Boil to heat?
Boil to heat?
Has anyone here tried heating entrees by boiling them in the bag? I was thinking I could heat them while hiking with a small camp stove, instead of the FRH, since the stove would be faster. Any thoughts?
I've heated up plenty of entrees by boiling the bag in water. In fact, with a lot of Canadian/British/German rations, this is the recommended method of heating them up (since they don't include FRHs).
For hiking, I can see the advantage of boiling them in water because after you're done heating up the entree, you still have hot water you can use for coffee or whatever. But with FRHs, you can't drink that water. And with the boiling water method, you don't have the waste issue of the soggy FRH (more trash to pack out).
On the other hand, are you sure that boiling water and then heating the entree will be quicker than the 8-10 minutes it takes an FRH to heat up an entree?
For hiking, I can see the advantage of boiling them in water because after you're done heating up the entree, you still have hot water you can use for coffee or whatever. But with FRHs, you can't drink that water. And with the boiling water method, you don't have the waste issue of the soggy FRH (more trash to pack out).
On the other hand, are you sure that boiling water and then heating the entree will be quicker than the 8-10 minutes it takes an FRH to heat up an entree?
Sure you can boil them. On commercial trilaminate retort packages, there are ususally two methods of preparation that are listed, either empty the contents into a dish and microwave it, or boil the item in the bag; there's no mention of using a FRH 
Additionally, in the days before the FRH, dropping the bag into a vat of boiling water was a common means of heating it, though there were several other methods that were frequently reported in the press during Desert Storm, like just laying the MRE packet in the sand and letting the sun heat it, or placing it on an engine manifold or other hot surface.
When I was first introduced to MREs in about 1990, the only method that I used was to dump the entree packet (less box) into a pot of water, bring it to a boil, shut off the stove (or let it simmer if it's really really cold) and just let it sit there for about 5 minutes. Remove the pouch from the water, rip it open, and then enjoy ... well ... you can start eating ...
The old farts can also attest that this method of heating with boiling water was also printed on the cans of c-rat entrees. Additionally you can also use this method to heat retort packaged trays or bowls that you find in the grocery store. You don't have to, and shouldn't remove the film/pop-top on the item that you're heating until you're ready to eat it.
If you heat a canned item over an open flame though, you do have to open the can, otherwise the resulting shrapnel may ruin your trip.
Additionally, in the days before the FRH, dropping the bag into a vat of boiling water was a common means of heating it, though there were several other methods that were frequently reported in the press during Desert Storm, like just laying the MRE packet in the sand and letting the sun heat it, or placing it on an engine manifold or other hot surface.
When I was first introduced to MREs in about 1990, the only method that I used was to dump the entree packet (less box) into a pot of water, bring it to a boil, shut off the stove (or let it simmer if it's really really cold) and just let it sit there for about 5 minutes. Remove the pouch from the water, rip it open, and then enjoy ... well ... you can start eating ...
The old farts can also attest that this method of heating with boiling water was also printed on the cans of c-rat entrees. Additionally you can also use this method to heat retort packaged trays or bowls that you find in the grocery store. You don't have to, and shouldn't remove the film/pop-top on the item that you're heating until you're ready to eat it.
If you heat a canned item over an open flame though, you do have to open the can, otherwise the resulting shrapnel may ruin your trip.
Re: Boil to heat?
To heat them up in hot water, is/was the usually method for the last decades, before the FRH´s were issued.thechip1 wrote:Has anyone here tried heating entrees by boiling them in the bag? I was thinking I could heat them while hiking with a small camp stove, instead of the FRH, since the stove would be faster. Any thoughts?
I prefere it as long as possible.
But if you have only a canteen of water, you should save it for drinking and can´t "waste" it to warm up rations in a messkit/pot on a stove.
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Richard w.
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I was in the Army in '83 -'86 during my first enlistment, during the transition from C's to MRE's.
I'm here to tell you that having to boil up water in your canteen cup to heat a meal is very impractical. If you're on the move, or it's dark, forget about it. I'm sure that most MRE main meals in the years before the FRH was developed were eaten cold (as were most C's, too).
One advantage over the C-Ration cans was that you could take an MRE pouch out of its box and put it close to your body to get it up to body temperature. The front trouser pockets work well for that.
No doubt about it, the FRH was a huge leap forward for troop comfort. I'm a little shocked that other countries around the world haven't adopted it, yet.
I'm here to tell you that having to boil up water in your canteen cup to heat a meal is very impractical. If you're on the move, or it's dark, forget about it. I'm sure that most MRE main meals in the years before the FRH was developed were eaten cold (as were most C's, too).
One advantage over the C-Ration cans was that you could take an MRE pouch out of its box and put it close to your body to get it up to body temperature. The front trouser pockets work well for that.
No doubt about it, the FRH was a huge leap forward for troop comfort. I'm a little shocked that other countries around the world haven't adopted it, yet.
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donaldjcheek
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- Location: San Angelo, TX
boil to heat
I was in the Army before FRHs were introduced, and most of us ate cold MREs. Whenever possible, I would boil a canteen cup of water with the MRE pouch inside, which the literature of the time recommended. However, that same literature warned against subsequently using the water used to heat the MRE pouch for coffee, cocoa, etc. because of possible contamination.
I have on occasion ignored this, and used the water for my morning coffee.
FRHs may be slower, but they do work.
In Iraq, my detachment sergeant discovered that if you wrapped an MRE pouch in a black plastic bag and laid it out the sun for 30 minutes, it got pretty hot.
I have on occasion ignored this, and used the water for my morning coffee.
FRHs may be slower, but they do work.
In Iraq, my detachment sergeant discovered that if you wrapped an MRE pouch in a black plastic bag and laid it out the sun for 30 minutes, it got pretty hot.
"I think," said Christopher Robin, "that we ought to eat all our Provisions now, so that we shan't have so much to carry."
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Richard w.
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- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 12:55 pm
- Location: VA
Re: boil to heat
Yes, I remember that now, too. Was it on a slip of paper in the meal pouch, or written on the entree? I can't recall.donaldjcheek wrote:...that same literature warned against subsequently using the water used to heat the MRE pouch for coffee, cocoa, etc. because of possible contamination. ...
When you're humping your own water around, you tend to be reluctant to waste any of it.
I'll have to find that document, but I saw a PDF on one of the DoD web sites the other day indicating that MREs were in the research phase in 1966 and they had originally planned to have them available to ship out the following year. Guess they must have had too many C-rats left over from Korea during the Viet Nam era. God knows some of them tasted like they were left over from WWII 
Richard w. wrote:I was in the Army in '83 -'86 during my first enlistment, during the transition from C's to MRE's.