http://www.maydayindustries.com/mayday_food.html

As Stated a quick review of the MayDay 400Calorie Apple Cinn Ration bar. No affiliation to the company.


Recently I Purchased a 22 rifle and upon my first shooting with 2 friends my curiosity got the best of me and I aptly Brought along my ration bar to try out and see what they thought of it. Purposely Missing breakfast around lunch I was noticeably hungry just the way I wanted to be. Ripping it open I (with a deal of effort) dug a knife into it and cracked off a few small pieces handing them out.

On First impressions before eating it was rock hard dry and very crumbly with little scent, Not very impressive. Upon eating I noticed its Dryness was barely noticeable after a few chews with a great resemblance to shortbread cookies to which my other friend stated on his own aswell before I spoke. The flavor while not strong was pleasant and welcoming over what was originally expected. The claims of non thirst inducing seemed to stand well with me as after the first few chews it was more a paste then a expected Dry difficult mass of powder. I personally didnt feel the need to drink water even after a few more pieces but one friend did state he thought it was dry and infact did need water tho that didnt deter him from having seconds.

One friend declined more but did state it was decent and very edible unlike expected. Me and my other friend ate the rest of the bar at as equal of parts as I could break off which was very difficult. After eating roughly half the bar I was still a tad hungry tho not surprisingly as the mass of the bar is still low.

Overall for the 1.50$ price tag I consider it a great buy. While not considered food or filling at half a bar it will supplement what you gather with nutritional value. I cant Consider this Food on its own and Never did before I purchased or Tried the product. Now at 400 cals with 200 per its 2 bars the 3600 packs are the same sized out bars and are of the same size and values. To Consider Rationing these for multiple days even three as a staple food alone is ridiculous to me as many survival sites love to state.

When it comes down to it These bars are great supplements to gathered food but lacking on their own. For the same size I figure I can fit more days of proper Vitamin/mineral intake with Pills just minus the calories which are weak at best. After even more thinking I figured in a situation lacking in food I would ration the bar down to marble sized amounts per possible day if length of time looks bleak. With This in mind Intake of Vitamin/minerals would be reduced greatly including calories to a near useless amount. I figure with a Single Square a squirrel and few gathered greens you would happily survive 6 days with the 2400. Any longer and the amount of bars needed to be carried would exceed the practical.

For the size and values these bars offer I would highly suggest them for Vehicles such as Cars, Planes And Boats only. In Bug out bags and PSP's I would suggest putting the size towards more sustainable means to obtain meals and Multivitamins. For the Size of the 400 Calorie bar I can easily fit a heatsheet in my PSK which in my opinion is a easy choice towards a more reliable shelter/warmth capability.

If you been wondering about these the 1.50$ pricetag on the 400 cal bars is unbeatable for a taste test. I suggest getting it along with a few other items from a site you frequent to make up for the S&H. Im sure you will be surprised and pleased with them as I was. As a quick note many other companys use a lemon flavor which I have no experience with to make statements towards positive or negative.

I've had them,they taste like Crapola,however having eaten them,I would think it would be a Great motivator to practice the skills needed to aquire a More palatable solution for nutrition as well as getting rescued.One thing for sure,when you are down to eating those only,Your situation is in Critical Mode,at that point!

I think the issue is people expect them to be a willy wonka's meal in a stick of gum kinda thing instead of the realistic Dense Dry cookie it is. I personally had extremely low expectations after seeing so many people shoot them down in videos on youtube. After eating one I was surprised greatly how people could instantly write them off as bad. I honestly think the fact is people expect to much from everything these days. If you Expect a Pot roast from a sugar cookie you will be disappointed. If you expect a sugar cookie from a sugar cookie you wont be to far off or in great displeasure. No They are not the best things in the world but I can think of plenty things in grocery stores grosser to me that people love.

The Mayday Apple Cinn ration bars are actually quite expensive. If you need lots and lots of empty calories then its quite hard to beat ASDA Smart Value Custard Creams (400 grams). These will give you around 2000 Kcal for around $0.45.

I dont see how these can stand up to a ration bar when looking at more then empty calories and price. Can they store for 5 years? In High heat, Freezing cold, and wet conditions? Do they have any vitamin/mineral intake? Are they "non thirst inducing"?

Im not holding these up very high but Im not gonna dismiss them just cause its the sheep thing to do (pun).

I agree- ration bars are somewhat fortified with vitamins and minerals. They're also way less thirst provoking than a dry cookie. Plus the packaging is much more robust.

While I haven't tried the Mayday ones I can say I could absolutely wreck a block of Datrex bars! I abso-freakin'lutely love 'em, could eat them every day if they weren't so carby.

I'm pretty sure the reference to ASDA goodness was made tongue in custard filled cheek.

I'm interested in hearing what others say about the Datrex bars as I just bought some too. Do they actually taste good?

One of these days I'll sit down and do a taste test of the Mayday, Datrex and our locally made F.A.S.T. rations.

Rations are not the be all and end all but for trying to get the basic kit down to minimun size they work just fine.

If you buy the standard size Datrex bars they are really 2 days worth of calories unless you are sitting in a life raft.

Jenks

I am not sure I see the need for these specialized food items. I sprinkle Clif bars throughout my packs, along with Tonka bars and beef jerky. One feature of these brands is very robust packaging - others have this as well. When you go this route, you can choose flavors that actually appeal. Where weight and bulk is not a consideration, I go for canned goods that get recycled periodically.

Recently, I found a beef jerky package that had an expiration date in 2005. It tasted just fine - no digestive problems, although I wouldn't recommend keeping anything that far beyond its date as a general rule.

You guys are making me hungry! A shopping I will go. A shopping I will go. Hi ho the dairy-o. A shopping I will go!

Is there any other brand I should try?

I think the Luna Bars are intended for Women,as per the Mineral/Vitamin content,Regardless I had a Mint chip one that was Very tasty!

Hey! Are you calling us a loonies? LOL!

lol!Negative,I found it on sale & Bought it/liked it,though reading the wrapper,it was Indicative to the needs for Women,by the way,I'm not frisket,:)

Meh, I've had a few different Cliff bars and they're all to sweet for me. But the packaging is pretty robust. I'm not sure if it's as robust as lifeboat rations, though- maybe. The Cliffs definitely make me more thirsty than the Datrex bars, though.

Any of the ration bars will be a pretty minimal, survival-level ration...that's the whole point. They'll be better than nothing but obviously no 3,600 calorie diet will keep you feeling sated for three days. Certainly if you can supplement it with foraged food you'll be better off.

Jerky is a good survival food, maybe the original survival food. I'm a big advocate of nuts in that role, too. Take sunflower seeds for example. A 3.5 oz bag of sunflower kernels has 595 calories, and 525 calories is from fat! I think that's outstanding. Carbs might be easier to access but the energy from fat will last longer. Plus it satisfies your hunger better IMOHO. Nuts pack a lot of nutrients and calories for a small amount of bulk, plus they generally keep pretty well. You will need a bit more water to process them though.

I like to keep three days' of food in our BOBs. For this purpose the lifeboat rations work well.

For a while I kept ER Bars, and I think they're very good for the purpose. After a taste test, I moved to Mainstay bars. Neither are exactly fabulous, but I can't beat these kind of rations for bulk, weight, and long-term storage.

I also have civilian MREs and FSRs for various contingencies, but they're too bulky for BOB use.

I love Protein and Cliff bars of the such and I do infact often load a few up in my bags and kits But they often dont offer the same values as the ration bar for the same size. I LOVE Jerky specially the steak style which reminds me now I gotta throw a few in my kit. As for brands I was looking at Mainstay as they seem to be abit better.

Has anyone tried cooking one as a hot cereal, how did it work out?

I actually have one more laying around somewheres hidden under all ma camping junk. If I find it I just may try that! Im guessing Just crumbling it up and adding hot water since in the field that may be the only additive available. I may make half a bar by itself and the other half try it with added plain oatmeal for more substance.

Sorry Richlacal! Credit where credit is due!

Fred, that's a great idea. If I've heard it before I'd forgotten. I'll have to try cooking one. Hot cereal is one of my favourite ways to start the day and it would be especially good in a stressful situation.

I like the Millennium Bars available for several vendors:

Emergency Essentials

Amazon

SOS

Your Safety Place

I find them tasty (several different flavors), cost effective and packaged in air/water tight packaging.

Pete

The Mainstay type rations certainly have their place, but I prefer something a little more varied. The storage longevity is mainly due to the mylar vacuum sealed packaging, but this can be replicated at home with a vacuum sealer.

Typically I would vacuum seal the contents shown below (but these items have been pulled from my day pack food baggy)



Although some water is required for the above contents (around 160ml for the Cous Cous and another 300-600ml for a couple of cups of tea) in terms of water usage would compare favorably with a US MRE in terms of water use. I doubt there is such a thing as non thirst provoking food unless it was possibly canned fruit etc.

In terms of weight v Calorie performance the above meal provides around 1600 Kcal for a 420 gram weight. Typical cost for this meal using the supermarket goodies is around $4-4.50, so would be around 100gms heavier than the 4 Mayday 400 Kcal bars.

Edit - Actually the simmer soup requires 600 ml of water according to the instructions so if water was limited then the 212 Kcal contribution would have to left until enough water was available. (but that is not really a problem here in Scotland)

I agree with you on The millenium bars-Vanilla,Lemon,Pina Colada,Orange,Cherry & the packaging makes them Tougher'n nails,They're multi-use too,You can play Hockey or Baseball/Cricket with them or use as a Baton for Kindling,then sit down and have a decent dose of Flavored Protein,without that funky aftertaste normally associated with the other type of Ration bars!I have these dispersed thruout my bags/kits!

I agree with you on the sweet and carb issue. I maintain my weight by exercise and controlling simple carbs in my diet. I gave up Clif Bars for that reason. I tried something new (to me) recently. An Atkins 'Sweet and Salty Almond Crunch' bar. It is 1.4 oz (40gr)has 7gr protein, 1 gr sugar, and 4gr net carbs. It has 200 calories of food energy, 140 cal from the healthy fats from nuts and sunflower seeds. It costs a buck, is lightweight, tastes good (especially with coffee or tea), and keeps for months in its mylar packaging. If you buy a package and don't like them, I would be happy to eat the rest for you.

I have a major sweet tooth so cliff bars have always been a favorite.

I also like zone perfect bars. They've got a good nutritional breakdown at 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% fat, but with 210 calories they don't pack as much punch as cliffs.

Wouldn't the point of the Datrex/Mainstay bars be that they will keep you alive but be unappetizing enough that you wouldn't be otherwise tempted to eat them from boredom or on a day hike, thus they'd be there in a real SHTF emergency?

When I use something in my kit, there's sometimes a delay before I restock. Sometime that delay is longer than others. Etc.

That is like saying "Lets produce a hammer that is so uncomfortable so that people will know this is only to be used when you really really need it" Its Insane to think such a strategy would be a companies main goal. Powerbars are not for every day snacking and yet they taste decent enough for such and there is no outrage towards them.

I gotta admit, I will seriously wreck a package of Datrex bars if I open them. For whatever reason I just love 'em! The only times I've ever eaten them was when I first bought them and then as the package gets to be within a year or two of the expiration date. Once I even tried some that were maybe slightly past that date and they were still tasty. They have a coconut cookie taste that I really love. I dunno why...

Sadly Im still trying to find my spare mayday bar to make into hot cereal.