MRE Project

[gadget99]

Hi All,

Our location and circumstances support our strategy of setting up to bug in under almost every circumstance. In that light we have set up our food preps to support this strategy.

Now we do see the need for having something like MRE's in stock. So we of course have worked very hard at discovering what options are available to build up our stock. What we found is that no matter how hard you look around our bank account would weep if we purchase any of those on the market.

With that we began to explore DIY options. We found we could assemble our own ration packs without unacceptable cost. The only complaint and concern was around weight and space. We have assembled all the elements required yet found the entree elements to rely to much on canned items.

Now I relied on military MRE's during my 20yr Army career and wanted to see if I could replicate the MRE entree pouch.

After some study I found info on Retort Pouch Canning. We can in jars already. We have a Foodsaver vacuum sealer yet that would not work. So we bought in a vacuum chamber sealer and heavy duty aluminium Vacuum pouches.

So we are going to start making our own entree pouch items.

I will update as we go on the results.

Thanks

A Soldier for life

[Jackalope]

I'll be interested in your final results.  No question that MRE's are expensive.  What about items like pemmican, hard tack, and beef or turkey jerkeys?

[gadget99]

I'll be interested in your final results.  No question that MRE's are expensive.  What about items like pemmican, hard tack, and beef or turkey jerkeys?

We have been looking at adding all of those to the mix. All of them can be vacuum sealed with a normal sealer and will last a very long time.

We are going to retort can prepared meals.

Basically the process is as follows.

1. Prepare the food and allow to cool to room temp.
2. Serve into the pouch and seal it in the vaccum chamber sealer.
3. Then place the pouches in a pressure cooker as you would when Canning in Jars following the same process as jars.

Once done the pouches can be stored a room temp. They should have the same shelf life as MRE's

A Soldier for life

[pkveazey]

Don't overlook bags of TRAIL MIX. Even though I'm old and have very few teeth left, I have a nice size bag of trail mix in my bugout bag. Yes, there also is an MRE in there along with about a dozen Slim Jims. Those Slim Jims will dry out over time and look like they are worthless but you can dice them up and put the pieces in other foods and they'll taste great. If push comes to shove, I can pound that Trail Mix into a mush that will taste great. Those dried Fruits, Nuts ,and Seeds will keep you alive and not constipate you like MRE's will. Do I have MRE's? Yes indeed I do. Those MRE's will be kept until last. There are two reasons for that. First, MRE's aren't the best tasting food I've ever eaten. Second. They definitely will constipate you even if you think you have put plenty of water in there. Mostly, the wife and I have a lot of non perishable foods like Canned Goods, Flour, Sugar, White Rice, Brown Rice, Dried Beans, Tea and Coffee. I know that when you get really hungry, just about anything tastes good but don't forget to stock up on Salt, Pepper, and Apple Cider Vinegar. I don't particularly care for rice because it taste like I'm eating nothing. However, I tried cooking some brown rice and I put a dash of Salt, Pepper and a cap full of Apple Cider Vinegar in it and the wife now thinks I'm the worlds greatest Chef. By the way, we are Bug Inner's also. Hauling ass with a big back pack is a last resort for us.

[gadget99]

Wow....

Great discussion so far.



A Soldier for life

[Tom Paine]

Pouch single servings of SPAM, chicken, and tuna provide some decent calories and don't weigh much

[Erick]

I second SPAM.

In famines in human history  shortage of fats and proteins were often the longest pole in the tent to beat.
Even  a single can of spam once every 1-2 weeks to supplement meager plant based rations ( rice, wheat, etc) can go a long way to maintain physical function.

Some people obsess about Vitamins... but there is never truly a great shortage of them if you are on land.. so many weeds have vitamin C etc..

[gadget99]

For info here is the Chamber Sealer we purchased.

We only picked this one for budget reasons.

https://www.sousvidetools.com/sousvidetools-iv250-chamber-vacuum-sealer

If you all get the time. I suggest popping around to Youtube and watching some of the many instruction videos using the search terms "Retort Pouch Canning". They provide so much better info than I could ever do.


A Soldier for life