Longest lasting food, bars, or whatever that can lurk in my pack until needed?

tknife

tknife

Joined
Mar 18, 1999
Messages
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I am replacing the flattened pieces of mushed rubber known as Power Bars from the bottom of my pack. By the look and feel of them, I'm pretty sure they have been there for at least 97 years. Anyway, I'm looking for a long lasting (preferably more edible) emergency food to keep in my pack for those just in case times. I rotate through fresh Clif bars every couple months for normal snacking, but I want something that just hide in the depths until needed, or at least for a year or so.
 
Have you considered real Hard Tack? You can bake it yourself or buy it and it'll keep for decades. You can also get the ship survival rations, which is just a brick of greased carbs (low water need) measured in 2400 calorie increments.

Granola bars or in loose form can last for years. It's been used as high-calorie food source for emergency relief in 3rd world countries. Will survive any extremes in temperature and can survive being kicked-out the back of airplanes without needing parachutes.

Personally, I'd stick with the performance food bars. 1 year rotation isn't too bad.
 
I noticed that (( not a paid BF dealer )) had a bunch of new energy bars that I have never tried, I may try a few different ones. I just can't stand power bars, which helps me to keep from eating them and saving them for an emergency :D
 
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What is the shelf life on those emergency rations? I've had the Datrex ones before and they aren't half bad. Tastes like a coconut cookie.
 
I use Datrex or the Mainstay 3600 packs. IIRC, they have a 5 year shelf life. I keep a few in my Proteus pack in the car along with some other stuff and we keep a case in our basement to use if we outlast the MRE's that we have down there. I use both of those regularly when I'm hiking so I can rotate the stock. The MREs are really easy to fix on a trail and the emergency bars are just there for a quick bite or for a real emergency if one comes up when I'm in the car. I reckon if you really need to use 'em, you'll not be too interested in how they taste, just how well they work.
 
In my emergency kit/psk (1litre waistpouch stuffed) any dayhike/fishing trip or longer it gets clipped to the outside of pack or thrown in.

I keep a cup of raisins in a little cryovac'd foodsaver pouch, 3oz of alphabet noodles, 2oz of home dehydrated chicken and 3oxo cubes in another sealed little pouch and 113gram tin of smoked almonds. pulltab top with a plastic lid. plus you have a little cooking/drinking vessel if needed.
Chicken soup is one of my favourite trail comfort foods
I also have a plastic airline boozebottle full of olive oil and a film container of salt.
It all fits inside my snopeak ti pot in the pouch.
Really trying to stop buying prepackaged foods for hiking with having a dehydrator and overstocked cupboards.

Probably use the stuff a few times a year so no worries about spoiling with dehydrated stuff, it will last 6 months easy in the pack.
 
I realized I have not tried the Datrex bars, I have the Mainstay ones and they really do taste like kind of a greasy cookie. I also found some called ER Bars that claim a "non thirst provoking formula". Don't know how they accomplish that, but sounds interesting.
 
tknife said:
I realized I have not tried the Datrex bars, I have the Mainstay ones and they really do taste like kind of a greasy cookie. I also found some called ER Bars that claim a "non thirst provoking formula". Don't know how they accomplish that, but sounds interesting.
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That would be the grease element. It slides down the throat unlike crackers or other dry foods so your body doesn't need saliva or water to wash it down. Your stomach also doesn't feel the need for additional moisture to digest it. Also helps as "lube" when it comes back out!
 
I keep a few CLIFF bars in my pack. The texture and quality is better than average and they will keep for a few months.
 
Someone on another forum told me a few years back he ate a can of spam 11+ years old. He didn't die, obviously, but he didn't mention the taste either.
 
Millenium Food Bars. Made for lifeboat situations, and temperature extremes/fluctutions.

Great flavors available, nut free in case anyone has issues like that.

I keep several in the car, and had no issues with some that were 3 years in the glove box.
 
I tried the MayDay survival bars and they were OK. I keep one in the car and some at home. 5 year shelf life.
 
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