Using Freeze Dried Meals While On The Road

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M1894 said:
I don't know how old some of them were, but one time I got a package of Lucky Strike's in the green package out of one carton.
In 1968, most of the C-rat cartons had a date in the 1960's. 1964, IIRC. Once in a great while there would be a carton from the 1950's with a different set of meals in them. I looked forward to the older cartons just for the change.

-Don-  Reno, NV
 
Tombstonejim said:
Add me to that list. 30 years in the military I don't want anything that even slightly looks like a MRE.  And I ain't gonna sleep in no tent either. Thats what motorhomes are for.
You can't take a motorhome to the places I go backpacking.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
Sorry I apologize. It's just odd seeing someone who actually uses proper punctuation and grammar while writing on a forum so my 'spam' detector started beeping.  :p


camperAL said:
Hi Average Bob and all,

I am actually a graphic artist and live about 2,000 miles from Oregon where the Mountain House products are made (they were also instrumental in preparing astronaut food aboard missions). I don't have a dime in their product or get any type of compensation from them. I do like their product. I also wouldn't try to break forum rules of commercial posts. I like this forum in so many ways and don't want to be expelled!! I do appreciate the post by the other member who posted another company that people might try, including myself. So the topic was generated to see if people are aware of the cans which are a good way to store and take freeze dried foods.

Hi Icemaker,

Always appreciate your posts here! When I saw his post asking if I was a member of this forum, I thought the same exact thing. What he was asking if I was a member of a forum in the link which I am not. I'll probably go and check out that forum though as I am always interested in items related to backpacking.

Hi Water Dog,

Actually that is an excellent idea. Where you would save space, is not having the bulk items you would have to put together to generate the meals. You could make a bit extra when doing meals and freeze them at home (if you are not full timers) and build them up until travel time. Seems like you could switch ice packs even in the small freezers that B Vans have and keep food for some period of time. It would have to take two or three times more space if you tried to prepare such items on the road. Also as you said good home made food for the road and easy prep. Best to all!

CamperAL
 
DonTom said:
In 1968, most of the C-rat cartons had a date in the 1960's. 1964, IIRC. Once in a great while there would be a carton from the 1950's with a different set of meals in them. I looked forward to the older cartons just for the change.

-Don-  Reno, NV

My first trip was in 1953 followed by 1958, and 1964, so never saw any of the newer dates. 


Lee
 
AverageBOB said:
Sorry I apologize. It's just odd seeing someone who actually uses proper punctuation and grammar while writing on a forum so my 'spam' detector started beeping.  :p

Hi Average Bob,

No apology needed as there are many people who try to abuse forums like this one to make a buck. I am exploring many avenues on RV'n and wanted to see what others do to stock their RV's when on the road and camping, especially the B Vans.

Good punctuation and grammar?? That certainly isn't me. I rely on spell check and post in a way that suits me probably much to retired teachers on this forums disdain and horror.

CamperAL
 
M1894 said:
My first trip was in 1953 followed by 1958, and 1964, so never saw any of the newer dates. 


Lee
Yours must have had the "Ham & Lime Beans". I hear they were so gross that people would make bets on if anybody could finish a can.

Sure was a lot of waste of C-rats. Most were just opened and buried when re-supplies were good.

-Don- SSF, CA
 
John From Detroit said:
There is a company called "Daily Bread" which sells Freeze Dried and canned food (Sealed in tins, not pouches, keeps a LONG time) this is kind of "Shelter food" to be honest,  I've tried their products and the food was good.

I may, some day, invest in an order,  but just now it is priced out of my range.. (Since you need to buy bulk)  http://www.dailybread.com/ if you wish to check 'em out.  If you do order from them please let me know. 

but to be honest.. The price per meal is not all that bad.

Well the pictures on the front page look good, but it's just powdered meals so I doubt the lasagna is going to look like lasagna hahah.
 
To get back on subject of CamperAls original question, I am sure you can put together a 2+ week menu with non perishable foods.  To keep them good you would have to put some thought into it and be selective.  We have found that pulling individual items together for a meal is better then buying a campers freeze dried meal in a bag.  I think taste and visual quality of those products suffer from maximizing "just add boiling water", "use the pouch", etc. 
 
If weight isn't a big issue but convenience is my vote is for military surplus MRE's. For a two week food supply you'd need 14Mre's, being at over 1,000 calories a piece it would be possible.

Len and Jo said:
To get back on subject of CamperAls original question, I am sure you can put together a 2+ week menu with non perishable foods.  To keep them good you would have to put some thought into it and be selective.  We have found that pulling individual items together for a meal is better then buying a campers freeze dried meal in a bag.  I think taste and visual quality of those products suffer from maximizing "just add boiling water", "use the pouch", etc.
 
DonTom said:
Yours must have had the "Ham & Lime Beans". I hear they were so gross that people would make bets on if anybody could finish a can.

Sure was a lot of waste of C-rats. Most were just opened and buried when re-supplies were good.

-Don- SSF, CA

Bought back some good memories..My Dad brought some of those home..I snuck some out and took them to my "fort" ...I guess my taste buds hadn't been developed to a sufficient level to dislike them..of course eating "forbidden goods" might have been an influence..
Thanks for the memory recall. 
 
DonTom said:
Yours must have had the "Ham & Lime Beans". I hear they were so gross that people would make bets on if anybody could finish a can.

Sure was a lot of waste of C-rats. Most were just opened and buried when re-supplies were good.

-Don- SSF, CA

I think that the Dr Suess book about ham and green eggs was written by someone who got them in C-rations. And you are correct about the ham and lima beans. those things were gross.


Lee
 
Icemaker said:
Bought back some good memories..My Dad brought some of those home..I snuck some out and took them to my "fort" ...I guess my taste buds hadn't been developed to a sufficient level to dislike them..of course eating "forbidden goods" might have been an influence..
Thanks for the memory recall.
Some of the C-rats were not too bad. But it did get tiring eating the same few canned meals three times per day for a year with only very rare exceptions.

Here is what they consisted  of:

There were slight differences depending of the year of the case.
There were at least two different cases, one with a much older date on
the case (195?). The more common case (when I served <September
1969-1970> had a date in the 60's on the case). But I think there were
10 meals in a case of 12 (I think two were repeated).


  Ham and Lima Bean AKA "Mothas" (inedible)  <older case only>?
  Ham and Eggs (inedible)
  beef steak (inedible)
  Beef Slices with potatoes (edible)
  beans and franks (edible)
  pork slices  (inedible)
    turkey loaf  (edible)  *OR*
    Boned Chicken (edible)
  spaghetti with meatballs  (inedible)
  Chicken and noodles (edible)
  Beans with Meatballs (edible)

  Peaches  (edible)
  pears    (edible)
  apricots (edible)
  fruit cocktail (edible)
  pineapple chunks (edible)

  pound cake (edible)
  fruit cake (inedible)
  pecan cake (edible)

  Hot Chocolate.
  bread pudding
  white bread in a can.
  green lucky strikes
  peanut butter / jelly / cheese in cans with crackers
  Old Gold, Pall Mall, Camel or Salem cigarettes.
  matches
  Chicklets
  toilet paper
  instant coffee
  tropical chocolate disks wrapped in tin foil.
  chocolate covered coconut candy (edible)


        If anybody can add to or correct this list, please post me a message here.

-Don-  in rainy  SSF, CA
 
The canned chicken was good. And there was also one with tuna but us cooks used to grab the tuna and chicken ones. I do remember the little 3-packs of cigarettes but don't remember them being Lucky Strikes. This was in the mid-70s.
 
Wendy said:
The canned chicken was good. And there was also one with tuna but us cooks used to grab the tuna and chicken ones. I do remember the little 3-packs of cigarettes but don't remember them being Lucky Strikes. This was in the mid-70s.
Tuna C-rats? What year was that?  We received the cases unopened, 12 meals in each case, dropped off from the choppers (Central Highland jungless of Vietnam, 1969-70) and I never even heard of a tuna C-rat.

-Don-  Rainy SSF, CA
 
DonTom said:
Some of the C-rats were not too bad. But it did get tiring eating the same few canned meals three times per day for a year with only very rare exceptions.

Here is what they consisted  of:

  white bread in a can.  [/center]

Great list Don, We used to use the white bread for a ball....that's the only thing it was good for. Far too hard to eat.. :p
 
I was in from 75-78 and we had canned tuna c-rats. That and the canned chicken were the only ones I'd eat.
 
Wendy said:
I was in from 75-78 and we had canned tuna c-rats. That and the canned chicken were the only ones I'd eat.
OIC, I know they made many changes after they stopped the draft and that must have been one of them. I was drafted on 24, March 1969 which was even before the draft lottery started.

-Don- SSF, CA
 
Greetings,

Another comment that I thought I would throw in, there are dehydrated meals that can be used like the freeze dried meals. Freeze dried to me tastes very fresh and hard to beat compared to other forms of preservation.

There are many items that can be bought in regular grocery stores that have dehydrated foods that might be useful for camping and RV uses. Freeze dried though it costs more in my opinion still is very hard to beat, because of it's small volume that makes taking with you ideal for RV'n, especially in B type campers.

Don't know if the dehydrated foods were confused with the actual freeze dried ones. I agree vegtables are hard to beat freeze dried and taste just like fresh and probably were when they went through the process. Best to all.
 
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