Here's a recipe I found for a homemade survival bar. I haven't tried it myself yet. Go for it, and be sure to tell me how it tastes.

http://www.homemakingcottage.com/self/rationbar.html

That actually looks Tastey. I wouldn't have thought of adding the Jell-O (who would of thought you can make Jell-O without vodka?!).

-Blast

For the cereal I recommend Total.

I wouldn't really call these survival ration bars as there is not a lot of good energy food in the bars

I have used the below bars for quite some time. As for ingredients, you can add pretty much what you want.

Energy Bars- Unbaked
By: American Running Association Running and Fitnews
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oat bran
1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup raisins or dried fruit and chopped
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup light Karo syrup

Mix it all well. Freeze in bar shapes until needed.

If well wrapped, I have found they will keep on the shelf about 3 months in temps below 80F....mind you, due to their addictive nature, they rarely last that long around here.

I use a fairly good tasting generic no-name powder from the local grocery store.

You will find that the peanut butter and other ingredients mask the protein powder. Also adding vanilla extract helps.

How do they store? If they don't have a good shelf life then they're not a 'survival ration' bar IMO...just a home made energy bar.

How does it hold up in a backpack in the middle of summer?

The longest I kept them was 3 months on the shelf and in my BOB. There was no noticeable taste difference and no ill effects. I am sure that the shelf life can be extended further with no trouble.

Just to add to this, I checked my Cliff brand energy bars which were purchased less then 2 weeks ago, the longest shelf is out to Aug 2008.

Up here, we do not get a lot of days above 80F although on hiking /camping trips in the mid to high 70F temp, they kept with no problem with the longest being 11 days in trip duration.

Up here, we do not get a lot of days below 90F in the summer, and often 100F+.

Hot as hell in the summer, and cold as... well... whatever the opposite of hell is in the winter.

Wow, 1000 calories. I think I put on a few pounds just reading the recipe!

Here is one I have made from time to time. My wife hates them, I think that they are pretty tasty...

Hudson Bay Bread
Recipe Ingredients
• 1 Cup butter, softened
• 1 Cup of sugar
• 3 Tablespoons light corn syrup (or a little more)
• 3 Tablespoons of honey (or a little more)
• 1/2 Teaspoon vanilla
• 9 1/2 Cups finely ground rolled oats (I can only get 6-7 cups in, it gets too hard to mix)
• 1/2 Cup sliced almonds (I never use ‘em)
Serves: 6
This was a European staple before workers of the Hudson Bay Company packed it along on beaver-trapping excursions into what is now the American West. No light snack, this early energy bar reportedly stoked the metabolic fires of Sir Edmund Hillary as he ascended Everest.
At Home: Cream together the butter, sugar, syrup, honey, and vanilla. Grind the oats using a food processor or coffee grinder, then slowly stir in the almonds and oats. Press it all into a 13 x 9-inch pan. Bake at 325:F for 15 to 20 minutes. Don_t overcook; it crumbles. As soon as you remove it from the oven, press the mix firmly with a spatula (VERY important). Cut into squares and let cool in the pan.
Calories: 400 Carbohydrates: 54.36 Cholesterol: 33 Dietary Fiber : 2.8 Fiber: 3.4
Protein: 9.1 Saturated Fat: 8.3 Sodium: 129 Total Fat: 17.4

My favorite is a modified "Logan Bread".
It is a very dense not to sweet wheat type cake/bread.
It contains nuts and chopped dried fruit. I add additional finely chopped fruitcake fruit to the basic reciept for just a bit more taste and sweet. It will keep for years and to make it
last even longer soak it in brandy.

It is NOT your Grannies Fruitcake!

"...Fruitcake..."

Oh man, I love fruitcake! Never got one from a granny, but I love it anyhoo...

Reading the recipe, it reminds me of something that the kitchen made when I was college. Imagine leftover jello (at the stage it tastes kinda odd), corn flakes and milk blended together in terms of taste. They weren't the worst thing I've ever eaten, but I've had better, although to be fair they made them at the end of the month when they had to refill the cereal bins to the flakes were like bits of stale 100 year old parchment.

Wasn't there an old USAF emergency ration like this?

Power Bars, Granola Bars and Sports Drinks

Well I recommend trying to make your own power bars. So I decided it would only be fair if I went out and found a few. Well maybe I went a tad overboard. But at least everyone should be able to find something to match their taste.

http://www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/powetrec.html
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/recipebox/powrec.html
http://wcpo.com/recipes/2003/03/21.html
http://www.blutech.com/laser/bardrink.html
http://www.recipecottage.com/snacks/
http://www.bakery-net.com/rdocs/recipes/powerbar.html
http://www.homeschoolzone.com/cook/powerbars.htm
http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/ubbs/archive/SNACKS/Granola_Bars_Power_Bar_Recipes_by_bme.html
http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/ubbs/archive/SNACKS/Miscellaneous_Energy_Bars.html
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/family/feature/famf59picnic/famf59picnic9.html
http://www.swimbikerunstlouis.com/homemade_energy_bars.htm
http://www.allhomemadecookies.com/recipes/browniesbars/energybars.htm
http://gorp.com/gorp/food/expert/exp031401.htm
http://www.cptips.com/hmdesnk.htm#sport
http://www.bicyclesource.com/body/nutrition/energy-bars/printer-bar-list.shtml
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_personal_care_exercise/article/0,1801,HGTV_3145_1383326,00.html
http://tandemstuff.homestead.com/Recipes2.html
http://www.onecook.com/recipe.htm?&recid=82
http://members.tripod.com/bmdistrun/pwrbars.htm
http://www.westcoastfamilies.com/html/02__easy-to-make__delicious_ba.html
http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=62493
http://www.trentbaker.com/RECIPES.htm
http://64.246.57.173/t50378.html
http://64.246.57.173/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30233&highlight=protein+bars
http://64.246.57.173/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24753&highlight=protein+bar

Sports Drinks
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/N3411.pdf
http://www.davidhays.net/running/sportsdrink.html
http://www.diet-coaching.com/hmsport.html

Because I also recommended making your own jerky. If anyone would like links to some recipes ask and I'll post them.

Raspy, you might want to double check your list. Several of those pages aren't up any more.

Grape Nuts - the byproduct of turning bull grapes into steer grapes...

Benjammin,

Great, now I need to wipe Diet Pepsi off my screen!
LOL!

-Blast

I've got to find some that do not require nuts/peanut butter since I am severely allergic. PB makes a great binder/fat/protein source but it is also a First Class ticket to the grave for some of us. Ditto on the nuts as a protein source. (careful Blast)

The great ancient survaval pemmican from Wintu Indian tribes (native California):
http://books.google.com/books?id=qSRLW5ziVFAC&pg=PA437&lpg=PA437&dq=%22dried+roe%22+pemmican&source=web&ots=Gr9q4hTTns&sig=hkb4KqfY7JMT7imdn7G2yXb-asY#PPA426,M1

-salmon flour
-air dried roe
-pine nuts
-add oil or melted butter

One kilogram (2 pounds) is enough for a month of _active_ survival!

Ok, I tried making them tonight. Jell-O comes in 3oz boxes & 6oz boxes. Recipe didn't say which but the 3oz seems about right. Used Kellogs corn flakes because they were 3 big boxes for 5 bucks. You gotta work fast when mixing because the Jell-O gels after a while. Use flour when forming. The instructions called for 4 hours bake time. The bars burnt after 2 hrs. They have a sickly sweet flavor. Gooey texture. Thumbs down on this recipe for poor nutrition and instructions.