If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement. Ben Mesirow is an Echo Park native, who writes and edits TV, fiction, food, travel, and sports. If the ...

I freeze-dried roasted sirloin, lemon grass chicken, and fruit for this batch. I will be keeping these homemade MREs in my Jeep for emergency situations.

I'd consider myself a "prepper lite." I.e., I don't have a hidden bunker or a bug-out bag all packed and ready, but my husband and I do have a dedicated space in our basement for survival gear in the ...