Alternative to MRE's?

[News Shooter]

Anybody have any recommendations? I went down to REI and their meals are pretty expensive...seems to be online as well. Is there a more economical
way????

[guntotin_fool]

just go to the local big box super market adn look at all the foods that are available as dehydrated or ready to eat. all these just add water soups, rice dishes. cans of tuna or chicken, anything that does not require refrigeration. Use you imagination and realize too that big boxes can be reloaded into smaller extra tough zip locks and save 80% of the space.

if you have ultra pastureised stuff or gamma ray irradiated food at you stores those keep for a very long time, eggs can stay good for months with no refrigeration. cheese for a year. something to look at

[AK103K]

I like the Mountain House stuff. Its a little pricey, but its worth the extra cost to me. Cant get any easier than boiling water and no clean up.

[Wildalaska]

Ditto..I carry a weeks supply for two people in my truck at all times

WildboyscoutAlaska

[CarbineCaleb]

+1 On Guntotin's post

You want food that is lightweight, doesn't need refrigeration, has a long shelf life, and yet (hopefully) is still edible.

- Pasta and rice based products are great - just don't get plain rice or pasta - old fashioned Mac&Cheese was the classic back in the day and still works... plus nowadays they have all kinds of pouched or boxed rice and pasta based foods that have some dehydrated sauce with spices.

- Can improve the above greatly as a meal by tossing in a little canned tuna, canned chicken, canned corned beef

- Dried fruits - raisins or plums are the cheapest, but they have apples, bananas, apricots, you name it

- Nuts of all kinds, shelled

- Dried skim milk - if you use water that is right out of a glacier, this stuff is downright yummy

- Flavored oatmeal pouches work out real well for breakfast (or grits if you're from the South )

- If you are not living in a southern state (where it'd melt) some dark chocolate is a nice treat (and holds up better than milk in high temps).

- Don't forget coffee! Coffee can get you through times with no food, but food can't get you through times with no coffee.

- If you check out a backpacking supply place, they usually have compact all-in-one spice dispensers

[Capt. Charlie]

I like the Mountain House stuff. Its a little pricey, but its worth the extra cost to me. Cant get any easier than boiling water and no clean up

+1 on Mountain House! Be sure to try their freeze dried ice cream ( No! Really! It's great!) Also, Cal's right about the coffee. If I ran out, I think I'd have to become an anarchist and rob the coffee store!

On top of the freeze dried foods, you need to make sure you have a potable supply of water, something that's more rare than feathers on an alligator in N.O. right now. A Sweetwater Guardian, PUR, or MSA hand held filter system is an absolute must!

[claude783]

For water a simple solar still could be made out of some wood and clear plastic sheeting.

For the house, I have taken rice, put it in 50 gal. cans, put a candle in it, and then sealed the can. The candle burns off the oxygen...Spam can be store without refridgeration.

Beef Jerky can be tucked back. I also have some jars of tea, (don't drink coffee) tucked back.

I don't plan of carrying a lot of stuff if the SHTF here in the Los Angeles area. Have tucked supplies back in the desert. Have basic food supplies there and a protected water source.

One thing, if this emergency had happened in my area, I not only would have the 40,000 gang bangers, but probably a million mexicans coming across the border to rape, pillage, loot, and kill!

For calories you need "fat". So any way you can add fat to your diet when the problems arise you have a higher calorie food.

[CarbineCaleb]

On top of the freeze dried foods, you need to make sure you have a potable supply of water

Hey Capt! The Captain makes an excellent point that I completely overlooked. If you want real compact/cheap, iodine tabs do work in the sense of safety for pathogens, but don't alleviate the nasty taste of mucky water... the filters he describes will produce great tasting water from some pretty crappy input, and some also have a carbon element to cut down on any organic toxics too!

[Eghad]

I remeber when those things first came out..... and they took away my beloved C-rats. You could heat em on the vehicle manifolds...

we said MRE stood for Meals Rejected by Ethiopians

those things were some kind of nasty.... I saved some from the field and tested em on my dog...she tried to bury em....lol

However, they have improved a lot..... the only thing is you shouldnt eat more than 2 a day. I usually take em outa the package and put together what I want for meals in a plastic freezer bag.

If ya request it I will tell ya how to use that toilet paper in the bag...which was passed down to me by my dad who was in the Marines....lol

see a lot of good freeze dried stuff in the stores but you have to have potable water........think that is where an MRE has an advantage...if its an emergency you might want to conserve the water for drinkin...

if its a nice warm day you can always lay the foil packages out in the sun....

FYI..if the MRE is bloated..dont eat it. I always felt sorry for the vet assistant who came by to recertify our MREs after the expiration date went out... he had to taste them while he was sampling them....

[Wildalaska]

but probably a million mexicans coming across the border to rape, pillage, loot, and kill!

really? Do you honestly think that aMILLION mexican citizens would act in such a criminal fashion????

WildhmmmAlaska

[Eghad]

If they had to live on MREs a few weeks they might leave and go back home

[Chindo18Z]

Some Stream of Unconciousness Thoughts:

1. The old military C-rations & modern MREs always include packets of powdered "kool-aid" type drink mix. They allow you to drink otherwise unpalatable water you have just filtered/purified from some rice paddy, stream, seep hole, or puddle by masking the taste of both the nasty water and whatever chemicals you have used to sterilize it. They also provide vitamin C. Just add enough for flavor (as opposed to adding an entire packet to a single cup or canteen). You can stretch the powder out.

2. For below freezing cold weather, Crisco shortening sticks are great source of calories & fat. Use to fry anything (if possible) or just add to cookpot (soups, stews, etc.). They are easy to carry, require no refridgeration, and can be stored forever. Also available with butter flavoring already added. Have used with great success in extreme winter environments (snow mobile expeditions in Rockies & above Arctic Circle). Canadian Army Inuit Scouts carry frozen fish & Crisco along with a deep fryer or deep pot/pan. Makes a hot, greasy, high calorie, high fat, high protein winter meal...mmmm...GOOD. Also corn dogs, hush puppies, hashbrown patties, frozen chicken, etc. You can also use Crisco sticks during warmer weather although it could get a little messy without a ziplock bag.

3. Winter temperatures allow you to carry just about anything that you would ordinarily stock in your freezer or fridge...

4. I habitually carry butter during cold weather...think high fat/calories and add it to all food.

5. Semi-hard / hard cheese, dried fruit, trail mix, nuts, dried / cured sausage (pepperoni, landjager, summer sausage), tinned meat (spam, tuna, corned beef, etc.), and hard crust bread or crackers will travel well, even during warm weather. They require no fire or stove, deliver all the nutrients you need, and provide lots of calories. This is standard fare for backpacking, Alpine ski touring, and climbing. It's also really handy for when you need to conserve fuel or can't light a fire due to a desire to keep a low profile.

6. Instant mashed potatos, rice, cheese macaroni, hominy, pasta, cous-cous, oatmeal, grits, or cream-of-wheat are bombproof, lightweight, and simple to prepare (even with cold water). Premix with seasonings, bacon bits, brown sugar, or salt and place in ziplock freezer bags. Add some butter, margarine, or crisco and you are good to go. Lots of carbs (and fat if you have the butter or shortening). In a pinch you can eat the stuff dry and wash it down with some water. Every supermarket in the land carries pre-packaged meals in some sort of flavor combination you can grow to love. In survival situations, add any food you've got to a batch of instant starch... it's all about the Hamburger Helper.

7. For SHTF, with regards to canned or retort pouch meats, always choose foods packed in oil vs. water (i.e., sardines or tuna in oil or greasy corned beef). FAT is your FRIEND. This is no time to worry about breaking your diet. Moving with a rucksack during cold weather can require an easy 4000 calories per day, especially when being chased by zombies...

8. Washboard abs are nice, but love-handles rule. 2% body fat is UNDESIREABLE in a survival situation. Slightly fat folks handle stress, cold, and lack of food better than willowy folks (especially in winter conditions). Bears and Humans are omnivores who are designed by nature to eat whatever is available whenever it is available...and store the excess as fat (for hard times). THE EASIEST WAY TO CARRY SURVIVAL FOOD IS INSIDE YOUR SKINSUIT. BTW, this also applies to water. Hydrate at every opportunity; fill your canteens, jugs, or camelback...but also drink your fill when you have water sources available.

9. A plastic bottle of One-A-Day multi-vitamins is light weight, worth more than it's weight in gold, and is the cheapest long term dietary insurance policy you can carry. One 100-tab bottle will easily see you through 3+ months of uncertainty. Vitamins will supplement what may soon be a long-term crappy diet, help you to ward off sickness, maintain night vision, and enhance your body's ability to recover/heal from physical exertion and injury.

10. If you plan on cooking anything, the best means (nutritionally) is to stew your food. Every bit of dripping, cook water, and juice is retained and consumed (along with calories that would be cooked out over an open roasting flame). Rinse your cookware with clean water and then drink that. Naturally, don't stick dirty hands into your rinse water.

11. My basic military cook set for the last 30 years has consisted of an aluminum GI canteen cup and a plastic spoon. That's all you actually need.
If you are carrying GI 1-qt canteens (2 are recommended), carry a second canteen cup. Your canteens will nest inside the cups and take up little room. One cup is for heating water and the other is for food. After heating water and adding to chow, refill the water-heating cup and continue to heat more water. I haven't used a steel mess kit since Basic Training. Every ounce counts if you have to carry it on your back. The important thing is to always have some sort of container that can accept food if you are fortunate enough to stumble into a situation where someone else is offering the grub.

12. For winter use, add a deep, stainless steel, backpacker type cookpot with lockable lid and folding handle. It should be at least 2-qt sized (you will need a lot of hot water and the ability to melt snow over a fire). It can also be used to store a small stove, food, or anything else that needs protection from impact.

13. An all stainless steel thermos bottle is priceless for cold weather use. It will weigh more than a comparable canteen but will allow you to prepare hot boiling water once per day, travel, and have the capability to prepare a hot meal (dried foods in #6 above) in about 2 minutes when the sun goes down. A 2-qt capacity thermos works best. The smaller ones don't carry enough water. An all-steel thermos can be placed on top of stove or wood fire to reheat contents or even to thaw frozen contents. No plastic covers or outer liners! Thermos bottles with the glass inner liner will break...make sure that the bottle uses a steel liner. BTW, old surplus metal canteens work great in winter due to their ability to be placed directly on stove/flame but will not insulate water that you have previously heated for later use.

14. Beans & Rice: Cooked together, they offer a complete protein (substitute for meat) and lots of carbohydrates. Add oil, butter, or crisco for fat.

15. Always keep something exotic stashed away for the appropriate SHTF moment. Sometimes a dose of surreality is all it takes to pick up the spirits of your party. "Hey folks, we may be cold, but at least it's raining...tinned truffles in wine sauce anyone?".

16. Never forget salt. Keep it in a waterproof container.

17. Never forget spices (pepper, garlic, etc.)

18. Tobasco sauce will make a catfish milkshake taste good...

19. Even if caught up in a rapidly unfolding disaster, don't overlook what you may already have in your larder. Potatos & Onions (already wrapped in Mother Nature's skin) should be tossed into your pack or vehicle (if you have the room). Put 'em on a sharp stick over a flame or boil. See # 16 above.

20. HONEY is one of the best survival foods extant. It is a readily digestible simple sugar for quick energy and provides an insanely high level of calories for when your body needs energy RIGHT NOW. Glucose tablets (like diabetics use) are also a good thing when your ass is dragging.

Continued on subsequent post:

[Chindo18Z]

21. Peanut butter is high fat, some protein, and provides a lot of calories.

21. Instant coffee, cocoa, or tea can make all the difference under almost any bad circumstances.

22. Twinkies are an intrusion from a separate space/time continuum. If you are dead and buried with a Twinky, it will still be edible several years later. Have your friends geo-cache your burial site for future consideration...

23. Dehydrated vs. wet food is always a conundrum. Weight vs. availability of water. If you have a vehicle for your bugout or SHTF, carry the wet goods in the vehicle. Carry more of the dry stuff and high-octane energy food in your backpack. If the weight problem comes down to more water or more food...choose water.

24. Dried baby formula can be added to almost any other foodstuff to increase nutrition (especially for ill elderly and children). If you are bugging out with small ones, stock up on pre-mixed liquid formula and some sort of electrolyte (like Pedia-lite)

25. MREs are the simplest and most proven SHTF food you can easily store and carry. Big-brained folks in military labs earned big paychecks coming up with these. They are self contained, long lasting, require no water, and are designed to keep Joe on the go under almost all conditions. The mistake most people make is thinking that 3 MREs equals one day's food. Plan on two stripped-down MREs per person, per day. If you can carry complete cases in your vehicle you are golden. But, if you plan on carrying on your back, open every pouch (by carefully slicing open one end) and dump everything on the floor. Toss everything that you don't actually like, need, or plan to use. Repack the things you want (mixing/matching/adding) into the bags. Feel free to augment the factory meals with an added ziplock bag full of instant oatmeal, rice, etc.. This will save humping useless weight. Roll-fold one end of an opened bag (squeezing out as much air as possible) and seal with duct tape. In the military, this is called field stripping an MRE. You will lose some of the storage longevity provided by the outer pouch factory seal but increase your ability to carry more days of food.

If you even remotely entertain the notion of using your MREs during cold weather, retain the chemical heater elements. Practice using the heaters once or twice before a SHTF situation develops.

Weigh each bag before putting away. Figure out (by weight) how much food you need per day. Every ounce counts against mobility. Every calorie counts for survival. The implied task is to do this long before you have a desperate need. You should be able to reach for a modified pouch and know that everything you need for one meal is right there (minus water).

26. You've got to mesh your food load against your bug-out/evacuation plan intentions. If you have no experience at backpacking, pick-up a book at Barnes & Noble for good advice concerning caloric intake requirements, food menus, weight vs. packaging ideas. This goes along with preparedness skills pertaining to SHTF (physical fitness, shelter making, first aid, etc.). Have a plan for how much food you can reasonably carry to support how long/far you intend to travel. You're better off with candy bars and Kraft Macaroni that you are comfortable with than some exotic emergency meal you've never seen, prepared, or tasted.

27. Always keep something in reserve. In a buttpack, pocket, or belt pouch. This is your emergency meal; something that will give that last shot of fuel to get you through the snow storm, across the swamp, or over the mountaintop. It's your nutritional last-best-move and only to be used for last resort...not as a handy snack. High calorie, high fat, high sugar (pemmican, honey, chocolate bars, whatever). You'll reap a psychological comfort just knowing that it is there, even if you never have to crack it open.

28. Walk through your local supermarket. Take a look at the hundreds of items offered and purchase samples of things you don't ordinarily eat. Prepare them at home using the gear you plan on having for your SHTF situation. Almost anything dry can be repackaged (in smaller or larger portions) using freezer bags, soft plastic bottles, or food vacuum sealers. You can essentially manufacture your own version of Mountainhouse freeze-dried meals right off your supermarket shelves. Buy things in bulk (like canned freeze-dried miniature shrimp, powdered egg prefect, or dried meat). See what items certain cafeterias and resaraunts purchase for long term storage.
You'll eventually come up with a menu that you can afford to buy, carry, and live off of.

29. Somewhere in New Orleans is a guy on a roof eating a soggy Twinkie that floated by. Don't be that guy.

30. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to every suffering American along the Gulf Coast. I'm sorry it has taken this event to revitalize BOB/SHTF discussion on this and other similar threads. Hopefully we can all glean useful knowledge for the inevitable next time...


BTW: Years of MRE consumption must have given me ADH or a lowered IQ. I have strayed far from the original topic. My apologies.

[almark]

This may be anti-climactic after Chindo's post ( ), but I really like those Lipton Pasta/Rice/Asian/Mexican sides. And another good thing is adding swiss miss hot cocoa mix to apple cinnamon instant oatmeal... good eatin'.

[claude783]

I think I would like to have Chindo around if the SHTF....excellent, well thought out advice!

Now, you should also be aware that Rabbit doesn't contain enough fat to survive on. Seems that "our" bodies require a certain amount of fat to digest and use the protein. So, if your planning on surviving on rabbits in the wild you have to figure out another source of fat. The rolling over logs and eating the "fat" juicy grubs you find is one source of fat...

I have always figured the best way is to store equipment and supplies ahead of time to your retreat. The roads will be impassable. For my personal getting out of the city, I had planned on loading backpacks on bicycles and using the train tracks...slow,steady, and probably the only way out of the area I'm located in!

At work, asked our safety guy how much food they had stored...3 days worth for 100 men...so if I have a gun, that means I will have almost a year of food sitting at my work place...only kidding...conversation came up when he mentioned they got permits from the coast guard to store gasoline for a generator...I asked if he had "stabilized" the gas...got this blank expression, so explained that gas stored for any length of time forms a varnish...can purchase stablilizer at any of the automotive store...oops got off track here..

[TangoTracker]

Chindo-- Thanks for taking the time to write such a great post.

[MRex21]

Chindo,

I just printed out your extensive list. Thank you for your effort. BTW...your post made me hungry.

[kkb]

My goodness ya'll are making me look bad!

All I put for food in my BOB are few packs of emergency rations. My goal isn't to be a gourmet whilst bugging out, just good enough TO get out without an excisive burden should I have to hoof it.

I figure after a while there'll be a diner or something, even if it's days away.

[butch50]

All I have for food in my bob is 3 days of emergency rations, the type used in life boats. It is lightweight and will keep for years in my pack. And my .22 pistol. I won't starve to death for at least a couple of weeks even without eating anything. I don't plan on going without eating anything though, lots of small game around. Think duck ponds and pigeons for instance.

Something that hasn't been discussed much is cacheing. If you have a definite place you will be going to, and you are going to get there by a specific route, you can cache supplies along the route ahead of time. One simple but effective cache can be made of 12" pvc pipe, stuffed full of goodies, and caps glued on the ends. Bury it someplace where no one will stumble on it but that you can find, and you have a valuable resource. You can bury several along the way, depending on how far it is. The pvc will last for decades buried.

At your destination you can do the same thing, bury supplies there or nearby in a hidden spot. You can bury tons of canned goods, water, ammo, extra weapons, just about anything with a long shelf life.

Possibly the most important tool to have with you is a P-38. Don't leave home without one.

[kungfucowboy]

a good place for freeze dried noodles is your local asian supermarket some of them (japanese manufactured espescially) are good enough i take them for lunches even when i don't have to, just don't expect cup o ramen prices they tend to cost 1.50-3.00 depending on type.

[News Shooter]

Great ideas from everyone, especially Chindo

I just got back from the grocery store where I spent an hour going through every shelf. It'z amazing what things the grocery has that I never noticed before. I guess we get pre-programmed when we go.

I examined everything on the shelves that appeared to be a possibility for long-term with the exception of large canned items.

The first thing I bought a bunch of was Starkist tuna in touches. They were on sale for 99 cents and the expiration date was 2008. I decided that I wouldn't buy anything that:

Had an expiration date of less than two years and

couldn't be opened without a can opener.

From here I went to the yes, you guessed it, good old SPAM! I got several cans of that and a couple of cans of corned beef. Then I moved over to the soups. I found most of the add hot water types expired in a year but I did get several pop top cans of Campbells.

Then I found all kinds of canned chicken products and bought a bunch.

Finally I settled on small cans of various types of fruit, peaches, pears, etc.

I figure the whole survival part of my tab was no more than $25. Most of the items were a dollar or less. It doesn't take up much room and should keep two of us alive for at least a week.

Now, my plan is to pick up one or two additional items every time I go to the store in order to blend the $$$ in gradually.

[alpineman]

I like MountainHouse, but lately on climbing trips I've taken Campfood brand. Sorry - don't remember where I got it. Same concept - freeze dried, just add boiling water to the package - 2 servings, high calorie and not too bad in terms of taste. It's still more expensive than what you could pick up at the grocery store, but you get the whole freeze-dried convenience a bit cheaper.

[Bob41081]

If you are going to depend on Lifeboat rations for your BOB I would recommend trying them in a non emergency situation. I tried the Mainstay brand twice 3 days apart and got a bad case of diarrehea both times. Becoming dehydrated in an emergency situation is not a good thing. If you are going to use them at least carry extra water and Immodium.

Bob

[joab]

Summer sausages and pepperonis will give you a fat calorie boost.
I think they're indestructible.
During the power outage last year they were our source of meat.
For some reason nobody else bought them up at the grocery store

[butch50]

Immodium is a superb idea to have in a bob!