The MREs would be much better if printed on brown paper as opposed to white. I print my own on brown paper grocery bags and they come out looking great and you have no white paper edges to worry about. Also, the thicker brown paper holds the shape better and looks more accurate as far as thickness goes. The light/dark colored MRE boxes look weird to me. The solid brown ones look better, but I have never seen any that look like the other ones.

The cases I got from the Red Cross and National Guard during Super Storm Sandy relief looked like the light colored ones. That case included halal and vegetarian meals. But like a lot of models these days they are over-shaded. They look like they belong in a heavily shadowed film noir movie.

It would be nice to get some of the Humanitarian Daily Ration cases, Extra Details made a set but they're long time gone I managed to score a set last year on Evilbay but it would be a nice addition to a dio. I wouldn't mind seeing what they look like up close though.

The light/dark coloured boxes are supposed to replicate a box that has been exposed to the elements. When cardboard boxes get wet and then dry out in the sun, the look exactly like that.

The light/dark coloured boxes are supposed to replicate a box that has been exposed to the elements. When cardboard boxes get wet and then dry out in the sun, the look exactly like that.[/quote] In 23 years of active duty service, I have never seen a weathered MRE box that looked like those do. The issue I am having is the weird shading. It is not a natural way the box would weather.

The light/dark coloured boxes are supposed to replicate a box that has been exposed to the elements. When cardboard boxes get wet and then dry out in the sun, the look exactly like that.[/quote] In 23 years of active duty service, I have never seen a weathered MRE box that looked like those do. The issue I am having is the weird shading. It is not a natural way the box would weather.[/quote] I agree with Gino. MREs are controlled items in that they are stored, inventoried and inspected as perishable items, and not allowed to "weather". They are also "consumables" in they are issued and consumed rapidly, so the boxes don't really have time to "weather" (or at least shouldn't have time). However, the thought occurred to me those boxes might represent boxes that have been "re-purposed" for something else-- like storing crew gear or for collecting "trash". They might weather out that way over time, but not for newly issued MREs. VR, Russ

Exactly, an empty box left out in the rain and sun for a period of time. Either way, not sure what the value is of that specific item. Because if you're going to use that box as an accessory on a vehicle, you would use the 'new box'. If you wanted to use it as an item of trash, the vehicle that discarded it would be long gone. Lastly, disciplined units police their trash (unless you want to depict a FOB inhabited by the Georgia National Guard in Iraq, 2005).

Great items by ETA. I'm using a lot of his items in a new diorama ( "The Collector" ) It takes some practice to getvthem right but the results are great. Apart from that Yannis is a great guy!!