In this video I unbox, cook, eat and review this Canadian Forces IMP or Individual Meal Pack, for short. This is a Canadian Military Meal Ready to Eat or MRE for short. This menu was # 18 and it was from 2019. The entrée was Shepherd's Pie We reviewed the 2017 BEEF AND VEGETABLE STEW almost three years ago on one of our first KZread MRE reviews, back then it was Menu 17. You can watch that one by clicking here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/fY2YsrBwhs3Ho5c.html Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:42 Unboxing 2:50 Looking at each Component 7:47 Taste Test 11:12 Overall Thoughts, Rating and Outro

It looked much better than what I thought it would have. I like your explanation about the kit kat not being melted. Great review Dan!

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching Henri. Yes, monitoring the chocolate quality is a good indicator of the quality of the other items. If it's melted bad you know the whole meal was kept in some hot conditions and it's a good warning to really watch the other items. This one had "KIT KAT" written in really sharp clear letters meaning there was zero melt. These bad boys will be good for another few more years!

Hi Dan you do these unboxing and taste reviews so well! This was another delicious looking one too! Stay awesome and have a great week 👍❤️

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Thanks - that's so kind of you to say! They're fun to do! This one was pretty good, no major complaints. The date square isn't my favorite, but it would keep you alive. This meal really looks calorie heavy off the junk food. I wish that the entrée had more calories.

Another good MRE review. You have solved a question I had for years. Ketchup does last 6 years. Thanks Dan.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

It's funny - I'll eat these old ass meals, but then when the milk is one day expired in the fridge, I'm tempted to pour it down the drain. It does bring into context how much longer than the "best before" date some food items can last. I'm always careful though - checking to make sure that packages are well sealed. The heat and/or any punctured packages are the real enemies of eating these. Hope all is well Mike! Thanks for tuning in. Hoping that I can make some camping and fishing videos soon. It's been so busy that it's been hard to find the time to get out on an "outdoor adventure"...

Oh yeah, I love a shepherds pie and something we always have every winter, a real staple meal for us but one that is freshly made for us by Mrs Metalman. Did not know you had KitKat's over there, another staple and a real favourite of mine in the UK. To be honest that drink did not do it for me but that may have changed if I was actually drinking it, cheers Alan

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hey Alan, I've usually found that these MREs do best with food that you'd get in a can. Otherwise, they have to take a lot of liberties to make the entrees work. For example, this Shepherd's Pie isn't layered like we typically have when we make it. Instead it had these diced potatoes that reminded me of boiled hash browns. Not ideal. The flavor was pretty good though. KitKat's are really popular here! I don't mind them even though I'm not a big "chocolate guy".

This is a fantastic ration! I love the date square and mixing the coffee with the vanilla drink is the way to go. Glad you enjoyed your meal Dan.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hey Mike - I feel like we should be like grade-school kids and trade lunches. I'd trade you my date square for your fruit, any day! The vanilla drink mix and the coffee was AMAZING. Would definitely do that again either hot or cold. It was a pretty solid MRE.

Didn't look like this would have been my favorite lol but it didn't look bad. Better than starving for sure. The coffee drink looked good 👍 great video, Dan!!! Keep em coming! Have a good week!

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Sometimes they have to do non-conventional things to make these menus work. For example, normally we have shepherd's pie it's with mashed layered potatoes. Instead of that (since it wouldn't work well in the foil pouches), they go with these little cubed potatoes that reminded me of boiled hashbrowns. Not idea. Mixing the vanilla shake and the coffee was pretty great - I'd definitely do that again. Thanks for tuning in. One more MRE review to come and then hopefully I can move on to some camping and fishing videos!

Hello DC. Long time no hear. IMP'S beat our MRE'S, I admit. I never lucked into the shepherd pie meal. Very cool. All components look good. Glad you enjoyed. Peace, John.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hi John, thanks for tuning in. The shepherd's pie was pretty decent - usually when we make shepherd's pie we use layered potatoes. A bit different with these little cubes that taste boiled. The flavor was OK when you added in the ketchup. Everything was pretty good - minus the date square - that wasn't my favorite. It's funny I sometimes think the US MREs are better - I love that they include the cheese spread, that on crackers or tortillas is SO good! I wish IMPS had the odd cheese spread in them.

Thanks for your great review. Looks good. Have a wonderful weekend 😊😊😊

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Thank you - glad you enjoyed the video! Hope you had a good weekend too. We pulled our trailer out to our seasonal spot and spent a night in it. It was nice to have a sleep out in the campground! Hopefully, more to come - but April has been busy and May looks swamped for us.

Great review, The variety and amount of food in these is crazy compared to a normal bagged mre that I've used before.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hi Luke - thanks for tapping in and watching. Each Canadian Forces MRE has between 1200 and 1500 calories. The unfortunate part is a lot of that caloric content is just in carbs - but I think the sugar is what my kids like about them, lol. Lots of junk food! But good stuff that would boost a soldier's morale. Again - thanks for dropping in. I've been enjoying your fishing videos. You're killing it. I hope to get out on the water soon.

Only Mom's date square is worth eating. Thank you for the great IMP review, Dan. Stay safe and stay cool

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

You can say that again. The Canadian Forces Date Squares aren't great. Some folks in the MRE review community like them but it's divided. For me personally, over half went in the food scraps bin.... thanks for tuning in though buddy. I appreciate the time you spend with me. I know I'm behind on your videos - I'm gonna surf over your way now!

I went iffy when I heard "date square" 😬 I don't know if I'd try that. I surely don't recommend it to ANYONE, but Kevin 'Atypical Hiker' has consumed several MREs from the 1900s. I think his oldest was 1950. 🤢💩 So it IS possible to eat them and survive, even well past their expiration dates if you are in emergency situations. I dont know anyone who has eaten the fresh packs, luckily. 🤣 I did not know that KitKats were Canadian! Cool! We do not have chunky KitKats, but now I'd like to see what that's all about. 😋 Another great MRE video! Have a great weekend! 😁👊

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hello my friend! Thanks a bundle for watching. Yes - the date square was a let down. It also made up almost 1/3 of the entire meal's caloric content. I will admit over half of my date square went in the food scraps bin. They're not for me. He's brave to eat those old ones. I ate one yesterday from 2016 and I donno if I'd go back much further than that. You really have to be careful. Some items like coffee mix, drink mix, etc are probably good for decades but any meat or produce items could certainly spoil. Yes - life or death - I'd probably eat them, but generally I like to rotate through my MRE collection to ensure I'm not keeping many past the 7-year mark. Thanks as always for watching! We had a good weekend - towed the trailer out to our seasonal campground. I can't wait to spend more time there - but the first night was great. Hope all is well!

Hey DC, great to see you again. And thanks for an Honest Review. The meal looked pretty good. Stay Safe.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for tuning in! Hope you're enjoying some good times outdoors. I have a long weekend and a few days of vacation ahead and looking forward to some camping time and some fishing too!

This was one of my first IMPs too I really enjoyed this one great review dan I always enjoy these reviews🔥🇨🇦🎩

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Thanks Bryan! I feel like I'm on a real MRE stretch lately. It's a weird fringe season. We haven't been able to fish and camping is just off in the distance. It's nice to bump out some MRE reviews, but I really hope to get some camping and fishing videos done soon. It was a really good menu! No real complaints here.

Great video Dan! Love the "Patè Chinois" (always thought that was an interesting translation!) Mixing the coffee with the vanilla drink is definitely the way to go in my opinion! I usually add the coffee to mine after I mix the vanilla drink but have quite the hard time mixing it - I'll have to do what you did next time! And yeah the date squares seem to be just about everything now unfortunately, I like them but the last few I've had have been incredibly dry. Bring back pineapple tidbits!

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hey there! Thanks for watching and leaving a note. I'm gonna surf over your way now and watch your Smoked Meat review. The coffee and vanilla drink was GREAT. Next time I might try it hot, but it was great cold. The date square was a bummer - SO DRY! I'd rather have fruit too. Thanks again for tuning in buddy!

looks good but couldn't imagine eating that, my wife would enjoy it, nice video Dan, take care

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

They're pretty interesting packages - but not for everyone. My wife's friend's husband is in the Canadian Forces and he dies laughing that I eat and review these. He HAS to eat them and he hates them.

I've got one of these I'm itching to try. Mixing the sweet and creamy with the vanilla shake 👌👌 Love your tray too. Awesome DC!

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Hey Jerms - so good mixing those two. Wish I did it earlier. Next time I'll mix them with hot water. The tray I got at the military surplus store. I think it's a tray from a Canadian Military Mess Hall. It's stamped with the Maple Leaf on the under-side. Thought about doing one of those as a give away, but I imagine it would be gnarly to ship. Thanks for watching.

Hey Dan 😊 Whenever I have a camping meals, especially after a long walk I am always surprised at how nice the food seems. Looked pretty good to me. I’m sure I would get on fine with it. 😊

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

You got it! A good, hearty meal after a hard hike is awesome! There are many better options for that than these MREs, but they work in a bind. I like the grab and go ease. Always appreciate you spending time with the channel. I hope you're having a good weekend. 👍

Those tortillas must package well, they seem to be in a lot of those meals. You know it’s a bit bland when you gotta add ketchup lol great review as always. 🤙😎

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

The tortillas are actually better when I remember to heat them up a bit. If you also boil them in a pan of water then when you open the package up they're softer and less likely to break along that fold-line! Yeah, it was really quite bland but even with home made shepherd's pie I'll often add some ketchup so I'm ok with it!

Like me some shepherds pie 👍 was waiting to see what the mixture of the vanilla drink and coffee mix would be like. Sounds like it was a good match. Looks like a good portioned meal! I always find there very interesting Dan! Great review definitely sounds like a good deal price wise too.

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Hi Chris, they're a lot more expensive if you buy them individually from Ebay or something, I'm lucky that we can skip the shipping and buy them locally. The coffee/vanilla drink was SUPER good! As for the portion, yes good portion size, but disappointing that most of the calories here come from junk food. The date square for example had more calories than the entrée. Either way, this thing would keep you alive if you needed it to.

You always make me hungry when you do these!😁

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Haha, thanks Ted! Sucked eating this one alone. I like when the kids help.

A great review Dan. Sounds like a meal I would like.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

The Canadian Forces makes some pretty good MREs. We like these a lot! A weird take on Shepherd's Pie - normally we make it layered - but this is a good rendition. The potatoes were more like boiled hashbrowns. Taste was on point!

Looked like a good meal to me. I haven't had shepards pie in a long time. Thanks for the video brother

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Here when we make shepherd's pie , it's usually layered and the top layer is mashed potatoes and on top of that goes cheese. I find this adaption weird when they use little cubed potatoes that remind me of boiled hashbrowns. Not ideal, but it works. The ketchup really was needed since the gravy was pretty plain otherwise. Thanks a bundle for tuning in!

Nice video. I am craving sheppards pie now. I already have venison liver planned for dinner, but perhaps later this week.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Nice! We have Venison Chili in the Instapot for tonight! Thanks for spending time with my channel!

That pack is awesome I’ve never seen them here in Australia I’m sure that they would have them but I’ve need seen them What a great review Thanks for telling me what those numbers on the packets are I don’t have a clue 😂

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

I'm sure every military branch has some form of MRE. As a matter of fact, I'm almost certain I've seen Australian MRE review videos around KZread. So far, I've only tried ones from Canada, USA and the UK.

Hi Dan! I'm always afraid to eat an expired MRE lol. Thanks for making these videos and easing that fear a bit lol. Great video!

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Francis! Thanks for stopping by. 5-7 years is my cut-off if it's stored in good temperatures. If it's been stored in too hot of a temperature the lifespan decreases to less than half of that. A test is to check chocolate products - if you have any visible melt, tread carefully.

@therevalos

3 ай бұрын

@@DCOutdoors that is very valuable information. Thank you!

5:01 love the mug

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Thanks brother! Dishwasher safe!

Wow looks mighty tasty!! Thanks for sharing it

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

It's not bad at all! A bit non conventional for a Shepherd's Pie. The cubed potatoes had a boiled consistency. I am more partial to a traditional layered Shepherd's Pie but I can understand the limitations of that in a pouch. That said, it had good flavor - especially with the added ketchup! Thanks again for watching. I appreciate you spending time with us.

Thanks for sharing the Shepherds Pie

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Thanks Dan for stopping by, watching and spending time on my channel! Hope you're having a good week!

@ProgRockDan1

2 ай бұрын

@@DCOutdoors it is my great pleasure to

That date square looked a bit dodgy and seemed to be the only thing that was a bit off on this one. The main meal looked good and sounds like you enjoyed with the added ketchup. Nice job Dan!

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Larry - yeah, some of the MRE community here on KZread really like the date square. Me, not so much! It's hit or miss with reviewers. I'll be honest - more than half of mine got scraped in our compost pail. The main was definitely better with the ketchup. Usually we have shepherd's pie here it's layered with mashed potatoes. This one had those little cubes which reminded me of potato hashbrowns. It worked, but wasn't ideal. Again - thanks as always for watching.

Thanks for sharing

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching!

That meal looks delicious.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

It was a really good menu - minus the date square! That one wasn't for me. The KZread reviewers are really divided on it. I have some friends here that LOVE them, others (like me) hate them. I'll be honest, I ate less than half of that date square and unfortunately it made up 1/3 of the calories in the whole meal.

Greetings! What an honest review! ☺️

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hello - hope you enjoyed it. Do consider subscribing (if you haven't already), I'd love to stay connected. I put out weekly videos on gear/food reviews, camping, fishing, hunting and more. Hopefully you'll subscribe so we can stay in touch.

@DailyShelter

2 ай бұрын

@@DCOutdoors I already subscribed 😊

Hmmm...think I'll stick to my own shepherd's pie! lol Can't go too wrong with peanut butter and jelly! Do enjoy date squares, but do make them without any added sugar...enough in the dates as is. Simple is the best for sure.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hey Bruce - you're 100% right adding sugar to the date square was not necessary. The date square in the ration was WAY too sweet. I'll be honest, ate less than half of it. The other funny thing is that the entire meal was about 1200 calories and the date square made up about 1/3 of it. I guarantee most of the calories in the meal are from carbs and sugar. Not really healthy. Thanks for tuning in!

Nice review, Dan.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Thank you John!

I’d probably eat the date square and KitKat and leave the rest alone. Not a fan of shepherds pie. Maybe the tortillas and peanut butter and jam would be cool. Nice review Dan. Stay safe up there. 👍👍

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

That's too funny that you don't like Shepherd's Pie, why don't you like it if you don't mind me asking? Typically for us - we make layered shepherd's pie - with like mashed potatoes and cheese baked on top. I love it like that. This version with the little potato cubes (that tasted boiled) was a bit odd... when you added the ketchup though it brought up the flavor nicely.

@dthomas5281

2 ай бұрын

@@DCOutdoors it’s funny because mom always made it with mashed potato green beans and burger and I love all three,just not mixed all together. I’m the type who likes things separate on the plate ha ha ha. Always been that way. However I like lasagna and a few other things that are a mix of flavors.

Yummmy

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

It wasn't too bad! Not as good as homemade Shepherd's Pie - but I've certainly eaten worse.

Nice review 👋🏻🤗👍🏻🥰💯

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Thank you Joan! I appreciate you spending time with my channel!

Looks pretty good

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Thank you Joe!

well done my friend

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the visit! I appreciate you tuning in!

If you had to choose one of the IMP’s which would be your favourite and why? I.e taste, energy, or most “normal” to home cooked?

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

That's a great question! I would say that the safest entrees are the ones that would be meals that you'd typically buy in a can. For example, I've enjoyed ones like Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chili, Beef Stew, etc. all better than ones like Poutine or Chicken Strips in Orange Sauce. The later options feel like they're trying to take a meal and turn it into a canned food item by taking a lot of creative liberties. I'd rather stick to something tried and true. If I was building a dream MRE I'd also choose tortillas over buns or crackers. I find that the Hamburger Buns dry out and the crackers that you get in US rations get stale or crumbly. Tortillas last the longest. I'm a huge fan of the grab and go snacks too. Nothing wrong with cereal bars, jerky, trail mix, or candy bars. I like these because you can parse out the snacks and throw them in your bag for later. Lastly around beverages, I'm always partial to a coffee (ideally not a three-in-one, since I prefer black coffee) and I really like the drink mixes. Oh and lastly, Peanut Butter and Jam? I am in love with the cheese spread that you get in US rations. They have Jalapeno or Bacon cheese spread as well as regular cheese spread and all of them are AMAZING. I'd rather those over PB&J but I'm typically a savory guy versus a "sweet guy". Great question!

8:03 i wonder what the total calories are for the entire ration

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Great question! Canadian IMPs have a minimum of 1,200 calories in each meal (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) so if you've got all three you're eating almost 3600 calories minimum in a day. That said, some meals have more calories too. You'll see that some things get added to bump up the calorie content. I think that's why this one had the date square.

How would you compare those date squares to a fig newton? Good review Dan👍

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

I'd choose Fig Newton over Date Square 100 times out of 100! The date square is similar, but I find that the "crust" part is really crumbly but the Dates have a lot of added sugar so it just tastes too, too sweet for me. It's funny though - some MRE REVIEWING friends I have actually love the Date Square. It's a polarizing item in the land of Canadian Military Rations. Thanks for stopping in! P.S. I've really been loving all the photos you've been posting on Instagram! Nice work.

@JumbleTronChannel

2 ай бұрын

@@DCOutdoors Appreciate that! Always trying to capture this place around me. Might get better this summer as I scout for my mountain goat... yes... drew a goat tag!

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

@@JumbleTronChannel does that take a while (a lifetime) there?

@JumbleTronChannel

2 ай бұрын

@@DCOutdoors For some yes, but I got lucky in 8 years 😁

💐💐💐💐💐 Hello, Hey! you are very talented and hard worker.I wish you good luck always.I really appreciate your hard work.I Wish your full of happiness in your life. Have a happy day friend. amazing best of luck for your promising future.Thanks for awesome sharing.

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hello - thank you for the kind words. Yes I work hard on my channel. I put out a video every week and I haven't missed a single week's video in well over a week. Glad you enjoyed! I think this is the first time I've seen you by the channel so I hope you have subscribed and if not please do hit the subscribe button. The support means a lot to me. Hope to see you comment here again. Stay connected.

Look awesome 😮 im sure it delicious 👌😹

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Thank you buddy! Yes, it was pretty good. Except the Date Square - just too sweet for me. Otherwise, pretty decent! Thanks for watching! Loved the camping video of yours I saw the other day!

i need lots of ketchup

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Haha! Ketchup works well on Shepherd's pie at home or in the MRE. It added a lot of flavor actually. At first I was missing the hot sauce, but the ketchup was almost essential to adding flavor here. Nice to see you! I will swing by your channel soon to check you out. I'm sorry if I missed any of your videos. Hopefully you're out doing some fishing. I plan on getting onto the water in the next couple of weeks!

5:29 now you’re talking something of calories and energy

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

I fake my way like I know about that stuff. All I know for sure is I eat 10 calories and put on five pounds , lol. Metabolism is slowing...

o sounds good but too spicy for me, take care

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

To be honest - I think you'd be good with this one. The shepherd's pie was pretty plain. Not spicy!

Got you off unlucky # 13 like LOL

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

I appreciate the Like! I'll be honest - 13's my favorite number ! Not unlucky for this guy. Thanks for stopping by!

@worldsfastestube7302

3 ай бұрын

@@DCOutdoors My wife's lucky # too CYU Bud

How much do those cost?

@DCOutdoors

2 ай бұрын

Hey Age - around 13:44 I answer this and a few other questions related to cost and where I get it. Might have missed it so I'll time stamp it for ya! They're pretty in-expensive in my opinion, especially if you were to buy other shelf-stable items and build your own. Hope you're doing well!

@agesadventures

2 ай бұрын

@@DCOutdoors yep, I missed it. I don't always stay at my computer while videos are running. I listen as I run to the kitchen or things like that😁

3:08 low in calories the Shepherd pie

@DCOutdoors

3 ай бұрын

Agreed! A low calorie entree. I think that's why they paired it with a 400 calorie Date Square. They add stuff like PB/Jam and chocolate bar just to beef up the total calories to the 1200 minimum that goes into one of these.