Oregon based Mountain House, a division of Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc., has confirmed reports of shortages in their freeze dried food product line.
In an email to SHTFplan.com, Mountain House Sales Division Manager Melanie Cornutt said it is true that larger distributors and dealers are receiving limited stocks of inventory, and that Mountain House is unable to provide freeze dried foods in #10 cans to smaller distributors due to significant global demand. A number #10 can is generally purchased for larger camping groups or for emergency food storage, as it holds approximately six pounds, or 13 cups, of food with approximately 10 – 25 servings per can.
When asked what the cause for the atypical demand may be, Ms. Cornutt said, “we have nothing concrete, but we believe this is contributing to most of it - Federal reserve talking about buying $600 billion worth of treasury notes, which could de-value the USD, hence causing inflation fears. In addition, we have had many Americans call and express concerns with our current government.”
Though recent reports suggest that US emergency service agencies, law enforcement and the military have stepped up preparedness efforts, Ms. Cornutt rebuffed rumors that the Federal government may be responsible for acquiring much of the food for emergency services preparations saying, “the Federal Government/FEMA are not making large purchases of our Mountain House #10 cans.”
A leading online emergency products firm and distributor to agencies such as Department of Homeland Security and the TSA also put this rumor to rest, saying the government “has not purchased more than normal,” in recent months.
Nitro-Pak, another preparedness web site and large distributor of Mountain House Freeze Dried Foods, has alerted customers that emergency food demand is so high, their processing time for new orders is approaching one month, citing inflation fears as the main culprit. “Orders with #10 can foods or food reserve units are processing in about 28 business days due to the extremely high demand that has been caused by our nation’s current political & economic uncertainty as well as high inflation fears. We anticipate prices will soon rise as are all food prices worldwide,” reads a shipping update memo on the web site.
When asked about inflation fears, a Nitro-Pak representative said that inflation resulting from government policies seems to be the main motivating factor for their customers. The representative also cited the popularity of the preparedness trend, suggesting that recent Glenn Beck episodes promoting food storage may have something to do with the interest in personal food preparedness.
Mountain House says that the production delays within their freeze dried food division should be resolved soon. “We anticipate this to continue through February/March of 2011,” according to Melanie Cornutt, “this timing may change, but as of today, this is the best estimate we have.”
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Looks like some people really do know what is going on….
It seems odd that so many people in this country are worried about food shortages considering most think it can’t ever happen here. I hope the preppers are wrong.
Not unusual for Mt House to be in this boat. It’s happened several times in the past.  They can’t ramp up production to meet demand, nor do they try, since they’ve seen it cycle like this before.
But for anyone that doesn’t think there is food inflation, I just viewed the dealer I bought “30 case” deals from before…..last time I bought one, ( about 3 years back ) it was 2400 bucks.Â
His 36 case deal ( just 6 more ) is now over 6k.
http://www.jcrefuge.com/Â ( under bundle/kit deals )
Mt House is NICE stuff…..the #10 cans have a ‘best if used by’ date 25 years out, and they are probably good forever, truth be known…..and it’s really tasty stuff, never found any I didn’t like.
BUT, unless you simply have a lot of excess cash to burn, your best food value for the money starts with stuff like rice, beans and canned goods you get locally, followed by whole grains ( either pre-packed, or you do it ) in cans/buckets, and Mt. House last.
I’ve got about 75 cases of Freeze dried stuff…..Mt House and Honeyville grain ( great for FD fruits ), along with FreezeDryGuy ( first freeze dried pork chops I ever ate were surplus stuff from FDG, 17 year old pack date…..and they were GREAT ! ), but that only makes up a small portion of our food preps.
“I hope the preppers are wrong.”
As a dead up, serious prepper, I truly hope I am too……but I’m not willing to find out I wasn’t. Same thinking as I send off my house insurance premium.
🙂
When they figure out how to make freeze dried water – I’m in BIG.  Their ice cream is good.
mountain house …just add water & heat . premade meals, real easy . however , very pricey. try augason farms  or thrive  thru costco or sams . 1 year supply 1 person less than $1000. however, they are staples so you need to be creative
WAIT, on the high cost of FD food, IF you bought all the rice and beans, and canned goods,,,,,,,,,,, It would NOT last 25 years, you would have to eventually replace it,, most like a few times.
So add it up?
I think the FD food is a great deal.
I don’t EVER have to check the date and rotate.
So I beg to differ   Â
Anyone who eats freeze dried food for 25 years will have left the sanity behind some time ago. you ‘only’ need enough to get you through the tough times until you can secure a more reliable food source (i.e. store, garden, canning, etc…).
If you’re sitting on 25 yrs worth of FD food, expect the marauding hordes to show up. Ever seen ‘The Road’?
Sittinguy….I agree. I do both, OTC canned goods, rice …etc and FD. I never have to worry about rotation on the FD stuff.
Also….if we are all wrong and nothing happends then I figuare that we will eat it up during our retirement. Some people say it taste like cardboard but I bet it’s a sight better then catfood. Â
One more reason to check out the youtube video ,,,,
 Long Term Food Storage Part 1 delta69alpha ,,,,.
Mac has posted the video link before.
Also, oxygen absorbers and mason jars can provide a lot of food storage options for rice, oats, pasta, beans, powdered milk,,,.
Check out,,,,,  storage life of dried foods usaemergencysupply.com ,,,,, to see what the shelf life is on many types of food.
I would rather have the problem of throwing out food that went bad before I ate it than have no food at all. Good Luck To All
I like cat food! Spam & toilet paper are still made in U.S.A. But I’d still enjoy sitting in a lawn chair watching the crowd with sittinguy.
 I have to wonder what the percentage of the general population purchasing F-D foods causes the  shortage discribed here. I bought starting with the last round of fuel hikes ( 2- 1/2)  years ago. I still don’t know personally anyone else who has preped any… When the other 95 % wake up, then what? ………The poop will hit the fanÂ
Comments…..
Sittingguy, they have re-estimated the shelf life of normal dry foods, much longer.
http://providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7798-1-4224-1,00.html
I’ll stick to grocery store food like several mentioned in the other article a few days back.  This mail order stuff is way too  pricy.  Get some goats (dairy and meat)  chickens, rabbits, hunt deer in season, have a veg. garden and buy basics from costco, sams, grocery sales.   I heard too that freeze dry foods are high in sodium..any comments on this? Many are on low sodium diets.  Also, buy dry roasted nuts, in the shells: Brazil, hazel, others sold this time year.  Watch dates on chocolate, don’t forget the drink mixes (country time, koolaid, nesquik, etc) coffee, tea, etc.
OK Sketch…..you kidding again ?
I don’t think anybody is sitting on 25 years worth….. 25 years is the length of time the “best if used by” dates are on the cans.
Like I said, I’ve personally tried pork chops that were packed 17 years before, and when re-hydrated over night, they were great.
Genious……If you want to make a million here’s my idea…….
Freeze dried pet food!
I haven’t seen it yet but you know the serious preppers with pets would buy it. Those would be “Serious pet preppers”.
Anyway, has anyone else seen that 50# bags of rice at Sams have gone up over $5 in the past month or two? It’s still so cheap though at $20.
Please remember that water is more important in the short term than food is. An individual can go for 2 – 3 weeks without food but only 2 – 3 days without water. You can store all the food that you want to but without a way to filter/purify water you could be putting your family in a dangerous position.
Cover all your bases.
Anyone ever tried Yoder’s precooked bacon in a can? Not as good as Wright Brand Bacon (Yum!) but it’s very tasty. Sort of expensive but it is bacon. Can’t live without bacon for crying out loud. If you don’t have bacon/grease, how do you cook your eggs?
I would think that the freeze dried would be great for tossing a few in the trunk or go bag. RV/big boat even better. MRE’s even better for longer term when kept in cool place. Those tan plastic bags are bullet proof!
I don’t think there’s a right vs. wrong way to prep. Everyone has a different location/situation. I have over a year’s supply of freeze-dried food, and I also have almost another year’s worth of staples in mylar bags. With O2 absorbers, these foods will last as long as the FD. I have a lot of canned goods as well.
laura m,
Sodium is a big concern to me, so I don’t buy the ready-to-eat foods. My FD food (THRIVE) is mostly staples, so I can control the ingredients and sodium.
Bill,
Hummmmmmmmmm, bacon! Â Â You know, Â there is a virtual explosion going on, Â in the population of wild hogs, Â all over the Ozarks, and Texas. Â Â Now that’s bacon! Â Â Some of those pigs are over 700 lb.s
Always wanted to try some Bill. Problem is if I take my daughters, I can’t blame the dog. Freezer has many packages. Lim, best bacon is wild hog but I have had a few S. Carolina stinkers via 12 ga slug.
Â
lostinmissouri, I’ve heard that wild bacon is excellent. I grew up in St. Jo. My parents use to have a cabin in the Ozarks. Lots of fun there when I was a kid. Great times, great memories……
Comments….
TnAndy is right—I’ve been storing for 2 years and never ordered anything from any organization..Aldi’s. Dollar General, Sav-a-lot…discount stores or Sam’s/Walmart.
Started with ramen noodles, canned green beans, simple things and built from there.
Comments…..
And those storage food grade buckets online for $11-$26??
I can’t afford–I get those at Lowe’s for $3.54.
700 lb. That’s a lot of oink oink! What does it cost to take that pig home dressed up and packaged properly?
Comments…..while prepping use some “common sense”. it really does not take long to store up a year or more in food. most important is to look into water supply and energy supply. ..i mean eventually ya going to have to cook something and that generally calls for water and heat. make sure you have stocked up on propane or firewood and check out any and all water in your neck of the woods-get a good water filtration system for drinking and cooking…keeping in mind that most illnesses are borne through the food you eat or the water you drink. grab some barrels, clean em up and put under the gutters to collect rain water-great to have on hand for flushing toilets, taking bath/shower, doing dishes, etc..
Comments…..oh, and dont forget to stock up on candles, batteries, lamp wicks, lamp oil, kerosene, gasoline etc… you never know when you might have to hook up the trailer to the lawn tractor and go to the pond to collect water or do a little fishing. and without power, reading books requires some kind of lighting as you wont have tv, etc..for entertainment unless you are wealthy and have a generator that operates more than one thing at a time. a bucket and a toilet plunger makes a good washing machine for laundry.
Comments….. What about MH for diabetics? I bet some of that stuff is high in carbs.
JJ…..
Are you sure the Lowe’s buckets are food grade ? I thought the orange “Homer” buckets at Home Depot were, then I e-mailed the manufacturer, Leaktite, who said that they are not food grade-FDA approved……..
Bill asked, “If you don’t have bacon/grease, how do you cook your eggs?”
Canned butter, buy it or do it yourself.
Ghee – it’s just like butter.
Cultured buttermilk blend, I forget the name, it’s not margarine.
Lard.
Some have at least a five year shelf life. I would imagine canned butter is good forever, but i don’t know.
I would avoid Crisco and similar products.
mylar 5 gal bags
Ghee has a shelf life of over 100 years.
http://www.food-india.com/ingredients/i001_i025/i007.htm
11B:
The only difference between food grade and non food grade new buckets is the mold release they use when manufacturing….the release agent has to be FDA approved for food grade buckets.
Use a mylar bag , sealed, with O2 absorbers and the bucket doesn’t matter.
67N20Â ( Huey crewchief in another life )
Charlie don’t surf.
Comments….. If you have a WINCO near you, they sell food grade buckets. IIRC, I think they are $5.00 ea. I cooked some beans yesterday in the slow cooker – they were out of date by a year, and they turned out excellent. I did not store them in a food grade–just stored in the pantry.
Sorry, this is off track but I wanted to share it with you all.
http://visiontoamerica.org/story/obama-gets-busted-on-mythbusters.html
I’m storing in the paint with gasket type seal buckets from Lowe’s. Was concerned but the rice, beans, pasta ,etc… are in seperate food saver bags vacuum sealed so my husband says don’t stress over the “food safe “issue. It is what it is and I’m not changing it. I have other food saved using can goods, home canning,etc… I want to make some beef veg soup in a pressure canner. Does any one know if the beef holds up? I know how to can properly. Would also like to do chicken and dumplings . Do dumplings hold up ok? Been working on this for 18 mos. now and just about done. (I think). Started out to save money with the inflation and now it involves survival as well. Have not lost one penney in food supplies and saved 100’s of dollars!
i still have dried beans my dad stored in very clean and dry canning jars dated 1984. Have not broke the seal but you can shake that jars as much as you want and those black eyed peas ,etc. look like you just bought them. He put the beans in and on top place a chip of dry ice and screwed the lids on snug. The dry ice takes out all the oxygen so no bugs, germs etc.. can survive in there. Don’t see why you could not do the same thing with pasta and rice. Flour however..I don’t know. Flour definitely gets old unless someone can tell me a way to keep it from going stale. Only last a year or two.
Hi Donna,
Have you tried the Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers? This method has replaced the older dry ice method, and it’s very easy to do. I have stored rice, beans, spaghetti, macaroni, flour, pancake mix, oatmeal, sugar, and salt in 1-lb. and 5-lb. Mylar bags. I use my hair flat iron to seal them up, which works great! My research shows that the Food Saver bags (which I also use and love) will let in air over time, but Mylar bags (+ the O2 absorbers) will keep food for 10-20 years. Mylar is prone to attack by vermin and bugs (unlike #10 cans or jars), so you still need a bucket or container. Right now I am using Rubbermaid Roughneck containers, as my food storage is in my house and I can’t find buckets with lids where I live (Hawaii). Good luck!
Donna, the only way to keep flour is to keep it in the freezer long term. Pasta is a better deal. To really keep flour, buy whole wheat from a farmer with a great quality grinder. But, you have to”learn” how to bake with it, even with a good bread maker. A great grinder is not cheap but a work of art that can be shown every day. Freeze yeast in the jar or make noodles. Dry ice is cheaper than a generator in the short term for keeping the fridge & freezer cold. Those is hurricane alley know that.
I have can goods (veg,beans, fruit)that were bought this yr and are already showing expiration. But I store everything in our basement that stays 55-60 all yr. My wife is concerned. I say they are good for yrs. What do the rest of you think ?
Comments…..I know this isn’t a food prep comment section, but here’s something that works for me. I bought a vac sealer, and got the attachements for sealing mason jars-wide and regular lid. These attachements hook right on the vac sealer, and I use them to put up rice, and noodles , and other dried products in quart jars. provides airtight seal, good for years, no bugs, no problems. the jars are reuseable over and over. This quart jar is a great size , and is easily transportable if necessary. This system has worked great for me.
   One last thing. concerning water storage. Most homes have a hot water heater that is 40 gallon size. That’s water for 2 people for at least 20 days.  My watercomes from my own well, and the pump tank is also 40 gallons. that’s eighty gallons before any other method has been started. Also, the local seed and feed stores around here carry used 40 gallon food grade drums with a lid, for $20. These can be cleaned and sanitized for drinking water.Â
      Get creative on all preps. Good luck folks.
   Â
Jeff,
Yes, they are good for a lot longer than the “best if used by” date. We typically use things well past that date. Some things do well, others, not so much….but 3-4 years is quite reasonable.
That said, you should still try your best to rotate them into your normal food consumption, because other wise at SOME point, they will have to be tossed.  Keeping them in that temperature range also helps a LOT.  My understanding is that every 10 degree average below 70 doubles storage life, as every 10 above cuts it in half.
Greaseman…How do I get to the food prep section of SHTF on my PC? So I can read the latest entries? I keep pulling up the economic section. Also Jeff …From now on when there is a sale or BYGO in stores…only buy a good bit if it has an expiration date of at least 16-18 mos from now. You just have to look and uaually if one of the same thing is (for example) tuna is on sale the date is the same on all of them…but double check to be sure. Sometimes I have to reach to the back for the latest” good until date” but rarely. (Ofcourse I put the stuff I moved back neatly as it was because somebody took the time to place them so orderly on the shelf and it would be rude not to keep it that way) As soon as you take it home to put it away …mark the exp date with a sharpie for quick reference. You may want to start using those close to exp now and replace as you are able to. I started about 18 mos. ago and I do not have anything that expires until at least this summer and most of it is 2012 2013 and some things evn later. Use your emergency supply as you go and keep a list so you can restock as things go on sale for as longas you can until the SHTF.
Comments…..@ donna
 Not sure about a food section on this web site. i would suggest doing a google search on prep check lists, and the results will bring you more than you can ever read. The info is definetly out there, whether it’s blogs, or other web sites. You just have to find a site that fits your lifestyle. just explore the various links on this site, and you should have plenty info. one thing leads to another. Good luck, and happy hunting.
I know its christmastime time and freezedried food places like to make some more sales .Every yeasr we hear the same old crap , that thier shortages , prices are going higher, government has bought ti al lup, itw wearing really thin with me . We have a globa lfood supply, hell, even most of vergetables are coming from mexico, chili, europe , etc. The question is not if we will have food in supply, the question wil be can one afford it ? with oil prices coming up and will be at highes again in the summer of 2011, this will only add to food prices . Many other places that sale freezedried fooda rent reporting the same things as mountain house and nitro pac is . But if you have been watching freezedried food, thier have been some really great sales.I suspect that they want to get rid of thier old stock as the new year is approaching so they can stock up on the new stock for 2011. If you cause demand to occur, you can get more money and sale more food so its more profitable , combine that with christmas season and the economy, you got yourself a homerun !!!  I also dont believe in these 2 -3 year supplies,because if its that bad , then its the end of the world scenerio and you will lose what you have through force between government confiscation and the Hords starving to death outside while your holed up enjoying your ham and eggs and buscuits from a can for breakfast every morning , it wont last for long as you will be targeted and dont give me the crap story taht you will kill everyone of them , Better get that Rambo mentality out of your mind and get back to reality . I agree food storage is practicle for emergencies and unforseen things but that is what its exactly for ,its not meant for a lifetime of enjoyment and giving you the feeling that you will survive longer than others and give you that safety comfortable feeling, thier are too many variables to this and hunger will drive people to kill, rob and murder and even commit cannibalism to survive . In fact people will most likely be in groups and clans , like a wolf pack because you can survive longer and everybody gets a little something . what ever happens is unpredictable and one cant say they are 100% ready for anythign because that is a lie ! all i msaying is take reasonable precautions, get some food storage and such to survive for 6 months .Because after 6 months if its that bad, 60% of the people will be dead allready from starvation, disease, illness, lack of medical care, lack of shelter from the elements and haveing contaminated water which hastens dreath rather quickly . One big mistake mamny people have, especially these people with 1 and 2 and 3 food supplies, is they dont have the required water supplies to support thier food storage .An average 1 year freezedried food supply will require 275-300 gallons of water .Do you have That stocked up in storage? What about the water required for you to drink and live off of as well? You may want to concider at least a minimum of 200 gallons just for drinking and that is only about 67 ounces of water a day for a year for just 1 person . when you havee a family of 2 or 3 or 4, you can see how much water will be required. You can weeks without food but you wont last 5 days without water . I see to many times peopel with all of this food and ask them about water? they say well we will fill ourbath tubs up, use the water from the ater heater and go down to the river or ponds .then i ask tehm do ou have a water purifcation devise? Because you will need one to stop from getting sick and they most always say no .Or i have 4 cases of bottled water stored up and that should last foo a few months, i just sit thier in amazement to thier answers . I told them unless you have a full swimmimng pool in yourback yeard, you better start haveiogna bucnh of bareels of water that is properly stored with al least 5 year preservative in it .Just throwing water in a barrel and sealing it from tap doesnt it mean it wont get contaminated, between heat and cold, water can do some ugly things and make you so sick , you wish you were dead . Preserve it or lose it if your stroring in barrels and have a preserveter on hand for future storeing needs for more water . Think i said to much allready , but please think about what i wrote, its important for your survival long term that is.
@ Donna,
Walgreen’s has Sharpie’s on sale this week, starting today, lol 🙂 I’m going to get me some more!!!!
@Anonymous – You need to quit telling lies here. MREs are not made for long shelf life. I have offical military ones and civilian and they’re all 5-6 years in perfect conditions. While FD foods are 15-25+ years.
If all you can afford is rice, beans are other dry items then put the product into mylar bags, along with oxygen aborbers and then seal them up and put the packages into a 5gal bucket (food grade is NOT needed if you sore it out of direct sunlight). Nice for sure will last 20+ years stored like that. I put my rice into 5lb bags and those 5lb bags into the 5gal bucket. Holds 20-25lbs like that I find.
Just make sure you have a lot of stuff to put up when you open the bag of oxygen absorbers. The smallest package I’ve found of them is 10 per. So that works to do a 50lb bag of rice but its more expensive then a 50 pack.
Ha, seen TnAndy just said what I did.
I also put up red hard wheat the same way.
I wouldn’t plan on a garden or animals to survive Laura, unless you’re in a very secure location. I live on acrage but expect to lose all that stuff. People now-a-days do not have the same mentality that they did back in the 1930s. They feel they are entitled to whatever they want. Doesn’t matter if they’ve not earned it. I am planning on losing my garden and animals to theives. Heck we have plans to bring the chickens into the house at night into a well ventilated room (to the outside).
@Tom – Another way to keep flour is to freeze it for a few weeks to kill anything in it then put it into buckets as TnAndy or myself above suggested. I’ve used flour 8 years later (lost the bucket lol) and it was perfectly fine. Though we prefer to keep hard wheat and grind our own now. No freezing involved so technically less work and it seems to taste fresher no matter if you bought the flour that morning from Safeway or whatever.
Remember to get a lot, LOT of salt. No, not table salt but pickling salt. I have no real clue how much we have of it, over 500lbs at this point. But we only have about 100lbs of regular salt. I also love pickled carrots, beans and a few other things so I have like 40gals of pickling vinegar and its a good cleaning agent too! (works better then windex and a lot cheaper).
Why Pickling Salt verses Table Salt?
Doesn’t have the iodine in it that most table salt has…that messes with a lot of canning/pickling processes.
Mike: We used some fairly old flour as well with no problem. Somehow, I got a bucket of Baker’s Flour in an order from Walton Feed, and set it aside for about 10 years, like you, forgetting about it. Pulled it out, and used it, worked fine. This was mylar bagged with O2 absorber in a 6 gallon bucket.  We also use wheat berries and grind our own, mixing the whole wheat with some white flour to lighten up the density of the bread.
I use mainly Sea-Salt for everything
You are right Mike. Didn’t mean the way it came out. I think the MRE’s would be better in a stable situation and they are hydrated already. I see 5-6 years as long life.
I checked the buckets at Home Depot the other day and they are HDPE high density polyethylene, food grade or not this is probably the safest plastic in the world to have in contact with food,its safe!
Having ran a Army/Navy store in my past…and having bought and sold tons of MREs,heres my two cents worth.
MREs are a good emergency backup,most people will not enjoy eating them everyday,a few will but not many.
MREs have a “official” shelf life of 130 months,this figure is not based on anything more than the tests of military personels response to the question…”does it taste okay”? They will last longer in optimum conditions(cool/dry) and less under harsh(especially heat) conditions,Ive had guys tell me they are good after 15 years,they really dont spoil,they just degrade in nutrition…so how long they will last is a open question at this point.
Also there is no real difference between civilian and mil-spec MREs, just the wrapper with all the govt codes on them….and that wrapper is what can cost you big time…IT IS ILLEGAL TO POSSESS MIL-issue MREs…and it can add up to many thousands of dollars in fines PER unit,I know because I have freiends who are dealers in military spec items and they got raided…I myself got a letter from uncle sam informing me not to deal in them…this is a technicality that they would not hesitate to use against you if you got crossways of the govt,you do what you want I am just letting you all know,just in case you didnt…if you have them keep them out of sight and dont barter or trade them with anyone you are not 100% sure of….be safe not sorry!
Â
Donna, the beef will do fine,dumplings not so good at standing up to time,may be okay if you didnt store them a long time.
REB…Thanks for checking on the storage issue. Wasn’t going to change what I have done anyway but gives me peace of mind. AS for the life of storage of food…Everyone’s different….Some a month….some a year…some people 30 years. I believe as for myself one to one and half years supply is enough to buy time. And that’s all I have to say about that. Thank you for being so kind to respond!
Thank you to all the “TRUE ” SHTF’ ers out there! I am not sure any more about what I “post” or whom I chat with. Probably will not “chat” or share again. Unless someone can prove otherwise to me…I’m out. Big loss huh? I was a pain in the behind anyway! Thank you guys so much for the advice and help! Best of luck to all the true bloggers!
D
Donna: try Survival Mom or Mother Earth News for food topics. Good info on both sites.
And….”peewees mom”..Find another web site. There are so many for you to choose from. Knock yourself out.
REB You are in bed I am sure but who the hell would want to sell or trade MREs for anything whatsoever? What a waste when you can be creative and come up with a much better meal. They are perfect I guess for combat ….but for survival meals long term??? STUPID!!!! Good grief! If people are too lazy to even begin to work in the direction of food supply and possibilities………
 Donna…No, still up trying to get all my mailings out and my contacts taken care of for the effort to stop passage of SB510,figured I’d respond to your question if I can.
MREs are not the most palatable thing out there(my opinion)Â (although some people really do enjoy them)and for a person who wants to “eat well” during a crisis they do seem to come up short, however they do fill a niche’ so to speak in a survival situation and they do indeed make a good trade item when things get tough,especially for situations where you may just want to help someone on their way so to speak,you can hand them an MRE and send them along knowing you helped them and at the same time you didnt dip into your personal stock of higher end goods!
You can stash MREs in places where you may have a reason to be at any given time in an emergency,the trunk of your car,an out building,maybe a boat or ATV,plane…bugout site ect…kinda like an insurance policy in a tight spot,make sense?
Most people I know who have MREs do not plan on them as their only resort,most use them as trade goods or last resort … there are as many plans out there as there are planners so it falls mostly to each person who is planning as to how MREs will be used or excluded from the plan.
They do have a place,(mainly for short term planning)but I wouldnt personally want to count  on them as my only option, but even though I am prepared for most anything I still have a few stashed in strategic places so to speak,hope that helps.
Comments…..Donna,you are entitled to your opinion and that’s fine about mre’s.These are nothing more than another staple in a “preppers” food supply,some food is better than nothing.Do not “just” have mre’s as your to go food source,diversify with canned goods and other food sources and have mre’s/dehydrated food as your back up.Folks..forget about “experation dates” on canned goods,if the canned good{s} are not dented,bulged,rusted etc the food is edible long after the experation date.Reb, i agree with you on mre’s they DO NOT EXPIRE,just loose nutrition over time,look at the “julian calendar” on the mre pack and this will tell you the D.O.B of the mre.I am no means an expert in food storage,i go with what works for me.have plenty of vitamins/fiber on hand to supplement the food you are eating.As gerald celente says “think for yourself”..Here’s a link you all may be interested in http://www.youtube.com/user/AnalyticalSurvival?blend=2&ob=1#p/c/730D22F8A44360C4
REB Good point re MREs. I do have a few.
Reb, I just show them my I.D. card when I buy a military MRE. They are the same as the ones that my unit is issued when we go into the field. But I rather pull out a Swans business delivered vacuum sealed 14 oz filet mignon steak out of the freezer. They go on sale about once a year. Â
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When I was in Vietnam in the mid-60s we were eating C-rations dating to WWII. When I left in 1966, we were eating from storage dates 1943. Not great food but never opened anything that had spoiled.
donkey lips: you probably have something really interesting to say, but some people like me, probably do not bother to read it when it is all in one paragraph.
Try breaking it up a bit for your readers. Thanks
Greaseman stated somewhere about what are you going to do “after” about food & money. Many here could buy an incubator & learn how to hatch/raise chickens & quail. I purchased a 12 volt model that has a converter that plugs into 110volt. Get the adapter cord to plug into a 12 volt battery also in case you can’t sit on them when the electricity goes out and you don’t have a gen. Automatic egg turner if you get a “large” one.
http://www.strombergschickens.com/products/basic_incubators.php
Yes MREs are still edible after a long period. But in a collapse situation nutrition will be a VERY important factor. Food that is deficient will be next to useless. You will have no clue what is missing in your diet and might get ill or a weakened immune system when you need it at its peak the most. This goes for canned goods, which are thankfully packaged in BPA lined cans which, even dented the food will be “safe”. But you can keep the poison I prefer to eat healthy. We store a boat load of dehydrated/frozen from our own garden each year. We get dried beans and make our own baked beans (like Bush’s).
Anything I get that is from a store is in glass (getting to be less and less).
Not everyone can produce their own veggies/fruit but you can get it at the local farmers market and do it yourself, safely, at home. More work but more rewarding also. Turn off the TV, do it with your kids (though likely preaching to the choir here).
Comments….. Under the something to remember category. Right now, as we discuss the pros and cons of this food type or that food type, we do so from the perspective of a full stomach.  Perspective is everything.  I have never personally gone hungry, well, maybe except for that camping trip as a kid, when I ate all my food within an hour of getting to the camp site.Â
      If a person is hungry, and I mean hungry, he cares not how much nutrition is in something, or how many calories are in it, or how it tastes. he cares about one thing, and that’s how it fills his belly.  Â
     To me, it’s nice if an mre has good flavor, but in the right circumstances, the package would probably taste good if I hadn’t eaten for 3 days. Also on can goods. The best if used by date is a good starting ground, but I have a feeling, as long as it wasn’t spoiled, a person who hadn’t eaten for 3 days would probably think it was a gourmet delight.
     One last item on food. This comes under the category of, “I can’t believe I’m admitting this”. Years ago, as I was feeding the family dog, My curiosity overcame my better sense, and I wondered what the dry dog food that i was feeding my dog tasted like. It wasn’t actually too bad. Have you checked the nutrition label on the good stuff.?? If I hadn’t eaten in 3 or 4 days, the dog would have to get in line behind me. Don’t say you’d never do it. Have you ever gone hungry??  You’d be fighting me for first in line, don’t kid yourself.
     Good luck all. Buy whatever food you can, in whatever style you can. In the end—-it’s all good.
How many of you have eaten beans for more than one meal. I can you it will get old fast.  Also you will spend a lot of time in the craper.Â
old man…Can’t say I have but they are very much a part of my emergency supplies. Easily stored,versatile (if you are creative) ,healthy and high in protein. I guess I spent enough time with my grandmother to learn about food shortage and the value of any food whatsoever. There are people all over the world that beans ARE a part of their daily diet and they do just fine if not better than those Americans who eat nothing but fast food and processed meals .So if they eat a healthly meal their bodies can’t take it. But the majority of us Americans just don’t know how to get in the kitchen and rattle those pots and pans. I for one, am very thankful to have been raised differently as I have passed down to my, now grown, children. Grand children are a lost cause however.
@ oldman –
Most of Central and South America eat beans, rice and plantin two and three times a day and do very well on it. This type of diet is an excellent source of low cost, high quality protien and carbs.
Perhaps it is theway that you are preparing your beans. If they are bland then they suck, but if you spice them up a bit they are excellent. Our adult children beg my wife for a plate of beans, rice and an egg tortilla at least a couple of times a week.
I make a huge pot of 15 bean soup at least once a month. It has everything in it but the kitchen sink. 5 gallons of soup seems like a lot, but once we start sharing it out with the 4 other families of our ‘tribe’ that live in our immediate area and my wife freezes a couple of containers for use later in the month ….. it doesn’t seem like very much at all.
There are online resources and I would imagine that your local library has recipe books featuring beans. Good luck.
Is it true that the “best if used by” date on canned food is just the fanufacturers recommendation and the food will be good for many more years.