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Camping, Hiking and Outdoor Activities Camping, hiking, and other outdoor activities within.

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  #1  
Old 04-07-2009, 1:20 PM
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Default Can I freeze MRE's

Started thinking about my emergency food supply, and it's probably time to rotate out my canned food. Got to thinking about buying a case of MRE's, and wondering if it would make sense to just clear a shelf in my deep freeze (held around zero degrees Farenheit) and store them there.

I figure if SHTF, I could start on my perishable foods first, and by the time I was through those my MRE's would be thawed. I'm hoping that this plan would extend the life of the MRE's by quite a bit before I'd need to replace them.

Whatcha think?
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Old 04-07-2009, 1:30 PM
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I can tell you from personal experience that, if you're not planning on storing the MRE's 10+ years, there should be no need to freeze them. I once had the pleasure of clearing out 'expired' and excess MREs from my high school's ROTC department which were 10-15 years old. My compatriots and I consumed them and they were still quite fine. They are sealed with no air within and as long as they are stored in a dry, cool place they should be fine for years and years- they should last you well past whatever SHTF scenarios that we are likely to experience within the next decade.
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  #3  
Old 04-07-2009, 1:38 PM
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Thanks derwiking, just thinking through So.Cal earthquake scenarios and my other storage option which would be on a shelf in my garage, which experiences temperature swings throughout the year. Also, the MRE's tend to be rated at around 5-years, so thinking my freezer would safely extend that to 10.
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  #4  
Old 04-07-2009, 1:42 PM
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As derwiking states, MRE's have impressive enough shelf life that freezing doesn't seem useful. Save your freezer space for something else.

Also, you should be rotating through your emergency supplies often enough that your MRE's never go bad. If you're not consuming and replacing all of your MRE's over the course of 5-10 years, you're doing something non-optimal.
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Old 04-07-2009, 2:09 PM
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no do not freeze
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  #6  
Old 04-07-2009, 9:56 PM
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Freezing could actually cause some changes in the food, making some oils separate, etc. which could make the food less tasty. Also you run the chance of making the retort pouches brittle, making them more prone to a failure. Keep them cool in the 60-70 (min stays around 50-60) temps and they should last many years.

.
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Old 04-07-2009, 9:58 PM
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theres nothing wrong with freezing them.
i have a few in a freezer, they just need to thaw out a bit.
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Old 04-08-2009, 8:54 AM
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Thanks for all the feedback guys.

I just placed an order with mredepot for a couple cases and some samples so my family can get acquainted with them. I was also able to apply the awesome "calguns" discount code, which made me even happier to be a member here.

Thinking I'll just store the MRE's in my climate-stable house instead of the garage or freezer.

Still chuckling on rabagley's gentle "non-optimal" comment. That has to be the nicest way anyone has told me "bad idea".

Thanks again guys,
-Puro
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Old 04-08-2009, 8:57 AM
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MREs should not be frozen. Their shelf life can be increased by storing in a cool place. Below is a common chart and additional info showing how a cool storage area increases shelf life.

http://www.goldenseason.com.sg/mre_shelf_life.html
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Old 04-08-2009, 9:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doheny View Post
MREs should not be frozen. Their shelf life can be increased by storing in a cool place. Below is a common chart and additional info showing how a cool storage area increases shelf life.

http://www.goldenseason.com.sg/mre_shelf_life.html
this
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  #11  
Old 04-08-2009, 9:12 AM
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I thought the whole point of MREs were so you would have to worry about freezing........
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Old 04-08-2009, 9:18 AM
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DO NOT ROUGH HANDLE WHEN FROZEN is printed on them, so it should be okay to freeze them, but I simply don't see a point. besides food that is frozen often changes slightly and ruins the flavor and texture.





Not that MREs are known for good flavor and texture.
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Old 04-08-2009, 9:22 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by puropuro View Post
Still chuckling on rabagley's gentle "non-optimal" comment. That has to be the nicest way anyone has told me "bad idea".
I'm trying to say the same things, but be nicer about it. Being a new dad, I know that how I used to expect things (done right, and the first time), isn't going to help my daughter learn about the world and set her up for success.

So I'm working on changing a few of my attitudes.

Also, it's not really a huge issue if you're not cycling through your emergency supplies. There's a risk of having less of a buffer than you thought (if something unexpectedly goes bad), and you end up having to budget for a big buy every 5-10 years instead of regular, small purchases (which seems easier for most people to do).

But if you don't routinely sample from your emergency supplies, you're not making some huge mistake. It's just not the optimal way to manage them.
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Old 04-09-2009, 7:51 PM
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OMG, quick comment on MREDepot.......I ordered yesterday, and received TODAY!!!

Completely surprised by their quick delivery, and again happy that I got the Calgun discount. I'd order from them again in a heartbeat.

Now, to the taste tests.....(and a dose of extra fiber)
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Old 04-09-2009, 8:26 PM
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i didn't know mres can expire! I doubt u could taste the difference if they did.. =X
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Old 04-09-2009, 8:45 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by puropuro View Post
OMG, quick comment on MREDepot.......I ordered yesterday, and received TODAY!!!

Completely surprised by their quick delivery, and again happy that I got the Calgun discount. I'd order from them again in a heartbeat.

Now, to the taste tests.....(and a dose of extra fiber)
How does one get the Calguns discount? I need to start stocking up, and they look like a good deal.

Thanks.
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Old 04-09-2009, 8:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iddie View Post
i didn't know mres can expire! I doubt u could taste the difference if they did.. =X
The dates per temperature are measures of quality. Thus past the maximum rate the quality of the food in color, smell, taste (yes this may sound like an oxymoron when discussing MREs) diminished past peak and degraded to a point not prime. This doesn't mean you can't eat it and it depends on exactly what particular menu item being eaten. Sterility, so long as seal is fine and not breached, is not an issue there.

Another factor is vitamins do breakdown and nutrients can fade.

.
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  #18  
Old 04-10-2009, 6:12 AM
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Originally Posted by bluthandwerk View Post
How does one get the Calguns discount? I need to start stocking up, and they look like a good deal.

Thanks.
Add your items to the cart, and while checking out, put "calguns" in the promo code box. It's a whopping 21% off, which I thought was great. I think the C-pack is not applicable to the discount, but pretty much everything else is. (I got A-packs)
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Old 04-10-2009, 10:25 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by puropuro View Post
Add your items to the cart, and while checking out, put "calguns" in the promo code box. It's a whopping 21% off, which I thought was great. I think the C-pack is not applicable to the discount, but pretty much everything else is. (I got A-packs)
Wow! Thanks! That's very cool. I'm going to go order some right now...

EDIT- I ordered and got the shipping email 7 minutes later. I think that's a new record

Last edited by bluthandwerk; 04-10-2009 at 10:45 AM.. Reason: order update
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