MREs as main food source while plane camping at OSH?

[AV8R_87]

I was chatting with a new pilot who's considering flying to OSH next year, and one of his questions was food. Told him I usually touch base with friends camping in Scholler and we plan a combined food run, cooking it away from the plane.

He might not have that option, so his thought was to bring a case of MREs and use that for breakfast/dinner (since they don't need refrigeration and come with flameless heaters), and supplement that with some snacks.

Has anyone here attemped such a feat? If yes, how'd it go? Pros/cons from the people who have had to deal with extended MRE use? I recall a comedian in Iraq telling the troops he'd had a few MREs and so far none of them had an exit strategy.

 

[asicer]

I recall a comedian in Iraq telling the troops he'd had a few MREs and so far none of them had an exit strategy.

At a place as crowded as OSH, that could be an asset rather than a liability.

 

[X3 Skier]

The only MRE I have ever liked was the spaghetti. The rest were edible.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

Not at OSH, but we subsisted off MREs from a military surplus store on a 12 day canoeing trip in the Boundary Waters.
By day ~3 we all knew which ones sucked. By day ~5 no one wanted the MRE meals anymore and we were reduced to bartering in a prison-like economy: "I'll give you 2 good MREs for that pack of cinnamon pop tarts" or "I'll portage the canoe myself for 5 miles if I can have that hickory farms summer sausage".

At OSH I bring some Mountain House freeze-dried meals I pick up from Dicks Sporting Goods. They're solid IMHO. But you won't save much money, they're like $12 each if you buy them individually. Very filling though and much tastier than the "real" MREs we had on our canoe trip. I leave some boxed up in my plane just in case I get stuck somewhere.

But yeah, my personal wager would be that your friend's willpower will break down very quickly and he'll abandon the idea of eating prison food for a week when there are civilized options available

 

[Flyhound]

They have pretty good food options on the grounds these days. I typically take a few dehydrated meals of my choice for the rare occasion I don't feel like walking all the way to the food court area for a meal. There are multiple spots in the North 40 to buy a breakfast sandwich and/or some pancakes for breakfast or a brat for lunch. I take a propane camp stove to make my morning coffee and to heat water for my dehydrated food when that's the best option. There are also good restaurants just outside the fence and sometimes I head there for a meal and some air conditioning. Unless your friend can pick and choose the MRE's they want, and are sure they can eat them happily, there are lots of other and better options.

 

[kyleb]

Whatever works for your friend, but there is a bus that will take you directly to Target and Pic-n-Save from the bus corral. Alternately, there are shuttles inside the fence that will carry you to within 1/3 of a mile of the same stores. With a lightweight backpack and a couple of tyvek bags, it isn't hard to carry a decent sized load back to your campsite.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

They have pretty good food options on the grounds these days. I typically take a few dehydrated meals of my choice for the rare occasion I don't feel like walking all the way to the food court area for a meal. There are multiple spots in the North 40 to buy a breakfast sandwich and/or some pancakes for breakfast or a brat for lunch. I take a propane camp stove to make my morning coffee and to heat water for my dehydrated food when that's the best option. There are also good restaurants just outside the fence and sometimes I head there for a meal and some air conditioning. Unless your friend can pick and choose the MRE's they want, and are sure they can eat them happily, there are lots of other and better options.View attachment 154376

I thought at Osh you weren't allowed to have propane stoves in the airplane areas? Guessing I was misinformed...

 

[flyingcheesehead]

I was chatting with a new pilot who's considering flying to OSH next year, and one of his questions was food. Told him I usually touch base with friends camping in Scholler and we plan a combined food run, cooking it away from the plane.

He might not have that option, so his thought was to bring a case of MREs and use that for breakfast/dinner (since they don't need refrigeration and come with flameless heaters), and supplement that with some snacks.

Has anyone here attemped such a feat? If yes, how'd it go?

@Diana used to do that - Not true military MREs, but the kind that can be purchased for camping. Looks like there are several companies who make such things.

That said, it's not so hard to do better food at OSH without food vendors. It might take a year or two to pay back your investment in equipment, but it's possible to get a good cooler-style refrigerator/freezer that uses a compressor and thus actually works (as compared to the thermoelectric variety) and plug it into a battery bank "solar generator" and a couple of solar panels for power. You can, as discussed below, use a Coleman-style stove to cook things.

Here's what I added to my Oshkosh equipment this year:
Alpicool 43qt portable fridge/freezer - This worked really well. Seemed to use about 38 watts, and that was keeping the larger compartment frozen and the small one refrigerated rather than the other way around.
Bluetti Elite 30 V2 power station - Even though I'm quite happy with how this worked, I ended up not using this as much as I thought I was going to, as I ended up leaving the cooler/fridge in the car and this was more of a backup. I also had the solar panels already. Might want a bigger one for going all week, too. @cowman how many watt-hours is the one you used this year?

I thought at Osh you weren't allowed to have propane stoves in the airplane areas? Guessing I was misinformed...

From EAA's Airplane Camping Guidelines page:

Careful use of white gas or propane camp stoves is allowed in aircraft camping, provided they are used in an area well away from parked aircraft and that the stove is attended at all times . It is strongly recommended that aircraft near the stove be checked for any fuel fumes or leakage, and the stove be elevated above ground level.​

​

Cooking stoves must be a safe distance (10 feet) away from any aircraft.​

Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited, maybe that's what you were thinking of.

 

[Tools]

Cheese curds and spotted cow. It’s WISCONSIN.

I’m confused… what was the question again?!!

 

[flyingcheesehead]

Cheese curds and spotted cow. It’s WISCONSIN.

I’m confused… what was the question again?!!

The question was, "Would you like another Spotted Cow?"

 

[cowman]

Here's what I added to my Oshkosh equipment this year:
Alpicool 43qt portable fridge/freezer - This worked really well. Seemed to use about 38 watts, and that was keeping the larger compartment frozen and the small one refrigerated rather than the other way around.
Bluetti Elite 30 V2 power station - Even though I'm quite happy with how this worked, I ended up not using this as much as I thought I was going to, as I ended up leaving the cooler/fridge in the car and this was more of a backup. I also had the solar panels already. Might want a bigger one for going all week, too. @cowman how many watt-hours is the one you used this year?

My fridgecooler draws pretty close to 38watts as well. The power station I am using is rated at 1024watt-hours with a solar panel rated at 280watts. It's probably overkill just to run the cooler for a couple days but we'll use it for other things and when it comes to battery capacity I like overkill.

 

[Flyhound]

I thought at Osh you weren't allowed to have propane stoves in the airplane areas? Guessing I was misinformed...

This is from the EAA's airplane camping rules for AirVenture:

Fire Safety

Campfires are prohibited on Wittman Regional Airport campsites.
Open-air cooking fires must comply with the Oshkosh Fire Department Fire Prevention Guidelines on this page.
Do not leave campsite areas without completely extinguishing stove.
No charcoal or wood campfires.
Careful use of white gas or propane camp stoves is allowed in aircraft camping, provided they are used in an area well away from parked aircraft and that the stove is attended at all times . It is strongly recommended that aircraft near the stove be checked for any fuel fumes or leakage, and the stove be elevated above ground level.

You can see the whole rule set here: https://www.eaa.org/airventure/plan.../airplane-camping/airplane-camping-guidelines

 

[RussR]

I was chatting with a new pilot who's considering flying to OSH next year, and one of his questions was food. Told him I usually touch base with friends camping in Scholler and we plan a combined food run, cooking it away from the plane.

He might not have that option, so his thought was to bring a case of MREs and use that for breakfast/dinner (since they don't need refrigeration and come with flameless heaters), and supplement that with some snacks.

Has anyone here attemped such a feat? If yes, how'd it go? Pros/cons from the people who have had to deal with extended MRE use? I recall a comedian in Iraq telling the troops he'd had a few MREs and so far none of them had an exit strategy.

Unless MREs have changed dramatically in the last 20 years, or you're talking about a civilianized version of MREs, I can't imagine a situation where I'd voluntarily want to use them as a "main food source".

 

[Ed Haywood]

In 24 years in the Army, I ate hundreds of MREs. They are something you eat because you have to, not because you want to.

In terms of taste and quality, they are roughly comparable to the canned or microwaveable meals you might find at a gas station. Highly processed for long shelf life. High calories because that's what Joe needs in combat.

I'm quite certain the foods available at the Red One Markets in the camping areas are better.

 

[Sac Arrow]

The only one I remember actually liking was the Chicken A La King. I grew to hate the ham and chicken loaf. They could have done a better job of rendering out the bones.

 

[murphey]

I was chatting with a new pilot who's considering flying to OSH next year, and one of his questions was food. Told him I usually touch base with friends camping in Scholler and we plan a combined food run, cooking it away from the plane.

He might not have that option, so his thought was to bring a case of MREs and use that for breakfast/dinner (since they don't need refrigeration and come with flameless heaters), and supplement that with some snacks.

Has anyone here attemped such a feat? If yes, how'd it go? Pros/cons from the people who have had to deal with extended MRE use? I recall a comedian in Iraq telling the troops he'd had a few MREs and so far none of them had an exit strategy.

There are too many places both on the field and nearby by bus to eat. Across the street to the north is Target and a Kroger grocery store. I've tasted an MRE. In this day & age, unless you're in country or stranded somewhere and your emergency kit is only MRE, I see no reason to inflict yourself. Even the freeze-dried camp food is better.

 

[Dana]

I've eaten my share of MREs on backpacking trips, but generally only when I expect to camp somewhere where there's no water available for cooking or cleanup, or as a complete emergency meal if I get stuck out an extra day. Not something I'd choose for Oshkosh. Some MREs are ok, some are awful, and most taste like Chef-Boyardee. And some are labeled "not for preflight use" because they promote flatulence (I kid you not).

 

[flyingron]

Not at OSH, but we subsisted off MREs from a military surplus store on a 12 day canoeing trip in the Boundary Waters.
By day ~3 we all knew which ones sucked. By day ~5 no one wanted the MRE meals anymore and we were reduced to bartering in a prison-like economy: "I'll give you 2 good MREs for that pack of cinnamon pop tarts" or "I'll portage the canoe myself for 5 miles if I can have that hickory farms summer sausage".

Long about Desert Storm I, I was volunteering at the Marine Marathon. They provided all the military guys MREs and all us civilians box lunches. As MREs were in the news, I wanted to try one and had no problem getting one of the marines to swap me my box lunch for his MRE. I understood why as soon as I got into it.

THere are plenty of camping foods that are better than MREs.

We usually bring something easy for breakfast (coffee, oatmeal, etc...). I have a compact JetBoil that will make a liter of hot water in 75 seconds or so. I just eat the fair food for lunch (though these days I usually get a sandwich from the volunteer operations) and we go off site for dinner more often than not.

 

[Deelee]

Camped in the S40 this year. I brought six or seven protein bars and some energy drinks just in case we had to camp somewhere not OSH on the way there. I think I went through three of the protein bars that I brought and two of those may have been in the plane (I get hungry flying). But at OSH, we just had breakfast and (free) coffee at the Red Market in the south S40 and then lunch and dinner out. Ate lunch usually at one of the vendors around show center. Dinners were either SOS Bros or Friar Tuck's. I think one night we ate dinner show center... Point is - I didn't take much food in at all and was never hungry.

 

[Ed Haywood]

By day ~5 no one wanted the MRE meals anymore and we were reduced to bartering in a prison-like economy: "I'll give you 2 good MREs for that pack of cinnamon pop tarts" or "I'll portage the canoe myself for 5 miles if I can have that hickory farms summer sausage".

You should see a platoon of Joes about 6 months into a one year deployment. Everyone becomes an expert at the dark arts of field expedient concoctions, and MRE components become legal currency.

Nobody should doubt the life sustaining magic of a canteen cup full of hot mocha made from instant coffee, cocoa powder, sugar and creamer on a cold morning in the field, especially when you just spent all night wading through swamps or shivering in the rain under a poncho.

This is probably my most prized memento of my service.

 

[murphey]

Long about Desert Storm I, I was volunteering at the Marine Marathon. They provided all the military guys MREs and all us civilians box lunches. As MREs were in the news, I wanted to try one and had no problem getting one of the marines to swap me my box lunch for his MRE. I understood why as soon as I got into it.

THere are plenty of camping foods that are better than MREs.

We usually bring something easy for breakfast (coffee, oatmeal, etc...). I have a compact JetBoil that will make a liter of hot water in 75 seconds or so. I just eat the fair food for lunch (though these days I usually get a sandwich from the volunteer operations) and we go off site for dinner more often than not.

My rabbi (Navy O6 now retired) often deployed with the Marines during the 1st Gulf War. I learned the Halah and Kosher MREs are better than the standard MREs. The troops would always save those MREs for him and the chaplain's assistant when in the field.

 

[ArrowFlyer86]

You should see a platoon of Joes about 6 months into a one year deployment. Everyone becomes an expert at the dark arts of field expedient concoctions, and MRE components become legal currency.

Nobody should doubt the life sustaining magic of a canteen cup full of hot mocha made from instant coffee, cocoa powder, sugar and creamer on a cold morning in the field, especially when you just spent all night wading through swamps or shivering in the rain under a poncho.

This is probably my most prized memento of my service.

View attachment 154385

I can only imagine! My 12 day recreational canoe trip doesn't really stand up against the hardship soldiers go through. My three military brothers have reminded me of that often when I complain about the struggles of my wilderness adventures...

Do you recall what the prized MRE items were? I'd be curious to know.

(Also, I can absolutely see how coffee and cocoa powder could feel life changing in those conditions.)

 

[Bob Noel]

now I'm really curious about what MREs are really like...

maybe I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

[AV8R_87]

now I'm really curious about what MREs are really like...

A case of 12 can be bought for $50-60 and would cover one person for six days (main reason while our new pilot was considering it).

There's a pretty famous youtuber (Steve1989) that does a lot of MRE reviews. Post-2015 menus seem to rank high.
Worst one I've heard of was the mid 2000's Veggie Omelet, called the Vomelet by pretty much everyone.

 

[Flymy47]

I remember a guy at NTC whipping up cheesecake made from a package of crackers, cheese spread, and a bunch of different condiment packets from an MRE. Maybe I'd been in the field too long, but it sure did taste like cheesecake.

 

[Ed Haywood]

I remember a guy at NTC whipping up cheesecake made from a package of crackers, cheese spread, and a bunch of different condiment packets from an MRE. Maybe I'd been in the field too long, but it sure did taste like cheesecake.

Cobbler was another popular one, back when they had the various dehydrated fruits. Mix fruit, water, crushed crackers, and packets of sugar and non-dairy creamer.

 

[Flymy47]

Cobbler was another popular one, back when they had the various dehydrated fruits. Mix fruit, water, crushed crackers, and packets of sugar and non-dairy creamer.

Oh, that's right! I remember having Peach cobbler once or twice! Have you ever seen anybody complete the two-minute cracker test?

 

[Ed Haywood]

Post-2015 menus seem to rank high.
Worst one I've heard of was the mid 2000's Veggie Omelet, called the Vomelet by pretty much everyone.

I'm old enough that I caught the tail end of C rats and the first generation of MREs in the early 80's.

The original menu was pretty simple, with several variations of stews, sliced meats, and dehydrated meat patties. The stews were decent when eaten hot. The dehydrated pork patties were obscene. The best and most popular part of MREs has always been the crackers and spreads, along with anything sweet.

The main dishes were designed to be heated by boiling. That was fine if you had plenty of water and the tactical situation allowed cooking. But plenty of water is not always the case in the infantry; many an MRE was eaten cold rather than wasting precious drinking water, since boiling the pouches released chemicals that ruined the water and left a nasty aftertaste in your canteen cup. Another method was to light the cardboard box around the pouch, which worked ok but risked burning through the pouch.

In the 90's someone came up with the MRE heater, which was a game changer. You still had to waste water, but much less, and no open flame was necessary.

Later on, as us boomers aged out, they tried to make the young troops happy with all kinds of funky meals. Some worked, others not so much.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Do you recall what the prized MRE items were? I'd be curious to know.

Crackers and spreads were the most popular. Just about everyone loved those.

Condiments and accessories such as sugar packets were popular as trading currency. An enterprising troop could put several together to make another meal item, like cobbler and cheesecake.

 

[Ed Haywood]

Have you ever seen anybody complete the two-minute cracker test?

LoL no, do tell.

 

[RussR]

I do remember the non-melting chocolate bar as not being too bad, as long as you could get past wondering what kind of a "chocolate" bar doesn't melt.

 

[murphey]

You can find individual MREs at your local ArmyNavy Surplus store, if there's one nearby.

 

[pfarber]

I do remember the non-melting chocolate bar as not being too bad, as long as you could get past wondering what kind of a "chocolate" bar doesn't melt.

Cocoa (chocolate beans) never melts. They are turned to powder and things like milk and sugar are the melty part. WWII D-bars used oats and water (IIRC) so they never melted but were also very hard.

 

[pfarber]

I'm old enough that I caught the tail end of C rats and the first generation of MREs in the early 80's.

My dad would bring home cases of C-rats. Lots of good stuff in those. The chocolate pound cake was my favorite, as were the beans. The crackers were also pretty good. The peanut butter was ok once you recombined the oil.

 

[Flymy47]

LoL no, do tell.

The lore was that no human could ever consume the entire package of crackers consisting of both portions of the dryest, most moisture-devoid crackers known to mankind within two minutes. No water, no cheese spread, or any other topping is allowed. Open the package, and the clock starts when you start eating those dry-ass crackers. It's like watching a dog eat peanut butter, only better, because the crackers absorb all the moisture in your mouth. It's more akin to eating sand.

Now, the next time you come upon an MRE, you're all set for at least 2 minutes of fun once you find a sucker to take the challenge!

 

[Bob Noel]

You can find individual MREs at your local ArmyNavy Surplus store, if there's one nearby.

I suspect I'd be better off with the newer MREs rather than old old stuff.

 

[murphey]

I suspect I'd be better off with the newer MREs rather than old old stuff.

Don't know about stores near you, but the ones in Denver have current MREs, at least according to the date on the labels.

 

[Initial Fix]

From a practical point of view, sure, you could do MRE for meals. But at $10-12 (prices I found online) each you aren’t saving much over just onsite food vendors. I wouldn’t do lunch as that can be a long trip beck and forth to the campsite.

My OSH plane camping neighbor had a mini kitchen setup for their group. Griddle, huge cooler, etc and they cooked every meal for 5 people. but they had access to a car to grocery shop.

Personally, I bring hoppy beverages, bottled water, backpacking stove and kettle for coffee, small cooler, and snacks. I buy my B/L/D from vendors.

 

[Groundpounder]

My brother was in the Army in the late 80's-early 90's. He'd bring me home an MRE or two when he visited, which I loved. Of course I was 11 in 1990.....

I bought a case of civilian made MRE's from a company called Meal Kit Supply a few years ago to have as a backup in case things got really bad. I decided to eat one just to try it out. It wasn't horrible, but I would not want to eat them for more than a day or two unless absolutely necessary.

 

[tsts4]

MREs have improved dramatically since I had my first one in 1986. IMO today they are on par with the commercial camping stuff. Anyway the real selling point for Osh would be convenience for a hot meal. For those who aren’t familiar, MREs come with a flameless ration heater that’s a pouch with magnesium, iron powder, and salt that creates an exothermic reaction when water is added. You put the entree pouch in the heater, add a little bit of water and in a few minutes it’s piping hot. So no stove needed. So if you want something quick, easy to transport, and hot MREs are just the ticket.