Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Repackaging Mountain House

I'm gearing up for a late sheep hunt. I'm planning on eating Mountain House for my evening meals. My plan is to pack two MHs in their original package, eat one of those first and reuse the package to heat meals for the rest of the meals. I'll repackage the other MHs with my vacuum sealer. Has anyone else done this? What were your results.

I've never repackaged FD meals before. The only benefit I see is less bulk in the pack.

Unless you are planning on washing out your MH bag after each meal it could get funky in the 24 hours between meals. A sheep hunt isn't the place where I'd want the runs.

Maybe repackage the meals but warm them up in a Gladware or similar lightweight bowl. I personally like to avoid washing dishes when hunting so I just eat out of the bag.

I could not imagine re-using a MH bag!!!!! I think they work just fine as packaged. YMMV

Washing a metal pan & hardware is easy. I just rinse them until I can't see anything on them. Then I set them on the stove dry and sear them. It only takes a minute & no bug can survive that. Searing gets FAR hotter than boiling.

Dick

Find a titanium pot and vaccumn seal bags that are the same size as the inside of the pot. Then seal the food in the bags. Open the bags, place inside the pot for support and add water. The vaccumn bags should be a little higher than the pot so you can close it, then open it drapped over the edge of the pot. When done just throw the bag away.

you boys may be on to something there, specially dave's take on it.

but dang it seems like a lot of hassle to me. I've always just taken them the way they come, but I will say with the ziploc top, they make a good night bottle!

It would certainly work, and may be a good idea depending on the length of your intended trip. Would be interesting to know much of a weight savings you get by repacking the MH's in your vacuum sealed bags vs just leaving them in their original packaging? Have any numbers on that?

Guess my biggest concern would be getting the original MH package cleaned up and completely dry each day. If enough ounces could be saved it may be worth the hassle.

Interesting thread...

Levi

I wasn't looking at weight savings as much as reducing bulk. I'm packing for 16 days. Based on your comments, I'll probably just pack them as bought.

My thougth was to just puncture a small hole in the bags below the seal and roll the air out. After using Mountain house a few times i think the food would still cook, even with a small hole in the bag up top with maybe a piece of tape over the hole. There isn't much air in them anyway, but they do sell some that are vacume sealed to take less space, but those are more money I'm not willing to pay..

Why not buy bulk Mountain House and do your own packaging????????
Order it off the web.

Joe

joe..............why not just put your pants on one leg at a time instead of trying to hop into them both legs at once?


didn't know it was an option, now I do, case closed, good info joe.

though I'll still prolly let MH package the stuff for me. (grin)

I just use the 1 meal package that has been shrink wrapped.

1akhunter,

I thought only clients jumped into them both legs at once???????? Really though, one of those big tins of MH goes a long, long way..........dang, now SU35 is being sensible.......isn't that called the guide pack? Used them a couple of seasons ago.......real space savers.

Joe

Repacking and shrinkwrapping might be delving a bit too far into the realm of anal retentivity.

MH meals do come with a little air and a little more packaging than necessary (if your are counting half-ounces - which all seem to be hosed by last minute "ah, what the heck" items). I don't like the pro-packs since they don't seem to be enough food for one meal and their hard little "ball" shape doesn't seem to pack worth a crap...think unused air-space between all those little hard balls.

Your concern over pack volume has me wondering about what you've got in the rest of your pack (or the size of your pack), since I think it is damn hard to come close to filling a 4600 cu. in. pack for a 9-10 day. Anyway, simply poke a small pin hole near the ziploc, and this should provide plenty of spill for any excess air you want to get rid of when all are heavily compressed or stuffed into odd spots inside your pack.

Give it a shot and good luck to you!

Allen

My pack isn't overloaded. It will way 60 pounds going in. I was looking at my gear the other day, noticed the large pile of MHs and thought that maybe I could cut back on the bulk. I'm glad I asked the questions before I tore them down.

You may want to check out www.freezerbagcooking.com There are some really good recipes on the site/in the book and it's a heck of a lot cheaper (and tastier) than the MH stuff.

Wow Bushcraft, if you could I'd love to see your pack list sometime.

I don't even know what the volume is of my barneys, but it's got to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 5000 c.u. or so, and the thing is stuffed as full as a xmas goose for a 10 day hunt.

how you don't fill 4600 is beyond me, but I'm here to learn, school me up some please!

4,600? Yes please enlighten us!

I stuff a 6,600.

If you've already got the MH meals I'd go with Bushcraft's idea and put a pin hole near the top. I have several meals that I have had for over a year and I don't need a pin hole cause they developed an air loss on their own!

This is a good thread. I think I'll go with the pin hole Idea.

I got room for a boned out deer in the top of my pack. It's 5600cbi along with gear on a 5-7 day hunt. the only thing I'd add on a 9-10 hunt would be more MH meals.

Not sure of the weight. I try and weight it this week sometime.

MH can be bought in bulk cans... would make sense to repackage those for a trip. Would add, the opened can will last a looong time on the shelf in a dryish climate. I know, I've et the stuff after many months being opened!

I personally wouldn't repackage MH bags unless I REALLY needed the space savings. Like some have mentioned, I like eating outa the bags as it cuts down on clean-up (which I generally despise!).