The ER Food Bar is prepackaged into a daily ration. Each ration provides 100% of the daily nutrients, vitamins and calories needed to survive an emergency. There is no cooking or preparation require. Emergency rations are specially formulated not to provoke thirst and come in a variety of flavors including lemon-vanilla. There is no cholesterol. For those having food allergies, emergency rations do not have nuts or tropical oils. ER Food Bars have a 5-year shelf life.

MREs have been used by the US Military for years. MREs have a shelf-life of five to eight years. Military MREs are, basically, field rations. However, todays MREs are distinctly different and better tasting than were the old C-Rations. A complete MRE meal will include an entrée, a desert, a snack, a side dish, crackers or bread, a beverage base and an accessory pack which includes instant coffee. MREs are best warmed but may be eaten cold. MREs are not a long-term storage food. The best use for an MRE is to be prepared for an emergency or disaster of short-term duration.  You can buy military MREs or try the various civilian MREs available which are just as good.

Freeze dried foods are generally pre-seasoned and pre-cooked. All that is needed to prepare freeze dried foods is to cook or to rehydrate the foods using hot water. Freeze dried foods are the easiest and fastest of the long-term food foods to prepare. Since most freeze dried foods are seasoned, they generally better taste than other emergency foods.

Dehydrated foods are either a single ingredient food or mix. A single ingredient food would be, for example, rice. Mixes include, for example, soups. The mixes have been seasoned and are a complete meal. However, most dehydrated foods are single ingredient food without any seasoning. Dehydrated foods need to be cooked. Water is added to rehydrate the raw food. Dehydrated food may be cooked either on a stovetop or by adding boiling water and allowing the food to steep. When using only boiling water to cook dehydrated food, preparing the dehydrated food will take much longer than would the freeze dried food because freeze dried food has been precooked. Dehydrated foods have a shelf life of at least 25 years.

CHILI_MAC - 6 PAK (same as 2+ Cans) DISASTER & CAMPING    US $33.94

NEW!!! Army Military MRE Camping Meal Chicken & Noodles    US $.99

Case A Military MRE's Meals Ready to Eat Insp 2010    US $36.00

Cold Weather Meals Mre's    US $50.00

Fresh Sealed Case-B MRE's (Meals 13-24)Test Date 11/11    US $41.00

MRE- Military Rations- Meals Ready to Eat (Lot of 13)    US $22.50

MRE's Case A Meals 1-12 Insp-10/11 Good through 2018    US $39.00

MRE's Case B Meals 13-24 Insp 10/11 Good through 2018    US $39.00

26 MRE Entres and Side Dishes in Packets    US $41.00

Up to 25 cases MREs Meals Ready to Eat. Military Grade    US $65.00

Very Fresh Case-A MRE's (Meals 1-12)Test Date 6/2012    US $46.00

2 Cases 24 MRE Genuine Military Meal FRESH 2011 SEALED    US $189.99

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U.S. military MREs are actually not supposed to be sold for commercial purposes.  However, this doesn’t stop sales of cases of MRE on eBay.  If you have no problem with buying military MRE, things you want to look out for are the packing and inspection date and the menu offered.  You also have to be aware that since this sale is prohibited by the U.S. government, you’ll have little recourse in legal actions should you find something wrong with your MRE.  In other words, buyer beware.  Since the military MRE comes to you second hand, you also do not have any idea how it was stored and what temperature conditions it was subjected to.  On the other hand, if you do get your hands on a case of genuine military MRE, it is a bigger meal than the civilian version and there’s more variety in the case as well.  Military MREs are also less expensive than civilian MREs.

AlpineAire Foods Mountain Chili - Serves 2    US $6.03

AlpineAire Foods Mexican Rice w/ Cheese - Serves    US $4.13

Case A Military MRE's Meals Ready to Eat Insp 2010    US $36.00

MRE- Military Rations- Meals Ready to Eat (Lot of 13)    US $22.50

MRE's Case A Meals 1-12 Insp-10/11 Good through 2018    US $39.00

MRE's Case B Meals 13-24 Insp 10/11 Good through 2018    US $39.00

26 MRE Entres and Side Dishes in Packets    US $41.00

Up to 25 cases MREs Meals Ready to Eat. Military Grade    US $65.00

10 Heater Meals 3 Entrees - MRE MREs MRE's    US $9.99

9 Heater Meals 3 Entrees - MRE MREs MRE's    US $9.99

5 MRE's (Meals-Ready-to-Eat)    US $10.50

Emergency Survival Food - Yoder's Canned Bacon    US $17.45

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The manufacturers of civilian meals ready to eat are listening to the public demands for more variety in the menus.  Each year, a greater selection emerges.  There are five main brands of civilian food rations and they include:  Ameriqual aPack, Sopakco Sure-Pak 12, Wornick Eversafe, Menu C, MREStar.  The packaging and contents of these companies are quite similar to the military version as the first three companies listed actually produce MREs for the military.  If you are buying civilian MREs, the chances are it won’t be left in the scorching desert sun and will be “fresher” when you get it.   You can then properly store it for your own emergency preparation without worries if it will go bad.

Whichever MRE meals you choose, be it military or civilian, know that you are doing the right thing in being prepared for any disaster.

Most people are woefully ignorant in gathering emergency supplies they need beyond having a first aid kit in their house.  When you are stuck in your house for days on end, make sure you have at least enough food and water available for each member of your household in the first 72 hours. You might think that is not a big deal since you probably have enough food to last you for 3 days but consider that in a power outage, the food can go bad.  How will you cook the food?  In a flood, the food can also spoil if it is kept in the basement.

This is why MRE meals ready to eat are ideal to have as emergency food ration packs since they were originally designed for the military.  After Hurricane Katrina, people realized how important it is to stock up on emergency meals that are self contained and ready to eat.

Coleman 5010D700T Camp Oven NEW NIB    US $39.93

MRE's Case A Meals 1-12 Insp-10/11 Good through 2018    US $39.00

MRE's Case B Meals 13-24 Insp 10/11 Good through 2018    US $39.00

Military MRE Entree Minestrone Camping Food 2010 Sealed    US $.99

10 Heater Meals 3 Entrees - MRE MREs MRE's    US $9.99

9 Heater Meals 3 Entrees - MRE MREs MRE's    US $9.99

Coleman 24 Pc Set Dining Kit Camping Red Cookware NEW    US $54.99

German Military Surplus Butter Dish Brand New Condition    US $4.99

New 6 Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven With Legs    US $32.95

Coleman Grill Stove Griddle Camping Tailgating Pancakes    US $36.49

Sopakco MRE, Meals Ready to Eat Emergency Food 12 Case    US $103.95

1 Case Powdered Egg Powder Freeze Dried Food    US $111.99

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Of course, it doesn’t need to be an emergency for you to enjoy a MRE.  Some people actually like the convenience of these packages when they have nothing else available in the house.  They are also great to take along as camping meals, backpacking food, or mountain house food when you are out in the wilderness.  Manufacturers now are clueing in on the demand of civilian MREs for such occasions.  Taste wise, meals ready to eat are quite palatable.  New menus are out every year and each MRE is really a full meal that generally contains the following items: main course, side dish, dessert, cracker or bread along with the spread, powdered mix for drink, utensils, flameless ration heater and other eating accessories.

It really is a wise decision to buy MRE packs and keep a few cases on hand.  The uses for these are multiple as stated but it all comes down to providing sustenance in a time of need and saving lives.