British Guys try a British MRE Kit ft

[@mrbarrylewis]

If you would please Complete this Survey (takes 1 min), would be massively appreciated forms.gle/JwW1RVd8Yt6VKGYdA Stuart's Channel kzbin.info/door/xt9Pvye-9x_AIcb1UtmF1Q More Videos Like This kzbin.info/aero/PLfItiEY3o1ms_LsGHRM2shtBdgffPTx0R

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Bashens collabs are always great

[@jenniferrue7929]

Survey done

[@mrbarrylewis]

@@jenniferrue7929 Thankyou

[@jeanlongsden1696]

I hope your American MRE has the BBQ Spare Ribs in it. I use to swap my British MRE packs with the Yanks regularly in Afghanistan.

[@clearspira]

I would check out his channel but he hasn't done anything in months. What's his excuse?

[@InternetShark]

I absolutely love all the content you make with ashens, Barry. I'm excited to see what you both do in the future!

[@mrbarrylewis]

Well Stu is busy making a film, but I am actually seeing him next week and probably soon after to film some more bits and bobs

[@InternetShark]

@mrbarrylewis that's awesome to hear, can't wait to see! Cheers!

[@artydean9892]

​@mrbarrylewis what's his new film? Watched him since I was 14 I'm 32 now the guy is a KZbin legend

[@Duckyz.]

@@artydean9892 The new film is called Turn Back, it's a folk horror told in reverse chorological order. You can read about it on the kickstarter page

[@FizzyK-45]

Always nice to see you do a video with Ashens. 😁 Also, Barry, just a side note: the *"Sambal"* thing is basically an Indonesian version of a hot sauce/condiment (source: I'm Indonesian). I honestly never expected it to be in a British MRE. Lol Oh, and I don't really recommend eating it by itself; like you said, you definitely need to mix it with other food. 😅

[@VekhGaming]

Yea, I'd expected to see sambal in a Dutch MRE, not in a Bri'ish one.

[@emmyploeger512]

Sambal is good in nasi goreng. Also on a cheese sandwich.

[@FizzyK-45]

@@VekhGaming Oh yeah, I can definitely imagine sambal being in a Dutch MRE. 😅 ​ @emmyploeger512 Ooh, that does sound delish! But to be honest, if you like spicy food, you can put sambal on anything, and it'll probably taste good. 😁

[@Olhado256]

Ooh I love sambal! For some reason it's quite popular with vegans here in Poland. Kecap manis is amazing as well!

[@FizzyK-45]

@@Olhado256 Oooh, that's cool, I'm always glad to hear that people are starting to try our Sambal in their countries. And Kecap manis (or sweet soy sauce) is definitely great, especially for making fried rice. 😁

[@lifeisraph]

I simply adore this series :) I hope it will go on for many more episodes :)

[@mrbarrylewis]

We are trying to meet up every couple of Months to film a batch of something, half for content, half as we are just mates I guess lol

[@lifeisraph]

@@mrbarrylewis I hope there will be many more of such materials, such as it was with the "Will it.." series :) You two have a great chemistry, which was simply perfect when it came to Barshens! :)

[@hatingontruth9118]

A collab with Ashens! These are always great. Keep them coming.. loved this one!

[@clearchaosdotcom]

MRE originally stood for "Military Rations, Edgar?" But they had to change it due to complaints from people who weren't named Edgar.

[@alfje5492]

This was due to the Great Military Repeal Act from 1843 when the army finally accepted men called Edward, Eithan, Emmanuel, Eugene and Emmett, and they did feel a bit left out.

[@InhabitantOfOddworld]

​@@alfje5492 You forgot Eric, the subject of an important amendment that finally made it's way through Parliament following intense debate in 1845

I always thought it stood for 'Manky Rations, Eat'.

[@bliblimama3994]

Sambal would go with the sweet and sour rice

[@chris_is_here_oh_no]

Excellent video, these MRE reviews are always entertaining! Always enjoy the collaboration videos.

[@bkzach]

Filled out the survey for you Barry in exchange for the great video, these MRE videos are some of my favorites that you two do.

[@eurogael]

Might be fun to try it both ways, split the hot meals in half and warm one half and have the other cold as they would on a march or whatever.

[@jackdayson]

Imagine being on the front line about to advance, and you take a quick glance to either side of you and it’s just Barry and Ashens

[@TheGamingDroid9000]

ashens on the front lines "and today I have these undelivered packages to open" ..... sergeant "ASHEN PUT DOWN THE OTHER SOLDIERS MAIL!"

[@favoritemustard3542]

At least I'd die laughing!

[@bradasstv]

Oh yeah, let's go! Steve1989mreinfo would be proud 😜

[@Possiblechange]

Nice

[@bradasstv]

@@Possiblechange 😂

[@copasetic1]

All you need to add is taking a big sip of drink, taking a long pause, and saying, “mmm… ROBUST!”

[@durrell246]

Nah, they didn't use a tray.

[@felicityqueen6642]

Mmm nice hiss

[@cathyreed6180]

I know the American MRE come with a way to heat the food up. One thing about the American ones is that some foods are freeze dried. That’s how they preserve things to last a long time.

[@AndrewHalliwell]

So does the british one. A hexa stove, little fold out brass thing you put a cube of fuel on. Enough to boil water, and of course, heat up your food. Not sure if it actually comes WITH the MRE, but they're supplied, obviously. And as they're reusable, it's a waste to put a fresh one in every MRE. Also additional weight and when you're carrying your life on your back you want to minimise that.

I now know about nitrogen flushed packages thanks to STEVEMRE!

[@trevypoos]

“The army always needs new recruits. Try not to think why.”

[@jetter1019]

Because people get old and have to retire?

[@ChristianCTaken]

@@jetter1019 The people who get old in the military rarely retire, let's be real

[@gonvillebromhead2865]

Only 73 service personnel in the UK armed forces died last year, with the primary cause of death being cancer, and car accidents. 56% lower fatality rate than the general population.

[@liamburns07]

Biscuit Brown is what we would take while on patrol, its essensially a poop blocker. The opposite is biscuit fruit which is a laxitive!

[@Novawulf]

If you ever need to pour from something that is doing that backwards pouring spillage thing, put a spoon upside down over the pouring spout and you get a smooth pour. Life changing that was to me lol, even works on mugs or glasses without any spout.

[@SomeConch357]

man seeing the 2 of yall together is always a treat

[@trifontrifonov4297]

Yes, the arctic expeditions have much higher caloric intake. Its also an ongoing struggle to feed them healthy stuff. That said one station literally has a convenience shop only everything is free. You just walk in and get any candy bar you like and walkout. Its meant for the people out on expedition for the day to give them all of those extra calories.

[@ginak921]

I hope you get an Australian set one day, i love that you are doing these videos.

[@TobyBorrow]

Army marches on its stomach. Burning 4000 cals is easily done

[@mrbarrylewis]

Deffo! I do a 30 mile charity hike each Year for a local hospice and it's bonkers how much food I consume, literally eating stuff for energy constantly. Make quite a nice custom trail mix with m&m's and a load of other random bits!

[@TobyBorrow]

@@mrbarrylewisyou use so much energy on the move as you have experienced. Also there is stuff there to swap as MRE’s with others. Have a look at an Australian 24 hour ration they usually are great stuff. MRE’s I have found quite interesting in a dietary balanced manner. They have often been very well planned. You have to make the food tasty and shelf stable. Its quite an art

[@TobyBorrow]

Oh and look for the Flameless ration heaters. They are in bags you slide the food pouches in. You activate them with a little water, it will tell you how much. You get hot food without fire and the ability not to be seen

[@Noticccashonly]

@@mrbarrylewiskrave cereal are great to add to a trail mix

[@alastairsellars2611]

@@TobyBorrow just don't be silly and pour the water from the heating bag into your lap... I know a guy who did that.

[@gavinhammond1778]

14 years out of date? Steve laughs at you. Thanks for the content.

[@sharkerUK]

There is a British 24 hour cold weather pack. There are also the single rations and the terrible RAF escape rations

[@mrbarrylewis]

Oh, time to go shopping!

[@gotenkslovesmecraft]

Always happy to see Barry and Ashens

[@mrbarrylewis]

Thanks

[@Stunbunny]

I refer to them, fondly, as BAshens. Saves a bit of time.

[@gotenkslovesmecraft]

@Stunbunny i think thats what Barry called the playlist too 😎

[@Nathan_A_RF]

Yes, there is a band called Muesli

[@mrbarrylewis]

That's amazing lol

[@THENAMEISQUICKMAN]

I never knew the band Muse added a fourth member called Lee!

[@scottneil1187]

I'd imagine Mad Max would love some muesli, all we've seen him eat is Dinky Doo dog food and a raw lizard!. They've already made super concentrated juice Barry, it comes in tiny bottles.

[@nikkib.352]

Love your videos! To clarify from a mom with two allergy kiddos, tree nut allergies are separate from peanut allergies. That's why it mentions that there could be cross contamination with other nuts besides peanut themselves.

[@turokforever007]

If you give kids nuts early on it stops any allergys

[@nikkib.352]

@turokforever007 that's a myth. I even ate peanuts every day while pregnant to try and pass on immunity and it still didn't work. Either way, was just explaining why it was listed on the pack that way.

[@_Uh_Oh_]

Love this series! Keep it going

[@Worhan]

I love taking an MRE with a flameless heater on mountain hikes. Having a warm meal on the top of a mountain with ease is just so nice

[@SeanHendy]

In regards to the calories, I can tell you that when you're out in the ulu, working on operational hours, so lots of effort and next to no sleep, typically I would rarely have the time to actually eat three meals and would always have lots of spare left over, and I always lost significant amounts of weight too, no matter how much you tried shoving down your neck. In my time, I started off with the cold war rations, in tins, good old bacon grill and chicken supreme with boil in the bag rice, and the newer pouches came in about the mid '90s, with far more menu varieties than there were before. The biscuits brown, as bland as they are, were always eaten, because you knew just how important the fibre was for your system, and typically you'd only poop every 2-3 days anyway. Some extras worth having with you would be tabasco or similar hot sauce and curry powder.

[@martinoldfield7244]

I had the first of the boil in the bag rations in 1989 while serving in NI. The pears in chocolate sauce was the best dessert then.

[@SeanHendy]

@@martinoldfield7244 As you might expect, operational units are usually the first to get uniform updates, gear updates, and rations. Surplus stock (of tinned rations) was still being drawn down by non operational units, reserves, cadets and so on till at least mid 90's. Oddly I don't remember pears. The hot chocolate was always banging (both old and new ORPs), such a shame the garibaldi biscuits didn't continue in the new rations; but glad to see the back of cheese possessed and whatever was in the pate/dogfood.

[@martinoldfield7244]

@@SeanHendy I hated cheese possessed and Bacon burgers.

[@SeanHendy]

@@martinoldfield7244 if the foil on the cheese possessed was compromised, which was often, you were left with a rancid mess that had leaked all over the rest of the rats.

[@xtc31]

Almost at the Million mark fella....big grats.

[@fluffyjoker69]

I do love to watch you both together, your reactions are hilarious.

[@zalectrathefearless7250]

Here in Finland we have conscription and daily caloric intake is recommended to be between 4000-6000 calories depending on task and time of year. 4-5 big meals a day of pretty decent and tasty food while on base, out in the woods quality dipped a bit but still plenty of it. Pretty much never MRE's most of the time it was some sort of soup or stew when we were out in the woods

[@That_Guy_Nee]

5:12 regarding quadruple concentrated squash. They definitely sell it, I have a bottle of quadruple concentrated apple squash (1 part squash to 19 parts water) in my cupboard that I've never made correctly, always being way too strong.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Bashens is the best combo!❤❤❤❤

[@AndrewNumptyPants]

had all this when I was in the TA - can confirm they all taste good warmed up. plus not all the boxes have the same stuff in them

[@TheDamit84]

Every time I see you two doing stuff together it makes me realize how much I miss Barshens... Thanks for being two very awesome blokes!

[@Thomashorsman]

5:10 Barry, Tesco do quadruple strength squash already

[@gazwj]

Came here to comment this 😂

[@JonEvans-st9kt]

I just commented that myself before I seen yours 😂

[@MichaelVine92]

It's almost impossible to put a small enough amount of squash into a standard sized glass with the ridiculously concentrated ones.

[@XenosInfinity]

I'm pretty sure I found an 8x one once, but I haven't seen it again since. Maybe they decided that was too much.

[@michaelbaines8217]

Robinsons Mini. Allegedly 20 servings from a 66ml bottle.

[@markiangooley]

Invert sugar syrup: take sugar (sucrose) in water and split it into glucose and fructose (by using an enzyme, perhaps). The way that the solution rotates polarized light changes direction when the sucrose is replaced with its components: it’s “inverted.” Invert sugar syrup is in practice very much like high-fructose corn syrup except the latter is a little higher in fructose. Which makes it popular when adapting American recipes to countries where high-fructose corn syrup is less common.

[@kitobi10660]

rat packs have changed since i was in lol, the best we had was a tiny bottle of tabasco to add some life to something, biscuits brown were useful to stop you needing the toilet daily, biscuits fruit ( think garabaldi) were there to start you up again.

[@greyshadow9498]

Bars and Hens ride again! Always love these. Not that I don't like your other content. Just when Stuart pops up there is a certain kind of magic. 😊

[@neilwilliams4684]

5:04 - Tesco's own squash is 4x concentrated. The orange is very nice 🙂 . The bottle is the same size though it does cost 2.5x the price! :-/

[@rileysimmons9886]

8:24 They're probably still fine to eat. I accidentally ate a couple 15-year-old US MREs, and they were totally passable. Granted, they'd probably been stored well, but they really do last quite a while.

[@AJellySnakeRebel]

Oh biscuit brown. An army classic to back up up a treat

[@FilFee]

You should definitely try a Czech MRE as you mentioned. It's quite good, I've had the Goulash with potatoes one and it was excellent.

[@134StormShadow]

Survey done. Looking forward to more MRE videos 😊

[@samuelgamble7709]

The Tesco own squash / cordial bottles are already labeled "quadrople strength"!

[@hairychin]

HI Barry, following your research with these vids, would you consider following up with a home-mode recreation/improvement on your fave MREs? If you could make them self-stable there could be a futher follo-up to see how they fare after being vaccuum-packed/freeze-dried a month later?

[@TheZorch]

Ah, it has been ages since I've seen Ashens aka Discount Simon Pegg. 😂

[@MrSplffShdy]

Great to see Barshens alive and kicking.

[@AndyRobertson-m5r]

MRE stands for Meal Rejected by Enemy...actually over the years they have improved a lot, with a decent enough range. Remember they are designed for active military personnel who will need a lot higher calorie intake than normal. Also it's primarily meant for when a field kitchen isn't available, rather than an everyday diet.

[@shockz16]

I appreciate the dedication towards making it a fair contest but you really need to warm these rations up. Lol.

[@Bobba_raekus]

I'd recommend trying the Danish MRE sometime, they are quite good and varied. However most of the items in them are from the Danish company Orifo, which produces food items specifically for MRE used both by armies and camping stores across the world, so if you've ever opened an MRE with Orifo brand items in it, you've already eaten a Danish MRE.

[@SeanHendy]

For interest, about 30 years ago I was on a train and met a lady who worked for a food company. They were bidding for the contract to supply powdered soup for the ration packs. She said that despite their efforts, they had been unable to actually meet the requirements laid out by the MOD in terms of nutrition and calories.

[@tncorgi92]

You'd think that with soup they could add anything they needed to get calorie count up, maybe it wasn't very palatable.

[@SeanHendy]

@@tncorgi92 the challenge is to dehydrate it to a powder.

[@robbo5life]

There is a band named Muesli, apparently it's an indie pop group from Canberra, Australia

[@MareCat31]

Its always great to see you two together again

[@becky1992]

Great video as always guys. Always look forward to them! Also, I own the same t shirt as Stuart and I like Barry’s t shirt too 😊

[@Hardlydan]

You have to try the Scottish and Russian MREs if only for they way the food is heated!

[@torrb420]

MRE also is the official name for the USA ration. Each country has different naming conventions. Canada's are IMP.

[@anthonylambert4523]

Been there and done that.Although the "rat packs" back in the 80's as I served were a bit more "tin" based. Good memories of eating Compo on exercise.The lads and lasses have it a bit better though foodwise these days. Cracking video lads.

[@Swissspookie]

Ashens, there you are. We'll call off the Search, bc we were expecting Halloween gonks.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Bashens! Wish you both a happy halloween 🕷️👻👻🎃🎃🎃

[@mrbarrylewis]

Thankyou Daniel

[@deanc8458]

Much appreciated for the Ashens content, I’m warming up for the advent now!

[@Kumimono]

For that Antarctic MRE, the French one would not cut it. Just too chilly.

[@andrewflashchannelgibbs5384]

Not a surprise when Ashens said he had out of date MREs in the house. 😂

[@pottersmarauders]

During the beast from the east storm back in 2018? I was staying in a gated community and our communal kitchen flooded. all residents were given 3 of these a day for nearly a fortnight. best things i ever ate there. also there is a band called Muesli... they're from Canberra

[@SteveW1985]

Hey Barry I'm interested in buying this exact mre, can you tell me which one it is please and maybe where you found it . Thank you😊

[@joshuascholar3220]

I don't understand why you didn't heat them. Military rations, depending on the country, usually come with either flameless ration heaters that heat the bags with a chemical reaction or (for countries that supply cans) come with little solid fuel stoves.

[@clairebetteridge]

My son is enlisting in the army, so seeing these mre videos , very helpful :)

[@samhenwood5746]

Brilliant video & Happy Halloween Barry n Stuart 🎃👻😊👍🪖

[@DaveF.]

Yup, quad concentrate mango and orange squash is definitely a thing at Sainsbury's.

[@borjesvensson8661]

Here in sweden our squash equivalent is normally dilluted 4 parts water to one part syrup but you can get (cheap] ones that are 8 parts water to one part syrup

[@SeanHendy]

The attraction of the British ORPs for campers hikers etc, first of all is cost, when compared to the outrageous cost of the likes of one meal pouch of Wayfarer or Firepot at £5-£8, but also the nutrition levels at only 550 calories that they have, compared to the ORPs

[@DawnShipley1977]

MREs in America come in different levels and you are distributed them by you branch of the military and then by job and rank.

[@Scarlet_Soul]

Guess who's back, back again? Barry's back, back in Norwich.

[@mrbarrylewis]

Haha yes, although i've not really seen much of Norwich, mostly Stuart's house lol

[@MrGrimsmith]

If you think a squaddie is going to be without tea making facilities wherever possible you'd be wrong! They've come a long way from the old rat packs (probably not all rat, MREs are often referred to as "Meal, Rarely Edible") but the biscuits brown have been a staple since I was a youngling. The drinks in the British ORP do seem to get a lot of appreciation from other countries as well.

[@bobbykozak6032]

Canada's military meals are called IMP. Individual meal plan.

[@muzleflash1341]

We used to get a small bottle of Tabasco sauce in our MRE's

[@THENAMEISQUICKMAN]

Sambal is Indonesian chilli. It's quite nice, but as Ashens said, it's not really a "sauce" in my opinion - it's almost like a paste of sorts that goes into other dishes to enhance them, then it's fantastic. Raw on its own, it packs a big punch. Inside something like that pasta, it's a new level.

[@Elberto71]

Tesco do sell quadruple concentrate mango squash 👌🏻

[@busheyboi1]

If you run out of MREs just get Stuart to pull out the out of date ones and do those

[@TheCotzi]

there are cold weather mres with doupled kcal

[@K20rotrex]

My son is in the cadets so I know how all this tastes. My favourite part about him being in cadets is the left overs

[@TheUrbanSplash]

Where was the pack from please?

[@harshilgupta6652]

very hard to find india, UAE, Pakistan, Australian Millitary MRE. If you find it please review, no one has reviewed these on youtube before

[@keeperofthegood]

"what is Sambal" is the opening to a good old fashioned fight on the internet :) hosted by Uncle Roger. At the absolute bottom of the list, and quite tasty too, is 4 ingredients combined in equal measure. Tomato Paste (or ketchup packets), Garlic Paste (or garlic sauce packets), Hot or Sweet Pepper Tapenade (or hot sauce packets) and Butter (or butter packets ... yes Ive done it with restaurant packets many times). Melt the butter, add the other three, let to sizzle in concert and you are good to go. Add it to a pile of shrimps on skewers and put them on the BBQ, paint some salmon stakes and again BBQ but really the list goes on. At the simplest, Tomato, Pepper, Garlic and Butter and it only goes more complicated/hotter from there (my local Dutch shop has a shelf with at least 9 different variations on the theme).

[@VeganCalabash]

OMG I love the two of you together…yeah I’m late to the party.

[@JonEvans-st9kt]

As you said about the quadruple concentrate squash. That is an actual thing I have some

[@huldie4855]

There is a quadruple strength squash Barry I get the Cherries and Berries one from Tesco. It's impossible to get the correct amount in a glass it's always very strong!

[@idlindsay]

expierience of ratpaxks 20 years ago.... Add chocolate drink to the museli the high energy powdered drink we used to call screech Chocolate pudding definitly better hot

[@akantiia]

The drinks sounded pretty nice!

[@iamdb1990]

there needs to be a film made with you two doing these... Behind MRE Lines lol

[@hammondo7]

What happened to your other kitchen for filming in?

[@paulcullen814]

I buy the quad strength squash from Sainsbury's.

[@VickieStreet-rs2xo]

I love Barry and Ashens they are so good together 😊

[@zippy5131]

The old 'Rat Packs' are/where the best and they came in a handy box. If they gave me that back in the '90's when I was in the RAF, I'd have thrown it back.

[@orientalmoons]

Meals Reluctant to Exit is another (joke) version I've heard. MRE is only the US military name, generically they're just rations.

[@bhurzumii4315]

Strangely enough, the "biscuits brown" in our ration packs are nicknamed "arse-stoppers" by the troops. After a couple of weeks on compo, you generally do one or two "shovels recce's" (empty your guts) per week. Also, after the initial period on rations, you become bunged up and your first "movement" is known as "a pringles sh*t" because...once you pop, you can't stop! Oh, and sad to see they appear to have gotten rid of my favourite item from the rations - cat's arses. (if you know, you know...)

[@ryanrichardson76]

Why not use flameless ration heater? Surely the other MREs youve tried had those aswel.

[@letsgodosomestuff6495]

Barry, Sainsburys already do a quadruple concentrate squash

[@brendancull8316]

When I was in the RAF, in the 80s, we had what was called compo rations (composite rations), I haven't tried MRE, but from what I've seen, on various tastings on you tube, Compo was better.

[@BananaBananaBanana-y3k]

does the british army still have the special oat biscuits that stop you visiting the latrine for several days...?

[@kingfish4575]

Use the FRH that comes with them next time. Please? 😂