# Where can I buy European MREs (field rations)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692 "2003-09-19T22:02:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gorillaboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@gorillaboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorillaboy)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/1 "2003-09-19T22:02:21Z")
I like to keep some military rations socked away in case of emergency, and while American MREs certainly work fine for these purposes, I sometimes wonder what the field rations of other countries would be like. I’ve been able to find a few of these on Ebay; I’ve tried Canadian rations (similar to ours), British (excellent), and Australian (not bad), but now I want something more…exotic. Does anyone know of any sources for the field rations of other countries? I’d be most interested in French, Norwegian, and Swiss. I’ve read that the French rations actually have a small bottle of wine in them! ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2003, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/2 "2003-09-19T23:17:58Z")
I guess you do it just for the fun of it? What’s wrong with canned food? MREs exist because they have other constraints: they have to be light, eaten on the field etc. But if you are stocking up in your home for an emergengy you can do better than MREs. You can stock enough cans and other non-perishables to see you through many months and that is much cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/3 "2003-09-22T16:02:51Z")
US MRE’s are pretty good. Well, were up until 1996 – don’t know much about afterward. Yeah, some sucked. They’re great for camping, and easier to take their refuse with you in places you can’t leave trash. They’re only $7 at Army/Navy surplus. Yeah, more than cans, but good nonetheless. But like **sailor** says, if it’s just for emergency preparedness, their cost is probably a waste. Since you want variety, I guess it’s part hobby. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/4 "2003-09-23T01:09:08Z")
I like MREs. Of course, I’ve never _had_ to like them! 😉 > [@](#): > > What’s wrong with canned food? MREs exist because they have other constraints: they have to be light, eaten on the field etc. You also get a “full meal”: Main item, wet-pack fruit, crackers and jelly, cookie, coffee, and sometimes a little bottle of Tabasco® sauce. (I could do without the crackers. They’re nasty. But they work well with a can of chicken a la king.) I don’t know where to get foreign MREs, but you can get U.S. MREs by the case from So-Pack-Co (uncertain about the spelling). ---
**Author:** ![quothz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/da6949/32.png) [@quothz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quothz)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/5 "2003-09-23T01:17:32Z")
I was told in basic that the Tabasco sauce helped repel insects (when ingested). Any truth to this? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/6 "2003-09-23T02:21:44Z")
I buy genuine U.S. MRE’s by the case (about $40, which includes a heater in every pouch). There’s nothing better for hiking, survival stuff, and overnight FTX’s. But MRE’s are not suited for long-term nutritional sustainment, as they are designed to constipate you. (They don’t call them “Meals Refusing to Exit” for nothing.) You shouldn’t eat them for more than 4 days in a row. For home survival needs, a much better plan is to stock up on canned food and such (as suggest by **Sailor** ). The Mormon Method is best, in which you maintain a FIFO mini-store in your basement. ---
**Author:** ![Barks\_dog\_food](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@Barks\_dog\_food](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barks_dog_food)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/7 "2003-09-24T07:22:51Z")
Couldn’t find any Norwegian MRE on the web and I haven’t seen any sold in shops either. IIRC some of the stuff in them were specially produced for the MREs because of the high calorie content. Tasted better then the food we got from the mess but I never saw anyone eat more then half a ration in a day. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/8 "2003-09-24T11:34:45Z")
> [@](#): > > I buy genuine U.S. MRE’s by the case (about $40, which includes a heater in every pouch). There’s nothing better for hiking, survival stuff, and overnight FTX’s. Who makes them? Where do you get them? ---
**Author:** ![notquitekarpov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@notquitekarpov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notquitekarpov)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/9 "2003-09-24T12:20:57Z")
I recall the British squaddies, way back, christened them MRE = Meals Rejected by Ethiopians… ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-european-mres-field-rations/202692/10 "2003-09-24T12:32:09Z")
When they were developing humanitarian rations for Somalia (I think), we used to joke that _we_ wanted humanitarian rations, too, instead of those aweful MRE’s. Although I liked them. I think you can get them right from Sopako – but they also sell civilian versions that may not be identical. In any case Army surplus stores do have them.