Howdy folks. Are ReadyWise Emergency Meals (14 Day Bucket) Good
Posted by Began2L8inlife@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 41 comments
As mentioned above, are these any better/worse than other brands? Researched quite a bit and I get good and bad ratings so not sure. Am looking for individually packed meals and not something where I have to prepare 10 servings all at once.
Thanks for any advice. Apologies if this question has been asked to death but again, I have tried doing research and figured I'd ask the pros.
InsaneNorseman@reddit
I bought one of the ReadyWise bucket kits quite a while back, and after trying 3 different pouches, I gave the rest away to a homeless dude I saw holding a sign saying he needed food. I told him they weren't particularly good, but he still seemed happy to get them. They were pretty nasty and gave me a stomachache, and i can generally eat damn near anything with no issues. I'll stick with my Mountain House. It's more expensive, but far, far better.
throwawayt44c@reddit
That homeless dude was probably shitting his guts out and he doesn't even own a toilet.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
I have personally tried all of those "Emergency Food Buckets" and can say that ReadyWise is the worst or second worst you can buy. None of the ones geared towards Preppers are actually very good. They are nothing but carbs with starch that they hope you will never actually eat....or if you do eat them you're not in a position to care or complain after. If you do go that route, you will want a lot of "sauces" to mask the taste. It will keep you alive but not happily. Your best bet is to store shelf stable food that you already eat. Anything in a box or can that is already in your pantry is a good way to go.
If you really want "Emergency Food in a Bucket" then go for the stuff that is targeted towards Campers or Hikers. They are planning for people to actually use it and want repeat business. The easiest way I have come up with a list of brands is by making a list of stuff from REI, you can find that list here. I am not saying you have to buy it from REI, it was just easier to make the list of different brands this way.
nwhiker91@reddit
Old bay or Tabasco is the cure all to bland food.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
I disagree but everyone is entitled to their own opinions on this type of thing. :-)
nwhiker91@reddit
Well whatcha got? Sauces and spices shouldn’t be secrets.
jackz7776666@reddit
Seasonings like salt, pepper, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and anything like blends you favor.
For me personally if I can throw it into a caldo or on some fajitas I'm probably going to keep it around for shtf
nwhiker91@reddit
All good seasonings johnnys taco and chili
mlotto7@reddit
For the same price of a few buckets you can buy a food dehydrator and a vacuum sealer and start making long lasting storage food that is exactly to your taste. Lots of youtube videos available.
babathejerk@reddit
Rule number 1. Buy some and try it. People like mountain house for a reason. While not haute cuisine - they are pretty tasty. Heard very mixed things about ready wise - but taste - much like asshole and opinions - is subjective.
No-Imagination-6981@reddit
"but taste much like asshole"
so, a hard pass then, thanks.
dittybopper_05H@reddit
Well, that depends on whose asshole they taste like.
2_3_5@reddit
It's only weird the first time...
gilbert2gilbert@reddit
Assholes are subjective?
Styl3Music@reddit
Yes. Some people find them funny. Some people find them irritating. And a few eat them.
Began2L8inlife@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your info and time. Think I'll stay away from ReadyWise based upon your and others' comments.
Have a great week.
ROHANG020@reddit
No, go to walmart.
johndoe3471111@reddit
I get the idea that it’s nice to buy a bucket and check food off the list. When the crisis comes though, is the first thing that you want to do is completely change your diet from what you normally eat to some different, highly processed, freeze dried stuff? Maybe you really enjoy those meals and they do not have a negative impact on your digestive system. I would advocate a deeper pantry approach. Stocking up on the things that are already in your diet is going to be way less stressful in a pinch. If you do decide to go with the freeze dried meals, like everything else in prepping, practice. Go for a week just eating those and see how your body responds. Not just a meal, or a day, but a week. The middle of a crisis is not the time to find out that they give you he shits or, even worse, bind up your system and you don’t shit for a week.
portland415@reddit
I think they may have been saying that no spice can truly “cure” bad prepper food
TheAncientMadness@reddit
i would pay a little extra for mountain house. you can catch them on sale at r/preppersales from time to time
nwhiker91@reddit
I’ve had the meat lasagna not the best but it was food and better than an MRE meal. Mountain house has always been a standard go to and is sold at Costco when you can find it for reasonable prices. Backpackers pantry is another good brand for the food they have been around for a while and make good meals. If you don’t want to take a big hit right off the bat buy a few here and there throw them in a tote and just leave them alone.
mountain house did or still do I’m not sure have different serving sizes so like a meal for one person or a meal for 4 which is more money but it would feed a small family or two people. I have ate mountain house that’s 10 15 years old no problem and I’m so happy they don’t use the bag with the little clip that stands it up any more.
Anonymo123@reddit
Nope, it tastes bad. very poor quality IMO. I got some on a whim, I'll use it for trade/barter lol
Deckrat_@reddit
Buy it and try it out
NopeNeverReddit@reddit
Just FYI, 4Patriots tastes good. You can get their 72 hour kit. Right now they have a buy one get two free special. here
Began2L8inlife@reddit (OP)
Thank you. Will check them out right now. Have a great week.
Dragnet714@reddit
I've used them and also have Ready Hour from My Patriot Supply.
Suspicious-Agent8932@reddit
Build your own kits, you waste money getting kits full of meals you won’t eat. Try a sample first, before you waste money getting things up and your family won’t eat.
Dragnet714@reddit
How do you go about building yours?
Began2L8inlife@reddit (OP)
Very much appreciate the input. Was already thinking of making my own kits. What draws me to them is the length of expiration. Will now look into putting my own kits together. Thanks again.
SAMPLE_TEXT6643@reddit
I thought they were terrible. Though I only tested out a 72hr kit.
Dragnet714@reddit
I've heard if the bucket emergency food that ReadyWise tastes the worst. I haven't tried them.
Began2L8inlife@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your info and time. Will avoid them and seek other alternatives.
Physical_Sir2005@reddit
We got a bucket at Costco. Waste of money. Caused gastric distress in both me and my partner, which is obviously something you'd like to prevent when water and services may be abnormal. I would never recommend but what you really ought to do is buy some and test it.
aegisone@reddit
I have a bucket but haven’t tried it. But my thinking is it’s emergency food, like I probably will never use it, but if I do it’s because I need to eat or else. If I’m at the point of using the dried bucket food, it means I’ve gone through my fridge, through my deep pantry, and through my canned food and other stocks, and things are probably looking rough. Taste is least of my worries.
Apprehensive_Ad5634@reddit
You can buy those survival meals, but it's almost always better to just stock foods that you eat regularly and rotate them.
First, while some taste better than others, survival meals never taste as good, or are as healthy as regular food. Food can have an outsized influence on health and morale during a crisis. Might as well eat food you like and keep your spirits up.
Second, those things have a ridiculous amount of salt and weird preservatives, and can wreak havoc on your digestive system. Last thing you want during SHTF is dealing with constipation or the shits. I see this a lot in backpacking.
Finally, if you buy food you'd regularly eat and just rotate it, you're not wasting money on survival food that you might never eat.
YardFudge@reddit
Avoid those pre-made, easy, ‘suicide buckets’. https://www.reddit.com/r/prepping/s/YNHVNVsm3l. And https://foodassets.com/info/why-we-do-not-recommend-survival-food-buckets-totes.html . In contrast are the well-reviewed backpacker, freeze-dried meal kits (which are expensive). Lesson, test yer preps.
YardFudge@reddit
Avoid those pre-made, easy, ‘suicide buckets’. https://www.reddit.com/r/prepping/s/YNHVNVsm3l. And https://foodassets.com/info/why-we-do-not-recommend-survival-food-buckets-totes.html . In contrast are the well-reviewed backpacker, freeze-dried meal kits (which are expensive). Lesson, test yer preps.
Eredani@reddit
Readywise is garbage. Mountain House is much better. Peak Refuel is best.
Began2L8inlife@reddit (OP)
Based upon your, and prior comments from others, I am no longer even considering readywise anymore. Will check out Peak Refuel shortly.
Thank you for your recommendation. Have a great week.
gilbert2gilbert@reddit
If you're talking about the adventure pouches, I have tried the fettuccine alfredo and it is actually right up there with mountain house flavor-wise. I cannot vouch for any other pouch though. If you're talking about the stuff you have to pour into a pot and stir, steer clear. If it comes in a bucket, it probably isn't good unless it's just individual add water meals stuck in a bucket.
Began2L8inlife@reddit (OP)
Thank you for your info and time. Have gotten some great insight here. Will check out mountain house now. Again, I do appreciate your time and info!