By Dan Kidder
Managing Editor

Having served in the Marines, I can tell you all of the weaknesses of the military Meal Ready to Eat (MRE) or as we called them, three lies in one.

First of all, they are heavy. Because they are prepared food that has been hermetically sealed in pouches, you end up carrying all of that water weight with you. At 8 pounds per gallon, this is a heavy proposition. Next, they are bulky.

For prolonged periods in the outdoors where water is plentiful, nothing beats food that has been dehydrated.

A new brand of outdoor food is available at Sportsman’s Warehouse. The Outdoor Trail offers premium food at affordable prices. With a seven to 25-year shelf life, this food is perfect for long-term food storage, emergency preparedness, or camping and hiking.

We took a selection of meals on a recent SCUBA trip and had 11 hungry divers taste test each of the products. The stand out favorites were Cheesy Lasagna, Mac & Cheese, Alfredo, and Teriyaki. Each of the meals is vegetarian friendly but contains a textured vegetable protein meat substitute that none of the tasters could tell wasn’t real meat. In flavor, texture, and consistency, the vegetable protein emulated meat in every way.

Of all of the meals we tested, the flavor was excellent. Cooking was also a breeze as all that was required was 2 cups of boiling water added to the zippered pouch. Once filled, the pouch is sealed and allowed to sit for 7-12 minutes to cook. One suggestion would be to have a line printed on the inside of the pouch so that you can easily measure the water. Because we didn’t have a measuring cup, some of the products were underhydrated and others were a little soupy because we had to guess how much water to add.

The food is rich in nutrients and each serving contains about 250-350 calories, depending upon the meal. The Cheesy Lasagna contains 98 percent of the USRDA of Vitamin A, and 49 percent of Vitamin C. Each serving is pleasantly filling, and the Teriyaki was voted as the most satisfying meal by our panel of divers.

A great feature that sets The Outdoor Trail above other brands is that each pouch contains two individually wrapped servings.  You can prepare just one serving at a time or both depending upon your needs.

Another great feature is The Outdoor Trail’s satisfaction guarantee. If you aren’t completely satisfied with the product, they will replace it or refund your purchase price.

For great tasting, easy to prepare food for your next outdoor adventure or the end of the world as we know it, make sure to give The Outdoor Trail a try. With their guarantee, you have nothing to lose except that extra weight in your pack from those nasty MREs.