Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I purchased this 14 day supply from Mountain House and a sample box from PrepareWise (containing the Legacy brand) to compare for long term storage of emergency needs and camping, and I can tell you that to me there was no contest- Mountain House was far superior. This 14 day supply is a great way to sample a number of products you might not think you would like. First consideration: Ease of use- Mountain House packets require only that you add boiling water, let sit and eat- right out of the pouch if you choose. The PrepareWise meals on the other hand require 10-15 minutes of cooking which uses more fuel, more time, and more dishes (you have to put it in a pot). Whether you're camping or in an emergency- less fuel, shorter prep time, and fewer dishes are all bonuses in my book. Second consideration: Taste- I was shocked at how good these taste. I thought biscuits and sausage gravy would be gross- but it was good! The biscuit part was biscuity and the sausage gravy was gravy. You could taste the different parts. Likewise for the breakfast skillet- there was egg that tasted like egg, hash browns, and sausage- all in the pouch but not so intermingled as to not have three separate textures and flavors. I gave some pouches to my parents to try and they were skeptical to say the least- after I nagged them for two weeks they finally tried a meal and my father texted me that he "was chasing the last morsel around his plate." I agree with other commenters these meals are saltier than I would probably make them, and don't always have the proportion of vegetables I would normally eat, but again, when I'm hiking or in an emergency, a bit of salt is ok. The meats are tender and savory. Vegetables are crisp and far better than canned. In comparison, PrepareWise meals were also salty, but were almost all, if not all, vegetarian (which would be a consideration were I a vegetarian but I am not) and still blah and soupy. The PrepareWise Meals were soupy even when I added significantly less water. (3/4 cup less water per 6 cups called for) The Chili Mac was meh- the pasta was nice and firm, but the rest was lacking the richness of flavor. The "cheesy broccoli bake" was essentially soup with minimal visible vegetable. Their serving sizes are larger (but keep in mind- more water = larger servings and I'm still reducing water to try to get a better consistency.) Because the PrepareWise meals require you stir and cook for 10-15 minutes, there is no ability to have separate flavors- you get various one pot soups. If you're a vegetarian, I'd still look at Mountain House because the vegetable choices they have do taste better, but PrepareWise has more choices. In short, Mountain House meals are delicious, simple to prepare, and reasonably enough priced you could use them at home when you don't feel like cooking. As a result of my sampling, I plan to order several number 10 cans of my favorite amongst the Mountain House choices, including some cans of just vegetables to combine with the main courses.