New MRE bag designs

[kman]

I recently found out the US Army's Natick Soldier Center (http://nsrdec.natick.army.mil/index.htm) has been working on redesigning the look of the MREs and had finally settled on three new designs for the bags.

Here's what the new designs look like:

http://www.mreinfo.com/images/mre-design/new_mre_design-1-300.jpg http://www.mreinfo.com/images/mre-design/new_mre_design-2-300.jpg http://www.mreinfo.com/images/mre-design/new_mre_design-3-300.jpg
(http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mre-bag-design.html#2008NewDesigns)

I haven't seen these in production yet but it sounds like they're supposed to start using them sometime in 2008. Photoshop helped me put these pics together to give you an idea what the final product might look like:

http://www.mreinfo.com/images/mre-design/mre_bag-new_design-1-300.jpg http://www.mreinfo.com/images/mre-design/mre_bag-new_design-2-300.jpg http://www.mreinfo.com/images/mre-design/mre_bag-new_design-3-300.jpg
(http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mre-bag-design.html#2008NewDesigns)

More information and larger versions of the pictures can be found here on my new "MRE Bag Design" page:

http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mre-bag-design.html#2008NewDesigns

and also here:

http://www.mreinfo.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1348

So what do you think? Like the new designs? Or are you sitting there in stunned silence? :-)

[Sloppy Joe2]

i have never wanted an MRE so much in the history of the universe!

[Lt. James Anderson]

MREs are not bad at all unless you have to eat them for 4-5 months straight like I had to in Iraq the first time. By that time my body was rejecting them ... I would eat once a day and puke all night ... I could taste chemicals that were put in them to make them last 20 + years.. Bad experience.

Spaghetti and meatballs, beef stew, hamburger patty ... my favorite. :)

Who cares about design as long as they taste all right.

[NINJA]

I get a feeling this thread is an advertisment, but I still love MRE's though...

[Sizedog]

My favorite was the Cherry cake....while I was in the field, Buddys only my first name!

[panzrman]

MREs are not bad at all unless you have to eat them for 4-5 months straight like I had to in Iraq the first time. By that time my body was rejecting them ... I would eat once a day and puke all night ... I could taste chemicals that were put in them to make them last 20 + years.. Bad experience.

.


Ain't no joke. Just the smell of them make wanna puke. Let alone eating them.

Seriously, who gives a rats 5th point of contact what the bag looks like. Joe dang sure don't. Have better things to worry about.

[KEEPER0311]

Who cares about design as long as they taste all right.

Meh...it's all about the Pound cakes. And they all have the bland tasteless...taste...

[Lt. James Anderson]

Pound cakes are not that bad to take on a long patrol as a quick snack on the go.
Those chocolate cakes are pretty good ... a real life saver. :)

[Buckeye67]

I like the middle design. It looks like something you'd pick up at the "Towne Centre Shoppes" mall to take on some sort of "kar kamping" trip. :p

My favorite MRE component was the dehydrated strawberries. It was like a wafer of intense strawberry goodness.

[simple jumper]

who gives a rats 5th point of contact ...

Best thing I read all freaking day! But isn't the 5th point diagonal across the back? Balls of the feet, calves, thighs, buttocks, diagonal across the back, end roll. Atleast from what I remember...

[dave81]

I never understood the point of putting "attractive designs" on MRE pouches; it's not like there's a choice of which brand-name MRE one can select. This is the only brand there is, all you can do is pick a flavor.

It's like when the Treasury Department spends millions to advertise the new dollar bill & coin designs coming out: It's not like there's another US Mint to get money from. When it starts coming out of ATMs and banks, people will eventually realize, "Hey, this is what the new money looks like!"

[TehSuig]

Get rid of the meal name and number so Joe will quit rat-f*cking them before I get mine.

[BadKarma26]

i always thought they should put jokes and **** on them. or ****ography. because when youre out in the field and your cold and lonely you just want some **** to cheer you up. you know how the taco bell hot sauce packets have little random funny things on them? kind of like that

[maple.leaf]

My favorite MRE component was the dehydrated strawberries. It was like a wafer of intense strawberry goodness.

Oh man - that just brought back some sweet memories! Jeez, I'm salivating already... :)

As for the designs - WTF??? Especially that one in the middle - looks like a Hormel Chili advert from the 1960's or something. As if you'd stack your rifles by the camp fire and then sit round all cozy munching on your MREs....

and why do they need a trademarked advertising slogan? "Warfighter tested...." what B.S.

Just put the damn list of contents, an expiration date and be done with it.

[Herrmannek]

i always thought they should put jokes and **** on them. or ****ography. because when youre out in the field and your cold and lonely you just want some **** to cheer you up. you know how the taco bell hot sauce packets have little random funny things on them? kind of like that

No Polish Jokes please... Thanks.

[Icarus1]

Ugh, MREs suck, especially when you eat them constantly and in the hot enviroments.

How many different meals are there in the US military?

[Catch22]

There was 24 numbered "menus", divided into two groups - A & B. They were packed into large cardboard boxes 12 MRE's each (6 menus, two of each variety).

Menu list and coding is here:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/mre.htm

From 2006 there were some changes to the menus announced: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theorderlyroom/a/newmre2006.htm

[Icarus1]

Menu 3 sounds good... Beef and Ravioli.

[Roy Batty]

I'm gonna have to wrangle some MREs to supplement our IMPs while were overseas. Variety is the spice of life...lol

[kman]

A lot of people are asking, "What difference does it make what the bag looks like?" I'm with you on that one - it doesn't seem like it'd make much difference. But from what I've read, these guys do a lot of studies on stuff like this. Since they're in charge of providing "nutrition" to the soldiers (insert MRE jokes here), they want to be sure the things are actually being eaten. So there have been acceptability studies where they go out onto field exercises with different groups of soldiers. Some groups get plain old meal bags with just labels on them indicating the contents - "Beef Stew". And then some will get meal bags with more commercial-looking graphics, nutritional info, etc. Supposedly, they've found that more food is consumed, and the food is rated higher, when the packaging is more appealing.

But if you aren't buying that, consider that they put a lot of time and effort into the packaging but they put even more time and effort into working on the actual food (thank goodness). Soon, we'll be rid of the monstrosity that is the "Cheese and Vegetable Omelet".

And in case it sounds like it, no, I don't work for them. I just keep up with what's going on with the industry.

[James]

I remember the old ones that came in dark brown plastic bags.

Ham slice, omelet with ham, corned beef hash, pork with rice and BBQ sauce (I hated that one; you could eat it, burp two days later and taste it again)...

[David]

back in germany my company was the lab rats for the latest and greatest 'lrrp' rations, this was 3 or so years ago. the meals basically consisted of normal mre food, but the main meals were freeze dried, and had some more calories than the regular ones, i don't remember i didn't pay that much attention to it, i was on a ftx afterall...but the freeze dried meals took so much water it was ridiculous, and when we told the mre people about it they were like "well your body doesn't care where it gets water from, whether it be in your food or from your canteen as long as it gets it".. then i thought about that and when i'm in the middle of the desert and i'm thirsty i don't want to have to eat a freeze dried omelet. but it was the first time i saw the ziplocks that came in mre's to mix stuff up, which was a good idea. and the drink mixes came in ziplocks, so you just added water, resealed them, shook em up and drank em, which was genius compared to the old design-not sure if they added that to the new mre's, its been awhile since i've seen an mre.

[dave81]

i always thought they should put jokes and **** on them. or ****ography. "Hey, I'll trade you three 2001 Jenna Jamesons for your 'Aria Giovanni in red bra & panties'!"

[Sloppy Joe2]

Ugh, MREs suck, especially when you eat them constantly and in the hot enviroments.

How many different meals are there in the US military?
the hot weather takes half the effort away, i would just throw the main meal on a part of the armor on my bradley or truck with sun out in its intensity and 5 minutes later i had a hot MRE! :D

[panzrman]

the hot weather takes half the effort away, i would just throw the main meal on a part of the armor on my bradley or truck with sun out in its intensity and 5 minutes later i had a hot MRE! :D

Abrams were also good for heating them up. Just stick them in the exhaust grill when it is idling. Nothing like having a mobile, 60 ton MRE heater tagging along.

Come to think of it, they were good for heating my Bradley too. Personnel heater out in the middle of the coldest winter in eons?? No problemo. Back the Brad up, drop ramp and let tank idle for spell. Of course, ya want to keep an eye on the time and don't sit there too long. Not good for things made of plastic!! Map cases, hand mikes, M16/4 hand guards, bwahahah.

Fuggit. We were warm for once.

[Lt. James Anderson]

And then some will get meal bags with more commercial-looking graphics, nutritional info, etc. Supposedly, they've found that more food is consumed, and the food is rated higher, when the packaging is more appealing.

The packaging goes to waste anyways. MREs are gutted to save space and weight (ounces make pounds) and you'd be suprised how lighter and more managable they get when you throw away junk.

Also the plastic MRE spoon is a great invention. :)
Most people keep one of them on person at all times. Some dumb ****s put it in their breast pocket so it sticks out which really looks ****ty and unsoldierly and get in trouble for doing it.

[kman]

Also the plastic MRE spoon is a great invention. :)

I saw where they're testing a spork to possibly replace the spoon in the 2010 MREs. Here's a quick pic of it:

[Noble713]

but it was the first time i saw the ziplocks that came in mre's to mix stuff up, which was a good idea. and the drink mixes came in ziplocks, so you just added water, resealed them, shook em up and drank em, which was genius compared to the old design-not sure if they added that to the new mre's, its been awhile since i've seen an mre.


They have, and yes, they're frickin' awesome.