What is the shelf life of your freeze-dried meals?
Our meals packaged in #10 cans have an unopened shelf life of 25 years, and our meals packaged in mylar pouches have an unopened shelf life of 5 years. They are all made with premium ingredients and 100% real meat (not TVP). They are freeze-dried and packaged to last longer, but we guarantee the premium taste within 25 or 5 years, based on packaging materials.
Should I buy freeze dried food in #10 cans or mylar bags?
Our answer is yes to both! For bugout bags, camping, etc. we recommend mylar bags because they're small and light, and they're intended for shorter term food storage on the go with shelf life of around 5 years. They make it easy to take great-tasting food with you so that you don't have to worry about going hungry over the course of 24-72 hours. Freeze dried food pouches are ideal for taking food with you as you travel to safety over the course of days to a week. Just be sure you're rotating that food every year or so by preparing the meals while camping or just for fun at home. That way, you're sure to have fresh food when you need to grab it and go.
For long-term food storage including "bugging in" scenarios, we recommend food in #10 cans because they have the longest shelf life and are often cheaper per serving. But they're not great for traveling due to their bulky nature. But #10 cans are perfect for home storage and for use in the event of supply chain disruption, extended storms, job loss, inflation, etc. when you'll be staying near your supplies.
Do you carry any Gluten-free Meals?
While we don't currently carry any "certified gluten-free" meals, we do carry several meals that do not include any gluten or wheat. These meals are produced in a facility that manufactures meals that do contain gluten, so depending on your allergy level and gluten restrictions, these may or may not be a great option for long-term food storage or backpacking/camping/ and short-term food storage. Our freeze-dried food manufacturers (Nutristore and Peak Refuel) are the best in the business and are careful to avoid cross contamination through cleaning and testing each manufacturing line for allergens.
We always recommend looking through the ingredients of the meals yourself as well just to be safe. Here is a list of meals that don't contain gluten:
- Peak Refuel Mountain Berry Granola
- Peak Refuel Strawberry Granola
- Peak Refuel Sweet Pork & Rice
- Nutristore Breakfast Skillet
- Peak Refuel Breakfast Skillet
- Peak Refuel Butternut Dal Bhat
- Peak Refuel Chicken Coconut Curry
- Peak Refuel Chicken Teriyaki Rice
- Peak Refuel Creamy Peaches & Oat Cobbler
Obviously, our freeze dried meats, vegetables, and fruits are also gluten free.