If I'm not mistaken, the cases of MREs are designed to survive a drop from a few hundred feet or so from the back of helicopters or aircraft. It's a military specification for the ration cases. A good specification with obvious utility!

I believe the CHARMS you refer to are an Army ration tradition going back to WW II K rations.

I always liked the chocolate covered cookie and the oatmeal bar.
You can't beat M & Ms


I've had MRE caramels. Too chewy and weird tasting.

Holy Cow! LAB SAMPLE! NOT FOR SALE!

Run away from that! Better safe than sorry.

Curious collectable maybe but replace it with ten pounds of rice for your emergency larder....

I really like the section of this site dealing with international rations. Owned, eaten, and been allover U.S. MREs over the years. No mystery there! Not hard to get them. Could fill my pantry with 'em..... International ration iformation has been hard to get, much less the real items themselves, un...

The civilian MREs I purchased recently had "energy bars" with the brand name "Millenium" on them. Anyone know if the real G.I. MREs have these in them?

They taste good, are very dense but cakelike, and have 400+ calories each. An improvement to include them in an MRE I'd say.

Went on a ten mile hike the other day. Brought with me a civlian MRE purchased from a local Army surplus store. The kind that comes in a clear plastic bag and costs about $8. I've purchased a few dozen of these over the years and scaled back from buying them because the contents where diminishing an...

Not sure a person could get through customs with overseas rations. If US FDA or Customs destroyed a boatload of British ICMs due to restrictions, then WHAT??

Anyone know?

I just read on another thread that the dark brown MRE packages are dated 1996 or older!!?? I bought and ate three MREs in 2004 at a gun show ,dirt cheap at $3 each. I guess they were eight or more years old! LOL. Tasted fine.....

Back in 1988 I got my hands on two MCI canned rations from 1978. I ate one in it's entirety, lived to tell the tale. Meatballs in BBQ sauce, crackers and cheese. The other MCI squirted out the cheese as soon as I pierced the can with a p38.... I didn't eat that one.....