Dehydrated is the best tasting and longest lasting. Walmart sells some in the camping section now for about 6bucks a meal. The longevity is great, but there are so many variables that the real use by is less. If you store something in a cool, dry and dark cave, it will last longer, the trunk of your car, well, not so longer. I would love to have three months of the stuff, but the cost is a little prohibitive. So far I've opted for mason jars and oxy absorbers. I'm covered with rice and beans. Definitely not as tasty, but will keep you going in a pinch.