MRE Ration Cold Weather 1992 DoP Review Part 1 [there's 2&3 also]
Outer package in somewhat thick plastic bags, inner bags in various types, some vacuum sealed, some I'm not certain kind of normal myler supermarket packaging, some things aren't at all and in retail thin clear type packaging. The main package didn't have vacuum. It's fair to say that if it's 24 years old and the plastic packaging has lasted, they're probably as good as cans with the added bonus of not being able to rust. They can get pin-holes in them though, which will make them go bad.
- Rations stored out in a hot/cold shed for at least 10 years, would be better if they weren't but goes to show
- Chicken soup - Tinge of yellow observed on a packet in a corner of a cup-of-soup and a small hole seen. Clear signs of leakage, tasted bad.
Accessories packet
- toilet paper x2
- chewing gum
- sugar
- matches
- sugar
- creamer
- tootsies [sugary treat]
- Apple & oatmeal cereal - apple oxidised though he claims quite edible. Oatmeal's on my list already. The dehydrated apple is a surprise. Mixed up fine with added water, it includes a bag to use as your 'bowl' to eat it from.
- Crackers [dry biscuits] fine.
- Fig newtons [fig roll/biscuit] - bad, tasted bitter and rancid oils with some fruit flavor. Again, we've got oils [soya bean] in it that have got rancid over the years.
- 'Apple cider' drink/dried cordial, a little oxidized but fine. [its sugar and flavor & vit C]
- nut raisin mix, vac sealed 23 years old - smells good
- "if it tastes stale or any of that spit it out and wait. If it swells your tongue it's rancid and it will make you sick"
- walnut - edible, very dry.
- raisin - edible, very dry.
- not perfect but perfectly edible. Potentially the vacuum seal has dried them out further.
- chocolate drink - 1 rock hard it leaked so moisture and air got in turning it rancid. 1 good!
Part 4 & 5 - main meal
- M&Ms powdered, no good
- Orange beverage powder - hard, no good. Not sure why, but especially orange goes bad
- oatmeal bar and granola bars, vac sealed [mylar] with inner vac sealed package plastic - "last almost indefinitely, never come across a bad one" - oatmeal was great and the granola never tasted as good. [still edible]
- plastic spoon
- chocolate covered brownie - outter coating smells nice, inside the nuts have gone rancid and dark. Tried it and tasted awful can swell up your tongue and throat, really bad taste and the flavor sneaks up on you....
- freezed dry beef stew - still awesome. "20-30 years is normal conditions, if stored properly in a dark and cold environment will probably last forever"
- lemon tea - instant tea - great