Posted on 02/14/2020 2:10:31 PM PST by Falcon4.0
I would like to hear some opinions on survival food suppliers from the crew here on Free Republic, including
"Do not buy from".
I don't need the best, but I don't want too be disappointed.
My Patriot Supply is good.
Also, some good old canned food from Walmart is good.
‘Mountain House’ is pretty good..
The Patriot Pantry has great stuff like: https://mypatriotsupply.com/collections/emergency-survival-food good stuff a tad spendy but their short term 3 day supply and two week supply are a good deal; buy several packs of each - 20 year shelf life.
Canned goods and Mountain House dehydrated food.
And pasta and rice.
What you buy depends on what you’re planning for, what you normally eat, how much you think you need (days, weeks, months; number of people), and whether you need to transport it.
I bought from https://www.foodinsurance.com/ a couple years ago. I tried a sampling of 5 meals. Pretty good. Not as good as freshly prepared, of course. Even had a ‘freeze dried’ ice cream sandwich (have something to drink handy).
Haven’t tried the civilian version of MREs. The chemical heaters are a plus if you are outdoors.
Mountain house is very good but pretty expensive. I do find it on sale sometimes.
Despite what soldiers say, I think genuine surplus MRE’s are also good. I ran into a real steal at a gun show around 1991. I bought 12 cases of 12 for $30. That is 144 meals! I think he was just tired of carrying them around in his camper.
One thing I found out was a good and lightweight substitute was Coast Guard approved survival food bars. I got some in cinnamon and some in lemon. They last forever compared to MREs and have just as much food value.
You can carry a week's worth of these bars in your glovebox where that many MREs would take up much more space. These are typical:
https://www.firesupplydepot.com/mayday-food-bar-3600-cal-fb36m.html?cmp=bingshopping&kw=mayday-food-bar-3600-cal-fb36m
I also found another brand in the Wal Mart camping supplies aisle.
Are you on the run in the mountains, but with lots of water available? In that situation, any good dehydrated or freeze-dried meals will work . . . for a week or so. If water is limited, there is no point in carrying the water plus the freeze-dried food instead of some less expensive form of preservation. What situation is this food for?
For sheltering in place, at home, you cannot beat the LDS Church https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations-map?lang=eng . Their food is good, nutritious, lasts for decades, and reasonably priced. I have a 2-year supply of their stuff, mostly with a 30-year shelf life, plus I have other items as a supplement for variety and flavor.
I have tried both the Mountain House and Food Insurance dehydrated foods.. and don’t forget your ‘BUGOUT SEED BAG’ for growing your OWN food, too!
Try these guys:
Steve1989: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2I6Et1JkidnnbWgJFiMeHA
Stickyfingas745: https://www.youtube.com/user/stickyfingaz745
Gundog4314: https://www.youtube.com/user/gundog4314
Best,
L
If you’re buying dehydrated items, BUT MANY EXTRA CASES OF WATER to rehydrate the stuff, beyond what you’d normally drink. Also, don’t forget the 12 or 15 packs of TP and paper towels.
Mountain house or anything dehydrated stores easily and lasts a very long time. Speaking of storage, that is very important to insure proper ration longevity. There are various opinions on the best storage methods. Cool, dark closet works ok. I have seen frozen rations last 30 plus years, however most places do not recommend freezing. Mre Mountain has lots of cool stuff as well as rations from other countries. Lastly, there are some great ration reviewers on YouTube gundog, steve1989 ECT. Also check out mreinfo formums for more good info.
I have 4 containers of freeze dried WISE brand dehydrated food. Good for 25 years. I just stopped the autoship. They sell it on HSN. Sad to say I have no idea what they taste like. Reviews were good & thought it important to have some on hand.
Does anyone know if there is something out there for cats & dogs?
Mountain House Freeze Dried is the best for taste.
I do love the freeze dried ground beef. It is good for 25 years and I add it to all sorts of dishes including Mac and cheese and spaghetti sauce.
At Amazon there was a brand of freeze dried refried beans that is indistinguishable from canned beans. very good - IF you like Mexican food.
Yes, there is a company that was making survival grub for pets but for the life of me I can’t remember it. If it comes to me I will let you know.
My opinion, for what it is worth...is that while times are good,
you should learn to eat things that are preservable.
Adjust your routine to NOT rely on fresh or frozen foods, and adapt
your routine to things like boxed, dried, and canned foods with a long shelf life.
Have a goal to keep a 6-12 month supply of those foods.
Buy them periodically and be sure to rotate your stock.
That way, no matter if times are good or bad,
you eat the same thing you always eat, and
you don’t have to get used to eating something different.
Watch out for expiration dates if you are keeping “emergency supplies”.
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