Cheap MREs Online - Where To Buy (2024 Price Comparison)

This article is about how and where you can buy cheap MREs online. A simple price comparison I ran a couple of months ago.

More specifically, we're going to get to the bottom of the following questions:

• What are the cheapest MREs for sale today?
• What's the best place to find MRE meals for sale cheap? 
• What are the best MRE alternatives?

If you're short on time, below is the main vendor we use for buying cheap MREs in bulk.

The prices are constantly changing, but these guys have been delivering throughout the pandemic and we can vouch for them:

As you know, having a stockpile of NON-perishable emergency food is a must for overcoming any kind of emergency.

MREs are one the best, nutritious, longest-lasting, and tastiest survival foods you can get.

The problem is...

They're usually expensive.

Single MRE packets are regularly selling for around $18-$25 per portion. That's a lot to pay for one MRE pack. The meal cost will add up fast, especially if you're stocking up and buying a lot.

And while dirt-cheap MRE meals do exist... they are hard to find.

So, I set out on a mission: To find the cheapest MREs on the market - online or offline.

I sat down and Googled my butt off. And today I'm sharing the results with you.

Ready? Let's get started…

Compare Cheap MRE Meals For Sale Online

Note: Tap on blue links to check the latest prices.

Your best bet for getting cheap MREs for your emergency food supply is: 

1. Buying cases of military MRE meals online, usually from Amazon or eBay
2. Find a civilian seller running regular discounts - our pick is TheReadyStore

Where To Buy MREs: Amazon vs. eBay

Personally, I prefer Amazon over eBay for two reasons:

• They offer FREE shipping, even on the biggest 24-MRE meal boxes
• Amazon's no-questions-asked free returns policy is hard to beat.

Amazon's FREE shipping is important because these huge boxes are heavy. eBay sellers usually don't provide free shipping, which ends up jacking up the final price of your crate.

And believe me, it's not a pleasant surprise when the price of your MRE crate doubles at the checkout, after you've won your auction. Which can happen on eBay, but not Amazon.

The prices between Amazon and eBay are about equal, give or take a few dollars. But you're safer shopping for MREs on Amazon than on eBay because of the free returns.

Civilian MRE Sales

As for Civilian MRE manufacturers, there used to be a few companies running good MRE sales a few years ago. But last I checked, their MREs were more expensive than the military boxes you can get from Amazon. Feel free to check the companies I linked to in the table above, but I wouldn't have my hopes up.

Cheap MRE Meals For Sale At Gun Shows

Military MREs are often sold at gun shows. I've seen them go as low as $4 per packet, but there's a catch...

Who knows where those MREs have been stored before.

And MRE shelf life degrades FAST when they're stored in high temperatures. And believe me, the last thing you want is expired MREs messing up your stomach.

If I were to buy MREs at gun shows, I would only buy from someone that I can trust.

And keep in mind that the price is not always that low. Usually, you'll see them sold at about the same price as eBay or Amazon. Which kind of defeats the purpose of going there in the first place.

Military Base Commissary MREs

I've seen claims that you can find cheap MREs for sale at a military base commissary.

The latest report I've seen puts the price of one packet at $8. Which is not so cheap compared to the boxes you see going online.

And there is a reason for that. Uncle Sam spends about $100 to buy one case of MREs. They're not going to sell it to you for less unless they really have to.

To Summarize: Contrary to popular opinion, you won't find cheap MREs at the commissary.

Civilian MREs vs. Military MREs

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Military MREs

U.S. military MREs are your best bet when it comes to cheapness and quality in your survival food. They come with flameless heaters and usually have a better taste selection than civilian MREs.

How To Know It's The Real Thing

Genuine U.S. Military issue MREs will have on their packaging:

• A Department of Defense seal
• The phrases "U.S. Government Property" & "Commercial Resale is Unlawful"

Civilian MRE's will not bear this information.

Remember this - because some companies will mark their MREs as "Mil-Spec". If the seal & phrases are not on the box, it's not a genuine military MRE.

Military MRE Sales Restricted

The problem is that commercial sale of U.S. Military MREs is restricted. (To keep people from buying them by the truckload from military bases and reselling outside for profit.)

Because of that, military MRE meals are harder to find. But you can get boxes of them from eBay and Amazon quite easy.

The thing with military MREs is that you don't know how they've been stored before. Maybe they sat in the desert for 6 months. If that's the case - the normally long shelf life of the MRE will be reduced significantly.

And if you get a bad batch - you have nobody that's going to take responsibility for it.

Note: They probably didn't sit in the desert and are completely fine. Still, you get no guarantee of quality with military MREs besides from the U.S. government approval seal.

Civilian MREs

Civilian MREs are usually more expensive.

One important upside when buying civilian MREs is the quality guarantee. That the box will last exactly as long as it's promised to. If not - you can sue the company.

Here are a few things you should know about shopping for civilian MREs.

MREs Without Heaters

Some boxes will ship without flameless MRE heaters - that's how they cut costs. That's not a bad thing since it saves you money.

Get yourself a basic propane camping stove (that you should have anyway) and you're set. Boil water and use it to heat up the MREs. Problem solved.

MRE heaters are convenient, but not necessary (in most situations). There are many ways to heat MREs without them.

Civilian MREs with Reduced Calories

The norm for MREs is ~1200 calories per packet.

And that's important. Because you can survive by eating only one of those packets per day ... pretty much forever. (sure - you'll be hungry - but you'll survive)

And here's the thing -

Some companies cut costs on the calories of the meal. They sell cheap MREs... that have less than 1200 calories. Usually at around 900 kcal per packet.

And that's not something you want to get.

You can usually tell from the name that your MREs are "light". But it's not always obvious. So remember to double-check the calorie count if you decide to go for civilian MREs.

The most important thing to remember about Civilian MREs: If the deal is too good to be true - it probably is. Feel free to buy the cheapest ones if you're fooling around. But don't penny pinch on your survival food stash.

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Cheap MRE Alternatives - What If You Can't Find Cheap MRE's?

Since COVID, it’s gotten harder to find quality, reasonably-priced MRE boxes.

You should still check latest MREs on Amazon, as new MRE boxes are hitting the market all the time.

But if you want to secure your home with a reliable source of food, you might also consider buying long-term food storage products. Depending on your needs, these might be good alternatives to MRE meals.

Compared to MRE meals, these freeze-dried products tend to be a little cheaper, lighter, more calorie dense and compact, last longer, have more meal variety, etc.

We did a quick comparison of the major sellers - Wise, Mountain House, Legacy, Augason, etc. - looking at the following data points:

1. Price-per-pound
2. Food quality
3. Taste & variety
4. Shipping times

Based on the above Legacy Food Storage came out as the winner, and I bought my emergency food from there.

Here's why they're worth checking out:

1. Legacy Food Storage has the lowest price per pound I've found from any emergency food vendors that I’ve reviewed (See price comparison).
2. Their food shelf-life is 25 years – with MREs you would get anywhere from 3-5 years, depending on how and where they have been stored.
3. Reduced shipping times – Legacy Food Storage recently reduced their shipping times, while other vendors still have their shipping times up to 6 weeks because of COVID-19.

Make Your Own MRE Meals

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saEPFW_zW7A

Canning

Make Pemmican

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmCdWe6sGnI

Frequently Asked Questions About MREs:

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Can I choose which MREs come in the bulk MRE box?

Unfortunately not.

You either pay top dollar for the individual meals or take what's offered in the bulk. I've never seen price breaks for large quantities of individual flavors. The only bulk versions I've seen are mixed assortment menus.

Is it illegal to buy or sell military MREs? Can Civilians Buy Military MREs?

This is a bit of a gray area.

Technically speaking, US military MREs are illegal to buy and sell, and they literally say on them that commercial resale is illegal.

But the government regularly sells their military surplus to the civilians, and you’ll very often see them for resale at surplus stores or on eBay.

The best way to make sure you’re staying legal here is to buy only from government-approved military surplus stores.

How much do MREs cost on average?

The price of MREs has skyrocketed recently. Not long ago it was possible to find the cheapest MREs for around $5 each. Now, the cheapest MRE you're likely to find will go for around $12, with the most expensive hitting closer to $16-$25 each.

You can get MREs cheaper per unit by buying in bulk. For example, you can often get a bulk case of 12 for under $150.

Which MRE tastes the best?

There best tasting MREs are:

• Lentils in Masala Sauce (Sure-Pak)
• Cheese Tortellini in Tomato Sauce (Sure-Pak)
• Chili and Macaroni (Sure-Pak)
• Sweet and Sour Sauce with Rice and Chicken (APack)
• Spaghetti with Italian Style Sauce and Meat (Sure-Pak)
• Lentil Stew with Lamb (Sure-Pak)

What is the most popular MRE?

There are a number of popular MREs. Some of the all-time favorites among military personnel include:

• Chili Mac
• Beef Ravioli
• Beef Stew
• Chili with Beans
• Shredded BBQ Beef

Why are MREs so expensive?

There are a number of things that make MRE meals fairly expensive.

Perhaps the main reason is the packaging used. MREs are designed to last for years in storage and to keep meat and dairy items from going off.

This is a tough ask of food packaging, particularly if the MRE meals are expected to come with you out into the battlefield.

They also include everything you need to eat the meal, including cutlery, a ration heater, and things like salt, pepper, and sauces.

All of this adds up pretty quickly. 

Are MRE Meals Good For Camping, Hunting, and Backpacking? 

MREs can be a good fit for camping and backpackers, but they probably aren’t the best option. They're better as emergency food.

They have a lot of calories (great for super active backpackers) and don’t take a lot of preparation. But that’s really all they offer.

MREs have a number of disadvantages as camping or backpacking food supplies, however.

1. They are heavy, weighing roughly a pound each
2. Most of the weight comes from their excessive packaging, which you won’t be able to dispose of until you reach the trailhead
3. They aren’t really the tastiest form of food around
4. They are pretty expensive compared to other food alternatives
5. They are packed with a lot of preservatives and aren’t really the healthiest option
6. Their shelf life doesn’t compete with other options such as freeze-dried backpacking food

Bear in mind, though, that these are very high in calories, so you might only need two a day plus a more simple trail lunch.

In any case, we’d recommend looking into other long-term food storage options such as freeze-dried foods for camping or backpacking trips.

Are MREs bad for your health?

It really depends on your definition of what a healthy meal is, for which there really is no consensus.

While there are no documented adverse effects from eating MREs regularly (army personnel do it all the time), it is worth bearing in mind that highly processed and preservative-loaded foods don’t tend to tick the ‘healthy’ box all too often.

Plus, MREs are designed to be super high in calories, meaning if you’re eating 3 of these a day and not doing some serious physical activity, you’re probably overloading your body.

How many MREs does a soldier carry?

MREs are designed to be single meal rations, meaning that a soldier should carry three MREs per day.

The total number they carry will depend on the length of their action.

Are MRE heaters toxic?

No, MRE heaters are not toxic and are completely safe for food use.

Who manufactures US military MRE?

There are three major manufacturers of US military MREs: Ameriqual, Sopakco, and Wornick.

Can you eat a 20-year-old MRE?

MREs are designed to have a shelf life of around 3 to 4 years. So no, we wouldn’t recommend eating a 20-year-old MRE.

Do soldiers eat MREs every day?

It depends largely on their assignment.

In most cases, deployed soldiers will be able to get their food from the mess hall, so MREs aren’t always required.

Sometimes soldiers will eat breakfast and dinner in the mess hall and will take MREs out with them as a source of lunch.

For overnight missions, they may take several with them to last however long they plan to be gone.

What are C and K-rations?

C and K-rations were military rations used during World War II.

These kept troops fed while in service defending their country.

The Final Word

eBay and Amazon are obvious choices to look for cheap MREs online. 

But when I started researching, I was 100% sure that I would find a cheaper place to buy them from.

You know, a hidden prepper store somewhere on the internet selling 'em long range patrol rations. Or some secret army shop that sells MREs on discount.

I was confident that there would be at least something.

Unfortunately, I was wrong.

eBay and Amazon are the cheapest places to buy MREs online.

Gun shows are the only way to maybe get them cheaper.

But that takes time and luck. And I don't like luck.

If you're on the fence about stocking up on MREs vs prepping your own food sources, check out our article MRE's vs Long Term Food Storage - Which One Is Better for pros and cons of each strategy.

If you know any place that sells cheap MREs that I missed - please let me know in the comments.

I'll update the article accordingly.

Until then, Amazon remains my #1 choice for online MRE shopping.

As always - be adventurous, be safe, be prepared... and thanks for reading.