Civilian MREs

Ever since Y2K and natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, there has a been a strong demand for a "Meal, Ready to Eat" type of product that's available to everyone. Military MREs would be ideal for this need but unfortunately, the companies that produce the MREs are not allowed to sell them to the general public. Military MREs can still be found for sale by individuals (see Buying MREs for more information), but there is still a demand for a commercially-packaged and readily available supply of MREs.

Before 2000 (Y2K), only two companies - Sopakco and Wornick - produced civilian MREs. Sopakco had the "Sure-Pak 12" and "M-Packed" brands while Wornick offered the "Mil-Spec" brand of MREs. Around 2001, after the Y2K-inspired rush to stock up on food and other emergency supplies ended, Wornick dropped out of the civilian MRE business and Sopakco dropped the M-Packed line - leaving the "Sure-Pak 12" as the only civilian MRE available. There were other "homemade" civilians MREs out there but those were mostly MREs put together out of spare or old MRE parts and pieces.

Around 2005, after Hurricane Katrina hit, the civilian MRE market picked back up and more companies began producing legitimate, branded civilian MREs. All three of the major manufacturers of MREs for the military (Ameriqual, Sopakco, and Wornick) started producing their own civilian MREs. Additionally, International Meals Supply, a certified supplier of emergency rations for the Department of Defense, has joined the civilian MRE race with their new "MREStar" product.

2007 Update: Wornick's "on again, off again" relationship with the civilian MRE market appears to be "off again". They originally produced the "Eversafe" brand of MREs as seen below but have since repackaged those MRE-like meals into non-MRE-like bowl-meals. These new Eversafe meals are more HeaterMeal-like than MRE-like so I would not consider the true civilian MREs.

2008 Update: A new brand of civilian MREs has emerged to fill the gap left by Wornick's exit from the market. The "Menu C" MREs are now being sold through MREDepot.com.

Currently available Civilian MREs:

Ameriqual aPack	Menu C MREs

MREStar	Sopakco Sure-Pak 12

No longer produced:

Wornick Eversafe

Click on the links above detailed information and pictures of each type of civilian MRE.

For a side-by-side comparison of all four types of civilian MREs, please see the Civilian MRE Comparison page.

Civilian MREs or Military MREs?

People interested in obtaining MREs for camping, hiking, or emergency supplies often ask "Should I buy military MREs or are civilian MREs ok?" Up until 2005, that answer was always that military MREs were far better than most civilian alternatives. The older civilian MRE did not contain as much food, had different or inferior components, and did not offer much variety. But with the latest Sopakco Sure-Paks, Ameriqual aPacks, MREStar MREs, and Menu C MREs, those concerns no longer apply.

As you can see on the Civilian MRE Comparison page, the calorie count of most civilian MREs is fairly close to the 1,250 calories in military MREs. For the most part, civilian MREs use the exact same components (food, spoons, heaters, etc.) as the military MREs. And even though most civilian MREs do not quite offer the same variety of 12 different meals per case, the variety and rate at which the manufacturers change their menus has improved.

Civilian MREs average around $65 per case while military MREs can be found on eBay for $40-$50 per case. Even though the civilian MREs may be more expensive, they have a couple of advantages over military MREs:

Consistent product quality - all military MREs start off with the same high level of quality that civilian MREs have but when you buy the military MREs from eBay, you have no idea about the conditions under which they have been stored or how they have been handled. You might save $20 per case with military MREs from eBay, but did those MREs sit in the burning hot Iraqi desert for 6 months? Were they submerged in the Katrina floodwaters for weeks? My experience with eBay-purchased military MREs has been positive so far but it is always a chance you take. If you are trying to supply your home with emergency supplies, you have to ask if you are willing to take that risk.
Reliable vendors - civilian MREs are sold from through reliable vendors. If you have questions or problems, you will have someone to contact. If you get a bad MRE that makes you sick, you have some place to go for recourse. With military MREs, you do not have these options.

Fake / Homemade / Wanna-be Civilian MREs

Besides the civilian MREs mentioned above, you might see some other MREs out there that I'll refer to as "fake", "homemade", or "wanna-be" civilian MREs. These MREs are put together in small batches by people or companies who buy up a few cases of MRE entrees, sides, and other miscellaneous parts. They brand these MREs as "Meals, Ready to Eat" or "Field Rations" or something similar. But don't be fooled by these MREs - they will often sell for prices similar to the more legitimate civilian MREs but they will not contain anywhere near the quantity or quality of product inside.

Here are some pictures of civilian MREs you should avoid: