Survival foods
Survival foods
Survival Foods come in many forms. The most popular choices are dehydrated foods, freeze dried meals, MRE's (Meals Ready To Eat) and emergency food ration bars.
The good news is that these foods taste better than ever and you have a lot of choices (for example, you can eat a gourmet meal of spaghetti with meat sauce, a side of beans or broccoli and blueberry cheesecake for dessert - all from freeze dried meals).
Each type of emergency food has its own advantages and disadvantages. And it's up to you what food you choose to purchase. But what are some situations where you should be storing survival foods?
Here are 3 areas where you might want to consider storing survival emergency foods:
#1 Survival Kits
If you're building a 72 hour survival kit or a hurricane survival kit for your car, one of the most important things you need is food. Many preparedness experts recommend you get at least 72 hours worth of food - and preferably more.
So you need foods that are lightweight and easy to carry, high calorie and compact with a long shelf life (so you don't have to keep rotating them out every few years).
That's where survival foods come in. For example, you can easily fit a week of freeze dried meals into a backpack. You can also buy a block of non-thirst-provoking emergency food ration bars that will last you for 3 days and take up very little room.
And most of these foods are either already prepared or simple to make. This is perfect for an emergency situation since you probably won't have time (or energy) to whip up a gourmet meal.
#2 Outdoor Activities like Backpacking, Camping, Hunting, etc.
Backpackers or other outdoor enthusiasts like hikers, campers, hunters or fishermen usually want to pack a cache of survival foods instead of "regular" food because they have several advantages:
They're lightweight and compact. You can fit a lot more of these foods into your backpack or camping gear than you could regular food.
They don't spoil or wilt. These foods usually have a long shelf life (5 - 30 years) and they don't spoil as easily as if you take meats, fruits or other foods that really should be refrigerated.
They're hardy. Foods like MREs are built to be tough and withstand conditions like being bumped around. You don't have to worry about your sandwich getting soggy or your chocolate bar melting.
Many of them are high calorie. Many outdoor activities are strenuous and require a lot of energy. And some survival meals give you a lot of calories in a small package.
For example you can find MRE's that give you 1200 - 1700 calories per meal. So instead of lugging a fridge full of food, you just pack some emergency food ration bars and MREs and you're ready to go.
#3 Emergency Food Storage
Preparedness experts recommend that everyone should have at least a month's worth of emergency food stored away in their home or someplace they can easily get to (like a shed or cold cellar).
Depending on where you think things are going in this country, you may want more than that. Many people I know are storing up to a year's worth of food.
Even if you don't need all of it, in a crisis you'll be able to barter with it for other things you may need like medications, water and tools.
A store of emergency food in your home will help protect you from man-made or natural disasters like riots, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and civil unrest. It can also help you in extreme situations like a terrorist attack, nuclear incident or hyperinflation.
Think of it like a form of food insurance. Hopefully you'll never have to use it. But if something does happen - it could save your life.
So those are 3 areas where you might want to stock up on survival foods. What kinds of foods you choose really depend on what your goals are, how many calories you need, taste preference etc. Take some time to educate yourself on your options so you'll feel comfortable with what you need.
Survival Foods come in many forms. The most popular choices are dehydrated foods, freeze dried meals, MRE's (Meals Ready To Eat) and emergency food ration bars.
The good news is that these foods taste better than ever and you have a lot of choices (for example, you can eat a gourmet meal of spaghetti with meat sauce, a side of beans or broccoli and blueberry cheesecake for dessert - all from freeze dried meals).
Each type of emergency food has its own advantages and disadvantages. And it's up to you what food you choose to purchase. But what are some situations where you should be storing survival foods?
Here are 3 areas where you might want to consider storing survival emergency foods:
#1 Survival Kits
If you're building a 72 hour survival kit or a hurricane survival kit for your car, one of the most important things you need is food. Many preparedness experts recommend you get at least 72 hours worth of food - and preferably more.
So you need foods that are lightweight and easy to carry, high calorie and compact with a long shelf life (so you don't have to keep rotating them out every few years).
That's where survival foods come in. For example, you can easily fit a week of freeze dried meals into a backpack. You can also buy a block of non-thirst-provoking emergency food ration bars that will last you for 3 days and take up very little room.
And most of these foods are either already prepared or simple to make. This is perfect for an emergency situation since you probably won't have time (or energy) to whip up a gourmet meal.
#2 Outdoor Activities like Backpacking, Camping, Hunting, etc.
Backpackers or other outdoor enthusiasts like hikers, campers, hunters or fishermen usually want to pack a cache of survival foods instead of "regular" food because they have several advantages:
They're lightweight and compact. You can fit a lot more of these foods into your backpack or camping gear than you could regular food.
They don't spoil or wilt. These foods usually have a long shelf life (5 - 30 years) and they don't spoil as easily as if you take meats, fruits or other foods that really should be refrigerated.
They're hardy. Foods like MREs are built to be tough and withstand conditions like being bumped around. You don't have to worry about your sandwich getting soggy or your chocolate bar melting.
Many of them are high calorie. Many outdoor activities are strenuous and require a lot of energy. And some survival meals give you a lot of calories in a small package.
For example you can find MRE's that give you 1200 - 1700 calories per meal. So instead of lugging a fridge full of food, you just pack some emergency food ration bars and MREs and you're ready to go.
#3 Emergency Food Storage
Preparedness experts recommend that everyone should have at least a month's worth of emergency food stored away in their home or someplace they can easily get to (like a shed or cold cellar).
Depending on where you think things are going in this country, you may want more than that. Many people I know are storing up to a year's worth of food.
Even if you don't need all of it, in a crisis you'll be able to barter with it for other things you may need like medications, water and tools.
A store of emergency food in your home will help protect you from man-made or natural disasters like riots, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and civil unrest. It can also help you in extreme situations like a terrorist attack, nuclear incident or hyperinflation.
Think of it like a form of food insurance. Hopefully you'll never have to use it. But if something does happen - it could save your life.
So those are 3 areas where you might want to stock up on survival foods. What kinds of foods you choose really depend on what your goals are, how many calories you need, taste preference etc. Take some time to educate yourself on your options so you'll feel comfortable with what you need.
