hm, the few of these I had didnt make me hate them.

I had chicken a la king and I think a pasta one, a USAF friend of mine brought some back home on one of his first leaves and 'made' me and another bud eat a whole meal, without letting us heat it. like I said, I didnt hate it.
I have thought about buying them for camping and such, to take the fuss out of food times and so I can leave the campstove behind but I havent gotten around to it yet. Any folks able to buy these from the base store or does one need to go to Ebay or
www.mealkitsupply.com
from Wiki: Packaging requirements are strict. MREs must be capable of withstanding parachute drops from 380 m (1,250 feet), and non-parachute drops of 30 m (100 feet). The packaging is required to maintain a minimum shelf life of three and a half years at 27 °C (80 °F) or nine months at 38 °C (100 °F); additionally, short-term temperature extremes of -51 °C (-60 °F) to 49 °C (120 °F) must be sustainable. New forms of packaging are being considered to better meet these requirements including the use of zein to replace the foil, which can be easily punctured, conducts heat, and may give away a soldier's position.[2]