Canned Disaster Rations; rebirth of C-Rat?

[kturnerga]

Hi all:
I'm back despite some he'in' and she' in and helping Dad with my sick Mom.

I read a post on one former MCI contractor who was overjoyed with the request to produce a ration component for Vietnam reenactors. This gave me an idea.


I wonder if someone has considered packaging a long-life version of the C-Rat for disaster sustenance. My thinking is that the MRE is more costly to produce for the more limited disaster market and with the available infrastructure we can put items in extra-durable cans and with improved processing. The shelf life would be 5 years at room temperature if the proper food items are used.

I am no canner nor do I play one on TV. But this would be a viable idea and result in enhanced user acceptance among uninitiated civilians.

Thanks
Kturnerga

[kman]

That's an interesting idea. I've never really thought about doing my own canning before for long-term food storage. For me (edge-of-the-city dweller that I am), it seems like a lot of trouble and more cost than it's worth. I mean, for $0.75, I can buy a can of spaghetti or beef stew or whatever and that'll last a good 2-5 years easily. That cost vs. the time and cost to can my own, makes me lean towards just buying it in the store.

So sure, I could put together my own c-rat-like disaster kits based on store-bought canned foods and other products. In fact, that's pretty much what I did around Y2k. But lately, I've just been sticking to MREs. If you can get them for around $3-4 each, that's not such a bad deal per meal and you start getting into the area where it's hard to beat the components/features/usefulness of the MRE vs. whatever you can put together yourself for the same $$.