When I go camping for a length of time and go off doing walks I like to return to the tent and get something prepared to eat quickly. I find that if I have to start and mess around too much I don't always eat properly after a long walk. I've had the usual Wayfarer's and Reiter's meals over the years and even had on occasion the Be-Well expedition meals. But with a week in the Lake District coming up I thought I would try something new. Roll in the MX3 freeze dried meal packs.
The first thing that makes these meal packs different to most, although there are a few others, is the fact that they have been vacuum packed. So straight away there's some space saving going on. Mountain House also produce vacuum packed version called 'Pro-Pak' , but these are extremely difficult to get hold of in the UK without shipping in from the USA (I hope Mountain House are reading this).
I found the MX3's packaging easy to get into without any unpredictable tearing happening which can make preparing the meal quite a battle if not. On checking out the contents I noticed that the lumps of beef were actually reasonable, similar to mice rather than the tiny ground up pieces I have had in some freeze dried meals. The potato looked pretty much like standard issue mash potato powder.
On adding the water I found the packaging allowed adequate access for stirring the contents. After a good stir the packet was sealed and left for ten minutes. I gave the packet an occasional squeeze just to make sure that the food was totally hydrated. After the ten minutes I opened the packet and found that on inspection the water and dried meal seemed to have mixed well.
As the old saying goes, 'the proof of the pudding is in the easting'. The dried food and the water had fully mixed. The taste of the Shepard's Pie wasn't as I would consider traditional, but it was tasty, with a distinct taste of beef and potato. After eating the meal I felt acceptably full considering the size of the portion. The other very noticeable thing with this meal was the greasy fatty taste I associate with a few other makers products. This is reflected in the Ingredients and information.
I've also recently tried the MX3 Spaghetti Bolognese which was also tasty and filling. It fully re-hydrated without any issues.
The MX3 meals are very competitive when compared to the alternatives. They can currently be bought for around £5 if shopping around, some with free post and packaging. I think that these dehydrated meals are quite expensive when compared to more domestic versions, although minus the packaging. But sometimes convenience comes at a price.
Since trying these two flavours I have bought some more for my Lake District trip, so yes, I would recommend them. The only potential downside is the fact that the meal isn't Lactose, Gluten or Sulphate (salts) free.
INFORMATION
Ingredients:
Potato flakes (49%) (additives: E471, E450i, E330, E223, sulfates), beef (15.6%) (milk protein, wheat gluten), lactose, vegetable fat palm ( lactose and milk proteins), skim milk powder, beef extract, salt, aromatics, flavor. Major allergens in the product: milk - gluten - sulphates
Net weight of pack: 100g.
Re-hydrated Weight: 450g
Re-hydrated Weight: 450g
The pack (at 100g) provides 433 KCal, 14.1g of protein, 60.6g of carbohydrates and 14.9g of fat.
Information sourced from:
http://mx3store.com/comidas-platis-liofilizados/los-platos/recetas-de-carne/shepherds-pie.html
I've been eating the MX3 meals since last year on and off, and found them pretty good (for backpacking meals). Tasty, wide variety available, and as you said, reasonably priced.
ReplyDeleteI agree, they wont replace a good proper meal, but compared to similar products they are one of the best I've tried. I think Bla Band are next on the list. Have you tried those?
ReplyDeletelooks good, I do like my rat packs though mainly due to you getting everything you need for 24-36hrs out in the wild. May have to try these too though.
ReplyDeleteYep, these are lighter than whats in the rat packs. The wet meals in the rat packs can be heavy, but since the army might have to eat them cold they have to be left hydrated. These dehydrated packs are around a third of the weight. And since the water has to be boiled it is going to be pretty much readily available, especially with all the rain at the moment. Taste wise the rat packs will give these a run for their money.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Freeze dried food from France like mx3 and VOYAGER-lyophilise are realy great. As good as home made meals and so much lighter!
ReplyDelete