- Quick prep! Just add water to the pouch and you’re good to go in less than 10 minutes, with no cleanup!.
- 32 Servings.
- Allergens: Soy, Milk, Wheat.
- 30 Year Taste Guarantee. Packaging May Vary.
- Great for emergency food storage, camping trips, and RV expeditions.
Mountain House Essential Bucket
John –
Ordered this in 2018 and received one with an expiration date in 2027. Since the item has a 25-year shelf life, that means the food was produced in 2002 — 16 years ago. More than half of its shelf life was over. This is not what I expected. The bucket was transparent and looked different than it usually does. It was also very dusty.
JR –
The listing for this product claims a 30 year shelf life, however the expiration date states that it expires in just over 9 years. If I were using it for an upcoming backpacking trip, this wouldn’t be an issue. But since I am using it for long-term emergency food supply, it is. I have requested a replacement and will update this review accordingly.The replacement arrived today and it also only has 9 years left of the 30 years promised in the listing. This product is 20 years old when shipped…
Daniel –
I just purchased these for a 4 day backpacking trip where I was taking 10 teenage boys and a few adults. We used these for our dinners each of the three nights. There are three different meals included in each bucket. The Rice and Chicken was by far the favorite among the group. Everyone, teenagers and adults included, wanted more and really complimented the flavor. Several of the adults even said that they would have this at home for dinner on occassion. One packet was enough to split between two people and satisfy them as long as we had something else as a supplement (dessert, jerky, etc).The Spaghetti and Meat Sauce was well liked. There were some comments on the level of salt and lack of large meatballs, but nothing too much. Surprisingly, without any large chunks of meat in the Spaghetti, it still packs a whopping 12 grams of protein per serving. The biggest complaint about the spaghetti is that one packet was hard to split. We has some boys easily down the entire packet by themselves.The Chili Mac was the most controversial meal included in here. About half of the boys really liked it and half didn’t while none of the adults were big fans of it. You need to be really careful with the amount of water that you include in here. If you put too much, you end up with a nasty chili soup. If I was Mountain House, I would have included the Beef Stroganoff instead. That one is ALWAYS a hit with everyone. Including the Chili Mac in the “Essentials” bucket was a mistake in my opinion.Overall, its a great value compared to buying them individually. The buckets that they come in are nice sturdy buckets that stack well and can be re-used to store other gear when you are finished with the included meals.
meechee –
I’m in the process of prepping for a natural disaster or other emergency. I’m slowly making my way down my list of important gear to have on hand in case of an emergency and easy to prepare food is a staple on that list. In case of a disaster, I was looking for good food that would require minimal preparation. I liked the idea of the Mountain House foods because you only need hot water for these meals. After doing a LOT of research on a variety of freeze dried meals, looking at lots of You Tube videos and talking to lots of campers, I decided on Mountain House. I bought the Essential Bucket when it went on sale for just over $40 and got four buckets. I can honestly say I feel better having it and Mountain House does a great job of packaging their products. The food arrived in separate pouches contained in a big plastic bucket for easy storage. I tried the Chili Mac Beef and was surprised by how good it was! I didn’t add as much water as it called for so it wouldn’t be too soupy, but man, in a pinch, this food would work for just a regular weekday meal. If you’re a prepper, a camper or just too lazy to cook, you’ll enjoy the Mountain House foods!
Ignacio M. –
I just tried this survival food ration for the first time today. It was the rice and chicken option. It comes perfectly sealed, with a small oxygen absorver inside. You take that out and add the amount of boiling water specified in the instructions in the back. You then stir, zip the container locked and wait for the exact amount of minutes instructed. After that you open the container, stir some more, let it sit for a few minutes while it cools down and then you can eat it right out of the container or serve it on a plate, up to you. Tastes AWESOME, rations are a FULL SIZE serving. It does the job, even for big guys that eat a lot. AWESOME product. Ordering my second bucket just in case of emergencies, or for camping. The container can be reused for carrying stuff once washed. LOVE THIS PRODUCT.
Danam0 –
This is a review of the spaghetti and meat flavor. I haven’t tried the others yet but will update when I do.The flavor is quite good, considering that it’s a dehydrated food product. The hamburger tastes like hamburger, and this stuff is a lot better than, say, spaghetti-o or something canned liked that.Two notes:1. If you use two cups of water per pack as recommended it comes out soupy. I’d use one and a half cups of water instead.2. The spaghetti is in short pieces, about an inch in length. That’s okay with me, but if you want long strands of spaghetti to twirl with your fork you won’t find any here.
Megan –
Purchased this big tub for a 5-day hiking trip out West, to be shared between two people. It was perfect, and we had a few packs leftover. My boyfriend and I were able to share one pack for a meal and actually feel full at the end of it. Mountain House meals are so lightweight and convenient. Our hiking partners brought packs of tuna salad and tortilla wraps, and by the end of the trip they were kicking themselves for not going the Mountain House route instead. The meals are surprisingly delicious; food snob approved. The chicken and rice is most filling, but the spaghetti with meat sauce is my favorite. We didn’t need to season these at all, and I didn’t feel like I was totally overloaded with sodium either. Highly, highly recommend.
Kindle Customer –
Tasted surprisingly good! Super easy to prepare!