I just found this product a few days ago on this site http://bestglide.com/emergency_ration_info.html and I though it would be kind of neat addtion to a vehicle survival kit. Does anyone have one of these? I wish there was a better picture and description of it so I could see if it was worth the money.

I just bought some Mainstay rations from Best Glide. Going to test them tomorrow at lunch time.

If you order from them beware. They messed up my order and my email bounced when I tried to contact their order email address.

Stuff just came today so I'm hoping they can sort me out.

Hi Hacksaw,

I see you had some trouble with your Best Glide order. That BCB Emergency Ration Pack looks interesting for the price, I am looking forward to your review

How much hassle is it ordering survival type products from US retailers, do you get stuck paying high shipping, insurance, duty, exchange or taxes? US suppliers have some great products than are just not available in Canada but I have held off ordering as I was unsure of the extra costs involved.

Thanks,

Mike

I'll be sure to let you know all the details of my 1200 calories worth of ration bar tomorrow

The reason I ordered from Best Glide was that they had what I was looking for...mainly Speedhooks and Nuwick candles...stuff I've never seen locally.

Since the Canadian dollar got so valuable in the US it's very attractive to order stuff mail order. I'm a big fan but you really need to be careful...buyer beware as they say. Tax isn't the issue...it's when courier companies charge brokerage fees. UPS charged me $50 to take $6 in GST and give it to the government.

Hi SouthDakotan

This is what you get in the BCB Emergency VI Survival Pack

* plain mint cake 85 g
* oxo cube
* chocolate bar
* 2 x coffee sachets
* 2 x milk sachets
* 2 x sugar sachets
* solid fuel tablets 40 g
* book of matches
* foil tray
* poly bag
* water purifying tabs
* whistle
* pencil
* survival instuctions
* wire
* 6 x boiled sweets
* button compass
* weight 285 g
* Now comes in a sealable pouch that can be reused as a water container
* 15 x 15 cm
* long shelf life
* Ideal for soldiers and all out door people who want a light weight small emergency food and survival capability
* 810 k calories



The newer pack is contained in the foil packaging but the contents are the same.

You could make up a better kit for less money. All the items are easily obtainable. I personally would ditch the Kendal Mint cake and use a couple of Snickers bars instead. The paper matches are rubbish.

I just ate one of the 3 400 calorie bars in my Mainstay 1200 ration pack.

I was amazed to see that it wasn't like the 'power bars' I've come to think of when I think of energy food. It was more like a big cookie. When I ate it, it tasted just like shortbread only a bit tougher and a little grittier.

As advertised it didn't provoke thirst. I had water handy and didn't feel like taking more than a few sips. It was easy to break down and I think in the cold it wouldn't be that much harder to get chewed up.

Overall not unpleasant to eat. We'll see how I feel at lunch when I eat another one. If I get sick of it after 2 or 3, the mainstay 3600 pack I bought with 9 bars might be hard to finish.

I knew I made a post about this a long time ago:

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=6505&Number=64019#Post64019

Similar post...the lesson here is to search before you post.

One more thing I forgot about these rations. They're fresh. They were packaged last month by the date stamps and don't expire until 2012.

Another update before anybody gets the wrong idea of Best Glide.

I sent them an email last night and they just phoned me back. They are sending me the pieces I ordered by mail (not the evil UPS) for free and did not want me to send back the items shipped incorrectly back again as I'll need to use them in the next week.

Top marks for customer service!

Appreciate the info Hacksaw.

So in your opinion it is worth the minor hassle ordering survival stuff from US retailers, you just have to have it shipped by mail?

Thanks,

Mike

If they ship by US Post, I've had good experience with that. If they ship priority express, it ends up coming by Purolator (which is owned by Canada Post) which I've never had trouble with.

Considering the customer service I was very happy this time. The only beef was the brokerage charged by by UPS. I knew they'd try to gouge me but I didn't think it would be that much. Considering I was ordering stuff I can't buy locally, it was still a good buy.

Thanks for the advice Hacksaw.

I am going to BassPro tomorrow but there are some interesting items you just cannot find in Canada.

Mike

Whenever I order something from a US supplier, I always ask for shipping via USPS. When package arrives in France, the french Post Office takes care of it and delivers it to my door.
Might be a day or two longer than via Fedex or UPS, but no hassle with overcharges.

Sorry about not searching. I had tried searching another forum with no success and figured it would be the same here. I guess I've just never had much luck with searches.

On to the kit, I see what you guys mean about it being nothing special. Looks like I'll have to my own kit.

Popular knife dealer Ragnar of www.ragweedforge.com encountered some MAJOR delivery problems to Canada enough to post a warning.I don't know the particulars, but keep this in mind. Canadian buyers best strategy is to use a nearby USA border mailbox or friend to receive packages and either pick them up while visiting or have them shipped on.British survival rations have always had a good reputation for palatability. And never totally dismiss paper matches. Yes, they are flimsy, weather sensitive and certainly no serious bit of kit. But, if properly stored they can, with CARE ( and every step of firebuilding should be approached with the near religous reverence this most ancient and mystical act once held ) light a fire. An old survial test is to have students light a fire with A SPLIT PAPER MATCH. Most vendors will include a pack not to be cheap, but give another reserve option.The almost free cost and wieght certainly are no drawback.

Not searching is not a big deal for odd stuff.

The concept is interesting. You can duplicate most of the capability for a lot less, though. Like this. If you've got the altoids tin around you can do this for a couple of bucks. Although I've since learned to use Starburst- Jolly Ranchers aren't really as solid as they seem, they'll ooze over time.

No hexi, but I find that things stay down better if they don't taste like fuel tabs.

Not bad, are they? Lembas is the only thing they come close to.

Well, the post was a long time ago. I didn't use the search-function. I just knew I made the post

Almost have a lemony flavor.

I have to admit I was craving real food by 2pm and ate a real meal instead of the last bar. I feel that because you'd have to eat 5 of these things to get your minimal 2000 calories, they'd best be utilized with other food...like to supplement the berries you picked or that fish you caught.

Nutritionally they're very high in fat and carbs (flour and shortening are the two main ingredients) but not so high in protein...would go well with meat.

No artificial preservatives too...pretty impressive for a 5 year shelf life.

Yes, but protein takes water to process- that would defeat the point of it being a lifeboat ration.

As for the shelf life, I know there is a lot you can do with vacuum sealing and pasteurization afterwards, but are these irradiated? I'm not worried, just curious.

Excellent point about the protein. I'd only supplement if the rest of the diet were supplemented as well to balance it all out.

I'm not sure if they pasteurize or irradiate but the ingredient list is definitely all items I know and can pronounce. The bars themselves are vacuum packed...very vacuum packed...like coffee before you break the seal. I imagine all oxygen has been forcibly removed as well before sealing...though there is no oxygen absorber like in a freeze dried meal.