I can personally attest to the fact that MRE's do go bad, and I know that temperature is a big factor. If you look at the shelf life, it can be as long as ten years, or as short as a few weeks depending on the temperature. I was on guard duty not that long ago, and all we had were MRE's for our meals. They must have been stored incorrectly, because they were all bad. Basically, I just ate the crackers and hard cookies, everything that was soft was spoiled. I think that the emergency food bars are a better choice for the individual than surplus MRE's. The emergency food bars are cheaper than MRE's, provide the same amount of calories, are just as portable, and will last longer in a wider range of temperatures. I know that MRE's have a lot of varied items in them like cookies, peanut butter or cheese and crackers, but if you are storing them in a car or bug out bag, you may be unknowingly storing a rotten mess as well as having a big disappointment coming in the future, or worse, you could be in a real survival situation and not have any food. The sites linked below sell the emergency food bars in bulk and in individual bars.
http://www.campingsurvival.com/emfoba.html
http://www.firstaidkitproducts.com/product/1200C
I also have some dehydrated food, which has a 15 to 25 year shelf life. I have some made by Mountain House, which is available in #10 cans or mylar bags, and can be acquired at any camping supply store or Walmart. There are other brands as well, like the Auguson Farms brand that Sam's Wholesale carries, which is cheaper than Mountain House, if you have a Sam's membership. I have a Sam's membership, and I think that it is helpful for buying bulk food and other supplies. If you don't have a Sam's in your area, I know that there are several other warehouse chains throughout the country, you just need to do a little research. As is always the case, you can find a lot of good deals online if you look.
http://www.mountainhouse.com/
http://augasonfarms.com/
-Richard
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