While some of the food options (your hot stuff), wouldn't be to my liking, I found the other options really helpful. Especially the pull top cans, and the fish, which I could survive on. In our Community Emergency Response Team training, we learned how to do these meals. So thank you for sharing. Especially the emphasis on taking care of the dogs...
Great stuff gundog! A nice look at an alternative to "real" MREs. It's true that all the homemade MRE videos are really all over the map in their advice. Whatever works for someone is the right thing I guess. I've thought about making one of these videos myself, but didn't feel like my opinion on the subject would add much. And now you've made one that pretty much covers many of my feelings on the subject! And, hey, MREs for dogs--how cool is that?
Great tip! I love to make my own meals too, I have a dehydrator to do it with, if I have left overs I dehydrate it but I always tell people it requires "water" so take ready to eat stuff too just in case you can't find a water source. In my car emergency kit is all "ready to eat" food like you said. Your video is a nice reminder to those who always bring food that you have to add water or like you said cook too and if you don't have those two components your stuck!
I cant pinpoint what it is that intrigues me about these videos but I remain interested and have viewed the majority of them. Keep them up haha. I guess we all have a nerdy side
most Win co. stores carry individual ration items so you can build and create your own. They're packaged and look like mre items, if that makes a lick of sense, for a very low price,,,, pennies. They also carry individual self-heating ration heaters for a dollar or two. I am loving your ration reviews please keep making them. Someone is learning from them. thank you
The WinCo's here in DFW area had been carrying good MRE components but the supply dwindled away - even before COVID-1984 here the staff said they expected to be phasing it out.
Hey Gundog4314, I did the same thing and labeled my self made MRE's A,B,C,D. I added more dried fruit. I live down the street from a large discount grocery store and this was easy, cheap, and fun to do. . I got far better food and coffee for less money than the packaged MRE's. The quality and healthyness is so much better.
Great video. Good advice and very practical. I used to live in a coastal region that had periodic hurricanes. These kits would have been very useful when I lived there. You have given the viewer great cost conscious advice. Very practical and useful.
Can you make a military style make your own MRE? I know you sent Alduin one. I'd like to make my own realistic Philippine style 24 hour Ration Pack (I'm of Filipino descent here in Melbourne, Australia). I can check my local Filipino grocery store to see what they have, might need to substitute some items though.
I have a variety of different foods in my long and short term storage. Off the Shelf foods can be used once one learns how to properly package and store. Everything last much longer in a vacuum and a cool and dark place.
I really like this. It does have more of a ration pack feel to it, but would definitely would go great as a Meal Ready to Eat. There is quite a bit of things in this that would for sure last longer than a regular mre as it is. This is definitely something that people in the prepper community would want to take into account for instead of stocking up on mre's. Keep up the great work!!!
My part-time gig is at a huge construction project. No food trucks or cafeteria. I have begun taking those Complete entrees, or similar pouched meals that I can nuke in the small microwave we have. I also take some of the Cliff Bars and fresh bananas,trail mix and dried fruit. And candy and gum. Its too early to eat breakfast when I leave the house, and between waiting at the assembly area for the ride down to the site and when I can eat breakfast,, its usually almost 0700. I bring a 9 quart cooler for drinks, I usually only bring 1 water bottle, then refill it from the cooler as needed. Its like being in the field again. There are thousands (6 thousand per shift) of guys in hard hats, with webbing that resembles LBE to carry their radios, and backpacks. When they are all on the move to the gate don't get in the way, cuz its a human wave. Just a different kind of soldiering.
Exactly the video I was looking for. Mostly lightweight foods that don't need water. I'm always surprised when people have a stash that's 100% dehydrated. I also love that you remind everyone to plan for their pups. Our animals should not be an afterthought in an emergency. If we plan ahead there's no reason they can't come with us and stay safe.
Bread sacks make great ration holders. You can keep a home made 24 hr ration pack in one and keep a clip on the end. Also use a lot of plastic bags from the store, these have the advantage of being useful and very easy to find.
New sub here, great video, I was especially taken by the food for man’s best friend to me I’d rather starve then let him go hungry, thanks again looking forward to more videos
You should have a look at the Atkins protein shakes. They are really high in protein and low in sugar and one of them keeps me full for a couple of hours. They would be great in a homemade MRE kit. I use them with my breakfasts and keep one in my bag for if I am out and cannot get to have anything to eat right away. I hate a growling stomach!!
Lizzie Jones we are on the same line of thought... I use medifast shakes ... and store them for that reason. I have a ton of dietary restrictions so I need to cater to my health first. The shakes meet that requirement. I ended up health coaching simply because I use so many of the. You are sooooo right... protein shakes and bars are really great for an emergency kit.
Another option is protein shakes that body builders drink. Especially if you're wearing a pack. Also pedia-sure hydration drink powders for babies to replace your electrolytes.
You can make your own trail mix with fruit, nuts and all that is sup post to be in there. Just cut it up, leave it in the sun for a few hours and it should be ready for use. Peanuts in a trail mix should be un-salted! If you use salted nuts, you will dry out the fruit even more and make it taste too salty. If you want salted nuts, carry those separately. Salted nuts are good to keep your salt levels up obviously, just don't eat a whole back in one go. It's not good for your body to have too much salt, also you are using it for survival and thus need to ration it. Only use when needed.
Awesome video man. This is definitely something I'm going to look into my next outing. I love mres but roo expensive and sometimes there's stuff in them that I don't care for, I eat it anyway cuz I don't like wasting food. But making your own, you know what you like!!
great info. Thank you. shopping tomorrow. I was making my own freeze dried meals and you are right will need to have water to prepare. I have nothing ready to eat!! . yours is much better option.
I see alot of DIY mre. it's not good but you can find online 5#s of tobacco for 60 dollars. put a small bag full with some rolling papers and use the vacuum sealed to seal. very light weight and if you don't smoke it's a trading item for water medicine or whatever you might need. there will always be someone dying for a smoke.
I like the recommendation of things packed in olive oil. I think you have a lot of really good suggestions in this video. I buy Crispy Green brand freeze-dried fruits to put in my homemade MREs. If a packet of oatmeal isn’t substantial enough, or if you have to be on the move, Bobo ’s brand oat bars are wonderful. Another option is Belvita. You can dip them in peanut butter, and/or Nutella, or just eat them as is. Another good on-the-move food. Flip that tin of tuna or chicken over and rub on concrete until it opens!
My cat takes my stress away and gets upset if I'm upset. But I do know what you mean as she sometimes "goes her own way" when I'm doing good, LOL. I would hate to not have her with me in a disaster/evacuation
I know I'm 3 years late to the party but I agree with your options. When I carry water into the field I hate to use it on cooking. To vital to use for that.
This is one of your best videos in my opinion, very useful information. However, I believe that the cans without the pull-tab can be stored longer than those with the pull-tab. That makes them I believe a better option if long term storage is the main goal.
+Verliebt Thanks, you're in for a treat as i am going to do an update for this in my next few vids. As for the cans and how to open them...I found this link after a brief search. From looking at some of the responses I think they all have some valid merit. Cheers www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2096,00.html
I really like the taste of commercial made M.R.E'S. Maybe i am weird but the are very good to me. I have never been in the military or had to eat these everyday but I enjoy taking them on on the jobsite. My welding machine makes the perfect way to warm them up without burning and I can have a great lunch. ts hard to beat
4 года назад
Any guy who looks out for his little buddies is a damn good man 🥰
My 9 year old niece volunteered to do a test for me. I bought a box of cherry poptarts and marked the purchase date on the box. She ate two poptarts the day I bought them. Six months later, she ate two more. They tasted like the first ones. One year after that, she ate two more. They too, tasted as good as the first ones. Six months after that, she ate the final two, and again, she saw absolutely no difference between the last one, and the ones she ate first, two years earlier. My guess is, like Twinkies, they last forever.
Nice video... One question, What about shelflife of the products? Usualy this is stuff you would need on the go or while bugging out of town for some reason... ?
@Mysticfox2010 Hi, I can't reply to you for some reason. That is a good question. I haven't been able to find anything with a decent size. Cans would have been too big for the bag. They don't really come in retort pouches very often. But where I live there is a ton of field greens and fruit trees.
+Danielle Marceaux Dog food was important. If something really really bad ever happened most people won't share those precious calories with their pets, especially if they have kids. Not to mention in a pinch dog food is human consumable. Cheers Danielle
Ya that is a fact some time people who have kids and dogs or cats they probably think that they will be fine but i will never forget my puppy dog because she is always with me and she is the best thing that me and my hubby did
nice job, only one on the internet with mre's, omg, some people don't understand, water might be hard to come by if your in the desert, thanks, goood show
Good lord, if I were to take a shot every time I heard "Go ahead", I don't think I'd make it to the 10 minute mark :P As for the pull-tabs, yeah they're handy, but I've used my pocket knife as a can opener many times, it's not that difficult, and I've yet to cut/stab myself. Quite simply, make sure your left hand doesn't go near the direction of the point when cutting along the right side, and if the right side gets screwed up for some reason, go left handed and make sure your right hand isn't near the left side of the can. Don't use much strength; you don't need to, and you don't need a high quality knife to do it either. Mine is one I got for free in 2009 or so. Sure it's Made in Germany and is stainless steel, but I rarely ever sharpen it. The way I do it is place the knife point-down with edge facing away from me NEAR the edge of the can, not on the exact edge. Tap down lightly, it punctures. Rock the knife back with left hand on left side of the can keeping it stable. Rocking of the knife cuts upwards through the steel. Replace, rock, replace, rock, replace, rock, and every time I set the knife, I reposition my hand so it stays on the opposite side of the knife. Though of course having Military training, that could very well have been something that was taught or otherwise learned from a buddy, so you probably know a more efficient/safer method than what I just described :P Great vid, I never really thought about making my own ration/MRE style pack. I think I might look into it next time I go grocery shopping. Check out dates, and if the food is already cooked and ready to go, but requiring boiled water isn't exactly a deal breaker. Gotta love SPAM though, I'll eat that stuff straight from the can happily. Lasts a couple meals. Might even be advantageous to have the standard saltiness rather than less salt. Firstly, it might stay preserved longer. Secondly, if you're doing a lot of hiking or some kind of strenuous physical activity, you'll want all the sodium/salt you can get. It'll get sweated out. Fat content is good, too. In a situation where you're living without modern amenities, working for every single thing you want/need, possibly not always with a lot of food on hand if the hunting/fishing doesn't go particularly well, then storing away extra calories is both smart, and also a sign of being a REALLY successful survivalist. Getting so well set up with so much food that you can afford to eat plenty and don't really TOO much physical labour to sustain yourself? Sounds like an impressive feat since there's no pizzas to order, beer stores for more calories, grocery stores for a wide variety of food, fuel to driving around (have to go everywhere by foot), etc.
I had been keeping a can of smoked kipper snacks in my bag for if I got hungry. It was the ring pull kind of can that was wrapped in a thin plastic wrapper like how a lot of canned fish is packaged. Idk what happened, but the ring pull top opened up somehow and leaked. Luckily the plastic wrapper kept any juices from getting in the bag, but now my bag and everything in it reeks of fish. A few weeks later and it still smells like fish and fabric cleaner. I'm gonna be avoiding ring pull cans in my bag from now on.
Thanks for the Dick's sporting goods suggestion. They so still have them. I was able to order some .Not in my local store so they are shipping them. They even have pizza.
I'm not sure if you have Heinz Big N Chunky with rice in foil sachets weighing 400g in you part of the world but we do in Australia. They are absolutely brilliant and come in many different flavours, my favourite being Green Thai chicken curry. They come in 2 pouches taped together, one with the precooked curry, massaman, tikka masala , sweet and sour chicken etc etc and they have another pouch behind them of precooked and vacuume sealed white rice. I go out camping quite a lot and I will always have a couple with me. I keep some in my go back as well as one in my glove box. They stay safe in the glove box as I live in the coldest part of Australia, Tasmania. It is very rarely above 24.C or 75.F in the height of summer here.
Ironically Dicks and Cabellas have the best price for the brigford First strike Ration MRE sandwiches 3 dollars each Better then Epicenter. Maybe Walmart to but I can't check in store and they are not sold in the Canadian stores.
Nice video dude. Saludos de México. Sadly my country doesn´t have any MRE, i prefer the MRE or German ration. Good luck friend (sorry for the rusty english)
After leaving the military, I went back to calling it "Camping Food". Also, Crunchy granola bars can, easily, be retooled into a hot breakfast cereal dish.
I have a suggestion, regarding the canned goods. Although these cans have ring-pulls, I'd recommend having a P-38 in the ration, as a backup. I've known ring-pulls to snap off, on occasion.
gundog4314 This is true (nods). I figured someone like yourself would know that one (the rock, stick, knife thing, I mean). Others, I wasn't sure about.
I use the knife thing semi often when a soda can tab breaks off. One quick jab and your back in business! There is even a way to open a regular can with a can opener at all. Will be doing a demo on it pretty soon. Cheers
gundog4314 Me? I get a little nervous about that one, ha :) . I always find myself thinking, "Okay...do NOT stab all the way through the can..OR your hand" haha ^_^. "There is even a way to open a regular can with a can opener at all." I think I know which method you're talking about, but whether I'm right or wrong, I'll be patient, and not spoil it for the audience ;). For the less experienced, I'd still recommend putting a P-38 in every so many ration packs (dependent upon how ever many they decide to make with cans), as a safety measure.
Good video. I hope the dogs are still doing good. I'm a vegetarian, but was thinking to store some meat that last a really long time. U know just in case. (I'll eat it if I really have too) but I like the little can of corned beef lol
Personally I would happily carry packaged hot-dogs and tuna but..... the word protein comes up a lot when discussing hiking food as though it is another word for food. You hardly need any protein on a three day hike. It will keep hunger at bay but it's not good fuel. Porridge with dried fruit in may sound and taste boring but porridge is the fuel that endurance atheletes like bicycle racers choose because it does the business. Proteins also need a lot more water to digest.
You have to make water drinkable anyway, so if you already have to do that with or without the addition of a meal, I wouldn't consider it part of the meal making process, so in my opinion meals that need additional water aren't any less "ready" to eat, only because they require water which you should have the first place. Consider further that the shelf life of already cooked meals in plastic bags is significantly lower, so unless you plan to make new MREs every two years, yours is functionally more effective, but inferior in terms of sustainability.
I think everything would have a best buy date of about a year, but I don't think that's really an issue. You don't have the wacky supply chains of the military, so an option with lower waste and better morale is to use components hou eat normally or like to eat and rotate them through your normal diet
What no taste test on the dog MRE stuff? That dog treat bag is also good if you just want to bring some beef jerky or something to the mall and sit in a crowded area and eat out of it. Make the locals think your nuts.
yes, true, is why i didn't really suggest ramen noodles or bullion cubes as it requires prep ..I am a head chef, and i've discussed this with my patissie about how about to do this and both of our heads scratching on how to make it last .. mainly it would be a yeasty dough that will set on its own, i imagine this is what the US Military issue MRE's have in them. but you've not included things like M&M's or Skittles ... would those not be advisable either? I've seen vids of 20-30 year rations having them and are still (while missing their luster) good.
Well, everyone will add things they prefer to eat. M&Ms and the like are fine but they are really short term energy with no nutritional gain.I'd rather have a power bar chock full of vitamins and protein, as for the wear and tear I too have had some decent M&Ms in rations over the years but most have looked pretty sad. Skittles harden up to the point of breaking teeth after several years, but I suppose if they were stored properly and not touched they could be fine. Was thinking over the "bread thing" maybe an Indian popadum would suffice as it's stored flat and inflates when heated. I would like to pick your brain about a project I have coming up if you are interested shoot me an email. It can be found on my channels "About" page. Cheers
Did you intend to not add any things to drink (like in military mre's) or did it slip your mind? also, wouldn't it be nice to have something sweet for dessert or just to lift your spirits on a long hike?
+Essem Sweeney Hi Essem, I figured drinks were pretty much to whatever your taste as all the powdered drinks do require water/juice or some type of liquid. Same with candy and the like that is pretty much to your taste and already ready to eat. I plan on doing an updated review of this very topic in the near future so I'll take these topics into account. Cheers!
Hey gundog4314 got a question, the soups in a pouch that you can buy from the grocery store, can those be used in the flameless heating bags if you had to?
Thanks again gundog4314, my mom also says thanks as well. We live in Florida and with hurricane season in full swing, it's good to know that anybody can put together their own MRE with items from the grocery store.
Actually dog food is a great back up for humans. It has a long shelf life, and really doesn't taste that bad. I always carried a 3# coffee can full in my truck on solo adventures into the desert back in my youth.
My cat doesn't ignore me. Sometimes he can get a little overwhelming. Especially when I'm sick. Anyways, what about those Chef Boyardee microwavable cups? I've yet to see anyone include those in their DIY MRE combos, but I feel like they would be incredibly useful in on-the-go situations.
Those work fine too for short term rations. I've seen them in retort packaging online like MRE stuff but I've never been able to purchase one....yet. I' eventually going to do an update vid seeing as this one is over 3 years old. How time flies... Cheers Warp!
I bought a summer sausage and after about six months, the loaf turned to mush. I went to pick it up to use it and it was so mushy (technical word) in my hand with little pressure on the loaf. .... (Very little text on the package had the words, 'keep refrigerated'.). Even the market did not know it was supposed to be refrigerated all of the time......Expensive opps...The store gave me a coupon...The manager told me they tossed all off the ones not in the cold boxes and got a refund from the maker of the summer sausage for improperly labeling the packages.
The old argument. Even MREs are not fully ready to eat. All of the drinks require water. The cold weather meals are almost all freeze dried and require water. Thanks for the ideas.
I know when I was in, I rarely drank the drink powders and I just drank water right out of the canteen or water buffalo. Eating the powder seemed to help keep you awake at night for OP or Radio Watch. I deployed to Alaska for an exercise and we never got a MCW, MREs are cheaper for units budget so that's what you usually got.
Mcw isn't mre. Imo freeze dried is better, why carry around the additional weight. Remember in a shtf scenario you've got no supply chain so you're carrying around a Lot of additional water that you simply don't need to because if you can't find water you're dead anyway. Bring a water filter and you can find water everywhere. Completely agree with the canned stuff though. But I would say for long term storage water is better than oil as water is pH neutral, so your food doesn't get tainted with metal taste and the oil can corrode the can itself.
Freeze dried stuff for the average person is pretty expensive, I imagine if you had the coin to purchase a Harvest Right home freeze drier it would be vastly more affordable.
@@gundog4314 oh I don't disagree. But fact is if you gotta carry your food and you got no supply chain then lighter is better. By all means a canteen of water is a must too but worst case you don't want to carry the extra kilos of gear that a few days of food takes up
I think this is 4-5 years old now. I've been planning on an update with some cool stuff now that freeze dried things have become more main stream in stores.
+Werack Soul the sardines are already boiled or marinated, the bones are no issue, you mostly never feel them or barely feel them sometimes. they are however never an issue and you'll never choke or even cough because of them.
I am currently in progress of reenlisting to the british army which is going good and I could be in 2 months or 4. in the mean time I will be homeless and jobless as I am in a major crisis as my house is being repossessed and I have been refused help so I will have to camp in a tent and ration my food and drink.
I am guessing you mean the bridgford sandwiches? Just type in Bridgford Sandwiches for sale. Walmart even carries them these days but here is a good source: theepicenter.com/mre-meals-ready-to-eat/mre-sandwiches.html
+crystal sparks I had a viewer send me a vid about a Trader Joe's coffee brewer. It's designed for one cup but he said he's used it about a half dozen times without any issues. I just ordered this to test it for myself. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AS4N2S4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01
Crystal Light makes their 'on the go' or walmarts version of them, there is they same with the liquid drops from the same company or Mio, or again walmarts version .. they last forever as well and are very cheap. all available at walmart or any local supermarket in the US, some even at Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General etc .. these are all sugar free which is a good thing in making these packs
Artificial sweeteners are really bad for you. Besides, unless you have sugar issues, (I do) in a survival situation, it might be good to have something with some real sugar in it. I don't eat much sugar because I'm diabetic, but I avoid a artificial sweeteners, too. If you have to have something sweet but without sugar, xylitol, erythritol, stevia, or lohan make good replacements. Unsweetened Koolaid, tea, coffee, whatever you like, plus your sweetener of choice.
Not really. To much bleach or chlorine will in fact kill you. All city water or treated water has chlorine in it. When mixed in the proper ratios its the preferred method. Cheers
Ok... I thought about your option of recycling the food bags... the only word of caution is bacteria growth. Best practice have you seal food in sterile environment to inhabit bacterial growth. Just washing the bag may get it clean, but not sterile. Plastics like this are highly porous...and will harbor the little vermins and create an optimal breeding ground. Any way... food for thought.
Nice, now let's get this out onto a tray.
Niceeee, niceee 😂
Nice...It has a malty, savoury, salty taste, its actually not bad for something 50 years old.
"Let's get this out on to a tray. Nice."
You betcha
While some of the food options (your hot stuff), wouldn't be to my liking, I found the other options really helpful. Especially the pull top cans, and the fish, which I could survive on. In our Community Emergency Response Team training, we learned how to do these meals. So thank you for sharing. Especially the emphasis on taking care of the dogs...
Great stuff gundog! A nice look at an alternative to "real" MREs. It's true that all the homemade MRE videos are really all over the map in their advice. Whatever works for someone is the right thing I guess. I've thought about making one of these videos myself, but didn't feel like my opinion on the subject would add much. And now you've made one that pretty much covers many of my feelings on the subject! And, hey, MREs for dogs--how cool is that?
Hey, I try to be original...LOL! Yeah right! Cheers my friend
Great tip! I love to make my own meals too, I have a dehydrator to do it with, if I have left overs I dehydrate it but I always tell people it requires "water" so take ready to eat stuff too just in case you can't find a water source. In my car emergency kit is all "ready to eat" food like you said. Your video is a nice reminder to those who always bring food that you have to add water or like you said cook too and if you don't have those two components your stuck!
Nice one Gundog. Love your explanations and rationale behind what you chose and when in the day you'd eat them.
I cant pinpoint what it is that intrigues me about these videos but I remain interested and have viewed the majority of them. Keep them up haha. I guess we all have a nerdy side
I always try to keep a good supply of these type of foods on hand. Living in "Earthquake country" (LA) I try to be as prepared as possible.
most Win co. stores carry individual ration items so you can build and create your own. They're packaged and look like mre items, if that makes a lick of sense, for a very low price,,,, pennies. They also carry individual self-heating ration heaters for a dollar or two. I am loving your ration reviews please keep making them. Someone is learning from them. thank you
That is very fortunate to have access to that kind of stuff. The stores where I live....not so much. Cheers
The WinCo's here in DFW area had been carrying good MRE components but the supply dwindled away - even before COVID-1984 here the staff said they expected to be phasing it out.
Great info! Thanks for sharing! I like how you included things for the dogs. I agree that it is important to think of them too. :)
All of these are very good options, and some of them are ones that I hadn't thought about before. Thank you for sharing these great ideas and tips!!
Cats can be kind of dog-like. I have four cats. Two of them are loving, worry about me and come when I call. The other two hope I die soon. 😝
randomuser1105 right... my 12 cats are going crazy when they see me in front of our house.
Yeah the same lol 😂 I have four and they all come running
Hey Gundog4314, I did the same thing and labeled my self made MRE's A,B,C,D.
I added more dried fruit. I live down the street from a large discount grocery store and this was easy, cheap, and fun to do. . I got far better food and coffee for less money than the packaged MRE's. The quality and healthyness is so much better.
Thank you! It always grinds my gears when people call things that you have to add water to and let sit part of an MRE, when all in all it's not.
Great video. Good advice and very practical. I used to live in a coastal region that had periodic hurricanes. These kits would have been very useful when I lived there.
You have given the viewer great cost conscious advice. Very practical and useful.
Thanks Chris! I am planning on an updated version of this vid with a lot less "Go Aheads" lol! Cheers
Can you make a military style make your own MRE? I know you sent Alduin one. I'd like to make my own realistic Philippine style 24 hour Ration Pack (I'm of Filipino descent here in Melbourne, Australia). I can check my local Filipino grocery store to see what they have, might need to substitute some items though.
Gundog you are the coolest of the MER guys on youtube.
Really?! The lady of the house calls me a dork haha! Thanks for the compliment, made my day. Cheers
gundog4314
Everyone is a dork about something, but you are sharing that passion with other people in an entertaining way. Pretty cool id say.
I have a variety of different foods in my long and short term storage. Off the Shelf foods can be used once one learns how to properly package and store. Everything last much longer in a vacuum and a cool and dark place.
I really like this. It does have more of a ration pack feel to it, but would definitely would go great as a Meal Ready to Eat. There is quite a bit of things in this that would for sure last longer than a regular mre as it is. This is definitely something that people in the prepper community would want to take into account for instead of stocking up on mre's. Keep up the great work!!!
You could also store you food in ammo cans. It's sealed and keeps out the moisture and rodents.
Lead residue ?
My part-time gig is at a huge construction project. No food trucks or cafeteria. I have begun taking those Complete entrees, or similar pouched meals that I can nuke in the small microwave we have. I also take some of the Cliff Bars and fresh bananas,trail mix and dried fruit. And candy and gum. Its too early to eat breakfast when I leave the house, and between waiting at the assembly area for the ride down to the site and when I can eat breakfast,, its usually almost 0700. I bring a 9 quart cooler for drinks, I usually only bring 1 water bottle, then refill it from the cooler as needed. Its like being in the field again. There are thousands (6 thousand per shift) of guys in hard hats, with webbing that resembles LBE to carry their radios, and backpacks. When they are all on the move to the gate don't get in the way, cuz its a human wave. Just a different kind of soldiering.
Exactly the video I was looking for. Mostly lightweight foods that don't need water. I'm always surprised when people have a stash that's 100% dehydrated. I also love that you remind everyone to plan for their pups. Our animals should not be an afterthought in an emergency. If we plan ahead there's no reason they can't come with us and stay safe.
Deffiently better, more efficient and nutritious than your regular MRE's. And tastier also! Good vid man!
Bread sacks make great ration holders. You can keep a home made 24 hr ration pack in one and keep a clip on the end. Also use a lot of plastic bags from the store, these have the advantage of being useful and very easy to find.
New sub here, great video, I was especially taken by the food for man’s best friend to me I’d rather starve then let him go hungry, thanks again looking forward to more videos
You should have a look at the Atkins protein shakes. They are really high in protein and low in sugar and one of them keeps me full for a couple of hours. They would be great in a homemade MRE kit. I use them with my breakfasts and keep one in my bag for if I am out and cannot get to have anything to eat right away. I hate a growling stomach!!
Lizzie you're a MRE savant you should join the party and make a vid! Cheers
I've been thinking about it but I would probably end up doing an MRE review with a Jane Austen spin. LOL
Lizzie Jones we are on the same line of thought... I use medifast shakes ... and store them for that reason. I have a ton of dietary restrictions so I need to cater to my health first. The shakes meet that requirement. I ended up health coaching simply because I use so many of the. You are sooooo right... protein shakes and bars are really great for an emergency kit.
Another option is protein shakes that body builders drink. Especially if you're wearing a pack. Also pedia-sure hydration drink powders for babies to replace your electrolytes.
thanks for putting this video together. We recently used your guidelines to make Homeless MREs.
Glad I could help. Cheers
You can make your own trail mix with fruit, nuts and all that is sup post to be in there. Just cut it up, leave it in the sun for a few hours and it should be ready for use. Peanuts in a trail mix should be un-salted! If you use salted nuts, you will dry out the fruit even more and make it taste too salty. If you want salted nuts, carry those separately. Salted nuts are good to keep your salt levels up obviously, just don't eat a whole back in one go. It's not good for your body to have too much salt, also you are using it for survival and thus need to ration it. Only use when needed.
Awesome video man. This is definitely something I'm going to look into my next outing. I love mres but roo expensive and sometimes there's stuff in them that I don't care for, I eat it anyway cuz I don't like wasting food. But making your own, you know what you like!!
great info. Thank you. shopping tomorrow. I was making my own freeze dried meals and you are right will need to have water to prepare. I have nothing ready to eat!! . yours is much better option.
A lot of this stuff I've never seen in a supermarket. Like the Moroccan soup.
I see alot of DIY mre. it's not good but you can find online 5#s of tobacco for 60 dollars. put a small bag full with some rolling papers and use the vacuum sealed to seal. very light weight and if you don't smoke it's a trading item for water medicine or whatever you might need. there will always be someone dying for a smoke.
Good point about the bags. I've got a load of dried cat food bags that are tough and can now be reused, thanks.
I like the recommendation of things packed in olive oil. I think you have a lot of really good suggestions in this video.
I buy Crispy Green brand freeze-dried fruits to put in my homemade MREs.
If a packet of oatmeal isn’t substantial enough, or if you have to be on the move, Bobo ’s brand oat bars are wonderful.
Another option is Belvita. You can dip them in peanut butter, and/or Nutella, or just eat them as is. Another good on-the-move food.
Flip that tin of tuna or chicken over and rub on concrete until it opens!
Thanks for the suggestions!
My cat takes my stress away and gets upset if I'm upset. But I do know what you mean as she sometimes "goes her own way" when I'm doing good, LOL. I would hate to not have her with me in a disaster/evacuation
TheRivrPrncess hey they make great emergency food.
Wow I would have never thought of the gun that's berry clever!
I have my food for 2 months at my apartment and extra cat food for 2 months also. She doesn't guard me but I can't let her hanging.
+Cristina T I have a cat too. She'd just claw my eyes out if I ignored her lol
Cristina T well when you run out of food at least you have cat to fall back on.
On the other hand, if Cristina passes out for a couple of days, the cat will have something to eat too.
I know I'm 3 years late to the party but I agree with your options. When I carry water into the field I hate to use it on cooking. To vital to use for that.
I always tend to keep sardines around, not to mention the olive oil is good for making a candle.
This is one of your best videos in my opinion, very useful information.
However, I believe that the cans without the pull-tab can be stored longer than those with the pull-tab. That makes them I believe a better option if long term storage is the main goal.
+Verliebt Thanks, you're in for a treat as i am going to do an update for this in my next few vids. As for the cans and how to open them...I found this link after a brief search. From looking at some of the responses I think they all have some valid merit. Cheers
www.theguardian.com/notesandqueries/query/0,5753,-2096,00.html
Love the bag tip at the end !
I really like the taste of commercial made M.R.E'S. Maybe i am weird but the are very good to me. I have never been in the military or had to eat these everyday but I enjoy taking them on on the jobsite. My welding machine makes the perfect way to warm them up without burning and I can have a great lunch. ts hard to beat
Any guy who looks out for his little buddies is a damn good man 🥰
Fruit & Nut Trail mix from Stop n Shop!! I know that logo! :)
When we were in the dessert, if we didn’t have water we wouldn’t eat anyway (except straight carbs) due to metabolic water requirements. A good video.
Your missing Poptarts. Nasty but good. Great video
My 9 year old niece volunteered to do a test for me. I bought a box of cherry poptarts and marked the purchase date on the box. She ate two poptarts the day I bought them. Six months later, she ate two more. They tasted like the first ones. One year after that, she ate two more. They too, tasted as good as the first ones. Six months after that, she ate the final two, and again, she saw absolutely no difference between the last one, and the ones she ate first, two years earlier. My guess is, like Twinkies, they last forever.
Nice video...
One question, What about shelflife of the products? Usualy this is stuff you would need on the go or while bugging out of town for some reason... ?
@Mysticfox2010 Hi, I can't reply to you for some reason. That is a good question. I haven't been able to find anything with a decent size. Cans would have been too big for the bag. They don't really come in retort pouches very often. But where I live there is a ton of field greens and fruit trees.
good video like that i always am on the lookout for a good deal and always keep my dog in mind
+Danielle Marceaux Dog food was important. If something really really bad ever happened most people won't share those precious calories with their pets, especially if they have kids. Not to mention in a pinch dog food is human consumable. Cheers Danielle
Ya that is a fact some time people who have kids and dogs or cats they probably think that they will be fine but i will never forget my puppy dog because she is always with me and she is the best thing that me and my hubby did
You can make some seriously easy and inexpensive MREs from Dollar Tree products.
You can eat for 3 or 4 dollars a day if you had too.
+Harry Plinkett You can, just depends where you live. Good luck finding anything substantial that costs $1 in a Dollar Store near DC.
nice job, only one on the internet with mre's, omg, some people don't understand, water might be hard to come by if your in the desert, thanks, goood show
You make some good ass home made MRE I SEEN THE ONE YOU SEND TO A NOTHER RUclipsR
Good lord, if I were to take a shot every time I heard "Go ahead", I don't think I'd make it to the 10 minute mark :P As for the pull-tabs, yeah they're handy, but I've used my pocket knife as a can opener many times, it's not that difficult, and I've yet to cut/stab myself. Quite simply, make sure your left hand doesn't go near the direction of the point when cutting along the right side, and if the right side gets screwed up for some reason, go left handed and make sure your right hand isn't near the left side of the can.
Don't use much strength; you don't need to, and you don't need a high quality knife to do it either. Mine is one I got for free in 2009 or so. Sure it's Made in Germany and is stainless steel, but I rarely ever sharpen it. The way I do it is place the knife point-down with edge facing away from me NEAR the edge of the can, not on the exact edge. Tap down lightly, it punctures. Rock the knife back with left hand on left side of the can keeping it stable. Rocking of the knife cuts upwards through the steel. Replace, rock, replace, rock, replace, rock, and every time I set the knife, I reposition my hand so it stays on the opposite side of the knife.
Though of course having Military training, that could very well have been something that was taught or otherwise learned from a buddy, so you probably know a more efficient/safer method than what I just described :P Great vid, I never really thought about making my own ration/MRE style pack. I think I might look into it next time I go grocery shopping. Check out dates, and if the food is already cooked and ready to go, but requiring boiled water isn't exactly a deal breaker. Gotta love SPAM though, I'll eat that stuff straight from the can happily. Lasts a couple meals. Might even be advantageous to have the standard saltiness rather than less salt. Firstly, it might stay preserved longer.
Secondly, if you're doing a lot of hiking or some kind of strenuous physical activity, you'll want all the sodium/salt you can get. It'll get sweated out. Fat content is good, too. In a situation where you're living without modern amenities, working for every single thing you want/need, possibly not always with a lot of food on hand if the hunting/fishing doesn't go particularly well, then storing away extra calories is both smart, and also a sign of being a REALLY successful survivalist. Getting so well set up with so much food that you can afford to eat plenty and don't really TOO much physical labour to sustain yourself? Sounds like an impressive feat since there's no pizzas to order, beer stores for more calories, grocery stores for a wide variety of food, fuel to driving around (have to go everywhere by foot), etc.
Tip:. Star kist has chicken in different flavors in pouches. The stores can't keep it on the shelves so you might have to order online.
always informative & entertaining
Fantastic video, I throughly enjoyed it 👍
I had been keeping a can of smoked kipper snacks in my bag for if I got hungry. It was the ring pull kind of can that was wrapped in a thin plastic wrapper like how a lot of canned fish is packaged. Idk what happened, but the ring pull top opened up somehow and leaked. Luckily the plastic wrapper kept any juices from getting in the bag, but now my bag and everything in it reeks of fish. A few weeks later and it still smells like fish and fabric cleaner. I'm gonna be avoiding ring pull cans in my bag from now on.
Thanks for the Dick's sporting goods suggestion. They so still have them. I was able to order some .Not in my local store so they are shipping them. They even have pizza.
I'm not sure if you have Heinz Big N Chunky with rice in foil sachets weighing 400g in you part of the world but we do in Australia. They are absolutely brilliant and come in many different flavours, my favourite being Green Thai chicken curry. They come in 2 pouches taped together, one with the precooked curry, massaman, tikka masala , sweet and sour chicken etc etc and they have another pouch behind them of precooked and vacuume sealed white rice. I go out camping quite a lot and I will always have a couple with me. I keep some in my go back as well as one in my glove box. They stay safe in the glove box as I live in the coldest part of Australia, Tasmania. It is very rarely above 24.C or 75.F in the height of summer here.
terry mcgeown Wow, that does sound good! We don't have that where I live that's for sure. Cheers
Ironically Dicks and Cabellas have the best price for the brigford First strike Ration MRE sandwiches 3 dollars each Better then Epicenter. Maybe Walmart to but I can't check in store and they are not sold in the Canadian stores.
Nice video dude. Saludos de México.
Sadly my country doesn´t have any MRE, i prefer the MRE or German ration.
Good luck friend (sorry for the rusty english)
Raptor Seven Thanks! The EPa was pretty good. As for Mexican stuff, I devour it! Cheers
spicy ramen bowls and smoked oysters i personally enjoy spicy shrimp ramen with smoked oyster
Thanks for the ideas this was really interesting
I have an updated version of this coming out soon. Cheers Wardog
After leaving the military, I went back to calling it "Camping Food". Also, Crunchy granola bars can, easily, be retooled into a hot breakfast cereal dish.
Keep it simple stupid....makes sense and easy. Kind of like the old British Oatmeal Block. Cheers
The trick is trying to figure out how to not try to outsmart simplicity.. Apparently, that's a thing.
Also, thanks for knowing your dog is your buddy.
I have a suggestion, regarding the canned goods. Although these cans have ring-pulls, I'd recommend having a P-38 in the ration, as a backup. I've known ring-pulls to snap off, on occasion.
Jaybird196 The beauty of ring pulls is the scored edges of the opening area. A little pressure with a rock, stick or knife will open it. Cheers
gundog4314 This is true (nods). I figured someone like yourself would know that one (the rock, stick, knife thing, I mean). Others, I wasn't sure about.
I use the knife thing semi often when a soda can tab breaks off. One quick jab and your back in business! There is even a way to open a regular can with a can opener at all. Will be doing a demo on it pretty soon. Cheers
gundog4314 Me? I get a little nervous about that one, ha :) . I always find myself thinking, "Okay...do NOT stab all the way through the can..OR your hand" haha ^_^.
"There is even a way to open a regular can with a can opener at all."
I think I know which method you're talking about, but whether I'm right or wrong, I'll be patient, and not spoil it for the audience ;).
For the less experienced, I'd still recommend putting a P-38 in every so many ration packs (dependent upon how ever many they decide to make with cans), as a safety measure.
GD, they sell velvetta cheese sauce in individual sized packets now, maybe use those as a replacement to the MRE cheese spread.
Dollar tree sells the small packs of velveeta cheese only, I have one,not tried it yet.
Good video. I hope the dogs are still doing good. I'm a vegetarian, but was thinking to store some meat that last a really long time. U know just in case. (I'll eat it if I really have too) but I like the little can of corned beef lol
THATS AN MRC
NOT AN MRE
LEARN THE DIFFERENCE
I really wish we had those spam singles here in Australia
Personally I would happily carry packaged hot-dogs and tuna but..... the word protein comes up a lot when discussing hiking food as though it is another word for food. You hardly need any protein on a three day hike. It will keep hunger at bay but it's not good fuel. Porridge with dried fruit in may sound and taste boring but porridge is the fuel that endurance atheletes like bicycle racers choose because it does the business. Proteins also need a lot more water to digest.
That is true it really all comes down to individual preference and how long something will last. Cheers
You have to make water drinkable anyway, so if you already have to do that with or without the addition of a meal, I wouldn't consider it part of the meal making process, so in my opinion meals that need additional water aren't any less "ready" to eat, only because they require water which you should have the first place. Consider further that the shelf life of already cooked meals in plastic bags is significantly lower, so unless you plan to make new MREs every two years, yours is functionally more effective, but inferior in terms of sustainability.
Good point, I think when I get my harvest right freeze-drier I'll revisit this whole topic. Cheers D!
Great video! How long will these keep or how long do you keep them. Just wondering about the shelf life on some of the stuff.
I think everything would have a best buy date of about a year, but I don't think that's really an issue. You don't have the wacky supply chains of the military, so an option with lower waste and better morale is to use components hou eat normally or like to eat and rotate them through your normal diet
What no taste test on the dog MRE stuff?
That dog treat bag is also good if you just want to bring some beef jerky or something to the mall and sit in a crowded area and eat out of it. Make the locals think your nuts.
great stuff....
Excellent video. Ty!
Based on my limited research a lot of foreign rations will have a can of tuna fish. Interesting how it keeps coming up.
can also add plastic eating utensils and a napkin/tp .. beef jerky, Chiclets, vacuum sealed crackers, cookies, .. havent' figured out bread yet ...
yes, true, is why i didn't really suggest ramen noodles or bullion cubes as it requires prep ..I am a head chef, and i've discussed this with my patissie about how about to do this and both of our heads scratching on how to make it last .. mainly it would be a yeasty dough that will set on its own, i imagine this is what the US Military issue MRE's have in them. but you've not included things like M&M's or Skittles ... would those not be advisable either? I've seen vids of 20-30 year rations having them and are still (while missing their luster) good.
Well, everyone will add things they prefer to eat. M&Ms and the like are fine but they are really short term energy with no nutritional gain.I'd rather have a power bar chock full of vitamins and protein, as for the wear and tear I too have had some decent M&Ms in rations over the years but most have looked pretty sad. Skittles harden up to the point of breaking teeth after several years, but I suppose if they were stored properly and not touched they could be fine. Was thinking over the "bread thing" maybe an Indian popadum would suffice as it's stored flat and inflates when heated. I would like to pick your brain about a project I have coming up if you are interested shoot me an email. It can be found on my channels "About" page. Cheers
Sent
Did you intend to not add any things to drink (like in military mre's) or did it slip your mind? also, wouldn't it be nice to have something sweet for dessert or just to lift your spirits on a long hike?
+Essem Sweeney Hi Essem, I figured drinks were pretty much to whatever your taste as all the powdered drinks do require water/juice or some type of liquid. Same with candy and the like that is pretty much to your taste and already ready to eat. I plan on doing an updated review of this very topic in the near future so I'll take these topics into account. Cheers!
From where did you got those Asia
n noodles and that rice with vegetables? I would like to give them a try
Angel Valdez Local grocery store in the ethnic aisle. Cheers
gundog4314 note the Stop and Shop/Giant Store Brand mixed fruit and trail mix as proof of that. :P
.
Hey gundog4314 got a question, the soups in a pouch that you can buy from the grocery store, can those be used in the flameless heating bags if you had to?
I wouldn't see why not if a MRE hot beveridge bag can go in it.
Thanks again gundog4314, my mom also says thanks as well. We live in Florida and with hurricane season in full swing, it's good to know that anybody can put together their own MRE with items from the grocery store.
Actually dog food is a great back up for humans. It has a long shelf life, and really doesn't taste that bad. I always carried a 3# coffee can full in my truck on solo adventures into the desert back in my youth.
98hundy I tried it as a kid. I can say I wouldn't want to eat it but if it's life or death yeah I'd eat it.
I pack stuff for my dog & myself because she is allergic to chicken and I have Celiac disease so I take my own mre/food to go for both of us.
I know what you mean, I have to limit salt which is saturated in MREs. Saving up for a Harvest Right Freeze Drier so I can make all my own stuff.
Wow, he likes to say "go ahead" A LOT!
That's why we turned it into a drinking game in my later vids. Funny thing is you don't even realize you are saying it while filming. Go figure eh?
My cat doesn't ignore me. Sometimes he can get a little overwhelming. Especially when I'm sick.
Anyways, what about those Chef Boyardee microwavable cups? I've yet to see anyone include those in their DIY MRE combos, but I feel like they would be incredibly useful in on-the-go situations.
Those work fine too for short term rations. I've seen them in retort packaging online like MRE stuff but I've never been able to purchase one....yet. I' eventually going to do an update vid seeing as this one is over 3 years old. How time flies... Cheers Warp!
I bought a summer sausage and after about six months, the loaf turned to mush. I went to pick it up to use it and it was so mushy (technical word) in my hand with little pressure on the loaf. .... (Very little text on the package had the words, 'keep refrigerated'.). Even the market did not know it was supposed to be refrigerated all of the time......Expensive opps...The store gave me a coupon...The manager told me they tossed all off the ones not in the cold boxes and got a refund from the maker of the summer sausage for improperly labeling the packages.
Thanks for the tips :)
I enjoyed your video, however, I get an MRE for about $5.70 per bag. I struggle to believe that a DIY will be less money or have a heater.
I know I review these things often enough but boy do they get old after a few days. Variety could save your taste buds HAHA
The old argument. Even MREs are not fully ready to eat. All of the drinks require water. The cold weather meals are almost all freeze dried and require water. Thanks for the ideas.
I know when I was in, I rarely drank the drink powders and I just drank water right out of the canteen or water buffalo. Eating the powder seemed to help keep you awake at night for OP or Radio Watch. I deployed to Alaska for an exercise and we never got a MCW, MREs are cheaper for units budget so that's what you usually got.
Thank you a correct MRE video. So many dumb videos were the food is not ready to eat out of the bag.
+aquwaholic Stay tuned, I plan on doing an update vid since more products have hit the market since I filmed this. Cheers!
Mcw isn't mre.
Imo freeze dried is better, why carry around the additional weight.
Remember in a shtf scenario you've got no supply chain so you're carrying around a Lot of additional water that you simply don't need to because if you can't find water you're dead anyway.
Bring a water filter and you can find water everywhere.
Completely agree with the canned stuff though.
But I would say for long term storage water is better than oil as water is pH neutral, so your food doesn't get tainted with metal taste and the oil can corrode the can itself.
Freeze dried stuff for the average person is pretty expensive, I imagine if you had the coin to purchase a Harvest Right home freeze drier it would be vastly more affordable.
@@gundog4314 oh I don't disagree.
But fact is if you gotta carry your food and you got no supply chain then lighter is better. By all means a canteen of water is a must too but worst case you don't want to carry the extra kilos of gear that a few days of food takes up
chicken and beef hows it that u ve got meat in those soups?
What are some of there shelf life sssss one year?
I think this is 4-5 years old now. I've been planning on an update with some cool stuff now that freeze dried things have become more main stream in stores.
Bags a nice tip!
i would recommend canned herring as opposed to sardines, no bones and its easier to eat, and it comes in all sorts of varieties.
+Werack Soul the sardines are already boiled or marinated, the bones are no issue, you mostly never feel them or barely feel them sometimes. they are however never an issue and you'll never choke or even cough because of them.
Where do u buy the salami?
I found it in the Italian section near the pepperoni. Most dollar store type places have it too or some that come in a jar.
I am currently in progress of reenlisting to the british army which is going good and I could be in 2 months or 4. in the mean time I will be homeless and jobless as I am in a major crisis as my house is being repossessed and I have been refused help so I will have to camp in a tent and ration my food and drink.
The thing from DICK’S sporting goods. I can’t find it on there website any help?
I am guessing you mean the bridgford sandwiches? Just type in Bridgford Sandwiches for sale. Walmart even carries them these days but here is a good source: theepicenter.com/mre-meals-ready-to-eat/mre-sandwiches.html
What would you put in your homemade MRE for a drink? I like to have single serve coffee bags and single serve drink mixes.
+crystal sparks I had a viewer send me a vid about a Trader Joe's coffee brewer. It's designed for one cup but he said he's used it about a half dozen times without any issues. I just ordered this to test it for myself.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AS4N2S4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01
Thanks for answering my comment.
Crystal Light makes their 'on the go' or walmarts version of them, there is they same with the liquid drops from the same company or Mio, or again walmarts version .. they last forever as well and are very cheap. all available at walmart or any local supermarket in the US, some even at Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General etc .. these are all sugar free which is a good thing in making these packs
Artificial sweeteners are really bad for you. Besides, unless you have sugar issues, (I do) in a survival situation, it might be good to have something with some real sugar in it. I don't eat much sugar because I'm diabetic, but I avoid a artificial sweeteners, too. If you have to have something sweet but without sugar, xylitol, erythritol, stevia, or lohan make good replacements. Unsweetened Koolaid, tea, coffee, whatever you like, plus your sweetener of choice.
never understood how water purified by bleach worked wouldnt it be unsafe
Not really. To much bleach or chlorine will in fact kill you. All city water or treated water has chlorine in it. When mixed in the proper ratios its the preferred method. Cheers
Ok... I thought about your option of recycling the food bags... the only word of caution is bacteria growth. Best practice have you seal food in sterile environment to inhabit bacterial growth. Just washing the bag may get it clean, but not sterile. Plastics like this are highly porous...and will harbor the little vermins and create an optimal breeding ground. Any way... food for thought.
That is a good point, a cheap UV light and voila. If it is good enough to kill bacteria on a tooth brush it'll work for a re-used bag. Cheers Linda!
gundog4314 good idea... I don't know the penetration rate of UV for coated material, but that is a good thought.
Pop tarts and Dr Pepper, good to go...😉