U.S. Meals Ready to Eat (Variety Pack of 12) – (A or B Case Selected at Random) Nutritional Emergency Food Rations - Freeze Dried Food w/ Flameless Heater, Entree, Dessert, & More - MRE Kit for Emergency Survival, Hunting, & More

Bought these as a "just in case" item and will likely be buying more. I've had these before and they're pretty good as MREs go. Each meal includes its own heater (water is needed to activate them, which you need to supply separately) and has a main dish, side, dessert, snack, and assorted accessories. They are dated as requiring inspection as of September 2025, which means that if kept in a cool dark place they'll store potentially for up to 5 years, maybe more depending on storage conditions. They were also an insanely good deal price-wise. They are high-density calorie content, taste pretty good, and while a bit heavy are a great option for emergencies, car camping, hiking, etc. Highly recommended.

I take chances with not opening the box after several months of receiving it, I mostly keep these as a backup in case there's a food shortage, or when traveling/camping etc. As long as the straps are intact, there's no revealing damage (punctures, slashes, dropped from a 2 story building) and the TTI sticker doesn't reveal exposure to long term heat 80+, we're good.I wasn't happy (they = who ever shipped it) put the document bag right over the TTI sticker, almost like they were ashamed something might be revealed. But, they lucked out and it was still in good condition when I removed the white portion. I really wish (they = the shipper) would overwrap the box with a thick paper at least to hide what's inside, these are not cheap replacements due to porch pirates. It doesn't need to be over boxed as it's already well protected, and the mailman doesn't need to know ALL of your order habits. :)Anyways, since the TTI is good and the box isn't mangled. It's a good bet the food is intact. Always keep these in a70 degree and below environment away from the sun light.You get a lot of nutrients in these meals, with tons of variety and tasty portions. I wouldn't live on these, but they are good for emergencies. The mains are filling, most of the time you should heat them for maximum taste value. Although, you can eat all of these cold. The snacks and sides are fairly well assorted, you won't get bored of them unless you eat a box every month.The heaters are hit & miss, from experience you can take the salt packet that's inside the condiment pack and add a dash to the heater and it gives it a kick to the reaction of the water/chemical mix.Keep one in your car during winter when you travel, one in your backpack for hiking. You don't need a knife or scissors to open them as they pull apart on the top of each MRE, and they all come with a long sturdy spoon. Everything should be easily eaten without need of a knife, you can even eat all of it directly from the mylar packets they are packed in.They are based on calorie needs of the soldiers, and you know they need tons in the field. You can typically spread each MRE out in 2 portions if you aren't going to push yourself burning 1500+ calories within 2 hours. Eat the main and have the drink powder, and 30 mins later eat the snack/side.I've had these in the past, and still use them now for civilian life as it's just convenient for car trips, and adventures. Ozark has been my go-to for the supply of these for several years, they have not failed me.

The price was very reasonable for what you get—12 full MREs packed with calories and nutrition, making it a smart investment for emergency preparedness or outdoor needs.The taste was surprisingly good for shelf-stable meals. Each MRE came with a main entrée, sides, snacks, and even a dessert in some cases. I appreciated the variety—getting a random Case A or B added a bit of fun to the unboxing, and every meal had something different to offer.The packaging was sturdy, just like what you’d expect from military-grade rations. Everything arrived sealed properly and in great condition. The flameless ration heaters worked well and heated the meals thoroughly without any hassle.

Purchase 05/2025Manufacture Date 07/11/2022Inspect / Test Date 07/2025Be aware of what you are buying. These are close to the 3 year inspect / test date, meaning when you get them, they are close to when the military would consider them expired. In my case, 2 months left on their original shelf life. That being said, this depends heavily on the temperature they were stored at. If they were stored in a hot warehouse, they'd be bad by now. Look at the Time and Temperature Indicator (TTI), which is an orange sticker with a dark gray circle on it. The center of the circle grows darker over time, when exposed to high temperatures. Once the color in the center of the circle matches the outside of the circle, it's considered to be at its "pull date". My TTI is in good shape, meaning it was stored in a climate controlled area, and it still has some years of shelf life left on it. At this age, you may run across some components that are getting iffy, but most of it should be edible.Purchased two cases. Received one Case A and one Case B, which is nice. This gives you good menu variety and will reduce menu fatigue. The price is great. A little over $3 each meal is a steal. They are probably trying to sell these off to make room in the warehouse for the new style. Just be aware that these are not "brand new" MREs and plan accordingly.These did not come packaged in an outer box, if that matters to you. They just stuck the address label on the carton and shipped it. So your shipper knows that you received a case of MREs, if you care. The cartons arrived in good condition because they are very heavy duty. The cases are banded and sealed.

Inspection date was current month, so needed to crack open the case and check it out. One outer packaging was glued to the inside of the box during initial packing, not the fault of the seller. Looking at the exposure indicator, I figure I have roughly 2 years left, and that's just fine given the price I paid. I ate the one I had to rip apart, as part of the inspection, and everything appeared fine and tasted as expected. Whether you're camping or prepping, you typically can't go wrong with having a case of MREs. They're packed with sugar and salt, so increase water intake to balance that out. Always easy to use, the included heater I used got hot quickly and performed like new.