MREInfo.com

My friend Steve1989 sent me a very nice gift just before Thanksgiving. In fact it was just like Christmas.

THANK YOU STEVE
Also Thank you UK MOD

The British 24 hour ration and US MRE entrees plus accessories from Russian and other nation's rations pacts thrown in. (review of Russian Army mini stove later)
I opened it was was delighted it had All day Breakfast , Tomato Pasta Salad, Steak and Vegetables, two different teas, cashews snack, Lemon and Cherry powdered drink mix. Laid out The Steak and Vegetable alone was enough to justify a camping trip.. So I packed up and went yesterday. I brought US MRE Wheat snack bread to go with Steak and V, Fruit cocktail and spice pound cake for desert.
Set up camp late afternoon and started cooking. Tried the lemon drink mix and cashew first. My thoughts on the drink mix was it tasted exactly like U.S. Gatorade Lemon/Lime flavor. It made two cups total. The Cashews were fresh and still had few broken pieces. They were not a salty as Planters brand (plus)

Also Cashews high calories per serving so they work well for a military ration snack, but they will not keep long term in my opinion.
Now the main course, I cooked it in the Swedish mess kit boil in the bag style. I heated the field bread, cake and fruit the same time saving the water for clean up.
When I opened the bag I thought the aroma was similar to Dinty Moore canned stew. It had chunks of potatoes, peas, carrots, ut the steak was just normal beef cut up into 1/2 long pieces. I did not see much grease floating on top. I poured it on the hot field bread and had dinner.


The flavor was much like traditional canned beef stew and bigger chunks of potatoes. Pea and carrots solid not mushy. Beef was tender and juicy, still slightly stringy.
The gravy was A1, thick and filling not to salty. Combined with the bread my hunger was totally satisfied. Classic camping meal.
I also noted it heated better than the US MRE maybe because the foil seems thinner. The desert was U.S. Spice cake and fruit cocktail. I the spice cake tasted like a gingerbread cake, I just poured the hot fruit cocktail on top and perfect hot desert for the evening. Canadian Geese Heading South for the winter My canoe rigged to leave

Hey Norton!

What an awesome review! I'm so glad you liked the goodies - I think I had more fun sending that stuff to you and seeing ya do a classic canoe camping review than if I had eaten the stuff myself!

Love your setup and gear too. the neat camo pattern on your sleeping bag, the stove & mess kit, the UK Flag, and that beautiful scenery. All adds to the effect and you made a really cool review that makes me feel like I'm there. Thanks so much, man!

That Steak & Vegetables looks like a slightly upgraded ver. of MRE Beef Stew & I know what you mean, the thermo-stabilized packaging on those British ORPs seem to heat up faster because of the thinner metal pouch and it heats quicker and more efficiently! It looks delicious - good thing I already ate dinner because otherwise I would be getting hungry and jealous over here!

Awesome review, as always and thanks so much for sharing your experience here with the folks!

Thx for the pictures and review, hope you had a nice trip.

Hi Norton,

Another fantastic review and photo's, as usual.

I must use the excuse of "I've just received a new rat pack, I'm away for the weekend" sometime.

Regards, Norman.

Good review and nice pictures. I was hoping to do something similar. However, a short emergency and now vehicle problems cut that short. I have a UK pack that I am waiting to do a review on. Wish it had come with that stew.