Continuing the journey to make homemade MREs from places anyone can find, let's build one from Family Dollar! Gear List Barocook Flameless Cooker: amzn.to/3vuygMi RTic Coffee Mug: amzn.to/3vK3BKY Amazon Wish List: www.amazon.com...
I put together something similar. I found my stuff in bulk on Amazon. Star Kist tuna single serve packs. 20 packs for $10. Folgers instant coffee packs. Sugar and creamer. Tea bags. Everything has a 2 year shelf life or longer. I put together 3 bug out bags with micro sleeping bag. Tent. 4 ways of making a fire. rain poncho. 2 emergence blankets. Folding saw. 3 knives. 3 light sources. 500lb. 100' paracord. About $100 per bag. I put everything to the test on a 2 day camping trip.
I moved to Miami 15 years ago, and that's where I first found Cafe Bustello. It's a massive brand among all the Cubans there. And even after I moved back to Alabama, it's still the only brand I drink.
Nashville here...i grew up in Mississippi and developed a taste for Cafe Bustello. I have turned several people here on to it and still drink it 30 years later. I think what you are tasting is chicory. They add it to Bustello.
Cafe Bustelo is my go-to "cheap" coffee brand, and their instant coffee is definitely in the "not bad" category. I often see Cafe Bustelo being served as Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê đá) in restaurants around here.
I made the mistake of drinking Cafe Bustelo at 9pm one night. I didn't get to sleep until the next morning. It's a good thing that I was off from work that day.
Ok, let's get this out onto a tray...nice. Oops! Wrong video! This menu option sure looks better than the other fellow trying to sample WWII potted meat. Civilian MRE is pretty easy to buy and/or assemble like you've shown. I usually break into the Cheezits first. That's a neat little stove too. Thanks for posting. Liked and subscribed.
I put together full day meal packs for camping. These are some great ideas. The Hormel / Dinty Moore meals are pretty decent. My favorite is the spaghetti, but most of the others are good also.
I know you've done Walmart, but recently I found Starkist SmartBowls. A 4.5oz pouch. I got two kinds: Rice & Beans with tuna and Quinoa & Beans with tuna. Two year shelf life. No need for your "cooker", can just slip the pouch somewhere in your clothes to warm up while you do other things. Could be used as half of an entrée
Excellent video! You know, one work around the flavoring of your meals could be creating your own mini seasoning kit. I am using this when I take a short trip and it is so helpful. Not talking about salt and pepper. Dollar Tree has a CareUS brand 5 pack of contact lens cases. This provides up to 10 chambers to put spices in; two spices per case and all together, about as big as a fat bar of soap. Since the bottom of each case is white, you can use a sharpie to label what you have inside. I think this could take the items more into the "happy zone" when flavor is lacking. You can flavor popcorn, snacks, jerkies, entrees side items and so forth. Certainly not an mre queen but let me know if you think this could be helpful in any way. I realize it may not fit into your rules.Thanks for all your hard work! :)
This is a brilliant idea! It stands to reason one might have something like that on hand to accent their food. I need to hit up Dollar Tree and find one of those.
It's a shame all of you in the USA do nor get to enjoy our CHICKEN SALT. This started on the top of Rotisserie Chickens & later Chips (Fries in USA). These are a mixture of Garlic Salt, Pepper & Praprika. Makes boring food better - been using it 30+ years on ALL meals & it makes boring food better. Also don't forget to re-use those sauce packets you got from the Take Away shops too.
I got some Mylar bags about the size of ketchup packets for this purpose. You can also buy tiny single servings of just about any spice or condiment as well.
Thank you for posting & also specifically pointing out the difference between Dollar Tree, General & Family Dollar. Always good to know about more budget friendly options. When you said those banana chips weren't your favorite, i would be curious to maybe see in the future a favorites video. I personally love how you explain why or how you choose everything you do. Also just a thought, but maybe how you like to use freeze dried or reconstituted coffee, perhaps try reconstituted/re-hydrated fruit or crumble up the freeze dried fruit into bits to give the water some pop of fruit flavor?
I do plan on doing a video on my favorites or an ultimate MRE gathered from various sources. I had someone else mention the idea of putting freeze dried fruit in a drink and I love the concept. I’m going to try that.
It’s so challenging finding shelf stable foods that are cheap and readily usable. I’m not a fan of the hormel entrees but have enjoyed the tasty bite pouches. Beef jerky is always my go to snack to keep the protein up.
Thanks! DIY MRE kits are oddly satisfying to watch people create. I really like the Hormel Compleats. I order online and look for sales. The turkey & dressing is my fave but Im not too picky. One is not enough to fill my gut (who gets full off of 230 cals?), so I have to pair it with something else. They really dont have many calories or provide volume, but they are tasty. As an "MRE", so long as overall calories and nutrients line up, the lack of volume only affects my comfort level. I often buy Humanitarian Rations for cheap. Usually $3-4 for a days worth of calories. No meat, but very filling. Better protein amounts and usable protein over the classic MREs I used to buy. Then I add in a couple of goodies for personal preference. In day to day life I drink my coffee black, unsweetened. I started adding sugar and creamer packets in with my supplies because of the extra energy it can provide. I dont mind instant coffee at all. I keep some on hand for use at home even though I have other options available to me. Oddly hits the spot sometimes.
I’m all for using prepared MREs and breaking them open and redistributing the contents to your liking. For some that may be the only way to achieve specific needs. Great comment, thank you!
Another great MRE video. Thanks for taking the time to search out and put these together. Around us we have Big Lots and Sav-a-Lot stores which might be a couple of great places also to try for other maker MREs.
I have done Big Lots but it was a couple years back and my format for the video was different. Might revisit that soon. We also have a Sav-a-Lot I might hit up but it’s in a rough part of town so we’ll see how that goes.
That would be cool but I’ll settle for helping people find a great solution to cooking without fire. Hope you pick one up and love it as much as I have.
A military MRE has extra salt, fat, calories, and protein. Eat if you have been pushed to your limit. But on a camping trip or survival. You're better off eating regular foods or freeze dried foods.
Precisely. Different environments require different foods. Maybe down the road I will dive into specific items for such environments. That’s a whole lot more work and research though. We will have to see where this goes 😅
Eat one a day and you’ll have enough calories for your daily intake. Keep that in mind for stocking up on some for emergencies. I think that’s something many don’t know, is that each more when fully consumed gives about 2000 calories. The reason we eat multiple while in the field is we are burning that rapidly.
One MRE has about 1300 calories. I think, the entrees only going to be about 250 to 300. The rest seems to me to be mostly junk food with tons of sugar, even that protein shake. Seem very carb heavy in particular.
I love the chicken Alfredo one! I always have these in my cabinet for when I’m lazy. I think they taste great. Love the ideas people come up with these homemade MREs.
I love the hormel meals. Hottest say if I had to pick one, the chicken and rice is a top contender. The spaghetti although not great is surprisingly acceptable with a touch of salt. Most of the ones I've tried have been pretty good. Nothing I'd turn my nose up at.
@dadbudgetadventures it's really simple but it's awesome. Sometimes during hunting season that's what I'll have when I get home late when I want to get something warm in me quick.
I'll say this. A couple of years ago. I tried a couple of different ones and was relatively pleased, but they made one that I think might have been a breakfast, that had egg in it, to me the egg was not acceptable. I don't know if it's still made. I'm sure egg is challenging to make shelf stable. I don't say don't try it, but I certainly would not buy a bulk pack without trying one first.
First video from your channel I have seen. I used to work as a security guard on a military installation years and years back. I used to always have a couple MREs or freeze dried meals in my bag in case we got stuck there. I think i would have picked anything other than those Dinty Moore meals. I cant stand them. And Reeses pieces are not chocolate candy, they are peanut butter candies. They have no chocolate in them...and are my favorite candies. Besides entree, good choices. 👍
I just found you! What a great series! My dh is always wanting to buy gov MRE s but then looks at the ingredients and thankfully has always passed. But your system is going to be a hit with us both. Keep up the good work! Any vid s on MRE s fir 2?
@@dadbudgetadventures You passed on those cans of roast beef, I think they were 12 or 14 oz, you seem to think they would be too much for a single MRE. Considering how you often mention that. A big eater might be disappointed by your usual selections, maybe more is better. Chief issue with that can of meat is that it would be just meat with no contrast, but certainly it must be better than any canned chicken product. Have you considered a spam or corned beef or corned beef hash? But I would certainly consider that one you showed us. I wonder if you could do some research and find it in a smaller size if you thought that necessary.
I've found it difficult to buy Anything at Family Dollar or Dollar General that is actually a dollar. Dollar Tree is absolutely the best bargain shop, even though they bumped the price up to $ 1.25 since Covid. They also get name brand overstock and close out items. Additionally, they now have a " 5 dollar isle", where larger items ( plastic storage bins, small rugs,etc.)are 3-5 dollars.
Dollar Tree is a good resource as long as you are observant of what you’re getting. Some items sell cheaper at other stores but if you’re looking to spend a set amount it’s a great place to pick up enough to get you by.
I have found in my location that dollar general is cheaper than family dollar. Also...i have been practing this method for years. As i am a hiker / backpacker i have chosen to forego expensive specialized trail foods a d have named my rations " sustainment pouches" ( a name that has caught on with coworkers and froends)which include ready to eat foods. Meatballs , tuna, snacks and drink powders. Even dog foods and treats. Not everything is sourced from the same supplier, but gathered on trips to WM, DG and amazon.
Sounds like you have this mastered! The single source idea is mostly for the thought exercise it creates. That and it gives people a reference to consider when they are shopping.
I like the chicken Alfredo and the dumplings but a recommendation would be to add a small seasoning packet to the minute microwave meal because the ones with potato are kinda metal tasting i usually go with pepper, garlic salt, and maybe some onion power but thats about it
If I were preparing a full MRE that included stuff from various sources I would definitely include that. A lot of the meals could benefit from some hot sauce or additional seasoning. Heading out on a camping trip or stocking my personal stash I always add in little bonus items.
This is the first of your videos I have watched. I like your approach. I'm going to have to try the Cafe Bustelo instant coffee for camping and backpacking trips.
To make it a more traditional mre I would have gotten a bag of m&ms or skittles. There are some items you would have had difficulty finding, like the bread or muffins that are squished down. You also could have bought generic pop tarts and that would be something you’d find. I’ve had the compleats, they ain’t filling but when scraping by they do in a pinch. And if memory serves me right I do think there’s a coffee pouch in an mre. Or a powdered juice/energy drink.
Finding shelf stable bread or cakes is not easy. I wish there were more options for that. The problem with M&Ms that I’ve encountered is they have a short shelf life but for some reason Reese’s Pieces have a longer one. I had hoped for peanut M&Ms for the extra kick but it wasn’t meant to be.
Last 4th of July in South Lake Tahoe people left over 8,500 pounds of garbage on the beach left for volunteers to pick up. Love the idea of home made mres. Going to have to start making some. I have a lot of mres and first strike rations too.
wow this is fresh content. really great idea. That heater was new to me and i watch all the prepper channels. Kudos man, this channel is super intersting and original.
@dadbudgetadventures I would drink it exclusively (instant), but my stomach doesn't let me. So every so often I can get by with it, and wow, it's so good! I "converted" my husband, who only drank Starbucks when he drank instant.
My Daughter likes the Swedish Meatballs, I like the "Thanksgiving Dinner" (meaning: Turkey w/Dressing. I also like to a little mashed potato to it, boiling water and mixing potato to side them adding to the meal and mixing together. Have done this for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve.) I also like the Salisbury-Steak w/mashed potatoes & Gravy. I like to add part of a "small" can of GreatValue Peas & Carrots, to it.. just putting a little on it..stirring and adding more..mixing 1/3-1/2 the veggies from the can into it. This really, does make a difference! But, on says that I don't do that. I will at the very least mix in Basil, Italian seasoning,(and/or) Oregano there is also, some Black Pepper. Trust me, these things make a huge difference. But, don't get spoiled with using them all the time. Either, though I personally love these Homel Completes. It may be a little more than I want to spend on one meal but as MREs they are Great, you can Eat them Cold or Warm (depending on the circumstances, though they may not be as good cold and all it at least is safe to eat and all). This is something I eat a couple times a month, because it is a ready meal and we like them. I may put a couple of these into a pack for both of us, great idea. Love it.
I dehydrate my hiking/camping meals in the summer, you can cold soak them which would make them almost MREs but I like a hot meal at the end of the day, good for morale. In winter I generally do something similar to what you are doing as I don't carry on for days so having lightweight dehydrated meals isn't an issue. In this country my favourite coffee sachets are the Maxwell House ones and the banana chips are great. You get plantain chips here too or they're pretty easy to do yourself.
I love plantain chips. We get them all the time at our local international market. I encourage everyone to build their stuff to their own liking and hope that I can inspire some thought in the process.
Brilliant Idea - we don't have Dollar General stores down under but be we have similar stores & I think we could scratch up some similar items & always suggest a cup of soup added as the additional nutrients can help sustain you as the added taste on some bland food items. Not everyone can afford the name brand products. When I worked shift work in various locations - I looked for value, taste, nutrition % lastly availability. Some sites were fully kitted out offices & others were in remote location with NO resources but what you carried with you.
@@dadbudgetadventures You never know what you feel like here we have these Nescafe Coffee Sachets - like a cappuccino with coffee & powdered milk - just add water & sugar. If I was aworking shifts these would be ideal to go in my work bag or was making my MRE. Don't forget to score the FREE salt, pepper & sugar when you visit the cafes to use in your MRE packs too.
@@matthewbrown6163 I love when I find things like the 2 or 3-in 1 coffees. Makes things a lot easier. I always grab up those accessory packs when I stay at a hotel and that’s what I’m using in this video but I try not to do much with things like sauce packs and such just because it’s overdone by others making videos like this. Trying to stay as pure to the concept as I can. But if I’m making them for me to just have something on hand you can bet I’ll stock it with all the filched goodies I can 😀
That Cafè Bustello is an espresso type of coffee so if you don't like that, you can also get a 5 pack of Foldger's or Nescafè there also. They usually have 2 or 3 kinds of freeze dried coffee in 5 pack boxes for under $2. Reese's Pieces aren't chocolate. They are all Peanut Butter.
When me & my husband used to go tent camping at the lake, we always took extra trash bags with us for our trash plus the trash others before us left behind. Please people, what you pack in, pack out. Even if it's not "your" trash, please pick it up.
They aren’t super cheap but at about $2 each they aren’t bad if you’re not relying on them for every meal. I’ll spend that for the chance to cook without having to build a fire.
Thank you for taking the time to remind people to pack out their garbage, it's getting really out of hand at some of my local nature areas. Personally I go out of my way to double the amount of garbage I pack back out with.
You’re quite welcome. It’s something I’m passionate about because I hate having a beautiful location destroyed by people too lazy to clean up after themselves
Curious if you put a compatible mre against your homemade mre, what the comparison would be as far as cost, quality... You see a lot of survival food kits that are really just over priced oatmeal, rice, and just things you can put together yourself much cheaper.
That’s exactly why I started doing this. Got tired of the premade stuff that was expensive just to be expensive and the military stuff that was full of things I would end up throwing away. Since I’m not marketing anything for sale I can just show people how to think and do for themselves.
I especially like the Hormel Beef Stew. Actually have eaten the stew several times without heating it while on road trips -- not totally bad, but better heated.
I like your mre packages from dollar tree ! I would love to see you actually eat them straight without cooking. When i served in the army in 78 we ate c rations from ww2, still edible! And the cigarettes were decent, lol
I grew up on C Rations since my dad was in the Navy at the time. Loved the spaghetti. I’m not big on eating this stuff cold but I’ll do it if the demand to see it is there 😳
hey Mel Gibson lol ... i for one love your m.r.e. videos ... i lived on m.r.e.'s for a while when i was in the army and love to make my own but its always nice to see other ppl's meal packs and see what they put in theirs ! great job .... keep em coming .... have you tried going to a truck stop or a convenience store ? that might be interesting .......
I have not done a truck stop yet but I’m looking into it. You’re not the first with the Mel reference, I just wish I could have looked like him when he was something to look at 😂
I'm too much of a Weird Coffee Person to want to pack instant coffee, so instead I have this clever little thing that's a combination manual grinder and brewer which fits nicely in my bag, the Mongdio C1366. Twenty bucks and you can make some nice, strong coffee with it. Now I just need a portable kettle to go with it 😁. But you can't go wrong with Cafe Bustelo. It's in my rotation as an everyday ground coffee, as opposed to stuff I like to get in whole bean form, and I can only imagine their instant is decent for instant coffee.
I definitely prefer to brew my own and normally would be set up for that. The instant coffees for these videos are strictly offered as a possibility and for entertainment purposes. The small form factor makes for easy transportation though so they aren’t a terrible option.
I dunno if anyone has explained the Bustelo to you, but it is an high octane coffee. It is a Spanish Espresso. It is a great tasting, great charge for the day. As for the stews, I have always enjoyed them regardless of the brand. I don't know if all of them make a lunch pack, but I will check them out.
Great videos. Because of your Ollie (I have never heard of that store as I live in Nevada) MRE video I purchased the Barocook too! I have a lot of food stored but will be making MREs with new products to get all items on the same page age wise. It will be fun for me to go to each of these stores to follow your suggestions (my favorite store is Dollar Tree and I don’t shop at Familly Dollar). I have warned my husband that I will be buying more foodstuff as he’ll say "but you have this stuff in the pantry room already!" But I also tell him that prepping is my hobby and like any type of insurance we hope that there will not be a need to use any of them but it’s great that we have it! And I remind him that I’m not the type to go shopping at malls or to possess expensive jewelry cause it’s not my thing but buying foodstuff, cooking utensils and multiple types of stoves…Now that’s my things and a lot cheaper, lol! Congratulations on your channel’s growth too! BTW, I bought 2 Compleat meals for my husband and I to try out before buying larger quantities but they were stored in the closet and we tried them yesterday (as I want to know which items to buy for my MREs) both packages had best buy dates of 2022. Chicken with the dressing/gravy was good and I was surprised with the thick cut of chicken slice. I will be adding instant mashed potatoes with that meal. The 2nd one was the beef with potatoes, carrots and gravy and I was very surprised of how well it looked. Tasted good too. I will definitely be buying more of those 2 types. Coupled with some freshly baked bread they were both winners. I have the Vesta Instafire oven that uses sterno type canisters to bake with so that will provide our fresh bread in any scenario be it camping, grid down or SHTF.
Thank you for that amazing comment. It sounds like you are taking a great approach to this and it thrills me to feel like I’m part of the inspiration. Keep trying out new things to see what works!
@@robertwilliams450 I have different ways to bake, Coleman collapsible oven, dutch oven and the Instafire Ember oven which uses sterno type cans. I also make extra bread dough and put in the freezer. It can be baked in a Roadpro (lunchbox shape cooker used by semi truck drivers) that uses the cigarette lighter during driving also.
I’m always suspicious about products that are used for things like this. Pretty sure it’s the bottom of the barrel beans that didn’t make the cut for the main product line.
The "Completes" are generally edible but not a home cooked meal. I think that they're good enough for an MRE requiring no extra water or other prep. And if they aren't heated long enough you don't have crunchy bits or dry powder in the bottom of a bag. They're also fairly small, light and easy to pack. First time I've seen them mentioned for MREs.
Cafe Bustelo is really good coffee. It's way better than Folgers, and you can get it basically everywhere. Also if you're caffeine sensitive their decaf is one of the best decaf coffees you can get.
I and many other people are lactose intolerant. Many others have food allergies. We have to watch ingredients so commercial MRE's are not a good idea. Making your own is a good idea but I would be going to Walmart for a much wider selection. There is a wide selection of pouched meats besides tuna. Walmart and Amazon carry quite a variety.
That’s true. In fact I just did a Walmart video this week if you get the chance to watch. I’m hitting other stores in this series just to gather ideas about the things that are available there.
My homemade MRE meals are made of black rifle coffee singles, pasta Roni Alfredo pouch mixed with the tuna salad pouch, granola bars/ trail bars, fruit roll ups, and a drink mix for hydration. Plastic wear salt pepper sugar creamer packets
A little hint for affordable utensils Wendy's has some of the sturdiest I've seen if you ask they give you a pack containing a knife, fork and spoon,. napkin as well as small pack of salt and pepper at no cost. I have a spoon to this day I modified into a spork. It still work good 3 years later. hasn't broke yet.
What's the calorie breakdown for each item and total for the meal? It's okay to have a cheap meal but does the calorie output match that of most MREs? Thanks for the video.
Couldn’t tell you. I didn’t track that for this video. But I also. Make no claims that mine are the perfect combination. My videos are a thought exercise about thinking differently about storable and portable food. It’s just about encouraging people to build their own meals.
I just found your video, and it's great. Where do you heat pad? Can you please post a link. I have the Barocook on my Amazon wish already. I just need to find the heating pads.
The pads should show up on Amazon when you open the Barocook listing. It’s one of their products. I’ll try to add a link next time I’m on a platform where I can do that.
Have you ever tried MRE coffee? It tastes like you made coffee using a sweaty sock for a filter. I have used my own sock to filter water, then boiled it to make it safe to drink. It was a clean sock from my ruck sack. Trained in many survival areas. The freezing cold is the hardest. I Subscribed and gave you a thumbs up.
That’s exactly the way I see it. They meet the expectation and the more hungry you are the better the meals are. But I wouldn’t break them out for company.
🤠 Howdy from Texas. I have the Hormel and Dinty Moore meals in my stash. I actually like them. I also plan to dehydrate food, so if you have any tips on dehydration, it would be greatly appreciated
When you picked it i thought oh that is a nasty one.. i love the mac and cheese, the turkey stuffing , the chilli. The spaghetti i like but use it as base lot of sauce some spaghetti no meat. I add ready taco crumbles.
