# How long do MRE's really last???



## Gearhead14 (Mar 20, 2012)

Guys I have heard everything from thirty days to thirty years, and I'm not even joking. So can anyone give me the real shelf life of a military MRE?


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Look on the package for both the packaging-date and their estimated life-expectancy. If you leave the MRE in your vehicle, the life-expectancy is about 1/8th the time of leaving it in a stable-temperature area out of the light.

In a cool-room with your canned and dried-goods, expect 5+ years. In the trunk of your car in the summer, expect 3-6 months. In the trunk of your car in the middle of a deep-freeze winter, expect it to last the winter.

Making a survival-cache in a bucket 3' under ground, expect the 5+ year range.


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## Gearhead14 (Mar 20, 2012)

Ok thanks, does field striping them decrease the shelf life?


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

No, field stripping doesn't affect shelf life. The temperature at which it is stored affects shelf life.


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