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33K views 60 replies 34 participants last post by  Kay 
#1 ·
Ok so as we all know Mountain House is backordered who knows how long, and u cant even place an order on most websites for there products. There is somewhere where i live that has #10 cans in stock, but that is dwindling down to nothing.
So due to that fact i've been doin a lot of research on some of the other well known companies that sell freeze dried/dehydrated foods in #10 cans due to Mnt house being backordered too long.

So please correct me if im wrong but besides mountain house the other 3 major ones i've seen/read/visited have been...
1)Thrive (shelfreliance.com)

2)AugasonFarms (augasonfarms.com)

3)Honeyville (Honeyvillegrain.com)

If there are any more please LMK...

Im just wondering if anyone has tried any of them, all of them or trying to get any insight on the quality of the products each of them sell...
I know honeyville is i believe only $4.50 to ship an order i read somewhere. But the other websites offer cheap shiping rates as well.
Im looking for mainly FD meats, entrees things of that such. So if anyone can LMK of there personal experience with these places i would REALLY appreciate it!

Thx in advance!

Jason

OH and one more thing... most of the products such as the Meats in #10 cans say that after opened they only have a 30day storage time IF REFRIGRATED! If not its only ONE WEEK! I see that as a big problem if there is no electricity. Do u guys see any other way around this??

BUT i have noticed that the thrive FD meats actually have a ONE YEAR shelf life AFTER being opened. Which i cant understand how they could have such a longer shelf life compared to The augasonfarms and the honeyville.
You'd think that FD ground beef is the same through each company?
 
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#2 ·
I have only ordered once from Honeyville, and I think it was actually through Amazon. I bought a huge sack (probably 50 pounds) of rolled oats. They were just fine.
 
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#3 ·
I have ordered from Honeyville and from Auguson Farms.
By far, my experience with Honeyville is the better of the two. Shipping is less than $5 for the entire order, regardless of size, and the product is shipped out very quickly, usually within a week.

Auguson offers no discount on shipping, and it takes about 3 weeks to get the product. Auguson does offer several different items than Honeyville, including soups and egg products in #10 cans.
 
#4 ·
Ya but any order over 100$ through augason farms is i think only like 12$ or something so thats not bad at all.. Was just on there website..

But besides the shipping time/experience (which i appreciate u letting me know) I guess im more concerned with the quality of the actual products between the two??

HAS ANYONE OUT THERE TRIED THE THRIVE DH FOODS THROUGH SHELFRELIANCE.COM???
 
#6 ·
I've purchased Honeyville many times and I really like the majority of their products. Everyone will have their favorite milk, of course, but general things I enjoy. Packed very well and always measures out correctly. Nothing has ever been off.

I used the dried eggs, milk and so on for baking quite frequently during winter when laying decreases (from the local source) and milk too.

I've purchased from Shelfreliance once and it came well packaged and quickly. Priced well for the most part. I've not opened any though.

Another source is the LDS online catalog for some of the beans, rice, oats and wheat. Very nicely packaged and fresh as a daisy after 2 years when I opened them. Excellent prices. Limited selection. http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_715839595_10557_21158_-1_N_image_0
 
#10 ·
Ok thank u, thats good to know!! From what i've seen shelfreliance seems to be the cheapest, not by much tho and has good reviews..

Ya as far as the LDS cannery, i have one only 10miles away and have made an appt. to go down there for the rice, beans, wheat etc.
The things i was lookin from the websites i mentioned was the FD entrees, fruits, vegetables etc ya know

As far as entrees, augason farms has some good lookin entrees such as chili mac with beef, beef stroganoff etc. ALL FOR ABOUT 25$ each for a #10 can, which is an AMAZING PRICE IMO?? I mean the same thing at Mnt Hse would be like 60$
The $12 shipping must be a new feature. My order last month came with over $100 shipping bill.
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ARE YOU SERIOUS!?!? 100!? Wow man im sorry that is really crappy. Ya it says right on the website anything over $100 and 1 cent is ONLY $11.99 which is great!!

Maybe u can call them to see if u could work something out with the shipping costs they charged u? Tho IDK if it'll help or not
Please consider that the reason Honeyville grain only charges $4.50 for shipping is because they mark up the product to more than cover the cost. A 50 lb. bag of wheat does not cost $43.99. It really costs about $14-$15 dollars at large feed store or an LDS Cannery.

Now I know not everyone has the luxury of being able to drive somewhere to purchase wheat, but consider all avenues before making your decision. I originally bought from Honeyville grain 3 50lb bags. The bill was close to $150. The next time I went to the local LDS Cannery and bought the same amount for under $30.
Ya i would NEVER order wheat, rice, beans etc from a website online...
LIke you said the LDS cannery is the BEST way to go as far as how cheap it is. OR find some other option if u dont have an LDS near you, cuz buyin that in bulk online is just crazy ridiculous!

THx to everyone for your input tho, hopefully will get some more ppl in here that have actually tried it! Not to say i expect ppl to open there emergency supplies of #10 cans cuz i wouldnt either lOl
 
#8 ·
Please consider that the reason Honeyville grain only charges $4.50 for shipping is because they mark up the product to more than cover the cost. A 50 lb. bag of wheat does not cost $43.99. It really costs about $14-$15 dollars at large feed store or an LDS Cannery.

Now I know not everyone has the luxury of being able to drive somewhere to purchase wheat, but consider all avenues before making your decision. I originally bought from Honeyville grain 3 50lb bags. The bill was close to $150. The next time I went to the local LDS Cannery and bought the same amount for under $30.
 
#12 ·
Im looking for mainly FD meats, entrees things of that such. So if anyone can LMK of there personal experience with these places i would REALLY appreciate it!

Thx in advance!

Jason
QUOTE]

I don't think any of the three have actual real meat in the entrees. You really need to look hard to be sure. They might sell FD hamburger in a # 10 can, I'm not sure but Augason and Thrive are fake meat entrees (meat flavor). I've ordered lots of Augason from Sam's but haven't tried them. I did try AlpineAire from Sam's which does have real meat and it was decent. Lots of rice and bits of meat but at least it was real meat. Good luck!
 
#17 ·
Hmm actually im going to have to totally 100% disagree with you on that... I checked every single ingredient from the entrees that included meat from thrive/augasonfarms, and EACH AND EVERY SINGLE ONE has either the FD diced beef(ground) or FD diced chicken etc. NOT meat flavor!! Im not tryn to be a smart ass but how can chili mac/beef be meat flavored when half of it is ground beef lOl But no your wrong, i dont want ppl thinkin its meat flavor when its not, u can look at the ingredients on each entree meal they have and see for yourself its real FD meats! :thumb:
I have been buying Mountain House packet meals at Walmart for the past few weeks. Each time I go I have purchased 4-5 new meals. Prices are $4.50-$6.00 on the meals which I bought.
Ya i do the exact same thing, except theres one outdoor store by my work that i think was fate i came across. Was across the street and never noticed it and they actually have the #10 cans of Mnt Hse but there supplies are dwindling down. So wanted to know about these other companies..
Yeah - Don't get me wrong - I too bought a case of powdered eggs, 3 cases of the whey milk substitute, 1 can powdered butter and 1 can chocolate whey milk sub. Honeyville grain is where I shop for those type of items. But wheat - I go to the LDS.
Incidentally, I also go to Restaurant Depot to get bulk instant mashed potatoes by the case in #10 cans (and now my powdered milk too) and Costco for my bulk oats and honey.
You just have to shop around for the things you need at the best price and convenience. Even if the LDS cannery wanted $43.99 for the 50 lb bag, I would still go there since I wouldn't have to wait for shipping.
Ya i also have been wantin to get powdered milk but NOT the whey milk sub or w.e. it is, i want real milk so been searchin each website to see which one actually has that.
Restaurant Depot huh?? I'll have to check and see if maybe theres one around here where i live. Kinda nice they have #10 cans of that stuff!!

Thx again to EVERYONE for your advice/ideas/experience with these companies, it is MUCH appreciated!:D:
 
#16 ·
I've ordered and eaten the Thrive foods from shelfreliance.com. It was really good, but I tend to order ingredients, rather than meals (I make my own meals out of freeze dried and dehydrated foods). My kids (not vegetable fans normally) eat the freeze dried fruits and veggies out of the can as a snack.

Shipping was a bit slower than I would have liked. But the food is good.
 
#23 ·
Yes and I see Sam's updated their web product line-up to now include the AF "Ready Cuisine" stuff. Wasn't there when I made an order a few weeks ago. Takes 19 minutes of cooking. Mountain House says you just add hot water (no cooking).

Mountain House has beef as the #1 ingredient (strange) in their Chili Mac and Augason has more riboflavin than beef it appears (assuming contents are in order of amount in can). Not sure how good the AF Chili Mac is based on their info. Might be worth a try if the 20 minutes of cooking isn't a challenge.
 
#25 ·
I have posted before about my great experiences with Shelf Reliance (Thrive Foods). I can't say enough good about them. They were a little bit slow on my order last month, but after contacting them, they admitted that they were swamped but had just hired another shift of workers to keep up with demand. I have the benefit of purchasing all three brands mentioned above, at my local grocery stores. So I have tried a lot of the different products. So far I am most pleased with the taste of the Thrive freeze dried and dehydrated items.

FWIW - I found out a couple months ago that you can go to the Shelf Reliance website and setup what they call a "Q" You fill out their form based on your needs, family size, etc, and they create a shopping list for you. You setup a budget amount and then every month, they send you items off your "Q". Of course I had to edit a couple things to get it just how I wanted it, but it is nice to kind of have a "set it and forget it" way of purchasing food preps. http://www.shelfreliance.com/productqueue/

I'm not affiliated with Shelf Reliance, just a very satisfied customer.
 
#27 ·
We have a wide variety of Freeze-Dried Fruits, Vegetables, Meats, and Cheeses available on our website.

Many items may be listed as "on backorder" we still encourage you to place your order since it will get you put in the queue for the product. Your credit card won't be charged until the order is shipped.
 
#29 ·
lOl thats exactly why im goin to order from the other companies is bcuz of exactly what u just said... MOST EVERYTHING, well atleast the "good" things are all "backordered" And honestly im not tryn to sit and wait for months wondering when im goin to get my order. When somethin could happen at any time. The sooner i get it the happier i will be.
Pretty much mountain house is out of the picture due to it seriously prob. taking a year to get, and even the provident pantry u guys sell is ok, ive tried it. And the thrive,augason farms, honeyville are just as comparable. So thats why i wouldnt order thru ur website as it is on backorder compared to these other websites that can get my order in right away :thumb:
Tho i've ordered many things from ur website, i just wont be ordering any food :)
 
#30 ·
JRD505 - We just wanted to make sure you were aware of all of the options. From what we've been seeing, our shipping times aren't much different than many other companies that have similar products available. Currently, the majority of orders ship out from our warehouse within 2-20 business days based upon product availability.
 
#33 ·
Ok gotcha.. But as i have read on ur website i belkieve it was, was MONTHS of backorders, and as of now being on the last of the list im surely it would be more than 20days?? So are you saying you can guarntee me that if i order a bunch of #10 cans of Mountain house products it will be shipped around 20 days? thats just hard to believe. Or were u talkin about other food products or what? Im ONLY lookin for #10 cans mountain house brand.
This may sound like a stupid question, but how do you find a local LDS cannery? I would love to go and pick up and buy some stuff from them directly, but have been unable to locate them with google search.
No no question is stupid my friend!! :D: You should have been able to fine it by google'n it. But here u go, heres there main website i believe and it gives u the option to find an LDS canner near you. Hope this helps! :thumb:
http://providentliving.com/lds-resources
Auguson Farms and Honeyville both have good products. Auguson actually labels their product for about 1/2 dozen other brands too. I talk to the guys regularly at their outlet store here. They even have some Honeyville bulk products there some times in the warehouse. So there is some cross over in their products. They have monthly sales that are pretty good on line, but our Walmart here sells their products for about the same as the sale price. Honeyville does bulk products well. We have one of their stores here too. I have a bunch of both brands in my basement and use them pretty regularly. As far Augusons' meat products go they have to be refrigerated after opening to get the longest shelf life. I hope this helps, I don't think you could go wrong with ether of them.
Ya i was little confused on that too, about augason labeling there products for other brands too. But think i understand it now. Hmm your walmart sells there products? In #10 cans? Thats really all im lookin for is FD products in #10 cans.
Ya thats the bad thing, augason and i believe honeyville too you have to use the FD meats within a WEEK if there not refrigerated. If there was a problem with no electricity that would surely pose a problem. But the Thrive FD meat products say they will last up to a year after opened. So that confuses me as i would think FD ground beef from either of the companies would be pretty much the same. Im gunna call thrive (shelfreliance) tomorrow and find out if there FD cans are still good for a year after opened if there NOT refrigerated.
Cuz if so that would honestly be a turning point for me, as i would definetly go with thrive then if that were the case.
But thx for your advice, much appreciated!
 
#32 ·
Auguson Farms and Honeyville both have good products. Auguson actually labels their product for about 1/2 dozen other brands too. I talk to the guys regularly at their outlet store here. They even have some Honeyville bulk products there some times in the warehouse. So there is some cross over in their products. They have monthly sales that are pretty good on line, but our Walmart here sells their products for about the same as the sale price. Honeyville does bulk products well. We have one of their stores here too. I have a bunch of both brands in my basement and use them pretty regularly. As far Augusons' meat products go they have to be refrigerated after opening to get the longest shelf life. I hope this helps, I don't think you could go wrong with ether of them.
 
#35 ·
We got the year supply of Augason Farms through Sam’s Club website. Took about 10 days to get and from what I could find on the web at the time was much cheaper and didn’t have any shipping charge at all. Came in 21 cases via FedEx. Since we are new to this and are just up to our year supply we are not touching them.
I do have to say we also got quite a bit from the LDS. Be prepared that you do have to help can what you buy. It was much cheaper and we know exactly what is in it and how old it is. I do have to say it was some work but was also allot of fun. We met some tremendous people and had a good time doing it. They were VERY welcoming and promised not to send the brigade out after us for showing up. It is defiantly in our plans to go back as we continue to build our stock. I guess I just can’t say enough about how helpful they were. Another good point is that they will teach you how to can. Then once that is done you can buy your canning supplies through them and check out a canner. Then you can pretty much can anything you consider safe for long term storage. Super KUDOS to the LDS.

We have also purchased our MREs through Emergency Essentials. If they are out of something you can give them your email and they will notify you as soon as it comes in. I went ahead and ordered the MRE's and expected to wait but they also showed up within 2 weeks. My wife loves the Peanut Butter she tried.
 
#37 ·
We went with the deluxe kit that had 2,000 calories per day. Was just under $1,500. Here is the link so you can get right there. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=prod1970426 Since there are two of us this actually gives us 6 months each as a base. We also picked up 3 of the 30 day supplies of MRE from Emergency Essentials. Our goal is to Bug In. We got the MRE in case things need to change and we have to Bug Out as they say. The MRE were much more expensive. Just under a grand for the 45 day supply for both of us. We went with this because you do not need to have water to prepare them like you do the freeze dried. I am putting in an alternative water source in the next week or so at the house but if we have to leave I don't want to use up the filters in our water purifier and faster than I have to. These two things have given us our base to start from. We have supplemented these with the supplies we have gotten from the LDS Bishops Storehouse and back stock of regular can goods that we rotate through our daily lives. I figure we are getting close to a realistic 9 month stash for the two of us right now. This weekends shopping trip is to stock up on more Dog and Cat food. I think too many people forget that they have animals to care for. Ours are a planned part of our home security. So not only do I want them healthy I need them healthy. I know allot of people think about the Dogs in their lives but I don't remember reading anything about cats. Remember in a SHTF situation there is going to be allot of uncollected waste. This will turn into a large rodent problem. Not many dogs will keep mice out of your back stock and keep them from spreading germs in your home. But a good mouser will.
 
#38 ·
Ok ya thx man ill check out there website... and compare it to there price or buying my own selection of individual #10 cans and try to figure it out that way, yes its more work but in end might be cheaper who knows... Ya i've also been lookin at MRE's but just are so damn expensive and everywhere i've read the major companies that sell MRES like MRE star etc. dont have near the same quality as the actual military MRE's, then again those are harder to come by.. But again instead of buyin a bulk or case that has the whole meal, snacks, drink etc. i probably will just buy them individually which to me seems like the cheaper way to go.. Most of the MRE Entrees at the website im gunna get them from go for $2.30, i figure for me and my fiance at 2 entrees a day each for 2 months it would be 550$, then i'll buy the individual crackers, cookies, pound cake etc and will put me at about 850$ so not to bad...
And ya im doin the same thing this weekend actually, goin to the LDS with my fiance to can our own stuff so i'll be set there.. LIke most peopleon here i want to have a good variety of things. Couple months worth of MRE's, have some Mountain house packages as well, about 45 days worth in case of bug out, but can always use those for bug in too.. Then the #10 cans i have about a years worth of mountain house, but since i cant get them no more is why i startd this thread, wanted to figure out which of the companies were 2nd behind mountian house. Then havin the long, long term storage with the rice, beans, wheat, oats etc. for real SHTF.
Also someone on here gave me a website that sells the beef, chicken, turkey, pork in 28oz or 14.5oz cans. Not FD at all, there fully cooked, in broth i believe. They said they have a minimum 5 year shelf life and everything shipped out is made in 2011, so u konw there good past 2016. I've heard GREAT reviews about there meat products. Which i think is good to have on hand as well, ready to go right out of the can, cook some rice open a can of chicken.. some teriayki sauce and BAM got a bomb meal!! might want to check them out if ur interested in that kind of thing!
Www.keystonemeats.com
Thx agian for the response tho:thumb:
 
#42 ·
I actually have tried AlpineAire and bought it through Sam's Club recently. The one I tried was a chicken dish but forget exactly what the entree was named. Anyway, it was mostly rice with small diced pieces of chicken and veggies. The verdict? Not bad! I'm not fussy but like others am not fond of TVP, but the AlpineAire had taste so it gets a :thumb: from me. 5 year shelf life they say.
 
#43 ·
I ordered peanut butter powder and Datrex bars from Emergency Essentials. It was delivered before I even bothered to check for the tracking update. I think it was 3 days after I ordered it. I ordered powdered milk Thursday and I got the shipping notification Friday night. I have ordered hashbrowns and potato flakes as well. The food is great and shipping VERY fast. The PB powder is SO good! It has a much stronger smell and flavor than regular peanut butter. It seems very concentrated.
I am ordering things as they become available again. Sign up for the email notification like I did for out of stock items. They seem to get these items in often. They also run out fast. I have not ordered meat, veg or entree type stuff. I prefer to can and dehydrate my own.
BTW, I got PB powder for a source of protein. Mix with powdered milk, sugar, vanilla and water for a protein drink. I use flavorless protein powder with it also but you get the idea. I am trying out recipes for protein that can be stored for times when meat isn't available.
Karen
 
#47 ·
What about Provident Living?

Also, I found the chart you must have been looking at to find out that Thrive says its products are good for a year after opening - however, I also note that ham slices on that very chart say 2 weeks and if you look on the turkey slices page, it says the same thing - so, my presumption is that the meat products you want are probably really only 'guaranteed' for about 2 weeks before they begin to lose nutrients and perhaps some taste. However, I am sure they will 'safe' for a long time - just not quite as delicious or nutrient packed perhaps.
 
#48 ·
Does or has anyone worked for a facility that processes freeze dried human grade meat? Time, temperature and moister are the enemies to food-especially those high in protien. I ask because I wonder why Thrive meat can stay NON-REFRIDGERATED, once opened, for a lot longer than Honeyville and the meat Emergency Essentials carries. It almost seems it would make sense for some of these companies to sell #5 size (pint?) cans for this reason. That way there is less to use in a short time without access to a fridge or very cool storing conditions. Plus, it would be great for those of us who only have two or three people to feed. I plan on opening and trying the Thrive ground beef soon. Will get back to the board with my opinions on taste, texture and what I used it in.
 
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