If I'm carrying commercial freeze dried meals, I usually eat out of the bag. If I'm carrying meals that I prepared (more common), I usually hydrate in the pot or in another vessel that I brought for that purpose. It's nice to have one pot that is just used to heat water. I can carry one meal in a microwave storage container and then use it for other meals after the first use. The biggest problem that I have with freezer bags is that they almost always leak at the corners.