CheaperThanDirt: T-rat/poly-trays & bulk components

[TurtleNomad]

CheaperThanDirt has a bunch of relatively new listings of MRE components:
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/ItemList ... catid=6195

Scroll down, the shiniest deals are:

$19.97 for two (2) T-Ration poly trays, 10 different types
$24.97 for 12 entrees, 7 types, including beef stew

They've also got 300 packs of condiments, including some hard to source ones, like chunky peanut butter, all at similarly low prices.

The descriptions say "current production". I sent a date query on one of the condiments, and they replied (same day) that it was April of this year.
One of the poly tray reviews said they were about a year old.

I ordered a few items, and will report back with production dates, as soon as it arrives (middle? of next week).

This is my very first CTD experience, and I've been very impressed so far.
Their site works with "high" security settings (less than half of prepper oriented sites do), and they shipped an impressive 5 1/2 hours after my 3+pm order.

[cavguy]

I noticed that they had a bunch of T-Ration entree's too a few weeks ago. I wish some vendor would get the Poly-Tray's from Sterling Foods or Pangea World Bakers (those are the dessert poly-trays!). Cheaper Than Dirt's Poly-Trays are all from Ameriqual and so are most of the others I have seen, I never really enjoyed those... I guess Ameriqual is the only UGR supplier that sells off it overruns or contract reject trays.

[Treesuit]

Just out of curiousity on the bulk orders of other items. I saw that CTD has a box of dried fruit packets. Which MRE's do those come in? I haven't heard or seen packets like those show up in any of the MRE's or other ration modules (components), and I'm wondering if those are like the older freeze dried packets of fruit like they had back in the older brown MRE's.

[TurtleNomad]

I noticed that they had a bunch of T-Ration entree's too a few weeks ago.

And you didn't share with your MRE buddies?!?

No stress - couldn't resist, 'cause, in the 3 years that CTD has been on my radar, they seem to sell out of the primo stuff either just before I find out about it (HDRs), or while I'm thinking about buying it (Swiss sterno stoves, Swedish military alcohol stove kits, etc).

Just in the time I was thinking about which of these goodies to buy, the Italian sausage and pasta and one other poly-tray sold out.

cavguy, do you recall how many types of poly-trays and entree cases there were when you first saw them?

I wish some vendor would get the Poly-Tray's from Sterling Foods or Pangea World Bakers (those are the dessert poly-trays!). Cheaper Than Dirt's Poly-Trays are all from Ameriqual and so are most of the others I have seen, I never really enjoyed those... I guess Ameriqual is the only UGR supplier that sells off it overruns or contract reject trays.

+1 !!!
I have never had any poly-tray (they're well after my Service time and I'm relatively new to civvie purchases), and have been intrigued by them ever since I stumbled across MreInfo.

I ended up ordering the Szechwan Chicken (had the Italian Sauage in my cart for about two days, then it sold out - dang!), and was very tempted to add the Apple pie filling (or whatever they call it), and the Turkey Sauage. Unfortunately, I'm on the road, and even the chicken is impractical (I just have a mini fridge and a microwave). I figured the chicken was the most flexible, in terms of eating one tray all myself over about a week. I'll try mixing it with lots of stuff.

The Chicken breasts and Turkey Sausage both look like primo items, so if anyone buys either, please post a review, thanks!

[TurtleNomad]

Just out of curiousity on the bulk orders of other items. I saw that CTD has a box of dried fruit packets. Which MRE's do those come in?

Virtual high-five at ya... I was wondering the exact same thing, plus one of the entrees was discontinued in 2006 from military use, so I was suspicious that all of the items might be very old. According to the CTD reviews, the 24-pack of MRE snack items (which has been listed for a few months) are from 2008.

Did a little research, and concluded that these new listings were mostly civilian only items, specifically, AmeriQual aPack (Southwestern Chicken with Black Beans & Rice, and Creamy Chicken Tetrazzini), and MRE STAR ("dried fruit", Pinto Bean Stew with Ham).

TheEpiCenter does carry some of those items, which is probably a more practical way to try them (size-wise).

Though in my case, since I have never seen the chunky PB available before, Resistance Was Futile, and I did order a 300-pack box. Anybody know how long those last for real (I already know the theory)? And does anybody have a Swiss sterno mini-top-stove thingie they'd like to swap for a bunch of chunky PB?

[cavguy]

TurtleNomad, there are a bunch of different entrees of the UGR's now too check this out:
http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/rations/pr ... uhsabt.asp
http://www.dscp.dla.mil/subs/rations/pr ... /ueabt.asp
The desserts are best though! I did not like the meat trays or veg. trays too much but in the field we usually got lucky and had the UGR-A-'s and for dessert the dessert trays were the frozen ones most of the time.

I kept waiting for CTD to add more tray ration items! But no luck so far..

[Treesuit]

TurtleNomad,

I wouldn't worry about the MRE 24-snack items. I know they say they're from 2008 but I have ordered quite a few in the past before and they are perfectly fine. Mostly its power bars and dessert blocks, so nothing new there. It's just when you order a package like the 24 hour snack items you really don't know what sort of variety you'll get. I say that because one time I got 3 hooah power bars, 3 dessert blocks (survival) and the rest of the order was nothing but banana dessert bars (FSR version). In the past CTD did a pretty good job or evening the load up but not that time. I was kind of dissapointed.

[tank5052]

Hey guys, just wanted to let you guys know that I did buy various items on this sale and must say I am impressed! All items seem to be packaged in 2011, some as late as April 2011.

And, I'm same boat as turtle, I bought the 300 pack of creamy peanut butter. It was packaged in Feb 2011 per the outer packaging.

If anyone is interested in trading some of these for other spreads, I certainly would be interested.

Turtle, if you wanted to swap some of your chunky one for one with the creamy, Id again be interested. If not I totally understand. (BTW if my offer to trade violates any rules or needs to be somewhere else, please let me know. Don't want to violate forum rules on my first post).