61–70 of 105 posts
That pound cake that comes with many MREs is one of the best things I've ever tasted. It actually has a kind of fakey/chemically flavor to it (if I remember it's usually apple flavor?), but for some reason it's still good, and the moistness and texture of the cake is exceptional. I wish they just sold those pound cakes by themselves.
Steve1989MREInfo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2I6Et1JkidnnbWgJFiMeHA Nice!
Can't read due to pay wall but I'm kind of offended by the headline. MREs have gotten better over the years, give or take a few missteps, and haven't been anywhere near bad (yes, even veggie omelet can be salvaged) for decades. The current lineup[0] is downright decadent, at least in the US, and has been for longer than any writer at NYT has been alive. [0]: https://www.mreinfo.com/mre-menus-2021/
In the reserves for a given work weekend there is a budget to fund meals for soldiers. If a given unit has a meal preparation section there is also a budget to fund meal preparation, but if that given section cannot prepare meals they will just issue MREs for lunch.
The typical soldier would rather just go buy fast food. Those soldiers are required to pick up a MRE whether they want it or not to force them to sign for a meal which qualifies the meal budget. Unused money in the budget is not replenished in the next fiscal cycle so it must be spent to qualify it’s need. Then also for accountability and time limits many soldiers are not allowed to leave, depending upon unit leadership, to buy lunch if they have an MRE.
Officers, on the other hand, are required to buy lunch, because they make too much money. As a result they cannot sign for said MRE because they are not accounted for in the budget. This means officers must leave the unit to find lunch elsewhere.
The people with the most time flexibility who don’t MREs are forced to consume them. The people who are most busy and would prefer to eat them, so as to not waste the time driving around, are not allowed to have them.
Getting real tired of subscription based news sites making it to hacker news top all the time. I literally can't read these damn articles, please post an archived version or something
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've had Chinese MREs, once. It was the worst food I've ever tasted. Someone in the family had a can from former prc military service. I don't know what it is, but maybe the Chinese army deploys so infrequently (almost never?) that they place zero priority on their MREs. I begrudgingly eat US MREs once every 3-5 years for about a week or so as I replenish my one case of MREs for earthquake supplies. They're actually…
>I begrudgingly eat US MREs once every 3-5 years for about a week or so as I replenish my one case of MREs for earthquake supplies. What's the TCO on using MREs for disaster prep? I did some light research a while ago and figured it was pretty pricey compared to buying traditional nonperishables (eg. instant noodles, canned vegetables, dried beans). Plus, those foods are easier to work into a conventional meal than M…
Dried beans and canned vegetables are great if you have a kitchen - you need a stove, you need a pot, you need a can opener, you need a bowl and a spoon/fork. MREs have everything included and will work even if you have a bunch of people who have run out of a burning house naked. It's a very niche advantage, of course, but a niche that may be relevant in disasters.
Also, if you do have a stove and vegetables and a dozen people, they have to stay together or return to get fed; but you can hand out MREs and each can go on their own separate ways immediately afterwards. Again, a specific niche for unusual circumstances, but both military and disasters can have events where this helps a lot.
At some point in the very beginning of 199x the humanitarian aid of NATO MRE got distributed in our dormitories - it were kind of hungry years in USSR, empty store shelves, rationing of staples, and as a student i had at that time barely enough money only for cheap illegal vodka (highest bang for the buck) and hardly could even indulge in beer, let alone buy any food - and those MREs went down very nicely, 30 years l…
The Night Watch series books talk about “fake vodka” which I found highly amusing. I assume it’s watered back industrial ethanol?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I remember Steve video about China's MRE where he had stomach problem after eating. Eat some biscuit from WW1-era: totally fine, eat some chow mein from PRC's MRE: instant diarrhea
I've had Chinese MREs, once. It was the worst food I've ever tasted. Someone in the family had a can from former prc military service. I don't know what it is, but maybe the Chinese army deploys so infrequently (almost never?) that they place zero priority on their MREs. I begrudgingly eat US MREs once every 3-5 years for about a week or so as I replenish my one case of MREs for earthquake supplies. They're actually…
Having the best possible food in the field, under the circumstances, is viewed as critical for morale as a matter of doctrine by the US military and they invest a lot in it. Soldiers, in turn, are pretty creative at getting the most out of the MRE contents.
In some parts of the world, MREs are recognized as currency.
