bladefalcon wrote:@Holomon Very valuable input, thank you! Don't worry I wouldn't dream of stockpiling these things for an emergency in the long term. More like something I can quickly whip up a day or two before a weekends hiking/exercise. I was just wondering how the military rat packs are produced, and whether it's possible to get similar results at home. Something like a month or two lifespan perhaps..?
@rik Also many thanks for the link, I had looked for something similar, guess my Google skills just aren't up to it!
You'll need a good vacuum packer and sealer to handle Mylar. I suppose if the bags are really well sealed you could heat treat the content, google 'home canning' and you'll get an idea of what I mean.
Richard
South Wales UK
Retired, spending the children's inheritance.
bladefalcon wrote:@Holomon Very valuable input, thank you! Don't worry I wouldn't dream of stockpiling these things for an emergency in the long term. More like something I can quickly whip up a day or two before a weekends hiking/exercise. I was just wondering how the military rat packs are produced, and whether it's possible to get similar results at home. Something like a month or two lifespan perhaps..?
It's very difficult to produce your own wet rations as MREs, in all fairness your original question was whether they're prepared especially and that very much is the case. For your own purposes I'd stick to maybe re-hydrating food with stock added to the water, or short term go for the commercial MRE packages, but just take into consideration the short fall in calorie requirements etc if you're on an active hike.
"The problem with internet quotes is that you can't always depend on their accuracy" - Abraham Lincoln, 1864
Food industry head on now. Whatever you try to do with cooked foods on a domestic level-don't. You will wind up with food poisoning.
Take curry for instance. It involves a gravy. ALL gravies and sauces are a massive vector of pathogens, unless refrigerated properly( cooled quickly and held at <5 c).you can cook and vac pack it, but without refrigeration it is a food safety hazard. There is a misconception that vacuum packing is a preservation method in and of itself. It HAS to be in conjunction with refrigeration, when it is a high-risk food.
It is not worth the risk.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.
Robert Frost.
Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.
Look around your supermarket for stuff on the shelves (ie not in the chillers or freezers) in pouches...... You'd be surprised just how much you can find packed that way.
A retort pouch is basically a mylar or plastic 'tin' as far as preservation and storage goes
jennyjj01 wrote:"I'm not in the least bit worried because I'm prepared: Are you?"
Londonpreppy wrote: At its core all prepping is, is making sure you're not down to your last sheet of loo roll when you really need a poo.
Thanks for the input guys.
@forgeconvus I'm aware of such items, but they tend to be expensive and I only asked because I'd like to be a bit creative and frugal. Otherwise I'd just eat the provided mres like a good boy..!
bladefalcon wrote:Thanks for the input guys.
@forgeconvus I'm aware of such items, but they tend to be expensive and I only asked because I'd like to be a bit creative and frugal. Otherwise I'd just eat the provided mres like a good boy..!
Sorry, I thought you wanted food
I suppose there nothing to stop you from using Canning processes* with a mylar bag, its just a question of how good (or otherwise) a seal you can get with hobby-level gear and working out how long and how high a process you need to use for safety.
* Thats sealing in a bag and then heat treating to kill the nasties
jennyjj01 wrote:"I'm not in the least bit worried because I'm prepared: Are you?"
Londonpreppy wrote: At its core all prepping is, is making sure you're not down to your last sheet of loo roll when you really need a poo.
