Bug-out bag emergency food items

comoha

comoha

Joined
Jan 12, 2006
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I was wondering what non-perishable food items folks have in their bug-out bags. I keep one in each vehicle so they need to be able to endure the high heat of summer and subfreezing temps of winter. I like the idea of filling a wide-mouth Nalgene water bottle with food items.
Be specific as to food types, brands and quantities that you have found successful. Thanks!:)
 
The GHB in my truck has a pack of Mainstay ration bars (lifeboat rations). They are specifically designed to withstand temperature extremes. Last month I rotated them and ate the old pack. They are actually pretty good, tasting like a lemon cookie.

If you have any dietary restrictions you should review the ingredients list, however. There might be something in there that people with restrictions can't eat safely.
 
When we go on long car trips, I usually have a few Moutnain House freeze Dried meals in the emergency pack, along with Powerbars and assorted granola-type bars.
 
MREs are pretty good too. Comparatively inexpensive and they last damned near forever. As to the taste, well, let's just say that when you get hungry enough, you'll eat almost anything.
 
Clif Bars, Nature Valley Bars. A jar of peanut butter, boullion cubes, tea bags, instant coffee and hard candy. I like sardines so I have a few pop top cans too along with some plastic ware.

In the winter we pack a thermos of hot water for instant hot beverages.
 
I rotate through several big boxes of granola bars, quaker yogurt bars (100 cal per) tend to melt a bit, but whatever, quaker chewy trail mix (150 cal per) are kinda sweet for some people, some contain peanuts, but otherwise would be good kid food as they are very soft. and quaker oatmeal to go (220 cal per) good, but need a lot of water to eat. I tend to keep more food around (just found the mars bars stashed in my parka) than most people, I have no R value, so as soon as my body runs out of food, I get cold very fast. If you have any kind of diet troubles (foods that don't agree with you) look for stuff that you can eat on a regular basis, then you'll know if it will work with your digestion. dehydration form diarrhea isn't helpful in a a survival situation. My dad was on a salvage/ repair crew that recovered a downed small aircraft in northern canada, and knew the pilots (who survived). one said that he was going to live just so he could yell at the guy who packed beans, rice, and pasta in the survival kit. all that food, and no water, or wood for fire within a hundred miles. luckily they only had to hang out with the crashed plane for day as they were able to radio their landing site in before they went down.
 
Bodybuilding meal replacement drink powders. There are many different brands, such as TwinLabs, EAS, MetRx, etc. Just find the ones that you like best. (Note that each brand sells several different levels of products, and the higher end ones tend to be more nutritious and better tasting.)
 
Datrex emergency rations.
Basically the same as Dave Markowitz mentioned , everything else food related stays at home.
 
I keep Gatorade and bottled water in my van at all times, plus cheese crackers and granola bars. To stock a BOB I'd add Ramen noodles, saltine crackers, canned corned beef, canned tuna, canned kippered herring, Louisiana Hot Sauce, and some hard candy (individually wrapped). MREs are good, too, but they DON'T last forever, especially in the summer heat inside a vehicle. They might be edible for 2 years under those conditions. Somewhere there is a chart showing how long MREs are good for under various storage conditions. I think it rated them at about 10 years in a nicely air conditioned room.
 
I love beef jerky all the time, and won't care if the weather is freezing or hot :D.

I eat Acme jerky..., it's very dry and I've eaten jerky 3-4 years old that tastes as good as first made. I've been buying that for 10 years, and it's been great for me.

http://www.acmebrandjerky.com/

Fesperman jerky is pretty good, too..., though more expensive.

http://www.fespermansbeefjerky.com/#

And Omaha is, to me, TOO expensive ;).., but their jerky is pretty good, too.

http://www.omahasteaks.com/servlet/...=1:1100&PID=null&IID=1151&ITMSUF=XE&RAND=K477

Ohhhh, I just found they've lowered the price. Hmmmmmmm.
 
I'm cheap, I store 4 cans of tuna, two cans of pork and beans, bottled water and dry, home recipe electrolytes, I rotate the food and water every two years.

If I go on a trip I load more food and water, and then remove it when I return.
 
USCG approved Mayday 3600 cal bars in the trunk kit.

photo_medium
 
braddy said:
I'm cheap, I store 4 cans of tuna, two cans of pork and beans, bottled water and dry, home recipe electrolytes, I rotate the food and water every two years.

If I go on a trip I load more food and water, and then remove it when I return.
Click to expand...

Thats about as good a list as anyone here and costs nothing. Good on you.

Skam
 
My sister-in-law's husband is in the Air Nat'l Guard, and he gave me a case of MRE's awhile back. He says they give him far more than he actually uses when doing their training, and he must have a ton of them.
 
As far as food goes it's also a bulky item, so that needs to be taken into consideration. The region of the Country, and climate where you live also plays a part in the degradation of the food stores within a vehicle or outside container.

Dry goods, oatmeal, precooked/parboiled rice, crackers, granola bars,etc do fairly well in cooler temps, but can get buggy in warmer climes. The canned goods weigh more, but don't get buggy. The drink mixes can go rancid in higher heat, so watch the storage on those type items; they also cake up if they have been opened.

MRE's are the no hassle way to go, though bulky if left intact. If you cull out the things you don't want from them their weight and buk can be reduced almost in half.
 
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