I cannot count how many MREs that have come through my home, lol. Between having Military and outdoor enthusiasts in the home, we have had our share. I personally think every home should have some in case of emergency. Ignore the sign of not for resale. That is because the military cannot resale them. MREs are released after a year in surplus, and then companies are allowed to sell them. These have a varied life span from 2017 and up to 4 years. They are clearly labeled with an expiration date. The expiration dates will vary. You receive 12 MRE’s in this case. There is a mixed variety of meals as well. Each package is clearly labeled and tightly sealed. It’s really easy to pack out with these, and very easy to store for preparedness too. You want to store them in a clean, cool, dry place. Each meal contains a water activated flameless ration heater in it. This way you can eat in the field if you need to. It’s also a great way to get hot food when there is no power or readily available fire. The meals received in my box are as follows:

1.       Pork Sausage Patty, Maple Flavored

2.       Chicken Breast Fillet, Seasoned Garlic and Herb

3.       Beef Ravioli in Meat Sauce

4.       Chicken Pesto Pasta

5.       Beef Patty, Jalapeno Pepper Jack

6.       Southwest Beef & Black Beans

7.       Cheese Tortellini in Tomato Sauce (vegetarian)

8.       Pork Sausage in Cream Gravy

9.       Ratatouille – Mixed Vegetable and Pasta (vegetarian)

10.   Rib Shaped Barbecue Flavor Pork Patty

11.   Mexican Style Chicken Stew

12.   Asian Style Beef Strips with Vegetables

Now, do not expect gourmet taste in an MRE, lol. That’s never going to happen. This is food that can keep you alive in dire situations. Some of them can be tasty. My son and husband really like some, and hate others. That really is a personal decision. These are easy to store, and take along with you. They are great to take with you on a trip in case your car breaks down, and you’re stranded. These are definitely the choice to make for a camping trip, especially when you pack out. Every home should be stocked with meals like this in case of an emergency, so your family can still eat. I love that MREs are available to the public. It’s definitely something every home should take advantage of. You need to still provide your own fluids, and water to activate the heater bags. My husband states that some MRE’s will include the water. He says it’s always hit or miss in this department. I love how you get such a mixture of foods in an MRE, including chicklets. I think that is hilarious for some reason. These really make being prepared easy.

I received this at a reduced cost, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. – Western Frontiers” ULTIMATE MRE, July 2017 and up Inspection Date Meals Ready-to-Eat, Case of 12 Genuine US Military Surplus with Western Frontier’s Inspection and Guarantee.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EDB3H2Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I actually already own both the bottle opener and keychain from American Brass. I love them, and use them all of the time. My older son actually confiscated and has kept the bottle opener. The thing is made unbelievably well, and is so durable. It works perfectly, and has a very high cool factor to it as well. The same goes for the keychain. I kept that one though, and never let him touch it, lol. I was thrilled to see them available as a set, and even more thrilled to be able to review the set. This company uses only pre-fired demilitarized, bullet casings, from our US Military. How fantastic is that. I love that! What a story that makes when you present this as a gift. It’s nicely packaged, and ready to go out of the box. The keychain is made out of the 7.62 casing, and the bottle opener is made out of the .50Cal casing. These are brass, thick, and solid. They are not bendy in the least. They are not dirty, or rough to hold. They have a great patina to them as well. The keyring that comes with the 7.62 bottle opener, is a tight and solid key ring. This company is even a “Veteran Owned and Operated company.” It doesn’t get better than that. The surface is smooth. You could have the larger bottle opener engraved on your own as well. Or, you can do it yourself if you are handy. There are no negatives with this set. It’s completely a win, win situation here. You get to open your bottle like a boss, hands down. You’ll even get to carry your keys, like a boss! I most definitely recommend this set.

I was afforded the opportunity to review this product for free, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review: American Brass’ 7.62 and .50 Caliber Bullet Bottle Opener Combo Pack.

If you would like to order this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Caliber-Bullet-Bottle-Opener-Combo/dp/B01EI1LC4Y?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

My family is used to MRE meals. Between military, and camping, my guys have been exposed to a lot. One of my sons used to love eating them. He was my Guinea Pig for this MRE from Western Frontier. The packaging on this MRE cracked me up. It states not for resale, property of the US Government. This is a complete meal. It harbors more food than you can eat at one sitting. If you were carrying a 75lb pack and on your feet all day, you would need to eat all of the calories this provides in one meal. Since everything is individually wrapped, just save wheat you can’t eat for a later time. Everything you can think of is included in this set, except for water to activate the heater. You need to provide your own water. They have a 5 and ½ year shelf life, and the date is clearly labeled on the packaging. The shelf life requires that they are stored at 71 degrees Fahrenheit or under. You will receive a random meal in your order. We received Chicken with Tomato and Feta. My son said the chicken was really good, and he wasn’t expecting it to be as tasty as it was. He was very happy with this meal. In your meal you will get the heater bag with clearly labeled instructions, your main meal, matches, a napkin, sugar, vegetable crackers, peanut M&M’s, raisons, an energy bar, 2 chicklet pieces of gum, a fruit punch beverage, cheese spread with jalapenos, instant coffee, coffee powdered creamer, salt, a plastic spoon, and a moist towelette. My son said the cheese spread was quite yummy, and he loved the fruit punch powder. You need to provide your own water for all of the beverages as well, as well as a cup. Having bottles water on you or a canteen full of water would be highly beneficial. You will need to keep a knife on you, or scissors to open the packages. You can eat directly out of the packaging, but it might be awkward and a little difficult. The heater bag gets very hot when activated with water, so if you are in the field, use your gloves to handle the packaging when heated. Each meal may contain different items in it. You are guaranteed a beverage, treat, main course, etc.. totaling 1250 calories. Overall, compared to others my family has eaten, this one stands up well. The flavor was very good, and the chicken itself was actually moist and flavorful. There is a lot of food in one MRE. I am comfortable recommending this product.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Western Frontier’s ULTIMATE MRE, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to review this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/ULTIMATE-Pack-Printed-Every-Meal-Ready-To-Eat/dp/B01D5MHA20?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Power banks are definitely an essential every home should have nowadays. It’s just as essential as having back up batteries. We use ours for work, travel, emergencies, and when we can’t access an open outlet, lol. This particular power bank is by Poweradd. They call it their Pilot P1. It has an internal 5000mAh battery, as well as a 2A USB out port. Your power bank will arrive with 1 micro USB cord. That is how you charge it up. When fully charged you will see 4 blue LEDS lit up. They go down as you use it. The lights are on the side by the power button. It’s a lightweight unit, and measures out at 5 inches long and 2 ½ inches wide. It is also just under ½ an inch thick. Aesthetically it’s a very sharp looking power bank. I love the textured design. Power wise, it works wonderfully. It has smart charging capabilities. It will detect your device right away and provide what it needs. It charges our Galaxy Note 5 phones very quickly. We were able to charge our phone and a bug vacuum, and still had 25% battery life left on it. You can use this for anything that charges via a USB cord. If you have IOS products, you will need to provide your own cable. The same goes for other specialty charging cables. I plugged my phone into a regular power source, and my husband used this power bank. We were both at about 20% power left. His phone was fully charged, where my phone was still at 69%. So, this charger definitely charges quickly. This is really a great back up power source.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Poweradd’s Pilot P1 Power Bank, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Poweradd-Stylish-Portable-External-Charging/dp/B0179NZ0OG?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

We actually already own this folding shovel. My son keeps it with his being prepared equipment in his vehicle. Which is a great thing to do, especially when you work on the road all of the time, like he does. This particular shovel has become mine. I love how portable it is. It folds up into a zippered camo pouch, which measures out at 7 inches long and 4 ½ inches wide. It even has a wrist strap for easy carry. The shovel itself is made out of steel. The head is attached to a portion of the handle; it does loosen to be folded flat onto it. So, when you want it opened up in shovel/pick form, loosen it, then open the shovel up, and then tighten it back, to lock it in place. The other portion of the handle screws into place. The threading was done well. And mine goes on and off perfectly. The handle itself has a great grip on it, and the end of the handle even sports a small compass. The pick has a nice point on it, and can definitely help break up the ground for you. The shovel itself measures out at 5.9 inches long and 4 inches wide. On one side of the shovel there is a bottle opener, and the other side of it has a serrated edge. Fully assembled, and opened into shovel form, the handle measures out at 16 inches long. It’s a very usable size, and very sturdy too.

This shovel is great for preparedness, camping, hiking, and more. It takes up virtually no space inside your pack. There is a wrist strap on the storage pouch itself, as well as a belt loop. So, the carry options are there. They even offer a 5 year guarantee with this shovel. It’s a well-made piece.

I was afforded the opportunity to review Rose Kuli’s Folding Shovel with Pick, in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

If you would like to purchase this product, it can be found here on Amazon: For a short period you can also get a discount. Use this code for a 60% discount: WD23LMYU

 http://www.amazon.com/Folding-Outdoor-Must-have-Accident-Survival/dp/B012I3PWW2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage