Who Is Mountain House?
Mountain House is the food of choice for many survivalists, proponents of preparedness, and outdoorsmen. Mountain House is a division of Oregon Dry Freeze and got its start in the 1960s making freeze dried fruits for breakfast cereals. Shortly thereafter the company began working with US military to develop and supply a better-tasting, more convenient, and lighter weight rations for the troops. By the 1970s the company had launched a consumer division.
Pouch or #10 Can?
Mountain House freeze-dried foods are available in single serving mylar pouches and in large format #10 cans. While the stand-alone, cook in pouch single servings are without a doubt more convenient; the preparation is exactly the same for the freeze dried food in the pouch and the can. Hot water is added directly to the mylar pouch to rehydrate and warm the single serving, whereas the freeze dried food must be portioned out of the #10 can before adding the hot water – meaning you’ll need a bowl, pot, or other vessel for each serving you take out of the #10 can. While the Mountain House single serving pouches are ideal for backpacking, camping, and emergency kits, the #10 cans are preferable for food storage due to their price and durability.
Taste Test
The Mountain House line of freeze dried meals are well known for their superior taste. The Mountain House freeze dried foods are top-notch with both their textures and flavors. The rehydrated food from both the mylar pouch and the can reconstitute to a finished product that’s very close to the freshly cooked version. Our taste testers preferred Mountain House freeze dried foods to MRE meals and other freeze dried food brands in both taste and texture categories.
Mountain House freeze dried foods’ ingredients lists were another pleasant surprise. The simple ingredients were not peppered with preservatives and the salt content is on the lower end when compared to other freeze dried food brands.
Calorie Count
Despite the great taste, Mountain House freeze-dried foods don’t have anywhere near the same calorie load as MREs (for example). The Mountain House freeze dried foods offer about 250 calories per serving on average which is only just over 10% of what an average person requires on a daily basis (2,000 calories/day). The calorie count in Mountain House freeze dried meals is comparable to that of other major freeze dried foods manufacturers, but is significantly less than the calories supplied by military MREs (3300 calories/day).
Summary
Mountain House freeze dried foods are about the best tasting freeze dried foods we’ve ever tried. The taste and texture are spot on and even the aromas are there to get your mouth watering. The packaging is durable and convenient whether you’re using the #10 cans or the eat-in mylar foil pouches. The preparation time is minimal for these freeze dried foods and requires nothing more than hot water (even cold in a pinch). The Mountain House freeze dried food is lightweight and has the longest shelf life in the industry too!
The downside is the serving size. Mountain House servings are on the small side and don’t pack quite the calorie punch you may want after a long hike with a heavy bug out bag.