Ok, I live in a basic 2 bedroom apartment so space is at at premium. What are the various opinions on the most space efficient emergency food. I want to minimize the amount of space that emergency rations occupy at home and in my B.O.B. Is anything going to beat protein bars? I'm not worried about taste primarily, and I'll handle water as a separate issue. So what is the most nutritionally dense and packable food to carry?
Why wouldn't you use actual emergency rations like Mainstays? I'm guessing they're at least 2 times as dense as your protein bars.
What he said. It's about the highest density, more or less balanced (protein, carbs, fat) food commonly available. I used to carry a large jar in my ditch bag when I ferried airplanes and boats across the big waters.
welcome, amacman! this place is full of lots of great ideas. you'll get some here...there is also a thread you can search for that's running now about survival food in a shoebox (shoebox challenge) you have to decide a couple things first - how long do you want to prepare for? and how much volume/mass/space/etc...do you want your emeregency food to take up? area you carrying it? are you bugging out? are you bugging in/holing up? etc... at any rate - mountainhouse backpacker stuff is decent / mre's / yes, I happen to like/use protein bars myself / so there's lots of great stuff to figure out! and EDCF is a great place to gain some knowledge!
as far as pure calories go, it's your best option. It's one of the lightest options for backpacking! Toss in some single-serve packets of spam (or whole cans if it's more than just you), and a bottle of sauce, and you've got everything you need to survive the aftermath of hurricane ike
I prefer freeze dried Mountain House. It requires boiling water though. MRE heaters smell and are a , and the food isnt too great. Mainstay Rations are kinda boring too. Nothing like hiking ten miles in a day and having a decent meal. Mountain House are expensive, but they last longer than anything else on the market. If its EOTWAWKI, then go fishing/hunting. Slingshots and traps work for small game.
Hadn't actually seen these before, but it looks like they would fit the bill. I guess i was thinking protein/meal bars because I can at least vary the flavors.
You also don't want to eat these emergency rations for long periods of time. They have no protein and should be treated as survival rations only, Mainstay has a different product for long-term use, which are used for humanitarian aid. In the survival rations, calories are mostly from fat since I believe fat takes less water to process than protein and is denser. Also, I think all of the suggestions are cheaper than protein bars, which are more of a convenience food than an actual foodstuff.
+1 on PB. Tuna, Dinty Moore or Castleberry's. A weeks worth won't take up too much space in a closet or under a bed.
a catapult (slingshot), mini fishing kit and a few £20's :lolhammer: Failing that - buy a vaccuum sealer, buy or make a dehydrator (choose your own meals), and get a water filter. Once you've removed the moisture from ANY foodstuffs its gonna get a lot lighter and a lot smaller - and it'll keep in good order Better nutrition than 20 jars of peanut butter too
Depending on your water issues and cooking set up dried beans and rice are also an option for carbs and filling an empty stomach quite well.
Dried soup in cups. Empty the cups into zip-top bags and write the instructions on the bags with a Sharpie.
I'd definitely recommend more variety than protein bars. I like 'em myself, but as meal replacements over the course of several consecutive meals I've found the taste to grow worse over time and cause more than a little stomach upset. :green: They also increased my usually large water intake by 2-3 times. PB, honey packets, Lipton & Knorr sides & soups and hard candy are now added to my minimum stash. Whatever you decide upon, set aside a weekend to try living off your stash to test your preps. You might decide to accept a larger foot print...I certainly did! Good luck! --Steve
