thanks Bro

[bubba008009]

I love Today's MRE'S, there actually very tasty !!

good video as always.

[WeCanAllGetAllong]

Good promo post,thx man!

[BossOfGSF]

usually when i check ebay for the mres they say that they do not come with the heater due to shipping restrictions - so where can i buy the mres that will come with a heater online? ive searced just about everywhere - thanks very informative video

[ryanjcus]

Sorry man, I'm not sure. For some reason I thought you could buy them in 10 packs online. I don't know though. If you have any Local Military Surplus Stores, I would check there. Thanks Man

[sunchipsism]

@BossOfGSF i dont know about rations coming with teh heater but i know a couple companies who will ship heaters for the mre's in the usa only

[FlowerofLife101]

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." -einstein-

i feel that global war will be inevitable. maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow... but inevitable. And perhaps the only survivors will be those who were not found? maybe not.

oh yeah, and that was my original question... any ideas about smokeless fires? or less smoke fires?

[FlowerofLife101]

i wonder if those heating pads are similar to hand warmers? though, they probably get hotter? oh yeah ryan, throw some handwarmers in your first aid if you havn't already, cause, good for emergency frostbite relief... ? ... it says on the package don't use on frostbite (gets to max 130F) but i think wrap it/lower the temperature to prevent burning?

if if if shit goes down, i'm concernedly hoping there will be alot of deer.

hey, it's saturday, high and thinking.

keep it up

WWIII

[MissPickletoes]

Aside from deer, perhaps get a hav a heart trap for small critters such as coons,possum,rabbits squirrel,etc. If push comes to shove, you can eat them too

[Quadmachine0]

Great Video. I just had a general kind of question. I have a survival manual (FM 21-76) that my dad gave me. It says in survival kits that a good thing to have is a plastic spoon. Is the spoon you get with an MRE a good quality one that would last? Just curious. Thanks again, keep up the great videos Ryan!

[ryanjcus]

The MRE spoons are okay, and can be reused. But I would suggest getting a "Light My Fire Spoork". They are very durable, and meant to be reused over, and over. I have one and have used it alot. It's great. I think it was only like 5 bucks too. Thanks for the support Brother.

[Quadmachine0]

Thanks, but where can i get one? There's one Military surplus in town I go to once in a while and he has some things, but I think I may end up going to Cabella's or the Surplus on the Berlin Tpke. Can I find one there? Thanks, and can't wait for your next video.

[ryanjcus]

I get them sometimes at "Military Specialties" on the Berlin Trpke. in Newington. Thats prob the best place in CT. Hey what surplus store do you go to? Please tell me about it. I would like to check it out. Thanks Brother

[ItomeVader]

Great info. It's nice to have a better option than Mountain house. 5/5

[dsarti1]

I have given much thought to the EMERGENCY snack I keep in my BOB and in each car. Yes I keep some Tasty snacks however I also keep a can of sardines becouse I hate sardines! So I know I will not eat them unless it is a real emergency LOL, they are high proten and packed in oil high fat

[MrSkaramanga]

Thats actually not a bad idea. You won't eat too many at one time either and that will force you to conserve the food.

[FlowerofLife101]

thats funny!

[seven47katana]

where do you buy them from ??

[ryanjcus]

Online, or local military surplus stores. Thanks Bro

[ryanjcus]

LOL sshhhh

[TheDudeJeffLebowski]

I recall from biology class, that the human brain needs sugar to survive. Add raisins to your trail mix. They have iron as well.

Archer Farms has the best raisin/walnut trail mix in my opinion. Target sells it in 14oz bags. I keep 5 bags in my BOV. There are other ingredients in it as well.

[ryanjcus]

I've always been told that about sugar, it's in alot of the foods we eat. Anyways Thanks for the tip about MREs on EBAY. Add the food you get hunting, trapping, and fishing. You'll be set for a good long time. Not to mention all the non perishibles we've been storing. Jerky is excellent for protein, and holds along time. The good thing about the trail mix is you can bait traps w/it too. Thanks Bro

[dsarti1]

Thats not the same type of sugar and your body makes its own sugar you need not eat ANY sugar

[TheDudeJeffLebowski]

Correct dsarti1, but without a food source for "prolonged periods", your body will need sugar first. Having no food, some sugar in your BOB will save your life. That guy hiking, who cut his arm off, was able to survive because of a candy-bar.

[dsarti1]

Yes However if you are placing something in your bag for emergency use you would be better off with a 1200 or 2400 calorie emergency ration bar that has a high Fat content. the hiker your talking about was just plane lucky. In emergency anything is better than nothing but being informed as you are now why waste the space.

[TheDudeJeffLebowski]

There's a seller on Ebay with MRE's in bulk.

I was looking at the $750.00 shipment a few months ago and did some math regarding how long I could make that last if I rationed it carefully, after TSHTF. 8 months maybe.

[dsarti1]

Most Americans are Fat enough that they only need to pack a month worth of multi vitamins to survive 30 days... Myself I have enough stored fat I could survive a year just taking a 1-a-day multi vit LOL

[ryanjcus]

Very True. I appreciate the insight. I've added an annotation to the video. Thanks

[dsarti1]

ok I cant post any links just google this question

does the body need sugar?

[ryanjcus]

I can agree that you won't die if you haven't had sugar for an extended period, but is important to have in the outdoors, for reasons I stated above. Also sugar is excellent for it's calories. I will add an annotation clarifying what I said about sugar. My intent is not to give false info. Many survival books I've read recommend adding salt and surgar to your basic survival kit.

[dsarti1]

here are quotes from medical sources:

"The truth is that your body needs no sugar, as it concerns the processed sugar we buy from the market. Besides, sugar works as an impediment to your endurance as well as it contributes in gaining fat as the energy it offers has to be consumed immediately. We should have only unprocessed sugar and sugar that is found in food such as fruits"

"Not only does sugar have no nutritional value, it is one of the biggest causes of disease in the western world today

[AwakeAndDangerous]

Medically speaking, you are correct. But sugar is good to have in a survival situation, because eating sugars directly saves your body the trouble of converting starches, carbohydrates, fats, etc. into sugar (your cells are fueled by a type of sugar called amino triphosphate, ATP, which is synthesized from whatever you eat). What you say about sugar is indeed true, but when you're talking about survival, getting fat is not a major concern.

[Gibarix]

another great video 5 *****

[electroapprentice]

Did you know , if you take the heater chemical and break it up and put it in a 20oz bottle , then add a quarter cup of water and cap the bottle , in about five minutes the bottle will pop violently . Dumb thing to do but entertaining none the less. Just dont add too much water or it wont work.

[MrSkaramanga]

You're better off just buying the entree's ALONE, its alot cheaper and you don't really need all the other stuff that it comes with to survive. All you got to have is a spoon, thats it. You'll save some room in your bag and weight too. You can find alot of suppliers that supply one heater per entree too.

[ryanjcus]

Thanks for all the tips and comments. Much appreciated

[MrSkaramanga]

No problem, all your vids are very good and informative btw, keep up the good work.

[radiospirit]

Very nice video. If anybody is stocking up on M.R.E.'s, they are very advanced in their seige preparations. I would suggest to anybody just catching on to current events to stock their cupboards with at least two weeks worth of dry/canned food. These perilous first few days of the collapse will be one of panic stricken paycheck to paycheck people trying to find their daily needs. Even wealthy people will find it hard to get their daily rations if they aren't prepared.

[ryanjcus]

Thanks for the additional tips. Wealthy people will be worth nothing if they don't start spending their money on the essentials NOW. Be Safe RADIOSPIRIT

[BRITsniperOPS06]

Great video first class infomation again, Ive been thinking about stocking up on these type of MRE but can only get the cold ones, can you tell me have you had them cold and are they good and are there any that taste bad thanks PARA111(+)

[MrSkaramanga]

Actually they're not bad. You can eat them cold too, it's not the best but when it comes to survival it will be like having filet mignon. Better than sucking on a piece of cactus or eating a catepillar.

[BRITsniperOPS06]

Thanks for the info. PARA111(+)

[MrSkaramanga]

Oh btw the spaghetti pretty much sucks. The best ones IMO are the beef stew (beef stew is the BEST one), chili with beans, hot dogs (a bit salty though) and the chicken with salsa ain't bad either.

[BRITsniperOPS06]

Thanks for the info, you know a lot about MRE have you had a lot of them. Also your comment on birch sap can you tell do you need to do anything to the sap when its collected and can all types of birch sap be consumed. Thanks PARA111(+)

[MrSkaramanga]

Yes I have had TOO MANY of them actually lol. You don't need to do anything to the birch sap if at the time, you don't have the means to do so. But if you have the means, collect it, put in a small pot with some water and boil it. Then let it cool a bit. It's easier to consume this way and you can pick out any small pieces of bark that might be in there. Again, you do not have to boil it for bacterial reasons, only for ease.

[MrSkaramanga]

BTW, I see you are a Brit. I have met many of the "Royal Green Jackets" over on Cyprus when I had to serve my compulsory service. I am in the States now. Good bunch of fellows.

[05MagnumSXT]

Great Video as usual Ryan. I had a friend give me an US issued MRE a few years ago and it was pretty good. Im sure if you had to live on them everyday for a month it would get old. I'm seeing another friend over the week-end that just got off active duty in Iraq and he's going to see about getting some for me from the PX.

5 Stars for another good job

[ryanjcus]

I hear ya, after a day of meals they get old. But when you're starving they're prob the best meal you've ever had. There are certain things I like though. The snickers bars you get sometimes,lol. Mashed potatoes aren't bad, a little pasty though. Thanks for the comment 05MagnumSXT

[dsarti1]

I have heard you say many times that your body NEEDS sugar "WRONG"!!! Your body can go forever with out sugar. Carbohydrates are much better ( bread, potato with skin, beans are best) for long lasting energy add extra butter to your toast. Fats are more effective and last longer in your body

[MrSkaramanga]

If you eat starches like bread and potatoes, you already got your sugars right there. Same with pasta and even beans.......to a lesser extent though. "Sugar" as in the form of WHITE SUGAR (or brown) is not good for you either, they bleach and process the fuck out of it and its really bad for your system. The best thing for sweetening anything is HONEY, it stores for a very long time, it has nutritional value and ....it's natural and not bad for your body.

[ryanjcus]

No need to yell. You haven't heard me say that many times. And yes you do need sugar. Also I never said substitute fats for sugar. You need a well balanced diet outdoors more than anywhere else. Like MrSkaramanga said, suger is in starches, fruits, etc. Sugar not only provides energy, but is also good for moral. Take it easy dsarti1 you sound very bitter. Pherhaps you could use some sugar.

[ryanjcus]

Also sugar is VERY hard to come across in the outdoors.

[MrSkaramanga]

Birch sap has a high sugar content and is very edible.

[dsarti1]

Sorry don't mean to sound like I am yelling but you absolutely do not need any I repeat any Refined sugar. Natural sugar in fruit you only need the vitamin C however you can get that from bell pepper. Hang loose I will get proof

[voyerist1]

Than you can say we dont need fruits/veggies to live either. ALL, I repeat ALL food is eventually turned into a sugar called glucose. Its consumed by cells as energy for cellular respiration (their food). Eating fruits/veggies does give you good vitamins/fiber/anti-carcinogen­s, etc, so they will give you a better quality life & prolong it in the end, but humans do not NEED them either to survive. Also he didn't say refined sugar. Nature has its own sugars such as fructose in fruits/veggies

[WeCanAllGetAllong]

Great stuff man thx a bunch.

We should all be aware of the hyrolized protiens and msg's and by any other names,and soy products. But these will work well when the crap hits the fan,if you know what I mean.

Just google those names and look for all the names. People can put together thier own mre's with freeze dried stuff and nuts and berries ect.. Hey ryan,can I talk you into making a clip about traps for food?That would be greatly appriciated sir,if you can. Please and thank you!

Godspeed!

[ryanjcus]

Thanks for the good advice on food! I have a couple of vids on some different snares, look through my vids. I plan to do more in the future too. Thanks WeCanAllGetAllong Be Safe

[Quadmachine0]

Great video. I sent you a message to see if you could make a vid on braiding paracord. Please check out. Thanks and keep up the great videos.

[rataMacue22]

Thanks for the informative video. No snow yet eh? Lucky sob! lol

[ryanjcus]

Thanks Brother. Actually we have had a snowfall, nothin much though. This video was shot about 2 weeks ago. I didn't edit it untill today. This morning I woke up to a flooded yard. We've had a good amount of rain. It's causing problems on the roads freezing right now. The trucks are out sanding. Thanks rataMacue22

[rataMacue22]

Nearly half of my state is currently without power due to the ice storm last night. Luckily we were not affected here at home. The governor declared a state of emergency. (No, FEMA, we don't need your help. Stay away.)

[terry4888]

I really enjoy all of you videos thanks for the infomation

[ryanjcus]

Thanks For The Support! Be Safe

[AwakeAndDangerous]

Great review. I've seen MRE's at a local flea market, but didn't pay much attention to them. Maybe I'll get a few if I can. What would you suggest as a reasonable price to pay for MRE's?

[ryanjcus]

I've been buying them at a surplus store as I can afford them. Usually 5-6$ for a full meal. Which is expensive. They allow you to buy individual items too, so you don't have to pay for the matches and toilet paper everytime. For me it's still important to buy rice, and non perishables. I usually use MREs for emergency rations. If someone can afford alot, it's worth it. Ordering in bulk online is cheapest. Thanks AwakeAndDangerous

[AwakeAndDangerous]

Thanks for the info. $5-6 per meal is still not a a bad value, compared to a McDonalds "meal." I can see how it would be painful to stockpile them, though, at a rate of 3 meals a day. I cooked up a pot of rice and beans the other day which fed me all day, for aproximately $1.10. I added some tomatoes and chicken which increased that price significantly, but I could have lived on the rice and beans alone.

[AndrewXAnarchy]

Thank you so much for this video. I rarely find a detailed review of MREs!

[ryanjcus]

Thanks for the support my friend

[stefanmckinley]

Toilet paper is a neccecity out in the wild... you can use it for all kinds of things.... horrible things!!!

[survivalus]

Good vid man. When Im going to woods I have 10000 calories with me so some 10 MRE this is for some 5 day usualy I get somethin from woods but if Im not lucky And cant get anything I use MRE..

Thaks for vid.:)_

[ryanjcus]

Thank you. We burn alot of calories out there. I bring them as emergency rations when I go camping or even for a day hike. Thanks

[deepwater1974]

I made my own MRE's which is OOOOKKK. In a way I kinda regret doing it. Only because Im seeing more and more of a variety in the MRE's. What I think Im gonna do is but actual MRE components and build my own. I went to the store and bought stuff like tyson chicken breast, uncle bens rice and tuna all in a retort pouch. It turned out ok I guess.

[ryanjcus]

Thats a really good idea. MREs can be expensive, but is worth it for the benifits.

Thanks