MREs

Are the good old MREs (Meals-Ready-to-Eat) you can find in your everyday Army Navy Surplus store good for you? Well it's certainly debatable. What isn't debatable is that they are a perfect eating alternative when fresh food isn't available. And are they really necessary? Absolutely. They were considered so necessary that most superpower's armies (including the U.S.) began testing and developing MRE packs for soldiers by the tail end of the Cold War. Sure army rations had been around for the greater part of the 20th century, but not small, self-contained meals that could be stored for a long time, heated up with an included heater unit and then eaten quickly.

By the time Operation Desert Storm had started the U.S. had already been testing and improving the MRE for about 12 years and continued to do so until about 2003 where they remain the same to this day.

But does the everyday civilian need MREs? Considering harsh winters, natural disasters and a number of other factors I'd say so. And considering the fact that some have a pretty lengthy shelf life it probably can't hurt to have enough for the whole family to live on for at least a couple of days. Or even a couple of MREs for camping or hiking.

If you have room in your refrigerator it isn't a bad idea to keep a couple MREs in there because it will extend their shelf life. As shown here you can imagine how long an MRE will last if it is stored at the average refrigerator temp of 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit.



Military MRE Alternatives?:
Up until seven years ago there weren't many civilian alternatives to the ubiquitous military MRE. Pre-2005 most civilian MREs didn't contain as much food, had different or inferior components, and did not offer much variety. But with the latest civilian brands those concerns no longer apply.
After Hurricane Katrina much of the civilian MRE market picked up and more companies began producing legitimate, branded civilian MREs. Ameriqual, Sopakco and Wornick, all major manufacturers of military MREs started producing their own civilian products. Additionally, International Meals Supply, a certified supplier of emergency rations for the Department of Defense, has joined the civilian MRE field with their MREStar product.¹

• Ameriqual APack
• MREStar
• Sopakco Sure-Pak 12
• Wornick Eversafe

Health Concerns:
In order for MREs to last as long as they do they need a number preservatives and additives. And guess what? They're not always the best things for you to consume, but remember: it's all about doing things in moderation. If the MRE isn't your everyday food choice you'll probably be okay. And an important side-note about some powdered drinks in MREs. Most powdered drinks have tricalcium phosphate, an anti-caking agent which also acts as an acidity regulator. In some forms it can cause nausea, vomiting, decreased appetite, constipation, dry mouth, increased thirst and increased urination so just be cautious. Not everyone will react badly to these different preservatives, but there are always exceptions.

Other MRE Alternatives :
If you don't need an entire pack there are also freeze-dried entrees that are good alternatives to MREs. An MRE traditionally contains: an entree, side dish, cracker or bread, spread, dessert, candy, beverages, hot sause or seasoning, a flameless ration heater, utensils and accessories. That's a lot. Companies like Mountain House and Backpacker's Pantry have excellent and varied menu options with items that have a much longer shelf life than the average MRE. As far as I know most Mountain House entrees have a shelf life of 25 years whereas the newest MREs may only have a maximum shelf life of around 6 years in the driest and coolest conditions possible.

*Remember that freeze dried foods require cooking with boiling water whereas MREs usually come with their own heater pack, but don't even require heating to eat anyway.

For a Go-Bag or Bug-Out-Bag I'd recommend something like a couple Mountain House meals because they'll last longer in more adverse conditions than an MRE. If you're planning ahead of time to go out into the wilderness then the MRE would be a good option because I would like to think that it was being stored properly beforehand.

Notes and References

1. "http://www.mreinfo.com/us/mre/mre-history.html" MREinfo.com. Retrieved 25 September 2012.

Survival and Entertainment

Having always had an interest in survival scenarios and the now, mainstream idea of being a survivalist meant I was always looking for things to watch and read about these things. Whether it was movies, magazine articles, web forums or TV shows there never seemed to be a lack of good entertainment value in the subject of just surviving a situation. 

Above all, I think the best medium for this was Les Stroud's tv series: Survivorman. Not only was it entertaining, but incredibly educational whereas its higher-budgeted counterpart: Man vs. Wild was marketed more towards married couples who needed something for fun and shock value and admit it, most women prefer and watch Bear Grylls for his looks and accent and nothing more. "Big whoop." Most of the things he does are staged and he always has a full crew with him. When Les Stroud goes out, he almost always goes out alone and does all his own filming in sometimes very dangerous situations where he could actually die. It was also revealed in 2006 that some scenes from Man vs. Wild are misleading and even fake.

I understand that there is a need for pure entertainment, I mean, look at all the reality tv shows currently on - it's the majority of what's on these days. People don't want the truth, they want what's easily accessible. "Yawn."

If I want to watch a show about survival I want it to actually teach me something so I will say this: "Thank you, Les Stroud because you actually stayed true and tried to stay educational."

Owning Land ("Off-Griding It")

Just a quick note! I am not an expert of buying or owning land, but this is just my opinion (like most of this site) based on the research I've done for myself because this is something I'm interested in.

Introduction
For some time now I have considered the option and possible investment in buying a large lot of land - anywhere from 30-280ish acres depending on local geography and price. Now more than it ever seems like it'll be a realistic feat to accomplish. With a few close friends working together we may have land in a couple of a years.

Some of which spawns from the idealistic philosophy of being self-sustainable, being away from people in general and possibly starting a small business.

I have for a couple of years enjoyed watching YouTube videos of people's off-grid cabins on their own huge plots of land out in Colorado, Nevada, etc., but I live in New Hampshire. And although we have a fair amount of open space in our no-sales-tax state, it doesn't match up to a lot of other popular off-grid living states out West. If we're talking about price per acre you can't beat states like Montana or Colorado, Utah, etc. Looking at them sometimes I wish I could just pack my bags and move out there, but for now I'll be sticking around here - I like it here.

Shopping for Land
There's so many things to consider with the initial search, especially with limited budgets and with land prices varying based on factors ranging from the actual shape of the property, local geography, road access, etc.

Initial purchase aside you have to figure out how much money will go into making the land usable? Does land need to be bulldozed? Areas cleared? Wells dug? And in addition can you or someone you know do these things or have the equipment for you to use or will you (God forbid) have to pay someone to do all this for you? If you're on a limited budget you can pretty much forget that.

Obviously before you purchase land you have to see what it's like and be able to imagine all the things you want to do in place. Much like looking at a house on sale and seeing your own layout of furniture. Also it's best to view land in the winter and spring to see the property during the harshest seasons - snow season and mud season. If during the Spring there are areas that become completely impassable due to heavy rain and mud you may want to skip on it - this is something that some people overlook and wish they had researched beforehand - oops, now you're stuck with 200 acres of land you can't even travel through!

Preparation
Equipment, equipment, equipment. Depending on what your goals with land are this will vary greatly. Most of the equipment will be expensive and BIG.  Heavy duty pickup trucks or Ranch Trucks are pretty common place on large plots of land and help with the moving of equipment or assets (i.e. hay, lumber, front-end loaders, etc.). 
*Diesel is highly recommended for engine durability, high torque, fuel efficiency and the ability to run on bio-diesel mixes.
**If you're really planning on going off the grid you can also invest in an older vehicle with a carburetor and research on how to make it run on a wood-gasifier system, which you can read a bit about in an earlier post: The B.O.V. or "Bug Out Vehicle".


Most good diesel trucks available in the US are actually American-made as most of the other truck options will be gasoline-run instead. If you were, for example in Russia or Eastern Europe I'd recommend you to buy a Ural, but guess what? We're not in Russia or Eastern Europe :P


Some Ranch Truck possibilities:

• Ford F-250, F-350, 3500 Dually, etc.
• Dodge RAM 2500, 3500
• GMC 2500 Duramax

Livability Options
For this land you could be working on it, living on it or both. DIY building can be cost effective, but only if you have the know-how. There's lots of literature and even courses you can attend to learn how to make your own home or log cabin, but there's also modular homes you can purchase and have shipped to your land if you so choose. It all depends on your land, future plans, finances and skill set(s).

Example
We will purchase a plot of 40 acres with road access after walking the grounds (during mud season) and having it professionally surveyed. Plans and concepts will be drawn up for placement of assets of the property. 

Once finalized, equipment will be purchase or transported to the site to begin work. Clearing a path for access to the work area will be one of the first things.
Depending on plans we may start building a barn or storage to begin to safely keep equipment in while we're away. 

If clearing land looks too daunting we will request that a lumber company come in and clear a section that we would like to use - they will usually pay you for the opportunity and the lumber they yield from this process, but this may take a long time to accomplish depending on the lumber company you're requesting and the current season.

After land has been cleared a small Christmas tree farm will be planted as part of a long term profit plan as they will take 5-7 years to mature.
If the land has beautiful views it may be opened for a small fee for hikers or even horseback riding.

A number of small businesses can be operated on a piece of open land such as a general store, vegetable stand, camping grounds, etc.

After a couple of years of steady profit modular homes will be shipped up or cabins will be built to live on the land permanently and eventually it'll become a self-sustainable property.

Practice, please

Savage Axis XP, TGI AMD-65, Olympic Arms AR-15

New Savage in .308 (foreground) and old Savage in .300 Savage (background)