MRE chemical heaters - Expiration

[Yarome]

Well... crap! Maybe this is common knowledge but it was news to me and found out the hard way.

Evidently the chemical heaters have a "no matter how they are stored" shelf life of about 5-7 years and likely to be full on dead somewhere between 7-10yrs.

I had some that fairly recently had been taken out of MRE meals and unused. Trying to use one a couple days ago... it wouldn't fire up at all. I tried the salt trick, but to no avail. I tried 6 others and out of those only 1 actually had 1 bar out of 4 reach reasonable temps and a second partially, but it took a good 10-15min after adding water before they actually activated. Another... 1 bar got slightly warm but the other 4 heaters were completely dead.

Doing a bit of research I found some info citing 5-7years, regardless... which really set me off. I dug into my ammo boxes (where I had 16 sealed fifty packs of em) that I picked up 10-12 years ago. Pulled 2 our 3 out of 3 or 4 packs... and sure enough! Every single one of them was deader than a doornail! Worthless!

The majority of my life I've been using those tubed Vietnam era hexane tabs we've had stockpiled by the case since I was just a young buck (50+ years old). They have always been reliable and somehow must have got it in my head that the chemical heaters would have a similarly long lifespan, if properly stored. NOPE!!

At least I recovered a couple ammo boxes for other uses, but it sure didn't make me happy tipping them all out into the trash bin.

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[gmerkt]

How about the MRE rations themselves? Does the food component have a degradation factor?

 

[Stomper]

Well... crap! Maybe this is common knowledge but it was news to me and found out the hard way.

Evidently the chemical heaters have a "no matter how they are stored" shelf life of about 5-7 years and likely to be full on dead somewhere between 7-10yrs.

I had some that fairly recently had been taken out of MRE meals and unused. Trying to use one a couple days ago... it wouldn't fire up at all. I tried the salt trick, but to no avail. I tried 6 others and out of those only 1 actually had 1 bar out of 4 reach reasonable temps and a second partially, but it took a good 10-15min after adding water before they actually activated. Another... 1 bar got slightly warm but the other 4 heaters were completely dead.

Doing a bit of research I found some info citing 5-7years, regardless... which really set me off. I dug into my ammo boxes (where I had 16 sealed fifty packs of em) that I picked up 10-12 years ago. Pulled 2 our 3 out of 3 or 4 packs... and sure enough! Every single one of them was deader than a doornail! Worthless!

The majority of my life I've been using those tubed Vietnam era hexane tabs we've had stockpiled by the case since I was just a young buck (50+ years old). They have always been reliable and somehow must have got it in my head that the chemical heaters would have a similarly long lifespan, if properly stored. NOPE!!

At least I recovered a couple ammo boxes for other uses, but it sure didn't make me happy tipping them all out into the trash bin.

Try the powdered coffee creamer as an accelerant. That sheite was always flammable, at least back during the gen.1 MRE days they were.

 

[Yarome]

How about the MRE rations themselves? Does the food component have a degradation factor?

Yup. But evidently their actual shelf life is longer than the chem heaters. "Ideally", the food components are meant to be consumed within 5 years. Shorter if storage conditions are less than ideal, but 5yrs is a general rule of thumb.

That said though, I've eaten 20yr old MRE's that were still plenty edible with no ill repercussions. Some food components age better than others.

I can well imagine the military mindset though of only requiring heaters to last as long as they expect the food elements to be consumed.

Kind of a bummer for the prepper minded folk, but such as it is....

 

[Yarome]

Try the powdered coffee creamer as an accelerant. That sheite was always flammable, at least back during the gen.1 MRE days they were.

The chem heaters are flameless. Sodium can accelerate the chemical reaction, but evidently the main chemical components are not inert/separated, slowly react with each other and degrade over time.

 

[gmerkt]

Yup. But evidently their actual shelf life is longer than the chem heaters. "Ideally", the food components are meant to be consumed within 5 years. Shorter if storage conditions are less than ideal, but 5yrs is a general rule of thumb.

That said though, I've eaten 20yr old MRE's that were still plenty edible with no ill repercussions. Some food components age better than others.

Around year 2000 when I was still working, I stopped at a fellow employee's place on the way home. From his closet, he dug out a very old case of C Rations. He'd borrowed them while stationed at Fort Hood, TX around 1971, and as I recall the carton was dated 1969. So those rations were about 30 years old. Some of the cans were very clearly bulged on the ends, which we've read is a possible indication of botulism. Some others that weren't bulged we opened and they may have been edible but not appetizing. Even if it's old yet edible, preserved wet food like that usually degrades in flavor, consistency and appearance. The tobacco in the cigarettes was very dry and flaky. The hardtack crackers while not rancid were barely edible. The jams in the little, flat tins were syrupy and no longer tasted like fruit. The peanut butter was very stiff. A couple of the cans of meat weren't bulged; there was a local neighbor kid who was willing to eat them and he didn't later get sick.

The episode described above was a good lesson in not getting behind in food rotation.

My only experience of MRE's was from trying a few that I bought at gun shows. We never had them when I was in the US Army or later in the Army National Guard. My observations about MRE's have been that the menus have been greatly changed since the few I bought many years ago. I've noticed later issue MRE's have a number of what I'd consider ethnic options. Also alleged healthier menu items. Not so many "meat and potatoes" choices. I'd never make it with, say, Mexican MRE pouches. I just don't like Mexican food. I don't like spicy foods, I don't like tomato paste, I don't like taco spices, skip the tortillas, etc. I've still got that Iowa palette that I was raised on. But I know this isn't the trend; lots of food items in the stores and restaurants are spicier than they used to be. Some of my own children like hot sauce on their food, which we never had in the home and still don't.

Another MRE menu option I've noticed in later ones I think had to do with religion. Meaning, no pork products for Muslims. And some kind of flatbread thing for starch. I don't know how many Muslims there may be in the US armed forces at any given time, but maybe some of these were also made with middle eastern allies or aid recipients in mind.

 

[The Heretic]

Huh - I've got some heaters that were stored by themselves in a plastic bag that have to be at least 15 years old. I supposed they are no good now - might have to test them.

 

[Yarome]

The episode described above was a good lesson in not getting behind in food rotation.

Another MRE menu option I've noticed in later ones I think had to do with religion. Meaning, no pork products for Muslims. And some kind of flatbread thing for starch. I don't know how many Muslims there may be in the US armed forces at any given time, but maybe some of these were also made with middle eastern allies or aid recipients in mind.

I'm good about only storing what I actually eat and keep a steady rotation. The heaters though were meant simply as long term storage backup heat sources. They were sold from the supplier in sealed packs of 50 each. It just never occurred to me that type of of item, originally intended for long term storage, would have such a short effective shelf life. I typically save them from meal pouches as well in favor of heating them in water. I guess I won't be doing THAT any more. "Use em or loose em" and all.

Considering the military only puts a max shelf life of 5 years on MRE's though... I guess it does make sense.

I haven't tried any of the menu items from the halal packs. I'm aware of them, but I haven't seen them listed for sale through any of my regular MRE suppliers. I know the STAR brand "MRE type" meals are all kosher certified... if that's something someone is interested in. There are the humanitarian "MRE type" meals as well that are geared to be consumable in any part of the world and under any religious consideration. Pretty much all variations on beans and lentils/rice/cous cous dishes.

I tried a couple cases to test the full menu range, but it wasn't all that pleasant. Pretty much only 4"sides" pack variations that got real old and having every entrée being simply a variation on every other entrée... ingredients wise... every meal just kind of blended together without much distinct variation.

They are considerably cheaper than standard MRE's though, and if you were really in a SHTF situation... you're gonna be pretty happy to have whatever you can lay hands on, right. Valid option, but... I just know I won't be wanting to eat them on any regular basis so no point putting them in my food storage rotation.

I've eaten my fair share of C, K rations and other MCI's. That was such a long time ago and I really don't remember anything being deliciously memorable. When you're young though... and poor... food was just food without a whole lot of preferences. I do remember the ones that were quite difficult to choke down though.

I take that back. I do remember some of the canned cakes that were pretty tasty... and a slight bit of excitement when you got a can of franks n bean.

 

[gmerkt]

I haven't tried any of the menu items from the halal packs. I'm aware of them, but I haven't seen them listed for sale through any of my regular MRE suppliers. I know the STAR brand "MRE type" meals are all kosher certified... if that's something someone is interested in. There are the humanitarian "MRE type" meals as well that are geared to be consumable in any part of the world and under any religious consideration. Pretty much all variations on beans and lentils/rice/cous cous dishes.

Yes, Halal was the word I should've used. I didn't realize there were knock-offs of military MRE's. The beans/lentils, cous cous, that's for someone else, I'll stick with the meat and potatoes.

I take that back. I do remember some of the canned cakes that were pretty tasty... and a slight bit of excitement when you got a can of franks n bean.

I was always partial to the canned bread in the C's. There was also maple nut cake (roll?) in a can. And fruitcake, which wasn't all that bad.

When I was in Vietnam, you could go in the PX and find canned apricot bread for sale. It was civilian stuff, brought in by the exchange system, pretty good. I haven't seen it offered anywhere since.

 

[The Heretic]

Considering the military only puts a max shelf life of 5 years on MRE's though... I guess it does make sense.

I don't buy/store/use MREs. The heat packs would be for Mountain House FD food, which can be had with their own heaters or at least used to be. I would/could use an alcohol stove to heat water to add to the meals - but that takes time being stationary. The nice thing about heaters is you don't need to be stationary to use them.

 

[Yarome]

I don't buy/store/use MREs. The heat packs would be for Mountain House FD food, which can be had with their own heaters or at least used to be. I would/could use an alcohol stove to heat water to add to the meals - but that takes time being stationary. The nice thing about heaters is you don't need to be stationary to use them.

They certainly have distinct advantages over liquid, bottled or even wood fuel. When I bought that batch of heaters I also picked up a bunch of the sealable food/water bags to allow heating just water or your own food using the chem heaters.

It sure sounded like a great idea to have that convenience and capability when I bought 800 of em. Alas.....

I've never heard of or tried the mountain house flameless heaters. I'll have to look into those and any experience you have with them would be welcome info.

 

[Knobgoblin]

Just choose the entrée for the evening earlier in the day. Carry it against your perineum while performing some form of manual labor. Your dinner will be nice and warm when it's time to eat.

 

[The Heretic]

It sure sounded like a great idea to have that convenience and capability when I bought 800 of em. Alas.....

Yikes!

I think I only have about a dozen at most

 

[Yarome]

Yikes!

I think I only have about a dozen at most

Well... they're not all that spendy. Back when I got them.. IIRC, they were somewhere about 5 cents each. I looked just the other day and they are up to $10 for a 50 pack. Or... 20 cent's each. Pretty big price hike but still not a wallet breaker.

The mountain house appears to have been discontinued, but maybe a good thing. 12 bucks for a 5 use kit. Yeeeeesh....

 

[Knobgoblin]

Any place to find out manufacture date on these?

 

[Yarome]

View attachment 1804469

Any place to find out manufacture date on these?

It depends. Of the 5 similar yet slightly different designs I had, only 2 types had a clear 4 digit year of mfg clearly printed across the top of the full printed side. The white "cloth" type internals didn't (part # only), but the carboard ones did... and those where the older variety.

Maybe they figured the life of the MRE they were packaged inside of was indication enough(?)

 

[NeoBlackdog]

MRE... Y'all know what that really stands for, don't ya?
Meal Rarely Excreted

I ate quite a few in my firefightin' days and if I ever have to eat another it'll be too soon.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

I never used no stinken heaters strapped it to the back of a Abrahms with some coat hangers and was always plenty hot and always avoided the meals that had loaf in the title !

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Might Require Emergency....

Meal Refusing to Evacuate....

Meals Refused by Ethiopians...
Andy

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

Might Require Emergency....

Meal Refusing to Evacuate....

Meals Refused by Ethiopians...
Andy

Yes all of the above but when hot it becomes a morale booster !