From Wikipedia:
Quote:
Some of the early MRE main courses were not very palatable, earning them the nicknames "Mr. E" (mystery),[15] "Meals Rejected by Everyone",[16] "Meals, Rarely Edible",[17] "Meals Rejected by the Enemy", "Morsels, Regurgitated, Eviscerated", "Meal, Ready to Excrete", "Materials Resembling Edibles", and even "Meals Rejected by Ethiopians"[18]


I feel the same way about most commercial freeze-dried backpacking meals, which is why I cook and dry my own. Cheaper, too, although more work.

If you're only out for a weekend (one or two nights), fresh food is just fine, as long as it will keep (freeze the meat for the first night and use one of those foil packs of chicken or tuna the second). Or MRE's or the commercial equivalent of the same. I wouldn't want these for longer trips, though--just too heavy. As mentioned earlier, check out Sarbar's web site for ideas using supermarket ingredients.
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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey