MREInfo.com

Hello all,

What I have here seems to be a new item that is either a UGR component or a new item in MRE's. It's the freeze dried strawberries and oatmeal breakfast packet.

This is a totally new design and flavour than the older blueberries and granola or the newer bananas and granola. The packet is much bigger than the granola ones and takes more water to reconstitute. When you empty it out it doesn't look like much. When you pour hot water on it then it bulks up and starts looking much more like the Quaker brand oatmeal. After a few mintues it's fully re-hydrated and looks really tasty.

The flavour is quite sweet and the cream taste is very pronounced and smooth making a nice complement all around. I bought a 25 pack of these from an online vendor and it ran me over 40 dollars plus shipping. It's a very nice addition to have and a welcome change of pace.

Does it taste similar to the older RCW Strawberries + Cream Oatmeal?

CAVGUY,

Hmmm...I never had the older RCW oatmeal so I can't judge the taste. I've had the civilian stuff and this is much better by far.

Treeseuit -

Any chance of making these or the 'source' available?

Never seem 'em before either. Can you provide more info?

Would you say the pouch is about the size of the syrup/ icing pouches included with some UGR trays?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

LDFH

LDFH,

Your not the only person to ask me on this. I found these on Meyers Custom Supply website. I stop by on their site once in awhile to see what they have. They had these on sale. So I waited till after thanksgiving to see if the price might drop and it didn't. So at $40.00 for a box of 25...hmmm I'd it was a bit overpriced.

As for info, I don't really have any, these were new to me and I haven't seen them before in my area. MCS is vague on just about anything they sell. They did have nutritional value listed. And "yes' they are the same size of a packet of icing on a UGR. I can't guarentee MCS has them on sale anymore, I haven't been over to their website in 3 weeks but I ordered some other stuff under the MRE or disaster tab and scrolled down the page.

Try Long Life Food Depot. They have a case for 35.00.
http://www.longlifefood.com

In this context I searched in my "collection basement" and found the following "vintage" Instant Oatmeals, all of them come out of group rations. Quickly I found only the single pouches, but I remember I have them also packed in bulk in transparent foil pouches (I guess there are 12, 15 or 18 in one pouch, I have to search one of those). A little number of them are caked, but most of them are in fine condition and still edible today. The weight of a single pouch including packaging material is about 50 g. But see the pictures:

Instant Oatmeal Strawberries & Cream, date code 4160 (perhaps 1984, but I guess 1994), packed by Diversified Services Corp.


Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon, date code 4165 (perhaps 1984, but I guess 1994), packed by Diversified Services Corp.


Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar, date code 4157 (perhaps 1984, but I guess 1994), packed by Diversified Services Corp.


Back side of all three Instant Oatmeals shown before


Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon front side, here the color of the printing is adapted to the contents (apples=green), packed by Trans-Packers Services Corp.


Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon back side, date code 1073 (1991)


Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar front side, here the color of the printing is adapted to the contents (maple=brown), packed by Trans-Packers Services Corp.


Instant Oatmeal Maple & Brown Sugar back side, date code 1127 (1991)


I have no Strawberries & Cream packed by Trans-Packers Services Corp., but I´m sure that there exist...

So long mreheater72

Nice pics, but to me the words "good tasting" and "oatmeal" just never went well together---not sure if it is a texture issue or what. Figures that something really good for me I can't get past my lips.

MREHeater72,

I just noticed that all those packets seem to have kraft paper pouches, either in a true form a or a bleached paper form. When did most of the sub contractors switch to plastic over kraft paper?

I can remember back in 1996 or 97 was when the switch from dark brown to tan went into effect and that was the time when the dark brown foil pouches went away and the tan foil pocuhes came into being. I wonder if these are leftovers from that switchover? Of course I really don't remember seeing UGR's that early either.

Treesuit wrote:...I just noticed that all those packets seem to have kraft paper pouches, either in a true form a or a bleached paper form. When did most of the sub contractors switch to plastic over kraft paper?

I can remember back in 1996 or 97 was when the switch from dark brown to tan went into effect and that was the time when the dark brown foil pouches went away and the tan foil pocuhes came into being...

Treesuit,

it is really hard to find a accurate point in time when they switch from kraft paper to foil pouches. I guess the best way to find that "moment" is to take a look at beverage base powders, because they are apparent in MREs since 1988. See the photos:

Here are two Cherry Beverage Base Powders, the one packed in a kraft paper wrapper, the other one in foil. The kraft paper one is definitely dated 1991, by the foil one I´m not sure: 1989 or 1999, because of the grey color rather 1989?


Date code 1226 (1991)


Date code 9130 (1989 or 1999)


So long mreheater72