The folks at Mountain House were offering for sale what appears to be some MCW rations that I am guessing were part of a contract overrun. Spaghetti w meat sauce, chicken with rice, and breakfast skillet. I actually have, literally, 15-gallon drums filled with pouches of freeze drieds, but I got these anyway.
These are slightly more compact than the Pro-Pak series of meals MH offers, and I wanted something for where space is at a premium. Most notably, for when I travel by air and risk getting caught in an airport overnight without food options. A couple of these, an electric immersion water heater, and a plastic spoon make for dinner.
How big? About the same footprint as a 20-rd AR mag, although thicker.
Weight is approx. 4 oz. and calls for 16 oz. of water, so in theory you’re looking at a 20 oz. meal.
Given the compact nature of these, I’ll definitely tuck them away for the situations where space/weight/size is a big factor. But they should do quite well for my airport-layover-kit.
They are available on MH’s website, but the retail price is a bit painful. Dealer is about $5 less per package. Twenty to a case. Might be worth checking out.
Speaking of deals. Saw today that Classic Firearms has CCI 9mm ammo, brass cases and reloadable. 122 grain FMJ at $275.00 per case.
What is the shipping and tax?
There are places out there with similar prices that include shipping and don’t charge tax.
Put that package inside a flat bottomed stand up zip lock baggie w/ untensil and your job is complete.
What is your opinion of the 3 year shelf life on these MCW’s ? __ I know I have some pro packs older than 3 years. I need to prepare one of those and see for myself how it has fared.
My opinion is that if the package integrity remains unchanged they should last indefinitely. Somewhere a while back MH said their commercial pouches were pretty much good for decades, I’d imagine these have similar or higher packaging requirements due to their military nature. In short, I highly doubt that in four years these will be unpalatable.
Okay, there retail is $13 an “ouch”.
However, you posted that the dealer cost was $5
How does one become a dealer.
I do lots of gun shows and always asked about where to
buy and don’t sell Mountian House??????????????
HELP or advise
Thanks
Contact Mountain House and ask them for the dealer application.
$13 for a meal adds up really quick. I guess if you were a millionaire survivalist, then this is great as long as the apocalypse happens in the next couple years.
Doing the math though, a family of 4 living on 2 of these each per day, would be just under 3000 packages a year or about $37,960 a year without shipping or tax. If you live somewhere like northeast Oklahoma, for that money, you could buy a small house and a dozen acres, then get some chickens and goats and a big garden and you just don’t have 3 years food, but a lifetime.
$13 a meal with a 3 year shelf life makes sense for putting a dozen in the trunk with a case of bottled water in case you break down, but at that price and that shelf life, I just can’t see it for any kind of long term solution.
Has anyone done serious freeze drying on their own? If so, what kind of start up costs did you have? What are the costs other than the food? I would think there would be electricity to run the freeze drier, but what else? Is there any prep for freeze drying that is over and above what you would have to do for like canning?
It’s ironic, but when I had money hand over fist living in LA and writing software for startups and tech companies, I never thought about the future or even considered the idea that money wouldn’t be falling from heaven forever. Then I got sick and my health got bad and spent a lot trying to get healthy and now, I take very little for granted. Be prepared makes a lot of sense to me now. Just wish it had when I had the money to really prepare in style 🙂
I’m not sure anyone here, or anyone else, has advocated them as a long term solution.
Theyre more of a specialty product, not a three-meals-a-day thing for months on end.