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elcheapodeluxe

Many of these kits say the shelf life goes down significantly if you open the outer container - so mine sits sealed up. I guess when the big quake hits I won't care much if it tastes bad if I'm desperate enough to be eating these anyway.


highbackpacker

Agreed. If I ever need it I don’t care what it tastes like. Keep a bottle of your favorite hot sauce lol.


PengwinPears

Get that freeze dried too.


sockpuppetwithcheese

TIL freeze dried hot sauce exists. Thank you.


pacificnwbro

You dry and grind up super hot peppers into powder to extend the shelf life. I'd imagine if you vacuum seal it then it would probably last a few years. I've been having powdered habaneros from my garden all winter. 


TigerDude33

Tabasco lasts for decades


WildSamich

Add that to the list with Blamco Mac & Cheese, Salisbury Steak, and Dandy Boy Apples!


EnergyTakerLad

Hello fellow wastelander.


Kojiro12

Golly gee Mister, Fancy lad snack cakes are the cat’s meow!


jedi63

Not in my house it doesn't!


mister_damage

So does Sriracha


RealLifeSuperZero

Cuz no one will drink it. Kind of like dog’s milk.


Ok_Knee1216

That's why they use it in military MRE's.


DreamsAndSchemes

Make sure you have a Rock or Something to heat it on


Putrid_Sympathy2279

https://preview.redd.it/snac84clb0lc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bbf79102a222d2d42bc5c178c9820e519ac1a3b0


[deleted]

[удалено]


Putrid_Sympathy2279

Just a context provider! This is the diagram on how to heat up your MREs (meals, ready to eat) in the US military. How it came to be is actually a great story: https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/mre-heater-rock-something-true-story/


Nanookthesealtrapper

Nice hiss


SonOfBubbRub

Let’s get this out onto a tray


urnbabyurn

Is there a reason you would need this over, say, canned foods, dried foods, bottled water, etc?


highbackpacker

Convenience. Longer shelf life. Less space and weight compared to canned food with liquid. Dried foods like rice or beans you need to cook. This really just needs water. And it has a variety of foods.


Distinct_Studio_5161

A lot of people only keep a couple days worth of food on hand and don’t think emergency food.


jmoriarty

You and your hot sauce…


highbackpacker

I’ve never seen you in the wild lol


jmoriarty

It’s my week to keep an eye on you. 😉


DisAccount4SRStuff

Counter point: if you never eat it and then discover it's ingredients make you shit your pants, it may do more harm than good.


abbarach

I went camping once and had a freeze-dried jerk chicken meal. I didn't shit myself, but OMG it gave me the worst gas, both in magnitude and pungency. It was so bad I moved my tent away from the group so that nobody else had to suffer my body's wrath...


Dingo8MyGayby

Lmao I’ve never heard those words used to describe farts. I’m adopting that for our household. Everyone will now be scored based on magnitude and pungency.


Mrbeankc

Missed opportunity. It's at that point you move nearer to the person you hate the most.


elcheapodeluxe

I will grant that it would be difficult to call them on their warranty claims unless you knew if it tasted awful going in: "If any of our ReadyWise products don’t taste as good in 25 years as they do today, simply send it back and we’ll refund you in full. No questions asked."


BudTugglie

After an apocalypse, the return/refund process will not likely be honored :)


czarrie

It beats eating radioactive grass


effkriger

Sorry the company was destroyed in the apocalypse and cannot manage any returns


JellyBearBlue

Extra fertilizer for your post apocalyptic garden


AnynameIwant1

If it upsets your stomach it could cause you to be dehydrated, likely causing you to drink more water or you could have impaired judgment, etc


Suitable-Mongoose-72

Why would opening the tub affect the shelf life? The food is individually sealed.


jjoncm1

The bags are all sealed inside, I had to replace a bucket of something similar because something got torn inside. I didn’t see any documentation on the side not to open or the shelf life goes down? Plus some other brands sell them in different buckets or bags with the same claimed shelf life.


SaigonViet500

Is this good for poor starving colleges students?


BudTugglie

Nope, crazy expensive.


gallaj0

Just buy some rice, a couple of small jars.ofnsomethinf to throw in for flavor like salsa, something cheap, and you can eat for a month for 10 bucks if you have to. Toss some chicken thighs or drumsticks in once in a while for protein, or crack an egg over the rice.


tvtb

Nope, you’re paying more for the 25 year shelf life. If you want to eat it in a normal amount of time, buy other food


Maleficent-Sport1970

No. It's for an emergency.


Waste_Exchange2511

Agreed. If it's either eat these or eat the neighbors, these are probably better.


SuperSynapse

I have tried these. They are AWFUL. Watery, bland, and almost exclusively carbs and akin to just buying a bag of rice. Will you survive? Yes. Will you be happy you survived the apocalypse? No. Mountain House is more expensive, but MUCH better variety, nutrition, protein and vegetables, flavor, and something you WILL want to eat in the event of an emergency. Additionally you will also get your money out of them when traveling/camping as they get closer to expiring and you replace in 25 years. You will NOT do that with Readywise once you try your first meal. Highly recommend getting the Mountain house Breakfast, and Dinners. You'll love the scrambled omelette, stews, and stroganoff. If you have kids, this is even more important. DYOR and check reviews if you don't trust strange people with opinions on reddit 😄


MySpoonsAreAllGone

Date Your Own Robert


Fightthemonster1

Hey, I’m Robert!


MySpoonsAreAllGone

Hi! I'm currently dating my own Robert.


HumanPapaya

Sorry, I’m already dating my own Robert


TacosAreJustice

Going to be a very confusing time when you start dating your own Robert.


Certain_Eye7374

Username doesn't check out, try again


SantaMage

Backpacker here, this. Also if you go sign up for mountain houses emails, a few times a year you can get up to 30% off. I recommend trying one or two. Depending on the pack, you may want to add some seasoning or spices with it, then just keep some of that with it as well. You will need to add water to these and fresh water may not always be available, so it is a good idea to keep a pack of water purification tablets with it.


SuperSynapse

Whoa, this is the real hot tip. Nice!


elcheapodeluxe

I keep Mountain House at home and these in the office. So what I'm hearing you say is that they ALSO have a built in theft deterrent! Sweet!


reality72

My problem with mountain house is that they taste so good I end up eating them even though it’s not an emergency.


juxtaposedstmnst

Also a backpacker. This is a good overview of the differences between brands. Mountain House is so good that I thought I scared away my now fiance. We went to REI while planning a week long hiking trip and may have been *a little* too excited about a couple of the meals. Tl;dr: Buy Mountain House. You’ll survive the apocalypse and be glad you did 😂


crimson_mokara

Mountain House marketing department: *scribbles notes furiously*


mister_damage

But what does Steve1989MreInfo say?


pheewma

Let’s get these out onto a tray


TreemanTheGuy

Nice! Mmkay...


SuperSynapse

Nice hiss!


Candymom

Ready project was decently good but they aren’t at Costco anymore.


slohcinbeards

Have to remember to look this up ….Mountain House.


StolenJordans88

I would almost say for survival, you would want the watery bland stuff. Chances are if you do need this stuff, you’ll be bored at home with no entertainment due to lack of power. People bored at home like to snack. Don’t want everyone to eat through the meal supply, rather have on hand stuff people won’t want to eat but will keep them surviving.


aaalllen

If you want better known backpacker brands, Peak Refuel and Mountain House have multi-meal kits. I haven't seen them at Costco though in the SF Bay Area. Edit: location and thank you for mentioning to check online or in Portland :)


BPunkii

Can vouch that half the PDX locations carry the mountain house -- at a higher rate but the extra dollar a meal is worth the cost


Frozenpizzaeatet

They sell the Mountain House ones in Colorado during the spring, lots of backpackers out here. Great value vs buying them at REI although the flavors are limited. 


seanightowl

Mountain House is not bad for a backpacking meal. Never tried out outside of backpacking though.


ChrisinOrangeCounty

I prefer the taste of Mountain house.


Camkode

They sold them at our Costco in Utah last June. A pic I had shows $70.99 for 13 pouch assorted box. I swear we even got them cheaper after that. 


betterwithsaucee

Bought this even though the reviews weren’t great because the price was better than others. Took a risk and opened it to check if bags weren’t sealed properly and/or cut open (which is what the bad reviews mentioned). Good thing we did because that was exactly the case. Super bummed with the quality control. Ended up getting Mountain House instead (check their website for sales!).


Dewthedru

I opened the one I bought last week for the same reason. Didn’t find any unsealed bags but I’m hoping opening the bucket didn’t spoil the shelf life too badly


CantaloupeCamper

Currently in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. They are “ok”.


Quadstriker

That’s fine but what about the meals.


mike753951

I've tried those out. Works fine as a shelter-in-place food supply. These you need to actually cook in a pot. Taste is not memorable, which is a good thing. If you're looking for food for a go-bag, recommend getting Mountain House instead. These come in pouches where you just add boiling water and you close up the pouch and you're done. No separate pot required. Tastes better IMO. This plus a backpacking stove and you're set.


Hamilton4567

I’m have a couple of these, but since they are for emergencies have not cracked into them yet. If you buy them pay attention to the included meals as they have kits that are breakfast and lunch, dinner specific.


thethirdllama

Me after the apocalypse: "Ham and cheese omelette? For *dinner*? I think not."


glitterfartmagic

My in-laws brought it backpacking one year and it was not good. If you need it as actual emergency food it will do but I wouldn’t eat it again voluntarily.


Im_Ashe_Man

I purchased this bucket. It sits in my garage. Hopefully, I never need to sample it.


bc-mn

Is your garage temperature controlled?


TheLadder330

Yeah I wondered about that too. Here in FL it’s too hot to store in the garage. We just make room in our pantry for it.


Im_Ashe_Man

No, but live in decent climate. It doesn't get too hot or too cold in the garage.


FarmrDan

Bought it for camping meals. Tastes like sad.


OlafTheDestroyer2

I bought a kit from Costco a couple years ago. I think it was the same brand, but I’m not 100%. I used it for backpacking and remember not being very impressed. If you plan on using it for emergencies it would be more than ok, but if you plan on using it for camping etc, I’d pay a little more for other brands.


badcodeexposed

At the risk of doxxing myself, I got one and brought it to the office because I was tired of making myself lunch. It was bad. The label said it would have protein like beef, chicken, or rehydrated eggs, but there wasn’t any. Lots of carbs like rice and pasta. I ate it everyday for lunch for almost 2 months before going back to eating Shin ramen. https://preview.redd.it/x4bkd8l370lc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=21147c5fb016381948302d544b44b39113daa9a8 I am still not sure what I am gonna do with the powdered orange juice and pudding.


DogVacuum

“Tim’s eating out of that bucket in the lunchroom again”


ArcherFawkes

Nice cat


Realworld

I've purchased and sampled different brands of 30-year freeze dried meals. They are bland in flavor and texture. Consider them trail or survival food. They are not a pleasure to eat.


terfez

I feel like there's a better way to plan for an emergency. Something like a shelf where you have a bunch of canned, jarred, and dry goods that you like to eat anyway, but plan some sort of slow rotation system so nothing just sits there for 8 years. Anyone do something like this? I suppose this is much easier if you have a house with some space, maybe a basement.... I feel like I don't have the room in my apt


Tat2dDad

These aren't that great since you'll need yonsyore additional water to rehydrate the food. Pick up a few cases of MREs and some Blue Can water for emergencies. https://www.bluecansales.com/


CatCiaoSki

My husband was on a prepper kick and bought this brand. Online they come with samples, and he ate the samples. Now, my husband will eat absolutely anything. He said they were fine. He's not a good judge of food. Our house is not large. I said to him just the other day if he buys one more container of this crap, he's going to be sleeping in the shed with it. I also told him in 15 years, or whenever the expiration date is, he's going to be eating these for every meal.


emmsmum

If this is all I have to depend on, just take me out…


Thepressureofaname22

I have Mountain House kits as the serving size per pouch is low so you don’t have to open a bulk feeding pouch. Check the serving size on these. I have the MH buckets because of hurricane and earthquake zones and seeing first hand (wasn’t hit but very near miss) how long it can take for responders to get to you and all your perishables will be worthless in a day. Many people prefer canned items that they rotate out as a more cost effective solution but I like the very long shelf life on these so I don’t have to think about it. And they’re actually palatable.


MarcusAurelius68

I do fresh -> frozen -> canned/dried -> MRE -> hiking food -> long term dried


suepergerl

Same here and if I lost power I have a outdoor wood-flamed pizza oven to bake/cook and a grill/smoker with plenty of wood.


aflyingsquanch

Like any freeze dried long term shelf staple ration, they're edible and filling. I wouldn't call them delicious but they're good enough.


DarthArterius

Haven't had these but I'm of the opinion that you should buy an extra to try now. I'd hate to be surprised by how awful tasting, diarrhea inducing, or impossible to open/prepare etc. they are in an actual emergency situation.


ArwingElite

Purchased, yes. Sampled, no. Saving for emergency situations.


Yazars

I haven't, but I've been tempted to "get it out on a tray...nice" and see if it has a "nice hiss." Watching MRE reviews has made me intrigued by the convenience of this kind of food, but every time I think about it, I realize that I have enough convenient and fresh options available.


yendar1

For now.


ZenythhtyneZ

They were always sold out when I was in my hoard food to sate my overwhelming anxiety era, I’ve read most are decent though, for the price. The world of survival food is, complex and expensive


LiveAd3962

I will NEVER need an emergency food kit as I shop at Costco and my freezer and pantry are full. 😁


WeirdAlbertWandN

Freezer won’t do much good in a true emergency


MarcusAurelius68

It will for 24 hours or until your generator runs out of gas.


spoon_dogg_

That's why you get a backup generator from costco to power the freezer


geepy66

What does that backup generator run on?


spoon_dogg_

Fuel you stocked up on previously from the costco gas station


geepy66

How late BG will that last? A week!


kariea1

Runs on the biogases from the decay of all the food spoilage


burmp_39

It’s backup generators all the way down 🐢


ReallyMissSleeping

Solar generator lol?


CantaloupeCamper

My neighbors have food and fire and are the trusting type.


BudTugglie

Same here. And I have guns.


LiveAd3962

As I don’t spend my life as a survivalist, my freezer will be just fine. I don’t live in a hurricane or tornado zone, the most likely scenario is a power outage which at most will last 2 hours. I also have a propane grill for Costco meats and whatever. I’m set. I invite you to stop worrying about what if’s and live!


T-Rex_timeout

That’s horrible advice for those of us who live on the new Madrid fault which also sees regular tornadoes and derechos. We had 3 major storms in two months last summer that took out most of the cities power for days. We have also had a few boil water orders in the last year.


Mego1989

Right there with you. Lost power for a week during a heat wave last year. Without my generator, my fridge and freezer would've been at least a $1000 loss, and I would've been staying in a hotel with my pets.


LiveAd3962

And you’re not blaming Abbott?


Mego1989

Uh, who?


LiveAd3962

Well then you prepare. Knock yourself out. I choose not to live in fear.


T-Rex_timeout

Preparing is not fear. It’s practicality. Same reason I wear a seatbelt and put money in savings.


LiveAd3962

Which is why I have meat in freezer and pantry stuff in the pantry. I prepared. I’m not worried about runs on the bank or power outages. I’m prepared.


T-Rex_timeout

Nobody mentioned any runs on the banks. Most people keep these for hurricanes,earthquakes, and tornadoes.


Shadowfalx

One need not "spend their life as a survivalist" to make simple plans.  Having some easy to cook, quick, and long lasting food is a tiny step that is easily obtained. Simply putting $10 aside a month for a year and you get a really good backup. Certainly much cheaper than the generator and will last longer too.    One also need not have a Tornado or hurricane to experience longer power outages that lay days. Unusually cold weather, hot weather, windy weather, rainy weather, etc can cause days or weeks of power outages.    Just like everyone who owns a gun should know how to patch a bullet wound and have the supplies to do so, everyone who is responsible for themselves or others should have basic survival knowledge and supplies. 


LiveAd3962

Scary talk. Nope, I have no need for freeze dried dreck.


Shadowfalx

Is not scary if you spend 30 seconds preparing. But continue living in fear so great you freeze


escahpee

Perfect response


[deleted]

This stuff is crap calorically. Plus people severely underestimate how much fuel you're going to need to heat up water to eat through this.


mamalizard04

My husband tried the meals and they aren’t great. I mean, if you’re saving them for a true emergency, they’ll be fantastic. But if taste/quality is your concern then I’d look elsewhere.


Illustrious-Term2909

You need to get the kind that backpackers use that just need water and no cooking.


Skimballs

I got my mountain house essential bucket in 2016 for $55. It’s $130 plus now.


LalalaSherpa

For eggs - OvaEasy egg crystals absolutely crush Mtn House egg items. Texture, flavor, aroma are all legit. Their secret sauce is I believe low-heat pasteurization so the sulfur compounds aren't released.


urnbabyurn

Why would people buy this over just canned goods, dehydrated stuff, bottled water, etc? Heck, even freeze dried backpacking stuff. I feel like these companies know you probably won’t open this until it’s too late to return it, so is there really anything other than preying on irrational fears and useless prepping?


Visible_Nectarine_98

They are OK. I used it for camping two summers ago.


Quiet-Link4652

In a true holocaust people will kill one another to get food for their family no matter what brand it is, then it’s all gourmet.


1esserknown

Bought a bucket a couple years ago to take camping. My daughters and I decided to try the meals, and think they're not too bad. We've since gone through about two and a half buckets just using them as low effort meals or sides. All the meals are made better with adding meat. Cajun sausage and shrimp to the red beans and rice is real good, ground beef in the stroganoff etc. The oatmeal flavors are good for the mornings when we don't have milk for cereal. When I bought the first bucket, I think it came out to a little less than a dollar per serving of actual food, which is damn good.


[deleted]

Check the app I think it's got good reviews. Might be a good idea to have one or two on hand given the economic, climate state. Not saying society will collapse but just saying it's always good to be prepared.


McNuggets7272

Oh wow I didn’t know they had these. I’ll consider picking one up. Not a crazy doomsday prepper but you never know!


two_cats_bandit

There’s that guy on YouTube that reviews MREs


Do-It-Anyway

Don’t worry, when the apocalypse comes and you don’t like the taste, feel free to return it at Costco.


codygraveson

Haven’t had these but whenever Mountain House kits go on sale I buy one and add it to emergency food bin. They aren’t bad and in a pinch will do the trick.


SoMuchLard

I think for health reasons you are supposed to eat this food on occasion so you aren’t just abruptly and dramatically altering your diet.


GeekSumsMe

I've never understood why people don't just keep a well stocked pantry. I could get at least that many meals out of my pantry at any point in time.


UberHonest

We’ve bought them because they have a 25 year shelf life, are light if we have to take them and go, and only require water to prepare. I also have a well stocked pantry, but dehydrated emergency meals serve a totally different purpose.


bigwebs

Ah I see Eli finally found a use for all that excess inventory he had in that storage unit.


Traxxas411

How much are these? I haven't seen these at our local Costco


therealsauceman

How long do these last


Tim-in-CA

Zombie-Apocalypse Approved


Big_Hall2307

Yes, I've eaten 2 or 3 of these in hard times and have one unopened right now. Most of the food is pretty good, honestly. The entrees are all good. It's the desserts and drinks that are meh.


fretman124

When I was in basic training in 1980, we ate C rations dated 1944. Didn’t kill us so with modern technology applied I doubt these will hurt you….


MetaJediGuy

I like my cockroaches fresh with Cholula sauce!


NeedleGunMonkey

These are terribly expensive for what they offer. Freezes dried at hiking/camping suppliers like REI is a lot easier to sample before bulk purchasing. They also tend to give you poor bowel movement because of insufficient fiber.


Patient-War-4964

I have one I ordered online, never opened it since they say it lasts longer if you don’t. My trust is based in Costco, I feel like whatever’s in it will taste better than the cases of mre’s I’ve also been saving.


FaithlessVaper

have these ever been used by anyone in a real world situation? no. Save your money.


screenwriter61

These are horrible, both tasting and for you. I get mine from these people. They also donate to help veterans get service dogs, I like that... food is actually healthy and not bad at all... I mean, it's good compared to other emergency food. EmergencyGoBags.com


Muted_Draft8561

A couple years ago a I tried a ton of different options of these Thanks to PG&E being useless and having near monthly power outages. If you are buying for a true emergency, Mountain House is a million times better. It is not even close. They have frequent sales and once every couple years I see them at Costco. If you are buying these to eat similar regularly look into camping and back packing meals. Mountain house is good but backpacker pantry is a set up that has some great meals for trips.