Have you ever purchased civilian MREs from a local business? You may have ordered several packages of them online, there is many reputable resellers such as MRE Giant, Meal Kit Supply or MRE Star. When they arrived, they are all packaged in a very similar way. You can easily store these in your basement, and use them as you see fit. However, there are some questions as to whether or not the civilian MREs are going to be different than those that are sold in the military. In many cases, there are going to be subtle differences. The following information will address whether or not there are any differences at all between civilian and military MREs.
An Overview Of MREs
To understand the differences, you must first look at how these are initially made. All of the food is prepared and thoroughly cooked. It is then packaged in flat resealable containers. These are then boiled for about 45 minutes to remove any possible bacteria. This is why they are able to last for so long. Not only are they vacuum sealed, but the bacteria is completely absent from the food that is inside. This is done with every single package, and this is true for both civilian and military MREs. These are then placed into boxes, combined with all of the other components of these food packs which are going to include the full meal, side dish, dessert, main dish entrée, electrolyte beverage mix, cracker with spread, creamer and coffee, and a spoon to consume everything. There is also an accessories pack, and it is here that you will notice that there are actually differences between military and civilian MREs.
Why Are The Accessories Different?
The accessories pack is going to include the spoon that was mentioned, along with sugar, salt, pepper, a napkin, and a wet wipe. These are standard with every MREs that is produced. The difference is that you will see are in the military MREs. They are going to also include Tabasco sauce, toilet paper, and a piece of chewing gum. People might wonder why these accessory packs are going to include these different items, whereas a civilian pack is not. Part of the reason has to do with the situation of the person that is consuming the meal, and things they may need that could be helpful due to their location. For example, when a soldier is out in the wilderness, the last thing they want to run out of is ammunition, especially in a tactical fight. But they also don’t want to run out of toilet paper. That’s an obvious reason for including this in every meal that is produced for the military. The chewing gum might be to provide them with something that they may not have access to, primarily because there might not be stores nearby where they could stock up on chewing gum while they are in a different country. They can also use the gum to help them secure wires together, or for other reasons that might be useful in a military situation. The only confusing part is the Tabasco sauce. It might be that this is preferred with the different types of meals with military MREs, something that might not be as useful with those that are designed for civilians. Other than that, and the packaging in which they come in, there are little to no differences between the two.
Why Is The Packaging Different?
The packaging is going to be different for one specific reason. The military MREs packs are going to specifically state that these are for military personnel and are not for resale. This is done to deter people that might be able to steal MREs from a military facility and try to sell them on the open market. Additionally, the packaging use for civilian MREs is likely to be a little more fanciful. They are going to have the name of their company, their website, phone number, and a multitude of other types of information. They may have pictures of their office building, or the logo that they are using, in order to promote these meal ready eat packages. That’s the primary difference between the packages that the US military will see and what the civilians will see when they use theirs.
Is There Any Difference With The Flameless Ration Heater?
In all likelihood, these are made in a very similar way. The only difference would likely be the packaging. They will have instructions on how to use it, telling you where to have the water, and how long it will take for the chemical reaction to occur. These are very unique in that they use something called magnesium, and element that can lead to a chemical chain reaction. When it is combined with iron, and water oxides, the flameless ration heater can rise to a temperature of about 100 degrees. The only time that these cannot be used as if you are on an airplane. It is unlikely that anyone would actually bring one of these onto a plane, especially with the limitations that are imposed upon commercial flights today. However, it clearly states that using these on an airplane because of the hydrogen that they can produce would cause a potential safety issue.
Is There Any Difference Between The Shelf Life Of These Products?
All of these MREs are going to have a shelf life of a couple of years. However, there can be one slight difference. If you are distributing these two military soldiers that are positioned in countries that are extremely hot, that shelf-life is going to only be a couple of months. By keeping them cool, this can extend their life for quite some time, something that may not be possible if you are conducting a military operation.
These slight differences between military and civilian MREs should show you why they are so similar. With the only differences being the addition of Tabasco sauce, toilet paper, and chewing gum in the military packages, the meals that you eat are going to be roughly the same. The way they are prepared is similar, and there will be some differences with the outside packaging. Otherwise, the food that you consume with a military meal ready eat package, and those that you will eat when you purchase from a civilian MREs store, are going to be almost identical.
