# MRE's



## woot79 (Apr 30, 2012)

I've searched google for a place to buy MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat) but can't find anything. Does anyone know a place in Dubai to buy these?


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## gronk (Aug 8, 2013)

woot79 said:


> I've searched google for a place to buy MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat) but can't find anything. Does anyone know a place in Dubai to buy these?


carrefour? plate de jour?


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## BBmover (Jun 15, 2013)

Waitrose?


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

woot79 said:


> I've searched google for a place to buy MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat) but can't find anything. Does anyone know a place in Dubai to buy these?


I saw some squaddies in the Marina a couple of days ago. Given the predominant military ties here, you might have more luck tracking down British rations than US ones. 

But really, why? Even the polite nicknames are "Meals Rejected by Everyone" or "Meals Ready to Excrete."


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

woot79 said:


> I've searched google for a place to buy MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat) but can't find anything. Does anyone know a place in Dubai to buy these?


Are you actually looking for military ration packs or simply civilian "TV dinners".

If military - no idea in Dubai - know plenty of places to get UK army packs in the UK.
I was quite impressed with the latest UK packs - much better than the old compo rations (although I used to like the oat cakes and tubes of condensed milk)!

If you are looking for civilian TV dinners - then Waitrose, Marks & Spencers, bigger Spinneys would be your best places to look.

Cheers

Steve


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## woot79 (Apr 30, 2012)

Stevesolar said:


> Are you actually looking for military ration packs or simply civilian "TV dinners".
> 
> If military - no idea in Dubai - know plenty of places to get UK army packs in the UK.
> I was quite impressed with the latest UK packs - much better than the old compo rations (although I used to like the oat cakes and tubes of condensed milk)!
> ...


I'm looking for actual military rations. Doesn't matter if they are from the US or UK. I can get them easily back home in the US and just wanted a few for my family to have a back up for that "just in case" scenario.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

woot79 said:


> I'm looking for actual military rations. Doesn't matter if they are from the US or UK. I can get them easily back home in the US and just wanted a few for my family to have a back up for that "just in case" scenario.


In that case, you can make up your own MRE packs by simply buying a range of pre-cooked high energy products from regular supermarkets.
Tins of corned beef
Tins of tuna
Baked beans
Boiled sweets
Oat biscuits
UHT milk
Chocolate bars
Bottled water
Tea bags/coffee/sugar/powdered milk
Small camping stove plus fuel - they have these in lulu
Led torch plus spare betteries
Matches
Swiss army knife
Etc. Etc.

With the above stuffed into a cardboard box -you have the makings of an urban survival kit!

Cheers
Steve


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## woot79 (Apr 30, 2012)

Stevesolar said:


> In that case, you can make up your own MRE packs by simply buying a range of pre-cooked high energy products from regular supermarkets.
> Tins of corned beef
> Tins of tuna
> Baked beans
> ...


Thanks Steve.


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

woot79 said:


> I'm looking for actual military rations. Doesn't matter if they are from the US or UK. I can get them easily back home in the US and just wanted a few for my family to have a back up for that "just in case" scenario.


In my experience the real ones come in cases of 24 assorted varieties and several of those varieties include pork. I really doubt you will find them here on top of the fact this isn't a place with US military supply channels nearby. 

I have only tried one British ration but on that limited experience they are conceptually a bit different from an MRE. An MRE is meant to be eaten on the go and they require very little prep other than dumping massive quantities of Tabasco on everything (probably including dessert). The British one fed 4 soldiers and included all kinds of stuff, but it was more of a sit down affair. I thought the British one I tried wasn't bad but the US MRE scores in terms of sheer survivability. Come a nuclear war, cockroaches and MREs will inherit the earth. 

But I still think you are crazy and now I hear that you want to inflict them on your family, cruel as well.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

I am curious as to why you want them. You say just in case. In case of what? Are you thinking we are going to be in a war zone or something like that?


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## woot79 (Apr 30, 2012)

BedouGirl said:


> I am curious as to why you want them. You say just in case. In case of what? Are you thinking we are going to be in a war zone or something like that?


I just like to be prepared.


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## woot79 (Apr 30, 2012)

BedouGirl said:


> I am curious as to why you want them. You say just in case. In case of what? Are you thinking we are going to be in a war zone or something like that?


I just like being prepared.


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Simey said:


> In my experience the real ones come in cases of 24 assorted varieties and several of those varieties include pork. I really doubt you will find them here on top of the fact this isn't a place with US military supply channels nearby.
> 
> I have only tried one British ration but on that limited experience they are conceptually a bit different from an MRE. An MRE is meant to be eaten on the go and they require very little prep other than dumping massive quantities of Tabasco on everything (probably including dessert). The British one fed 4 soldiers and included all kinds of stuff, but it was more of a sit down affair. I thought the British one I tried wasn't bad but the US MRE scores in terms of sheer survivability. Come a nuclear war, cockroaches and MREs will inherit the earth.
> 
> But I still think you are crazy and now I hear that you want to inflict them on your family, cruel as well.


I always found the original UK packs bunged me up!
Real problem when you were trecking across Dartmoor or the Brecon Beacons.
After the 4th day of not being able to go to the loo, i really used to slow right down!
One time, my team thought i was suffering from hypothermia - it was just that i was in so mch agony!!!
The latest UK packs come as a 1 man, 1 day pack - around 20 different menus. Really easy to eat on the go, hot or cold. These cost around £20 each - in the UK
There is also a 10 man, 1 day pack (50,0000 calories!!). This is designed more for a field kitchen and needs more preparation. These cost around £90 each - in the UK.
We bought some 1 man UK packs last year and my 8 year old son thought it was great fun to camp at home and eat one of these packs for a day - like a soldier!!

Cheers
Steve


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Stevesolar said:


> I always found the original UK packs bunged me up!
> Real problem when you were trecking across Dartmoor or the Brecon Beacons.
> After the 4th day of not being able to go to the loo, i really used to slow right down!
> One time, my team thought i was suffering from hypothermia - it was just that i was in so mch agony!!!
> ...


My only experience with the British packs was one that I swapped with some Scots Guards on a training exercise. They didn't say anything good about the MREs. That was back in the 90s but my nephew recently gave me one of the current MREs and it was no better. The only one that was ever truly good was "weenie beanies" - and they stopped making that because it was "not for flight use." 

Which brings me to your story. MREs have the same effect as you are describing. The problem is the other kind of field ration we had were called T Rations. On a normal exercise you'd alternate T Rations with MREs. T Rations are sort of a jumbo MRE intended to be heated in field kitchens. They tend to have the opposite effect from MREs. Since you alternate, you'd think that would balance things out but in fact the effect is more like mortar fire. Not good. 

Have we put the OP off yet?


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## Byja (Mar 3, 2013)

Stevesolar said:


> In that case, you can make up your own MRE packs by simply buying a range of pre-cooked high energy products from regular supermarkets.
> ...
> Etc. Etc.


You forgot the most important ingredient for any decent MRE:












BedouGirl said:


> I am curious as to why you want them. You say just in case. In case of what?


In case Dubai does not win EXPO 2020?


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## Simey (Dec 4, 2012)

Byja said:


> You forgot the most important ingredient for any decent MRE:


I think you mean:


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## Chocoholic (Oct 29, 2012)

Well you might try the actual Military shop on Shk Zayed road called Tactical Trading - they might have ration packs or will certainly know where you can get them from.

www.tactical-trading.com

Or if you know any guys working on the bases here, you could ask them to buy them from the shops they have there. We used to have loads of these - pretty impressed by the contents. I used to like the survival kit in a tin! Very good.


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