Shelf Reliance Freeze-Dried Foods - Six Months Supply $500

[Velocir]

So, we are thinking provisioning and came across a company called Shelf Reliance that makes "the end is near!" type stockpiles of food, drink, etc. They make a supposed 6 month freezedried food supply for about $500, which, could possibly be very awesome. I am concerned about their packaging and moisture getting in. Anyone ever used it on a boat?

[JanetGroene]

Is it packaged in cans or foil? Keeping qualifies differ. Freeze-dried food is bulky and portions are quite small. Try (preferably after a hard day of sailing) before you buy. Four of us once ate a 10-portion can of freeze-dried chicken and noodles and, even with additional courses, we weren't stuffed.

[atoll]

still have some that we have had for maybe ten years,too revolting to eat but saving it in case of nuclear war.

[cringle]

Originally Posted by atoll

still have some that we have had for maybe ten years,too revolting to eat but saving it in case of nuclear war.

awww, come on ... it's delicious! We used to live on the stuff when racing

no, wait .... too much coffee ....

you're absolutely correct - it is revolting. But. We used to live on the stuff when racing and we now have a load of it aboard the cruiser for rough weather; easy to prepare. It amazes me what we'll eat when sailing and be prefectly content with.

The portions may not be large, but it is balanced an the calories are all there. I have often eaten 2 packets when very tired/hungry.

[LauderBoy]

I used to buy freeze dried foods from Mountain House. Mostly because a couple of their items were very delicious and easy to prepare and I liked to take their stuff out camping.

Moisture shouldn't be a problem as long as the items are kept sealed in their container, at least not in the under 1-2 year lifespan. When you open the package moisture is a big deal at that point. Typically you'd want to use the open product within a week or two.

But really you're paying a premium for the freeze dried food. $500 for 6 months is cheap and I bet it tastes like cardboard with bare minimum proportions. Cheap food isn't really cheap if you never eat it.

You might consider just changing your normal diet towards using shelf stable cheaper foods. Rice, dried beans, pasta, canned meats, clarified butter, potatoes and other roots, dried milk, canned fruits, flour for making your own bread, jams/jellies, etc.

Living without refrigeration was the "norm" for human existence up until recently and there's a lot of good nutritious and delicious options for provisioning along those lines. No need to be eating peanut butter on stale crackers for dinner.