Largely a matter of opinion...

Let's start off with something fun: MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). MREinfo has some excellent information about US Military MREs, as well as reviews (!). One that stood out to me was a review of a 1986 MRE (MREs replaced MCIs, or Meal, Combat, Individual in 1981) which has held up surprisingly well over time. In 2006, they even taste tested a 1978 MCI fruitcake. Maybe I shouldn't have been so shy to eat the 1990s era tuna with noodles MRE that my dad bought for me when I was twelve...

I kind of wish MREs still came with cigarettes and chocolate. Them shits would be SO nice in the field. Especially since the battalion seems to be a little more relaxed this year on their tobacco policy.

According to MREinfo, in 2011 they're doing away with the tuna (white albacore), chicken & dumplings, veggie griller, Mexican corn, and wheat snack bread components of MREs. Aside from the veggies and the corn, how sad! These were some of my favorite MREs and side dishes. The wheat snack bread was a lifesaver; smack some peanut butter and jelly on that and you've got yourself a decent tasting PB&J. The tuna was lovely but it looks like they are replacing it with something a little more flavorful (lemon pepper tuna?). They're also bringing in ratatouille (and may I be the first to say, WTH?). However, thank god they have already done away with the Vom-lette. Now to wait with baited breath as the remaining supply is slowly, tortuously consumed, just as long as we never have to see them again. (More info on MRE menus here.)

And of course, something I've been meaning to get for a while now. RangerUP sells military themed t-shirts, some of them quite comedic... my favorite being the "rock or something" MRE heater instructions shirt.



PRICELESS.