I know people have their opinions on top ramen for food when money is low, but what do you think about Top Ramen for emergency situations or for the BOB? Who has top Ramen on their stock, Im curious what experiences people have, etc. It's hella cheap for the dollar spent, and has pretty good storage life.

what are your thoughts about top ramen?

Got some, along with Lipton meals and other goodies. They are OK I guess, kinda high in sodium, something my BP doesn't really need. My wife (who has discustingly low bloodpressure) has them for lunch from time to time...

We lived on this stuff in Boy Scouts... for probably several years, until our Scoutmasters discovered Backcountry Pantry foods. I have it around mainly for late-night munchies, or if I'm too tired to think of what to make for dinner. So I guess in that sense, it's OK. The bag is pretty lightweight though, so ripping might be a concern. Also, the nutritional value is pretty low. It's good "filler" if nothing else.

It's also GREAT after a night of drinking; the fluids and salts do a good job of keeping the hangover to a dull roar

But, i usually only put in half the spice packet. As OBG said, it's sodium content is astronomical.

To second what MDinana said, Ramen noodles make a good filler if you have other stuff to put with it. Wild edibles and a bit of squirrel can be stretched into a quite satisfying meal. It is a bit water intensive but on the other hand you'll be drinking boiled water.

They are cheap and useful enough to store for bugging in but not calorie-dense enough to take with us in an emergency. We have better choices for that.

Sidenote: our kids love them so there's some "comfort food" ability with them.

-Blast

They are good when you add veggies and meat...stirring in an egg is good too.....

I agree with Mdinana, Blast, and TheMalamuteKid.

Ramen is good with other ingredients added.

I don't have any Ramen for Bug Out, but I have cases of it stocked for a Bug In situation. A can of soup can feed you for a day if you add Ramen and skip the seasoning packet, and as mentioned previously if you add some protein to it in the form of squirrel or another trapped or hunted source it'll help you go farther. Granted, that type of meal is definitely not going to give you the recommended dailies, and ramen alone isn't the best meal, but it will ward off hunger and give you some energy.

I lived on Chinese noodles and sardines for long stretches of time. Toss in a multi-vitamin and you can go a long time on just that. It is a little light on roughage so while your shopping you might want to get a large bottle of generic Metamucil, psyllium fiber, to keep everything working smoothly.

Another limited diet I have used is black bean and rice. Much more balanced nutritionally and it included enough bulk to keep everything moving. But add a large bag of onions, a large bottle of Tabasco to add some variety and a bottle of multi-vitamins to help make up any deficiencies.

Any kind of Ramen noodles are awesome; they're even better if you add chopped veggies and meat. What I usually do is chop up some green onions, some celery, then toss in some leftover chicken from the night before (right after the packet and veggies are mixed). Then I let it sit for a few minutes. Serve on top of some lettuce (or a bagged salad mix if you prefer), sprinkle on some pepper or your favorite seasoning, and you can feed two people easy.

i would look around for another brand....the real
Ramen noodles were invented in Japan by a man who saw people
wait in line a long time at noodle shops and came up with this as a cheap and
nutritious meal..i would look for a brand made in Korea.
i had them over there and they were much better than Top.
i just looked in my favorites list--try asianfoodgrocer.com

Well, what we call "Ramen", either Top/Nissin or Maruchan, in this part of the world would probably be called "defective" in Japan. But it isn't a bad start to soup or a casserole for one, and it can be used a stretcher. The noodles alone can be used with a cheese, lentil or tomato based sauce, among other options; the flavor packets can find their way into everything.

I make no secret that I prefer the seasoning packets to any kind of bullion cube- easier to store, and a wider variety of flavors. My only concern is that many of them have at least some MSG, which makes me thirstier than just salt would, I can't comment on anyone else's tongue.

Side note, here is a really good recipe using Raman noodles...

Chinese cole slaw
Ingredients:
1 pound pre-packaged cole slaw mix
2 packs Ramen noodles (chicken flavor), broken up
one bunch green onions chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup cashews
Dressing mix:
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 package ramen season packets
Mix together in jar with tight fitting lid and shake.
Preparation:
Cook noodles according to package directions and rinse in cold water.
Add cole slaw mix and green onions.
Cover with dressing and toss.
Add sunflower seeds and cashews before serving.

Hi oceanside,

I prefer Couscous to Noodles.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vQYCwwI4wHo&feature=related

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=D43_YOdb_Sk&feature=related

Here's a blog with hundreds of ramen recipies:

http://www.mattfischer.com/ramen/

Like a shrine to ramen.

I had a korean roommate for a while, and the ramen noodles he got were incredible. I never learned the brand, but they were far superior to the cheap packets. I should mention, back when I ate ramen, I never had it as soup. I would always drain the water off and eat them dry. When my roommate cooked them up he always had some kind of meat, and usually some cheese to mix in. I swear I never ate so well on cheap food as when I lived with him. Plus I probably never would have tried something called a gizzard if not for him.

I live in Japan and the packaged noodles they have over here are so much better than the Ramen. I could never imagine going back to eating the TOP Ramen no comparison at all.

If you are going to go cheap with the noodles don't forget to throw in some off-brand "spam" to really salt and flavor it up. Then chase it with the Twinkies.

Whatever you do, dump the seasoning packet! Use the noodles and your own seasonings. All the sodium is in that little foil packet.
I'm not really sure these can be designated as a *food* item though...

The best thing about the Chinese noodles, besides being quick and cheap, is they are easy to doctor up. You can pretty much add whatever leftover vegetables and meat you have on hand.

Onions, carrots, a left-over boiled egg, garlic (of course), or palmetto hearts. When things get tight I have been known to walk into the nearest vacant lot with a machete and to harvest a couple of pounds of palm hearts. In salad, steamed or stewed they are good eating.

Poke weed, wild parsnips, dandelion greens for a salad on the side or dropped in and stewed.

In the end Ramen noodles can eaten on their own, used as a soup base or just the starting point for a rich stew where the noodles are almost undetectable. In this later role it reminds me of the old story: "Nail Soup". The 'magic' nail gets the ball rolling so people have a reason to cooperate in the making of a stew.

MSG - "Whatever you do, dump the seasoning packet!"

Less sodium and less MSG are probably good. But I have my doubts as to the 'deadly' effects of these in an of themselves. For one the Japanese, on average, consume several times the salt as we do and their blood pressure is much better than ours. Perhaps less salt isn't the whole answer.

Large amounts of MSG probably isn't all that great for us either in large quantities but sometimes I eat stuff with MSG just to [censored] off the MSG conspiracy, worry trolls. I have a friend who used to give me this look like I was stuffing a can of Raid down my throat every time I ate Chinese take-out. It was drop-dead funny to watch. I kept commenting on how good it was and offering some to them. You would have thought it was radioactive waste.

MSG does add flavor and I simply think that the hyperbole about deadly MSG toxicity is bull. Other than for comedy effect I don't go out of my way to consume MSG but in moderation I see little harm.

Funny thing is that if your friend uses potassium chloride salt substitute to avoid sodium, it IS radioactive. But so is a banana.

Neat trick with Ramen I read somewhere is that you can simply soak them for a while instead of cooking them.

I keep some around because they're cheap and they store well. My favorite way to make them is with lemon, a little sugar, hot pepper paste and an egg stirred in at the end.

"I live in Japan and the packaged noodles they have over here are so much better than the Ramen."

Do they sell them at all here in the U.S.?

Do the Japanese mainly use sea salt as their salt source?

Sue

I've done this and then pan fried them. Take that cholesterol.

hamilton--i was in Korea in the late 60's..the noodles our
houseboy would bring us were wonderful..no nasty taste..very filling..even the ones marked "made in Korea" don't seem to be
the same or as good..i guess they keep the good stuff to themselfs.

BigDaddyTX - "How do you get the palm hearts from the palmettos?"

First realize that the palms often grow in huge clumps that build up a deep layer of party decomposed fronds. Getting into such clumps be aware that snakes and scorpions often live in the packed clumps of palmettos. Also the trunk often has thorn-like projections that can hurt.

A good machete, sturdy leather gloves and boots are valuable. The critters usually take off as their nest is disturbed but keep an eye out for them. I persuade any snakes that stay to leave by poking them with my walking stick. Haven't had to kill one yet.

Palmettos can grow to well over 20' but in most areas they are much shorter. I tend to harvest ones shorter than 3' tall because your going after the growing tip at the top of the trunk. The total height is usually about 6' or so with fronds. Cut off the fronds leaving the trunk. I sometimes leave a bit of frond at the top because it helps to grip the heart and keep my grubby hands off it. Slice down along the trunk. Deep enough to fully remove the brown and green rough exterior and exposing the pale interior meat. Once fully skinned you grab the top and chop it off at the base. You completely destroy the palm getting the heart.

The heart can be eaten raw, sliced thin and tossed in a salad, baked, roasted or boiled. Cooked the heart turns an odd color but it still tastes good.

In a survival situation harvesting palmetto can fill two needs. The heart as food and the fronds removed as part of a lean-to for shelter. The heavier leaf stems make decent stakes. The butts close to the palm-like leaf can be sliced and bent over a crude framework and lashed with a piece of the leaf. Across once and up one bar spaced every 10" or so. Well shingled the roof/wall will shed water and block a considerable amount of wind.

The fronds also contain fiber that makes decent rope.

I sometimes buy 'Soken' brand (made in Japan) vegetarian ramen. Don't care about the vegetarian part but I like that the noodles are not fried, and have a lot less fat/sodium than the other stuff. They are more expensive though. With those I usually throw in a little chicken broth and wild onion to kick it up a notch.

Yes I do stock ramen. Its great for sore throats and colds. Early this past December we lost power from our first winter storm. With no power there was no cooking on the electric stove. So I brought out the Sterno stove and made saimin with the ramen packs.

If you want fresh saimin look here.

http://shop.zippys.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=29809
http://shop.zippys.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=29804
http://shop.zippys.com/index.php?target=products&product_id=29803

And they ship to the U.S mainland.

I do go to Zippy's at least once or twice a week.

I have mixed feelings about Top Ramen. Firstly, they are cheap and quick, and they taste good. No doubt they are great for starving college kids, but, pound for pound, I think spaghetti noodles and a can of tomato sauce is cheaper, as probably are BPJ's.
But as far as a BOB goes, I think Top Ramen is inappropriate because it does not supply enough energy or nutrients to meet the high demands that bugging out will call for. Also, BOB food should be able to be eaten right out of the package. Bugging out is not camping, and energy requirements must be able to be met while on the move, with one hand. I think performance bars are an ideal BOB food. Have you looked into Hooahs!
I suggest saving the Top Ramen for when your friend comes over to your house because he is hungry.

I take ramen on every backpacking trip. It rocks!