To help keep the supplies in my BOB in good shape I have taken to wrapping the individual packages in newspaper. I have found that it increases the odds they make it long-term intact and have noticed they also seem to deteriorate a little more slowly simply due to age.

Newspaper is pretty tough stuff in resisting puncture and friction wear in a pack. It is also a fairly good insulator. More even and moderated temperature swings may explain the slower aging process.

The newsprint is light and quite useful in a survival situation as padding, insulation, and tinder.

I also use the Mainstay bars. I just wrap each in a full sheet of newsprint. It puts three or more layer between it and anything that might puncture or wear a hole in the laminate wrapping. Wrapped this way I have never had one come up holed. Each gets the newsprint wrapping and then four go into a large freezer bag. Which rides in a stuff sack.

I have thought about using white butcher's paper, standard brown wrapping paper and/or pink rosin paper but newsprint is free and I always have some around. The white or brown papers would be good for writing field memoirs and I once made a set of functional insoles out of four layers of rosin paper. They were surprisingly comfortable and lasted a long time considering what they were.

I also like to carry a few cans of food. Mostly soup that can be eaten out of the can. Can provide a rich broth or, worked with a spoon, a mash for anyone unable to eat regular food. A quick source of energy. They also are a secondary source of a small amount of water in case everything else falls through. The cans also have many uses. Everything from cooking pot, mug, small hobo stove, makeshift spear or knife.

I always like the look I get when people see a couple of cans in my kit. Everyone assumes they are an extra burden. But the way I see it the food inside and cans themselves are pretty light. The real weight is in the water content. Water you would have to carry anyway. IMO the effective difference in weight is small and the potential benefit fairly large.

MREs, Clif bars between meals, Mainstay bars as a reserve and a couple of cans of soup to fill the gaps covers it for manpacked food and ready-to-go BOB.