Here is a note from Doug about his prize!!!!
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Hello to my friends at the Canadian Preppers Network. I’m a little behind in my report, but the Mountain House prize pack did arrive… eventually. The Canadian supplier had received a large order right before the Christmas holidays, which depleted their stocks, so my package was a little late to arrive.
When it did arrive at the local post office, I knew immediately what it was… and so did everyone else who saw the package, before I picked it up, and after I left the post office. Unfortunately, Mountain House isn’t too concerned about OPSEC… their name is plastered across the box for all to see. Ok, this was a free prize, and free stuff is always nice, but in the world of ‘preppers’ and preparedness, most people don’t want everyone around them to see them carrying a box of LTS food.
Upon arrival at home, I quickly opened the box. I was excited to get a look at the cans. As you can see… fairly standard can, nice label, includes preparation instructions, and a best-before date (my stuff is good till at least 2034!).
When Kymber asked me if I had tried anything yet, I regrettably had to say no. Unfortunately, Mountain House recommends that the contents be eaten immediately upon opening. Although they do provide plastic lids for the cans, and state that upon opening, testing has shown that contents will be good for up to one week. So while we’re eager to try it, we also don’t plan on eating an entire can of anything right away, so it will remain stored until needed. (see Kymberz note below)
Also, if you are on a low-sodium diet, or blood pressure medication, you might want to be sure you’ve got some extra on hand. Mountain House states in their FAQ (http://www.mountainhouse.com/faqs.cfm) : Why do you put so much sodium in your product? Our products are designed to fit a high-performance lifestyle, replacing some of the sodium lost during heavy exertion.
There isn’t much else to report; We’re happy to have won the contest, and these will store nicely until we need them. A couple of things to consider; heavy on the salt (so be sure to get outside and do some physical activity!), and potential OPSEC breach, if that sort of thing concerns you.
Thanks again CPN!
Doug.
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Thanks Doug – we really appreciate your taking the time to do this write-up…and we hope you enjoy your prize!!!
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Kymberz note:
Vic, from Safecastle LLC had the following to say in regards to how long the food will last once opened:
“MH lawyers will tell you that the food is good for one to two weeks at room temp once a can is open if it is kept dry and covered/”sealed” with the plastic lid that comes with it. In reality, you can at least double that–and if you refrigerate it, it will further extend that length of time.”
Vic also said that our own Bow Beauchamp had recently done a test drive of the MH foods while out in the bush. Bow’s review (which can also be found here):
I have been using my Mountain House foods during my winter adventures, research and training. I think it is a great staple for the bush. I especially, like the chicken teriyaki.
Some other meal products that I have tried in the past I’ve found their suggested servings to be a little on the small portion side to say the least and the taste and quality of the other foods I found poor.
These cans had good clear instructions on them. They suggested that once opened to use them within the week. I tried an experiment with one can and, after opening it, left it. I used it 3 weeks later and the results were excellent–no problems–no loss of flavor or food value.
My conclusion–Mountain House cans make a good bush staple. I think they make a great product.