Buying Civilian MREs

[March 23, 2020 Update: WIth the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic, many online stores are sold out of civilian MREs. As of this date, MREMarketplace.com (available now) and TheReadyStore.com (site says could take 3 months to ship) currently have some availability. Prices average $150 per case, which includes free shipping.]

It’s easier to find civilian MRE (Meal, Ready to Eat), because their commercial sale is not restricted as are sales of military MREs.

Why buy civilian MREs? Here’s a breakdown of reasons:

Civilian MREs	Military MREs
You can buy from reliable, legitimate dealers, not unknown eBay sellers Better chance that MREs were stored and transported properly (not left lying in the desert for 6 months) The latest batch of APacks, Meal Kit Supply MREs , and Sure-Paks, are very close to the real military MREs You have someone to sue if you get food poisoning from your MREs Ready supply available	More food per MRE Better entree selection (12 different ones per case) Better side, dessert, spread, drink mix variety Tabasco sauce still included in some MREs Cost often lower on eBay vs. civilian MREs The spoon – the Sure-Pak MREs are the only civilian MREs that have the same military spoon (see this link)

If you want to buy civilian MREs, you have a few of choices:

1. Online stores: Check the individual civilian MRE product pages (Ameriqual, Meal Kit Supply , MREStar, Sopakco, Wornick Eversafe) for the best places to buy those MREs but here’s a quick list of some of the more reliable sites I’ve run across:

MRE Marketplace (Meal Kit Supply, Emergency Ration Meals)
Meal Kit Supply (Meal Kit Supply MREs)
The Epicenter (Sure-Pak 12s, APacks, MREStars)
TheReadyStore.com (APacks)

I would recommend shopping around for the best prices and the best shipping. For example, one store might have slightly higher prices on their cases, but shipping is included for free. Other dealers might have lower pricing on the cases but still charge $20-$30 for shipping.

2. Brick and Morter Stores: Many Army/Navy Surplus stores carry civilian MREs. You might end up paying closer to $100 per case from these guys but if you need some in a hurry, this is a good option.

3. eBay: On eBay, you can find civilian MREs as well as easily as you can find military MRE’s. Just search for “MRE” and you are bound to find some cases of Sure-Paks or APacks for sale – often times by the same online stores listed above. Just be sure to avoid the fake/homemade MREs as can be seen on the bottom of the Civilian MREs page.

Here’s a visual guide for what to look for in Civilian MREs:

Buy these:

Ameriqual APack

Ameriqual APack Case

Meal Kit Supply

Meal Kit Supply 12-pack of 3-course MREs

MREStar

Sopakco Sure-Pak 12

Wornick Eversafe

Eversafe Case

Avoid these:

Buying Foreign MREs

If you’re looking to buy Canadian IMP (Individual Meal Pack) rations or British 24-hour ration packs, Ebay is the only option I’ve found.

Canadian IMPs are packed 10 per case (breakfast/lunch or lunch/dinner menus) and if you can find them for $50 per case, you’ve found a good deal. I’ve seen them go for $60-$90 per case.

British 24-hour ration packs. If you’re lucky enough to find one of these rations in the US, the going rate appears to be $20-$30 per pack. While these ration packs are most easily found at the British eBay site, shipping to the US will be very high.

Buying MRE Parts and Pieces

If you want to get a feel for the various types of MREs available without having to buy case after case of full MREs, an alternative would be to just buy the entrees. Here are some places online that sell the entrees individually and for reasonable prices:

You can also find auctions of just the entrees on eBay. $1 per entree is a great deal but be prepared to find most auctions going for $1.50 – $2.00 per entree. You can also occasionally find auctions for Canadian IMP entrees (branded “Freddy Chef”).

Here’s a pic of the kind of variety of MRE entrees you can buy (click on it for a bigger picture):