I think it could be done for less than a $1 a dinner. You guys are smart. How would you design it?
I think it could be done for less than a $1 a dinner. You guys are smart. How would you design it?
MRE
YOU'RE bored? I've been at work 15 hours and 20 minutes now....
You beat me to it.
I was going to point out the hot beverage bag
How does an MRE's hot section work? Can it be done for a $1? 
if I recall right... chemical reaction activates when you snap something inside... fill the main bag with water and set the packs you wanted heated up into the water... takes a little bit to heat but does the trick
N Sperlo wrote: MRE YOU'RE bored? I've been at work 15 hours and 20 minutes now....
I feel your pain. Actually, I believe we have the same employer if the CR-Z on Forza is indicative of anything.
BTW, Every time I think of something new to me I really really hope that it exists but is just outside of my realm of experience. I think of myself as moderately intelligent, but I am not the smartest guy in the world, and I am definitely not the only moderately intelligent fellow around.
donalson wrote: if I recall right... chemical reaction activates when you snap something inside... fill the main bag with water and set the packs you wanted heated up into the water... takes a little bit to heat but does the trick
Nope. It's the adding water to the magic powder part that generates the heat.
I bet you could do it for under a buck, there's a lot of extras an MRE has that you wouldn't need.
Oh, and the Beef Stew MRE pictured is one of the best ones you can get. Great main course, the jalapeno cheese spread is good, the wheat crackers are the crackers you want, and the brownie isn't bad either (it's no almond poundcake) . If you find yourself being supplied with them for whatever reason (FEMA trailer?), trade the omelets away ASAP, hopefully for the beef stew.
Racer1ab wrote:N Sperlo wrote: MRE YOU'RE bored? I've been at work 15 hours and 20 minutes now....I feel your pain. Actually, I believe we have the same employer if the CR-Z on Forza is indicative of anything.
Correct. I thought the E36 M3ty hybrid was fitting.
I want the Cowboy Bebop style Cup O Noodles. 
MrJoshua wrote: I think it could be done for less than a $1 a dinner. You guys are smart. How would you design it?
Girlfriend?
In reply to SyntheticBlinkerFluid:
I thought I'd be the only person to go there.
thatsnowinnebago wrote:MrJoshua wrote: I think it could be done for less than a $1 a dinner. You guys are smart. How would you design it?Girlfriend?
thatsnowinnebago wrote:MrJoshua wrote: I think it could be done for less than a $1 a dinner. You guys are smart. How would you design it?Girlfriend?
Might make my wife angry.
I think the grassroots way to heat a TV dinner would be some kind of iron thermite charge with a ribbon of magnesium acting as a fuse. Simply light the fuse, step back, and voila! A 2500 deg. C. lump of molten iron will heat your dinner. The fireworks display is a bonus!
On the plus side, MREs get this!
Osterkraut wrote:donalson wrote: if I recall right... chemical reaction activates when you snap something inside... fill the main bag with water and set the packs you wanted heated up into the water... takes a little bit to heat but does the trickNope. It's the adding water to the magic powder part that generates the heat. I bet you could do it for under a buck, there's a lot of extras an MRE has that you wouldn't need. Oh, and the Beef Stew MRE pictured is one of the best ones you can get. Great main course, the jalapeno cheese spread is good, the wheat crackers are the crackers you want, and the brownie isn't bad either (it's no almond poundcake) . If you find yourself being supplied with them for whatever reason (FEMA trailer?), trade the omelets away ASAP, hopefully for the beef stew.
I'm convinced the omelet MRE is a secret military experiment. There is no way in hell anybody with any sort of taste capacity would think that it tastes edible. Most of the vegetarian meals are pretty iffy as well (except for the tortellini).
MREs are about $7 a pop but there is a lot you could cut out.
MREs use magnesium dust, mixed with salt and a little iron dust. Just add water.
1988RedT2 wrote: I think the grassroots way to heat a TV dinner would be some kind of iron thermite charge with a ribbon of magnesium acting as a fuse. Simply light the fuse, step back, and voila! A 2500 deg. C. lump of molten iron will heat your dinner. The fireworks display is a bonus!
sparklers that you buy after the 4th of July are cheaper than Mg ribbon, and ignite the stuff just fine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite#Ignition
1988RedT2 wrote: I think the grassroots way to heat a TV dinner would be some kind of iron thermite charge with a ribbon of magnesium acting as a fuse. Simply light the fuse, step back, and voila! A 2500 deg. C. lump of molten iron will heat your dinner. The fireworks display is a bonus!
Just toss it on the carburetor.
Toyman01 wrote: MREs use magnesium dust, mixed with salt and a little iron dust. Just add water.
Yeah, but what do they use for the heater? 
In Desert Storm, we usually just threw the packets out in the sun for a while. Hot enough.
Seriously, I'm out of date. I kind of miss C-rats, but not the weight. In the field, cans can be useful as tools, spacers, and alarms. Early MRE's were interesting, especially if you had a little time to cook. There were ways of combining things to vary the meals. The dehydrated meats were great for soups and such. Now they seem to all be some sort of casserole. Is there still a ham slice?
In reply to slantvaliant:
Vietnam Veterans were telling me they cooked with the c4. Probably a little more than a dollar.
914Driver wrote: On the plus side, MREs get this!
The last month my Dad was in Iraq the base had no mess, so he had MREs 3 meals a day. He saved all the mini Tobasco he could and turned them into Christmas tree ornaments.
In another life we would use a very very small amount of C-4 and light it. Hold a can of "food" over it.
As close to self heating as it got and many many times faster than a microwave and since we had t with us anyway why not. The bad part was if you were not careful it rendered the bottom of the can in to something that was not food.
dean1484 wrote: In another life we would use a very very small amount of C-4 and light it. Hold a can of "food" over it. As close to self heating as it got and many many times faster than a microwave and since we had t with us anyway why not. The bad part was if you were not careful it rendered the bottom of the can in to something that was not food.
Isn't the liquid leftover after you burn C4 extremely explosive? I remember an Army friend of mine telling me that.
You'll need to log in to post.
