Posted: 9/6/2026 1:22:15 PM EDT
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I posted a while back in another thread about the whole "stickers" thing on the MREs. People were freaking out because their "sticker" didn't look good, "OMG it's ruined" etc. etc. So I had a stack of cases I had not put up yet that were on our outside porch (roof cover, but not climate controlled) for about a year after receiving them from a hot non climate controlled building in S. GA where they lived for a year after Hurricane Helene. They sat on my porch in a stack 4 high and more than a few long. Once again to be crystal clear, ALL in the same stack, all on a porch for a year in hot arse S. Georgia year round. Here are two cases from that stack-  Notice that one shows the sticker black (bad, do not use or you'll die!!!) and one sticker shows fine. SAME STACK. The blacker sticker was on top and the closest of the stack to the side of the porch that gets a little sun. 2nd case in pic was directly under it (again, cases were stacked 4 high times X long). One sticker shows bad, "do not use" as some say, one shows fine. OK, let's pick one from each case, same entree just for comparison sake-  Beef Goulash it is, why not if I have to eat two of these things... Contents-  All looked the same, absolutely ZERO bloating or issues with the packaging. Oh damn, since I heard on the internet that "the sticker" let's you know if it's good or bad, WHICH ONE should I eat?  Both look and smell the same, but I just know I heard some "good information" on the net that you know that sticker meant certain death, contents trash, do not eat do not pass go... So which one? Which one should I eat? I mean damn, I have technically "died" following new prepper advice on food storage at least a dozen times in the last year, I got to be running out of lives here?? Help me, which one should I eat or rather, which one is SAFE TO EAT and which one ISN'T? |
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Originally Posted By MoonDancer: Explain the sticker thing to me. I've got a couple cases (48 total MEs) in the basement I got off Amazon and I know nothing about stickers. It's supposed to be a temperature sticker and according to those who worship the Nattick charts on MRE storage life vs. temperature, if the sticker shows darker/black like the one in the pic does, then the contents are absolute trash/inedible at best and/or can you kill you at worst. Cause "heat is da debil" when it comes to LTS- even though we have proven it to be VASTLY OVERBLOWN dozens and dozens of times via showing much older LTS food stored at high heat. The big discount MRE thread a while back had a ton of "sticker shock" types in there freaking on that as well as some folks even concerned that "the Fedex delivery truck was above 100 degrees" where they lived and hence those super sensitive MREs would be absolutely trash due to a half day trip in the Fedex truck.... Seriously, that's the kind of piss poor info out there. I.e, if your "sticker" is bad the temperature rating is gone (read my OP on how these were stored OUTSIDE) and the food is "bad." Unfortunately this is parroted by people that don't have a lot of long term experience storing food... Should you store at a decent temp if you can, by all frickin means. |
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Originally Posted By MoonDancer: Explain the sticker thing to me. I've got a couple cases (48 total MEs) in the basement I got off Amazon and I know nothing about stickers.  It doesn't always mean they are uneatable once the sticker turns dark, the flavor and texture may be effected but it may still be okay to eat well past the indicated lifespan. If any of the packages are swelled up (the individual items not the outer bag) it's best to throw those away. |
USN Retired: APR 1988 - MAY 2008
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
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Originally Posted By Hasher1: If you die can I have your stuff??? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I must have a helluva lot more than 9 lives like a cat, cause according to all the piss poor "prepper" food storage info out there, I have technically died dozens of times according to their "good info" from "knowledgeable sources". Let's see, there was that "storing dried pasta with oxygen absorbers causes botulism" thing a while back. The epitome of stupid ass new ideas. Yet some new schmo, with no experience was evidently touting that. And in the end, all this bad info does is keep folks from truly preparing. Keeping many overly ANALytical types in constant "research" mode versus actually DOING things. It's sad really how people can be kept in inaction due to stupid ass ideas. |
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Neither I, nor any Soldier I know, has ever paid attention to that sticker. We've had mres sitting in trucks or conexs all summer long, and nobody cared. |
Seriously, a tractor dealer from Possum Trot, KY has to explain this to you, a lawyer? - JPL
Win if you can, lose if you must, but always look good for the crowd.
"A clip of ammunition, for my little Armalite."
Win if you can, lose if you must, but always look good for the crowd.
"A clip of ammunition, for my little Armalite."
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If anyone has priced MRE's lately they will also get another type of sticker shock. Mine are stored in a 60f basement. |
Liberals are a curious mix of communism and fascism, they want to destroy you but want to use your own money to do it.
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
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Originally Posted By MisterPX: Neither I, nor any Soldier I know, has ever paid attention to that sticker. We've had mres sitting in trucks or conexs all summer long, and nobody cared. Egg Zach Lee. But to hear it from new preppers it's a different story. |
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: I must have a helluva lot more than 9 lives like a cat, cause according to all the piss poor "prepper" food storage info out there, I have technically died dozens of times according to their "good info" from "knowledgeable sources". ... Originally Posted By Lowdown3: I must have a helluva lot more than 9 lives like a cat, cause according to all the piss poor "prepper" food storage info out there, I have technically died dozens of times according to their "good info" from "knowledgeable sources". ... Attached File Originally Posted By fxntime: If anyone has priced MRE's lately they will also get another type of sticker shock. Mine are stored in a 60f basement. With the price increases (seems many have doubled) taking care of what you bought with the best storage possible is wise. Bigger_Hammer 
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LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY,
BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT SHOUTING "HOLY $H!T...WHAT A RIDE"!!
BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT SHOUTING "HOLY $H!T...WHAT A RIDE"!!
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Originally Posted By MoonDancer: Lowdown3 and Seebee-Mech, thanks for the info. I'll have to check what my stickers look like. The stickers are AT BEST a generality of how the item has been stored. I believe SUNLIGHT has more to do in affecting those stickers than actual HEAT. This is the ONLY reason the case on the end- showing the bad sticker- which was CLOSEST TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT showed any degradation of the "sticker" when literally almost 40 other cases showed no or extremely little change in the sticker. If the sticker truly just denoted temperature, the entire stack (plus a "fair amount" of others received) would have all shown bad. They sat in a non climate controlled building in S. GA for a year after the hurricane before I got them, then some stayed on my porch for a while after that. We average about 3 months of 100+ temps here. Most of August showed over 100 and "real feel" of 110+ and this is normal for us here. |
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Originally Posted By COLTGOLDCUP: https://www.mreinfo.com/mres/mre-shelf-life/ Exactly the kind of BS "chart" I was referring to. According to that "chart" these that I ate yesterday (and have eaten a few dozen of in the last 2 years) have been "bad" for the entire time we have had them. In other words, utter BS for that chart. |
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Well the "expired" and "bad sticker" MRE and the other one from the same storage not showing a 'bad sticker' didn't kill me. Maybe it's the cookies that will kill me?  Hopefully they won't kill my cat...  That would suck.... I'm just kinda maybe starting to think maybe these stickers are BS??? Maybe, just maybe, perhaps some of these overly analytical folks are placing way too much faith in them??? |
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: I'm just kinda maybe starting to think maybe these stickers are BS??? Maybe, just maybe, perhaps some of these overly analytical folks are placing way too much faith in them??? The Defense Logistics Agency guidelines uses the 3 year inspection date/time and temperature stickers to show when to inspect the meals and depending on the results; shelf lives can be extended or the Lots # failing testing will be discarded. This is a system designed to deal with 10s of thousands of meals in the supply system. It's a shotgun approach that works for the .mil, they err on the side of caution because getting it wrong can take large units out of the fight. It doesn't mean discarded meals are necessarily bad, it's just a certain percentage of meals in a tested in a Lot# failed the DLA's testing standards. We all know the .mil throws away a lot of still usable stuff. There are plenty of people that can attest that the meals can last much, much longer then what the official guidelines state. Youtube's Steve1989MREInfo, Mr. "Let's get that out on a tray", has gotten famous demonstrating this to the masses. Just like commercially available foods with "Best used by" and expiration dates, discarding food exceeding those dates can lower the risk of eating something bad for you but you will probably be throwing away some perfectly good food along with the bad. |
USN Retired: APR 1988 - MAY 2008
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: Well the "expired" and "bad sticker" MRE and the other one from the same storage not showing a 'bad sticker' didn't kill me. Maybe it's the cookies that will kill me? https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/92237/IMG_9463-3823704.jpg Hopefully they won't kill my cat... https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/92237/IMG_9464-3823705.jpg That would suck.... I'm just kinda maybe starting to think maybe these stickers are BS??? Maybe, just maybe, perhaps some of these overly analytical folks are placing way too much faith in them??? You are supposed to cresh the cookies and mix with the chocolate pudding for a tasty dessert… |
The chickens are more concerned...
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Originally Posted By MisterPX: Neither I, nor any Soldier I know, has ever paid attention to that sticker. We've had mres sitting in trucks or conexs all summer long, and nobody cared. Ate MREs for most meals for 6 months on my last AFG vacation. Most had been sitting out in the summer heat in a pallet for weeks at a time. My experience mirrors yours. Individual MREs do not have the calorie content (no, one is not enough for a day in the field unless you want to be REALLY hungry) or the longevity (no, they dont last forever) that fudd lore says they do, but they are designed to survive some pretty crappy conditions and still safely fed you. |
"Always consider the possibility that you may be wrong. Especially when you are absolutely certain you are right."
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Originally Posted By darkpaladin1: Ate MREs for most meals for 6 months on my last AFG vacation. Most had been sitting out in the summer heat in a pallet for weeks at a time. My experience mirrors yours. Individual MREs do not have the calorie content (no, one is not enough for a day in the field unless you want to be REALLY hungry) or the longevity (no, they dont last forever) that fudd lore says they do, but they are designed to survive some pretty crappy conditions and still safely fed you. +1 In the survival context few store "just MREs." Most of us use them as the starting point- i.e, having a 2 week supply of ready to eat food. The first 2 weeks of any major scenario are likely to be the most chaotic. I definitely don't plan on having time to grind wheat and bake bread during that. You could be holed up in a shelter avoiding fallout, running or bugging out to get someplace, etc. Past that, MREs when bought well, are best for augmenting "the basics"- i.e, long grain white rice, lentils, hard red winter wheat, etc. Adding protein at a cheaper cost (in general) than buying FD meats. For years, buying cases of individual entrees, like just meats or just desserts, was the more economical way to go when the average "full meal" case price was around $50-70. (1990s, early 2000s, etc.). Only reason we now have a ton of full meal cases was the price, outside of that I've avoided full meals. |
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For the life of me, after eating thousands of the damn things, I do not remember a sticker on the box at all. For sure, no one paid attention to them if there were. As to taste, you will not find an MRE anywhere in this house. I'll shoot sparrows off the bird feeder for dinner first. |
| OP is gonna die |
ProTip: Never pick a fight with a tree planter. He swings a hoedad for 9 hours a day, carries 30-40 pounds of seedlings on his back, and has 12-14 friends just like him hiding out on the other side of the junk butt pile. They will fuck your shit up.
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Originally Posted By John-in-austin: For the life of me, after eating thousands of the damn things, I do not remember a sticker on the box at all. For sure, no one paid attention to them if there were. As to taste, you will not find an MRE anywhere in this house. I'll shoot sparrows off the bird feeder for dinner first. It's a new(er) thing and something else for the new prepper types to obsess about, fret over, over "research" and over analyze while still not doing anything 
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Originally Posted By Tipsovr: On a prepper plus side.... eat enough MRE's and you will not have to worry about using as much toilet paper. Some of the damn things used to stop me up like crazy. Nothing funnier than watching 20-30 something year old people trade Metamucil like its drugs. On the flip side, if you anticipate having to eat MREs for a prolonged period of time its worth having some form of fiber supplement to keep the body working right. |
"Always consider the possibility that you may be wrong. Especially when you are absolutely certain you are right."
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Lol. I've got a few still...last resort stuff..between the mnt house and tons of other stuff I think I'll be ok. But honestly...I've noticed myself checking dates. " oh...shit...I forgot about this can of fancy smoked trout...that shits awesome...hmmmmmm....best By 2014....hmmmmm...( looks in pantry at 100 different cans of meats)... Do I really wanna risk getting the shits during the week.........yeah....dog treats it is" Maybe it's because I'm getting older..lol.  I've got a box of mre parts water's etc that I got from CTD on sale around 2009iirc. Maybe I'll open a few. Last time the 1990s brownie was a hit at work lol |
i dont want my final jig in the belly of a squid.
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Originally Posted By protus: Lol. I've got a few still...last resort stuff..between the mnt house and tons of other stuff I think I'll be ok. But honestly...I've noticed myself checking dates. " oh...shit...I forgot about this can of fancy smoked trout...that shits awesome...hmmmmmm....best By 2014....hmmmmm...( looks in pantry at 100 different cans of meats)... Do I really wanna risk getting the shits during the week.........yeah....dog treats it is" Maybe it's because I'm getting older..lol. I've got a box of mre parts water's etc that I got from CTD on sale around 2009iirc. Maybe I'll open a few. Last time the 1990s brownie was a hit at work lol Heck, I've had 20+ year old canned soup before with no ill results. Mushier then new sure, died from it or got sick, nope. |
Liberals are a curious mix of communism and fascism, they want to destroy you but want to use your own money to do it.
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...
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Originally Posted By fxntime: Heck, I've had 20+ year old canned soup before with no ill results. Mushier then new sure, died from it or got sick, nope. Until that can of Hornell roast beef. Only 2 years old. Popped that can opener on it I was greeted by a rancid rain shower of ass, which luckily I was by the kitchen sink...tossed it can opener and all the the sink..shit squinting everywhere. Tossed a pot on it and turned the water on. Wife was wtf...I was wtf...it's still new. After the can finally bled out... I checked it over. There's nothing wrong with it.......except Canned/product of Argentina. I tossed the other 2 cans just to be safe lol |
i dont want my final jig in the belly of a squid.
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Originally Posted By protus: Yeah younger me wouldn't care I ate early 90s mres into the mid 2ks and can goods the same. Until that can of Hornell roast beef. Only 2 years old. Popped that can opener on it I was greeted by a rancid rain shower of ass, which luckily I was by the kitchen sink...tossed it can opener and all the the sink..shit squinting everywhere. Tossed a pot on it and turned the water on. Wife was wtf...I was wtf...it's still new. After the can finally bled out... I checked it over. There's nothing wrong with it.......except Canned/product of Argentina. I tossed the other 2 cans just to be safe lol Those "products of Argentina" tended to be full of shit and exploded easily... especially when their "experiences" were questioned
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Originally Posted By Lowdown3: Those "products of Argentina" tended to be full of shit and exploded easily... especially when their "experiences" were questioned |
i dont want my final jig in the belly of a squid.
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Originally Posted By protus: Every now and then, given the current state of happenings with immigration in that side of the world I've wondered if he's stayed on or moved onto the next utopia like before. Was at a combatives seminar up north last weekend. Back at the hotel one of the nights we ate at the bar and had a few drinks. Guy from Ireland who lived in Spain was there and I talked with him for a while about the situation there. He's ponying up $15K plus to immigration lawyers trying to move his family to the states. Had moved to Spain to one of the big tourist areas, then it went to shittake and he made it out like Ireland wasn't worth moving back to. I thought about our "buddy" when he was saying how Spain had gone to shittake. |
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