Random Thought Thread

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Random stuff by the door
 
gunslinger387 said:
What brand of freeze dried food would you recommend for bulk home storage? Why?
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It depends on what you're planning on using it for, but Mountain House is my go to, for freeze dried food.

It has its place in my supplies, because I actually like the flavors of their various offerings, and they're also easy for backpacking. I buy them in the #10 cans when there are sales (there are places where you sign up for sales notifications, with sales about 4 times a year).

For backpacking, just open the can and put the contents in those freezer ziploc bags. A lot easier to pack than their vacuum packed foilpacks, and a lot lighter.

Yes, they're salty, but I figure when backpacking, I'm sweating out a lot of salt anyway.

For bulk supplies though, the standard rice, beans, salt, lard (seasoning etc.) are easier and much cheaper for caloric content.

The freeze dried stuff is just a supplemental stored food supply that's very easy to prepare (just add hot/boiling water).

I've also taught myself to make those superlight double walled alcohol stoves from a single pop can and just my SAK. They work great with Heet in the yellow bottles (available at most gas stations and many convenience stores).

The Heet in the red bottles will work too, but the yellow is methanol, and burns better than the red which is isopropanol. One bottle of yellow Heet will cook a weeks worth of Mountain House (it doesn't take much to boil enough water to make a large serving).

Making the stoves and then using them to prep a freeze dried meal is also a fun activity for younger kids, who are old enough to learn how to make one, with a little direction/help.

Dunno, if anyone else is nuts enough to do 'power outage' dry runs (i.e. pick a weekend where the 'power will be out'). Start with 1-day, then extend it to a weekend. Everything gets shut off, and you get to see how well you're prepped for a power outage.

I also have some boxes of MREs for even less prep required. No hurricanes up here, but for folks in hurricane territory, clean up is hard enough. Having a hot meal where the prep is just, 'put the heater and food pouch in the large pouch. Add water. Close pouch. Wait x minutes', can be really convenient. I don't use them for backpacking very much though. They're bulkier and heavier than the freeze dried stuff.
 
gunslinger387 said:
What brand of freeze dried food would you recommend for bulk home storage? Why?
Click to expand...

I like MountainHouse for their availability and shelf life as well. But I found Peak Refuel a couple of years ago and love their stuff. Once prepared, the food straight up tastes like freshly made meals. Their nutritional facts are much better as well (MH kills you with the sodium and cholesterol). The downsides are that they are a touch more expensive than MH, aren't as available, and the shelf life isn't as long (I think it's like 5-6 years vs something like twice that with MH).
 
bluemax_1 said:
It depends on what you're planning on using it for, but Mountain House is my go to, for freeze dried food.

It has its place in my supplies, because I actually like the flavors of their various offerings, and they're also easy for backpacking. I buy them in the #10 cans when there are sales (there are places where you sign up for sales notifications, with sales about 4 times a year).

For backpacking, just open the can and put the contents in those freezer ziploc bags. A lot easier to pack than their vacuum packed foilpacks, and a lot lighter.

Yes, they're salty, but I figure when backpacking, I'm sweating out a lot of salt anyway.

For bulk supplies though, the standard rice, beans, salt, lard (seasoning etc.) are easier and much cheaper for caloric content.

The freeze dried stuff is just a supplemental stored food supply that's very easy to prepare (just add hot/boiling water).

I've also taught myself to make those superlight double walled alcohol stoves from a single pop can and just my SAK. They work great with Heet in the yellow bottles (available at most gas stations and many convenience stores).

The Heet in the red bottles will work too, but the yellow is methanol, and burns better than the red which is isopropanol. One bottle of yellow Heet will cook a weeks worth of Mountain House (it doesn't take much to boil enough water to make a large serving).

Making the stoves and then using them to prep a freeze dried meal is also a fun activity for younger kids, who are old enough to learn how to make one, with a little direction/help.

Dunno, if anyone else is nuts enough to do 'power outage' dry runs (i.e. pick a weekend where the 'power will be out'). Start with 1-day, then extend it to a weekend. Everything gets shut off, and you get to see how well you're prepped for a power outage.

I also have some boxes of MREs for even less prep required. No hurricanes up here, but for folks in hurricane territory, clean up is hard enough. Having a hot meal where the prep is just, 'put the heater and food pouch in the large pouch. Add water. Close pouch. Wait x minutes', can be really convenient. I don't use them for backpacking very much though. They're bulkier and heavier than the freeze dried stuff.
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Thanks, I have the basics but am looking to add some convenience and variety. There are several companies that offer freeze dried food but the reviews are minimal and I don’t want to drop a few hundred bucks on mush.
 
StoneAndSteel said:
I like MountainHouse for their availability and shelf life as well. But I found Peak Refuel a couple of years ago and love their stuff. Once prepared, the food straight up tastes like freshly made meals. Their nutritional facts are much better as well (MH kills you with the sodium and cholesterol). The downsides are that they are a touch more expensive than MH, aren't as available, and the shelf life isn't as long (I think it's like 5-6 years vs something like twice that with MH).
Click to expand...
I'll have to check that brand out.

The MH stuff is rated for 30 years of storage in cool, dry conditions.
 
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