When Do We Decide to Be Autonomous?

Autonomy, resilience, survival… are these terms familiar to you? The rise of television shows (The Islands, Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls, Koh-Lanta…), video games (Resident Evil, The Last of Us, Minecraft…), and films (Mad Max, Cast Away, Hunger Games, Into the Wild…) to name just a few, reflect the current trend and have made "survival" popular. As a company specializing in food for all circumstances, Freezedried and Co works with professionals and individuals with different needs, giving us the opportunity to share their definitions of autonomy.

Companies and Institutions Facing Exceptional Situations

Autonomy, or the ability to be independent, is especially meaningful for companies and institutions working in sensitive areas or anticipating exceptional events. This applies to energy suppliers, European delegations, embassies, fire departments (SDIS), and certain local governments. For their employees and citizens, they store certain foodstuffs, including rations, self-heating meals, or potable water, depending on the situations they may face: floods, cyclones, crises, attacks, or wars abroad.

More well-known institutions, like schools, also address autonomy and civil protection. In France, for example, following the 1999 storm, certain schools included long shelf-life biscuits in their emergency plans (PPMS - Particular Plan for Protection against Major Risks) to prepare for confinement situations.

And Individuals?

Lyophilise & Co’s offer, originally reserved for professionals, has attracted interest from a community known as "survivalists." This market has grown over recent years and reflects a turbulent era: financial and political crises (Brexit), climate change, mass extinctions of species, natural or technological disasters, etc.

Today, who can boast of having meals stored in case of a disruption in food supply from all commercial outlets? The specter of a shortage after an exceptional event fuels a desire for independence in some. With a stock of long-shelf-life meals (for example, with a 25-year best-before date), some individuals anticipate their food autonomy for months or even years.

But even on a smaller scale, having a meal in your glove compartment can be a lifesaver. The cold wave that recently paralyzed France perfectly illustrates this situation. Eating hot, nourishing food while stuck in your car due to snow has become possible with EDV kits* and is also a form of "autonomy."

Athletes and Adventurers, Survival in the Wild

The popularity of outdoor activities (long treks, ultra-trails, survival or bushcraft courses, solo or team expeditions) and the accessibility of freeze-dried meals and suitable gear encourage adventurers worldwide to test their resilience and ability to push themselves through extreme challenges while blending into nature.

Whether for leisure or competitions, weight constraints, food, and water needs are met through numerous food solutions and equipment to cross Europe on foot, venture into Iceland with self-sufficiency, or even run a seven-day marathon in the desert.

Because when a person sheds the comforts of urban life and thrives in nature, their vital needs for food and water must be met, or the consequences can be dire. Finding these resources in the wild without experience is not innate. Not everyone is Mike Horn!

What Are These Foods Adapted for Autonomy?

Freeze-Dried Meals, Lightweight and Long Shelf-Life

Packaged in single (or double) serving pouches or multi-serving cans, freeze-dried meals are lightweight, making them perfect for building your food reserves. For instance, a pouch of Beef Stew before rehydration weighs only 108 grams, compared to 500 grams after rehydration. This is a significant gain in both weight and space, with these recipes lasting anywhere from 5 to 25 years, depending on the brand.

In terms of taste and variety, freeze-drying preserves the organoleptic properties of food as well as nearly all vitamins and minerals. The variety is ensured by the arrival of numerous manufacturers. However, this technology remains expensive and energy-consuming.

A Disadvantage? Easy to prepare, these meals require adding water before eating. This can be a limitation if access to potable water is unavailable; in such cases, sterilized meals provide a good alternative.

Sterilized Meals, No Preparation Needed

Using the traditional technique of canning, these meals are cooked and then sterilized at high temperatures for a shelf life of 1 to 6 years. Packaged in pouches, they don't break, unlike glass jars. This technology is affordable for artisan cooks, and some "caterer-style" recipes from France have been added to Lyophilise & Co's sterilized meals catalog.

Regarding preparation, these meals can be heated in a water bath, in a pan, or in the microwave. Additionally, a highly sought-after "heating" alternative for institutions (SDIS, embassies, etc.) and individuals (airsoft, bushcraft, etc.) is the self-heating system. Most brands of sterilized meals use these "flameless stoves." The process is simple: water (either potable or not) activates the flameless heater in the pouch, heating the entire meal to high temperatures. After inserting the meal into the heating pouch and waiting a few minutes, you can enjoy a hot meal without needing a gas stove or even a campfire. These self-heating meals are also part of EDV kits ("Every Day Vehicle") for ensuring a hot meal while in your vehicle in all circumstances. They are also found in MREs used by the U.S. military.

A Disadvantage of Sterilized Recipes? They are heavier than freeze-dried meals because no water was removed during sterilization. But this constraint can actually be an advantage! Since there's no need to add potable water, this solution allows for 100% autonomy.

Compact Emergency Rations

These compact rations are designed to feed multiple people during survival or emergency situations. They provide a substantial amount of energy, have a long shelf life, and are relatively lightweight and compact. Compact food rations are used by humanitarian organizations, embassies, and delegations in times of shortages, famine, or disasters, as well as by military personnel and during expeditions.

Sachets of Drinking Water

Sachets of potable water have a shelf life of 5 years, much longer than bottled water (2 years). Another advantage lies in their packaging, which prevents the water from freezing and makes storage and handling easier.