Saving space by removing excess packaging from MRE's
For my survival kit I wanted to carry 9 MRE's; this would supply me with 3-9 days of food depending on the amount of exertion during the initial phase of a survival scenario.
The problem I ran into was that 9 MRE's would take up too much room in my survival backpack.
The solution was to condense the MRE's so they would take up as little space as possible.
I started by opening all the MRE's and removing all the unnecessary packaging.
I decided to keep 2 spoons, the moist towelettes, and the condiments.
The only items I removed were the candies that were not sealed air tight, extra napkins, and excess spoons. As you can see from the illustrations, I was able to remove most of the bulk by removing excess packaging, and was able to keep nearly all of the contents.
Field striping an MRE
The most popular method for saving space in an MRE it to field strip it down to the most necessary components. You will loose some calories, and many convinces with this method, but it still gives you plenty of food for each meal, and avoids unnecessary bulk.
Remove all unnecessary packaging from the MRE
Throw out the condiments, heater, spoon, candy, and large beverages. (candy that is sealed air tight, beef jerky, or other similar snack food could be stored separate from the main meal so you can snack on the go.)
Re-wrap the MRE in the original package, or in a zip lock bag. (Seal with duct tape, folding one end for easy removal.)
Below is a video from Its Tactical showing how to field Strip an MRE.
