Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting MRE's vs EFoods

[BIGNASTY]

I recently went on a trip of 2 weeks and a couple of days, I was cold camping to hopefully prevent detection by animals, did it work? I don't think that wolves got to be as old as some of the ones seen, got that way by being stupid!!



I thought that Winter/Cold clim, MRE's would be good to go but at the end of the 2 weeks I had dropped almost 9lbs in weight, * eat your heart out Jenny Craig!! * The difference in the MRE's is just more calories to burn for the cold weather. It seems that it didn't work, and I had eaten two REALLY BIG MEALS at a re-supply for food and feed and still dropped that much weight.



I started looking around because MRE's arnt going to cut it for a long term food supply or Cashe drop. I ran across this product and it seems to have a better taste and the calories are a bit higher than MRE's, easy to fix with boiling water (so much for the no fire camp) I also found a product that WILL WITHOUT A DOUBT START A FIRE!!!! This is like a pelleted road flare, I laid some out on a tin lid and struck my fire starter and couldn't get away from it fast enough ( no hairy knuckles on the right hand) they sent me 6 meals free, they are pretty good!!!!



http://www.efoodsdirect.com/ for the foods



http://www.efoodsdirect.com/store/index.php/shop/fuel-power/insta-fire-10pouch.html for the fire starter, could have used less but dont know how long it would last after opening? running that test now!!





Bet some of the folks that had to endure what Sandy did to the East Coast would have liked these!!!



Just a thought



BIG

 

[Newt]

You're always good for some good links Big.

Newt

 

[Dl5treez]

Hadn't heard of this company before. Thanks, BIG!

Dan

 

[BIGNASTY]

My Pleasure, we are sending for a supply to use in food cashes in the mountains. You never know when we could be stuck on the wrong side of a slide, river or some other natural problem that would prevent getting to a source. Also sent for their cooking equipment and heat source for those, could be a good thing to have in a auto survival kit.

 

[Sticks]

I wonder what flavor that instafire would add to meat on their BBQ grill.



Nasty,



You plan on doing another duplicate test with the E-Foods for a comparison?

 

[BIGNASTY]

I wonder what flavor that instafire would add to meat on their BBQ grill.

Nasty,

You plan on doing another duplicate test with the E-Foods for a comparison?

Sticks by saying another duplicate test, I assume that your referring to chasing wolves around? NO!!! At least not by myself, and Definitely NOT!! in the same local as this. It was a fantastic place to do the observation, but as cold as it was and its not anywhere close to being Winter yet!!! I don't think I could do another cold camp, my replacement knee got so cold that the metal got cold, try living with an ice pack IN your knee for a week, ITS NOT FUN!!

Looking back on the trip it was kind of foolish to go by myself, Its not that im afraid of being by myself in the wilderness, I have done that and enjoyed the solitude many times. Sleep deprivation is something that I have been use to in my career as a truck driver, going several days without a good sleep is or was something that is the life of a Driver. But when you are on the list of things that can be considered a food source, it makes a good sleep almost next to impossible. Packing in the mountains is something we have done, its not that much different Bears of BOTH types roam our hills and are a great concern. With bears they are a more solitary hunter they walk around and look for food the exception would be a Mother with cubs, but as a rule they are by themselves. The mules are my alarm system, they have bells on them and if anything disturbs them they get antsy and move, the bell alarms are sounded. Wolves hunt in Packs!!! I don't care for the Gang Mentality of any!! creature, going one on one im ok with, but when a Pack or Gang come from all around its not good. Seen them take down a Mule Deer, I felt sorry for the Deer but at the same time is was really interesting to see a group of so call dumb animals, work as a team. The Wolves split their pack in two, half went away's down from the Deer the others surrounded the deer but left an escape point that would lead the deer into the ones that went away, the Deer's fate was done as soon as the wolves decided that it was the next happy meal. They ran it down to a point of exhaustion and then surrounded it as an even larger pack, to cause confusion on the part of the deer and to lessen the chance of any of them getting injured from a kick or have an antler stab them. Then as they got to eat it was time for me to sleep, I felt as thou they were a little preoccupied with eating to stay warm than be worried about some moron watching them. If I could have just slept I would have been ok, the sight of the deer kill running thru my head was making it a little hard to get rest. I believe that they knew I was there!! they are not a dumb animal. There is not much human contact with them, so if anything they would be a little curious about the mules and myself. My 800MM lens was not enough to stay far enough away from them so as not to be seen. I also think that someone with better skills at concealment would do WAY better than I, I took and used my Ghillie suit to get within 100 yards of them while they ate, when you look at them threw the viewfinder of a camera and they look back at you threw the lens ITS PRETTY FRIGGING SCARY!!!

BIG

 

[moparguy]

Big, PICTURES NEEDED! It sounds like quite the adventure. You may well want to watermark these photos, I doubt it'll really protect em, but it's a step in that direction.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Big, PICTURES NEEDED! It sounds like quite the adventure. You may well want to watermark these photos, I doubt it'll really protect em, but it's a step in that direction.

Mopar
The watermark has been on most of the pictures that I have posted for the last year, the WM is out of the way as not to detract from the photo and they do prevent theft. There are other ways of stopping the theft that have been incorporated into websites, because some of my Photos have shown up in the most unusual places.

The Wife and I are starting our own website, I should say SHE IS!!!! I have no clue how to work with writing code, html I thought was an abbreviation for some kind of Heat to Go lunch!! It should be up and running around the first of the year. She has quite a group of old Bettie's that have suggested she start one with our lifestyle. We have looked at many templates but kind of find that if its a good site they are copied by so many that it makes things boring. She has been on TDR and likes the way this site works (most of the time) seems like things get to complicated for us un-computer people that its just to much to deal with no matter how good the info is. There are other ways of starting up but that's her end of her gig. I take pictures and will have my own column to speak my piece and that's way more than enough for me!!! Contrary to some on here, Like my 3 favorite people in my fan club. These diluted, often mislead old Gal's and their Hubbies like to hear a guys point of view

More and More people are getting fed up with the way our OWN Government treats us, the one's footing the bill are the same one's that are getting (I cant use that word this site has problems with that!!!)

BIG

 

[Sticks]

Well, then have Mama start feeding you only the E-Foods for a couple of weeks to see how you hold out. I'd be curious to know if they have the calories and nutrition to keep an active body going for an extended period.

I perused the web links you posted and they seem interesting. Might try some and maybe stock the cabin up with a few. Moe concerned about getting my BOB up to par, but want to know if it's worth the investment. Weight is a factor. I'm not out of shape, but as a Mechanic, I'm not used to hiking around with a 30#+ backpack all day, and I would be hard pressed to leave my noise makers at home, and there is another 20# of weight easy.

Had to laugh at their 222# of wheat though. Rather expensive, I'll just roll over to a farm east of town and buy some outright from the source if I was that interested in milling my own wheat for flour (don't tell you that in the description). I wonder how many people know the work involved in that. Pretty pictures of whole wheat right next to fresh baked bread. Not that easy, and some ingredients missing.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Well, then have Mama start feeding you only the E-Foods for a couple of weeks to see how you hold out. I'd be curious to know if they have the calories and nutrition to keep an active body going for an extended period.



I perused the web links you posted and they seem interesting. Might try some and maybe stock the cabin up with a few. Moe concerned about getting my BOB up to par, but want to know if it's worth the investment. Weight is a factor. I'm not out of shape, but as a Mechanic, I'm not used to hiking around with a 30#+ backpack all day, and I would be hard pressed to leave my noise makers at home, and there is another 20# of weight easy.



Had to laugh at their 222# of wheat though. Rather expensive, I'll just roll over to a farm east of town and buy some outright from the source if I was that interested in milling my own wheat for flour (don't tell you that in the description). I wonder how many people know the work involved in that. Pretty pictures of whole wheat right next to fresh baked bread. Not that easy, and some ingredients missing.

Sitcks

I think under the right circumstances the MRE's may have worked, in Cold conditions the need for more calories is KEY, even thou I used the cold weather MRE's it just wasn't enough. I don't know how the Military runs OP's now? but I can almost bet that they don't run around with MRE's for very long. Truly I don't think that the difference in calories with the Efood would be enough to offset the cold requirements, its more of ease in this case. The MRE's come in a box or bag and that's what you get, Efoods can be packaged and is packaged differently.



We are in fair shape, we are getting older which makes staying in shape even more difficult with slowing down. We are not heavy by any standards, but with my leg problem I cant carry a bunch of weight on my back and do it all day long. This has always been the reason for our animals, and the fact that I don't know of anyone that can pack out an Elk on their back. Noise makers as you call them are like putting on a pair of pants to us, not so much the wife but I pretty much have one within reach most of the time, ever since the time I was under the truck in the shop doing something and noticed some pretty large hairy feet with long nails come walking by on the other side of the truck.



I agree with your assessment that its NOT THAT EASY!! with the milling of the wheat, we have always tried to eat better (we think) and stay away from processed cardboard food sold at markets today. Penny has been using a brand that we find locally and is grown in our State, we actually try and buy American products IF THEY ARE WELL ENOUGH MADE and that's getting hard to do. http://www.wheatmontana.com/index.php She buys several different types for different things she makes (don't ask me all I know is they taste good) milling is done usually one day a week, try as I might she always seems to know when im not doing much, and can twist the handle on the mill for her. Even the mill she has is made here. http://www.grainmaker.com/ I have thought about the idea of putting on an electric motor to do the milling but it wouldn't be in the spirit of the project and im not taking power from our off grid power system for something that I can still do for now. And just incase someone from another unfriendly armpit country comes over with the idea of some kind of EMP device im ready, I HOPE!!! after all who would have thought that some RAG Head would have been crazy enough to fly airplanes into buildings!!! its just a matter of time, its not IF its going to happen its WHEN and WHERE!!! but that's another Rant that I go on!!!



I believe that coming soon to a county near U. S. there is going to be a time that money is not going to be worth using for anything except a use in the Outhouse. I hope that my FIL is wrong about this, He is the one responsible for us being able to live like we do and has ALWAYS been spot on in his assessments of our Economy, even he says ITS COMING!!! Another reason Penny and I have tried to become even more self reliant and self-sustaining with our animals for food and food production, I don't want to go down to a soup line to get served a bowl of hot water and some stale bread with the millions of other unprepared people.







BIG

 

[Sticks]

Kind of reminds me of Y2K. A coworker at the shop I was working at and I were fixing a Genset (we're in 2006 now) that had not been run since it was bought. Had actually been doing a lot of them that year.

Anyhow, the customer asked my coworker if he had bought a Genset as well, "No, I bought lead. If it came down to a situation, where all the hysteria was right, I would go out and take what I needed from people like you. "

Regrettably that is the mentality that a great deal of the citizens have resorted to. No more helping a neighbor out, anarchy and me, me, me.

Glad I live close to the edge of the metro area. Only 5 miles to the foothills if TSHTF, then pretty much open land past that. Just a 120 mile hike to the cabin over the divide - Option 1 ~ est. 2 week trip on foot [Stay off the roads!]. As nice as Colorado is, the 3 major cities close to the mountains are also natural FEMA camps. only 1 or 2 roads west and the same north or south, and very easily closed with a couple of tractor trailers, or a small charge of explosive to bring down the side of the mountain on the road or drop a bridge.

The People in Estes Park learned that the hard way. Only 3 ways in or out during the winter, all washed out by the flood. Freakin' cul-de-sac. Reason #2 I moved out when I did.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Kind of reminds me of Y2K. A coworker at the shop I was working at and I were fixing a Genset (we're in 2006 now) that had not been run since it was bought. Had actually been doing a lot of them that year.

Anyhow, the customer asked my coworker if he had bought a Genset as well, "No, I bought lead. If it came down to a situation, where all the hysteria was right, I would go out and take what I needed from people like you. "

Regrettably that is the mentality that a great deal of the citizens have resorted to. No more helping a neighbor out, anarchy and me, me, me.

Glad I live close to the edge of the metro area. Only 5 miles to the foothills if TSHTF, then pretty much open land past that. Just a 120 mile hike to the cabin over the divide - Option 1 ~ est. 2 week trip on foot [Stay off the roads!]. As nice as Colorado is, the 3 major cities close to the mountains are also natural FEMA camps. only 1 or 2 roads west and the same north or south, and very easily closed with a couple of tractor trailers, or a small charge of explosive to bring down the side of the mountain on the road or drop a bridge.

The People in Estes Park learned that the hard way. Only 3 ways in or out during the winter, all washed out by the flood. Freakin' cul-de-sac. Reason #2 I moved out when I did.

Sticks
I don't know how it is around where you live, but the thought of going out to the rural areas and taking what you want, would be met with EXTREME!!! resistance around our neck of the woods. Im not saying that it couldn't or wouldn't be done, most of these nose pickers up here are some Damn fine bean field shooters, I wouldn't want to be in the first wave of looters that tried to take things from them.

As for helping out my neighbors!! Not a problem MIL/FIL live to the North BIL/SIL live to the South other SIL/BIL live across the hwy to the West, other than a few others that's all I can take at a moments notice. Im helping who ever is reading this GET PREPARED!!! That's all im prepared to do, Family is FIRST!!! Period. If it comes down to that situation ITS GOING TO BE UGLY!!!

We back up to over 1million 500 thousand acres of Nat Forest, LOTS OF PLACES!!! that would be like a shooting gallery with NO WAY OUT other than BACK DOWN THE HILL!! Unless someone has some rock climbing skills, even then its a 1000 ft drop to the bottom!!


BUT THIS IS ALL SPECULATION OF COURSE!!!

 

[Sticks]

It's the Urban sheep that are the pickin's. I so wish I did not loose contact with the farmers and ranchers that I knew growing up. Massive plots of land, isolated form large population areas, defensible positions, tight with their neighbors (being 1-5 miles away). Still living the lifestyle for the most part of the first settlers that came west.

Fact of the matter is, those are the one's that are going to survive TEOTWAWKI. Not the "Preppers". They make think they are ready, but unless they are a consorted group of 30+ willing to work together, maintain territorial borders in a given area, and work a self sustaining community (food, water, shelter, infrastructure), they will only last a very brief stretch of time longer than the average grasseater.

On edit You need to stop posting pictures of your front and back yard. I'm starting to really not like you.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Sticks

I will try to quit posting Pictures of the surrounding landscape, If Push came to shove the local supermarket would run out of things so fast, I cant do without meat so I would have to do some grocery shopping in our backyard at the meat counter. It would be a hard choice Let's see will it be Bull or Cow?? :-laf



The Meat department counter is 600 yards from the big rock in the foreground, it makes it easy to select your cut of meat!!!

 

[Sticks]

You suck. You soooooo suck.

 

[BIGNASTY]

Ya SOooooooooo ive been told :-laf

 

[Sticks]

Only by Log Head.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Oh, is it only rude to post pictures of the back yard? What about the front yard... is that more acceptable?

No shortage of meat or whole grains, as of yet.

 

[HHhuntitall]

Big, I'm not sure a team wouldn't work better on those trips.... At least one could reload while the other shoots!!! It's hard to find someone that can travel like I can, albeit I'm getting softer as I get older. Still, as the days get shorter, I find myself working on that problem. Seems I'm either tractor jockeying, driving between places, or on a horse every day of the month.... Hard to find time to run and stay in shape.

As for MREs.... I've never found one that had the caloric content I needed. It has to be supplemented by at least two a meal and maybe a protein bar. Jerked meat makes a great meal for outing less than a week. Certainly has to be better for you.... And if you lost weight, that's not a bad thing. Look at the hunting packs... they'll lose weight between kills pretty regular. Especially if they have to travel any distance to make kills. I know during the summer, I lose weight during the week, and only catch up on Sat/Sun. One reason I like the local Italian restraunte!! Fill up and pack it on for later!! No beer when the temps get over 75*, either!

Hey, on the firestarters, how cold was it when you lit it up? Curious as to how it would light in cold temps.....

 

[BIGNASTY]

Mr. HHhuntitall

You might want to call the Sheriff looks like someone has stolen your mountains!!! LOL!! ( just kidding) Gail will like that one!

I know he has some pictures of the front pasture, they work that when his group of mule men come over. He's trying to get the tree stumps cleared so we can plant pasture grass. That is looking from the highway toward the house, that would be on the left, we like that picture.

For Gail to drop as much weight as he did in two weeks is very bad!! he's not got much if any fat on him anyway, he works from before sunup to about sundown. Looks like you live on a ranch you know what a day is like, he's always been a work-a-holic. He will work until he drops if we would let him!!! he's pretty driven at times.

To answer your question about the temps, it was at or below 0 soon after the sun went down, during the day it was from the low 30's to 40's. He really likes that fire starter!



Penny