Old trick for cheese - cut it up into 2-3 day blocks. Soak cheesecloth in vinegar. Wrap the cheese block with the cloth and vacuum seal. It will last a looong time in high temps. The vinegar keeps it firm and non-greasy and doesn't influence taste much.
The baby-bells lasted about 7 months on our pantry shelf. I didn't know they were supposed to be refrigerated! Some of them started to explode out of the wax, so we threw those away, but just ate the last of them a couple weeks ago on a trip. They were fine. Our house gets pretty hot in the summer too. No AC.
I've never bought a Mountain House and find dehydrating whole meals a pain - needing parchment paper or those tray liners. I have 3-4 go to dinner recipes that rely on minute rice (or soba noodles), a few dried veggies, lentils (or dried beans) and some spices (chili spice, thai curry paste, pesto, etc). Rotating through these spices keeps some variety, no processed stuff, light and fast to cook. A meal for two will fit in a quart ziploc, and when cooked, fill a 2-liter pot. Recently acquired grouse, ptarmigan or fish are thrown right in to cook with the meal.
