Actually, Salesguy has brought up an interesting question.

I try to keep a reasonably full pantry, as being marooned by flooding is my most likely scenario. Even with my small pickup, it would take up considerable room, weight and time to move. Plus the pets and their food.

So, let's rethink Salesguy's question...

Would it be POSSIBLE to make your own kinda-sorta MREs? Not necessarily packaged as tightly, no heat unit, just a smallish, condensed unit that would keep for a year or so, that wouldn't need commercial processing. For those of you who have seen all the Tremors movies, I am reminded of Burt Gummer's statement: "Plastic is NOT an oxygen barrier!"

Never having even held an MRE in my hand, I am assuming they are sealed in foil. Food storage websites sell 'barrier-coated mylar' and oxygen-absorbing packets, but I really can't see that being as good as a metal foil. Is that possible in the home kitchen?

There is no water in MREs, so I am assuming a separate source of water for cooking, where you wouldn't have to depend on the moisture in cans, for instance. Let's not muddy the question with multiple uses.

So, would anyone have any insight on how this might be done? Maybe some metal foil bags that could be used with a home vacuum-packaging unit?

If you have even partial ideas, please trot them out and maybe we can build on them.

Sue