May 04 2008
Mountain House #10 Cans Versus Pouches
The image on the left shows boxes of Mountain House #10 cans. The image on the right shows Mountain House pouches.
Pouches are popular with hikers, rock climbers and back-packers. Mountain house also sells them in cases as a food reserve.
They are a meal in pouch, just add water.
A Mountain House pouch can be used as a survival food reserve and are specifically packaged as such in the “just in case unit” 7 day food supply box pictured above.
This is comparable to MRE with the distinction they taste better, are easier to digest but require more preparation since you need to add water.
When you compare a pouch to a #10 can the main difference is that pouches are an individual meal. Mountain house #10 cans are a bulk, 8-10 serving food reserve unit.
More important however, pouches will store for up to 7 years at 75° F (24° C), while #10 cans will last 25 years under the same conditions.
While it is more convenient to have the pouches and they are a good alternative to MRE if you can’t stand the taste or digest MREs, #10 cans are a much longer lasting and better investment for disaster preparedness.
The exception are those people who find the contents of the pouches comparable enough to fresh food, and will consume pouches periodically for regular meals and continuously re-stock them as a food reserve for disasters. Then the 7 year shelf life is not an issue.
Finally a food reserve of the same duration in #10 cans will store in a smaller space than the pouches due to the cans being a bulk (less packaging) food supply.
In summary;
Mountain House Pouch
- More convenient package as a meal
- taste better than MRE
- Store for up to 7 years
Mountain House #10 Can
- bulk, 8-10 one cup servings of one item
- store for up top 25 years
- store more efficiently than pouches
Buy Mountain House Just In Case Unit
Buy Mountain House #10 can Freeze Dried Food Reserve
Published under Emergency Preparedness Advice, Freeze Dried Food, Mountain House, Survival Food
