As the name suggests, the tiered tiffin carrier is comprised of stackable tiers of storage which can be laid out for all to enjoy. When you are done, you just stack ‘em back up, lock the clasps, grab the handle and go. They are made out of a high quality stainless steel which makes them very sturdy yet quite light, and so easy to clean.

I am using the 4-tier tiffin, which holds enough food for my two kids, yet is small and light enough to carry everywhere. I also have a few 2-tiers which my kids take to school. Recently, I began taking my tiffins to pick-up my take-out orders. This beats using disposable items provided by the restaurant . My favorite take-out places are quite happy to oblige and love the concept.

Not all tiffins are the same. In my quest to find a stainless steel lunchbox, I tried a no-name brand tiffin sold through Amazon. It is poorly-designed, made from a poor quality stainless steel and it’s massive. This new one I have is a perfect size (6.75 x 4.25 inches) and you can see the quality in the steel and workmanship. It’s also less than half the price of fancier tiffins like the pyramid, which I’ll admit looks pretty neat.

Self-heating meal packs give you hot meals without a stove. Developed by the US military for battlefield use, these 1,200 calorie food packages, known as Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), are also widely used by firefighters and emergency workers out in the field. In theory you could live off two per day.

Each meal comes in a complete package of two appetizers, main course, powdered drink, and desert. The main course is contained in a sealed pouch that you insert into another pouch that chemically reacts to produce an intense heat. The meal inside gets steaming hot, surprisingly hot.

There are 6 standard menus, like spaghetti or beef stew. The taste is okay. If you were hungry enough you might think it good. We’ve never had trouble finishing a meal. Sometimes just the fact they are steaming hot hits the spot. The other stuff in the meal pack is pretty much generic and always edible. Each of the seven parts in each meal is individually vacuum packed so there is a pile of litter generated. Also, all the food is ready-to-eat and hydrated; together with massive packaging, these are heavy dudes. Not ideal for backpacking, but one overnight wouldn’t hurt.

Self-heating meals are great as easy car camping food. We’ve used them when we arrive late and are too lazy to set a stove up. Or at events like Burning Man when cooking is the last thing you want to do. I’ve used them canoeing, too, where weight is not an issue.

These self-heating MREs have an official shelf life of 3 years so that can be stockpiled in your pantry and rotated out as backup emergency rations. I have stuffed two meals for each person in our household into our go-bag.

Until recently all MREs were manufactured solely for military use. You could find wayward MREs on eBay; they may have been past their expiration date, or resold through gray markets, or missing their heater envelopes. Now the makers of MREs are selling directly to the public. The minimum order is a carton of 12, two units of each 6 varieties. They go for about $5 per meal. The brands are pretty indistinguishable. I’ve been using the A-Pack Ready Meals and am a happy camper.

[Here's a great informational site on MREs run by a dedicated enthusiast. -- KK]

Since I started using this bento-style lunchbox to take meals to work, I’ve become much more particular about what I eat. Never one to spend much time in the kitchen, I tend to eat too much junk food. Now that I present my meals in an appealing way, I’m eating better. The Mr. Bento Lunch Jar has good presentation capabilities, but I found it difficult to fill up in such a way I did not have way too much food or a lot of unused space. The Laptop Lunchbox is the perfect size: I carry a little under 600 calories, just enough to get through a work day (sandwich, nuts, apples, carrots, hummus). Unlike the Mr. Bento, this lunchbox doesn’t keep things hot, but the containers are microwave-safe.

The box is 9″ x 7″ x 2″ and holds four main containers, two that are 4.5″ x 3″ x 1.75″ (volume each: ~1 cup) and two that are 2″ x 3″ x 1.75″ (volume each: ~1/2 cup). There’s also a small dip container that is 1.5″x1″x1.5″, which goes into one of the other containers. Only the dip container and one of the larger containers has a lid, so you have to use mostly non-liquid foods. The lid of the outer box rests nearly flush with the tops of the inner containers, so small items don’t fly around even if you hold the lunchbox sideways. I usually leave out one large container and put a sandwich there instead (cut in thirds, it fits better and looks quite nice on display). It’s somewhat marketed for kids. I’ve seen reviews from users who send one with their 2-year-old’s to daycare — a bit surprising considering how much it holds — but the site sells more adult-appropriate bags and additional containers. They also offer an insulated Bento Sleeve with Ice Pack, which I would consider if I didn’t have a fridge in my office.

Having been pushed into the prepare-my-own-food mindset, I’m actually starting to cook more for other meals. I even bought a rice cooker and immersion blender. It’s been somewhat life-changing. I’m not the only one: There’s a Flickr pool for Laptop Lunches.

I have Mushrooms Demystified and I just joined a local group so I can find my own mushrooms to start, but this DVD set my wife got me is all about growing mushrooms and is easier to get to grips with. It is two DVDs that start out from very simple (growing oysters/lions mains in a fish tank) to hunting in the forest and isolating your own strain. There’s also a great section on how to grow oysters in a laundry basket. Everything in these DVDs is all done step by step, so it’s easy to follow and understand — very hands-on with lots of little hints and tips.

The first DVD is great for novices or kids, but the second DVD moves in to agar work, which is more for the professional. I have been growing oyster mushrooms, but the DVD shows how I can move up production so I’m not just growing a couple of meals at a time. I had no prior experience with mycology, but my wife and I have a small garden and we’re trying to see how much we can produce to save on bills. After watching this DVD, I think this could help people start their own small business. I’ve actually looked into growing for local farmers markets for a bit of extra cash.

[The DVDs are not yet available via Netlflix, but you can preview sections of the discs on YouTube -- SL]

Whether I’m hiking or commuting to the office, this sturdy plastic sheath never fails. The two ends connect in the middle, where a slight turn locks the unit in place. Even when the bunker winds up at the bottom of my bag, the two pieces stay united. The straw-like section gives only slightly, so curvier bananas are harder to fit; really long bananas are a tight squeeze, too. However, in time, you learn to spot bundles in the market that will fit just right. I use my bunker no less than three times a week. Based on all the smooshed bananas I used to toss out, this contraption has already paid for itself dozens of times over.