Have you tried the Snicker's Marathon bars? The crunchy version tastes way better than the other energy bars I've tried. They're a Snicker's bar with the nougat replaced with a multi-grain bar.

The chewy version tastes like the rest of the energy bars. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

They'll keep you moving in the short term, but as a meal replacement for 3 days? I dunno...

I think mre's are too expensive. I carry some small cans of tuna , some power bars, and some single serving packets of meal replacement/energy drink mix. i found them in the health food section of my local supermarket. the packets can be mixed in water . I get the vanila flavored kind. They have soy protien and lots of vitimins , and a good shelf life.

3 days is not to long for food.
-A few power bars.
-Beef Jerky
-couple things of tuna
-tea packets to flavor water
-spam possibly

Should easily last 3 days but could be stretched for a week or more depending if you can force yourself to ration in your situation

These 3 day meals for $75+ seem so expensive since in the first 3 days you should really be able to survive on a powerbar or two and mainly have a good amount of water. right?

I usually don't reply to posts from teh past, but since I'm looking at repacking the BOB in a few weeks....

I suggest two or three MREs for everyone, becuase you don't have to do anything with them other than open and eat. If it is cold, ytuo just have to heat water, and you have what is almost a real meal. Your body will thank you, partially from a moral point of view, partially becuase something warm inside is more efficent that something warm outside.

Also pack Mainstays (when I'm bugging and running, I want to be able to eat on the go if needed), and real food. For me right now, that is rice, home made beef jerky (dry, hard, and almost able to hold an edge), dried carrots and peas, some soy nuts, dried fruit, and a tiny squirt bottle of canola oil. Add butter buds, salt, pepper, MILD chilli powder, ketchup and bbq sause packets, along with morale items like hard candies, bullion cubes (beef, chicken and veggie flavors), honey packets, lemon crystal packets, tea bags (earl grey, green, and the red stuff from south africa), coffee bags (for trading), and electrolyte tablets to disolve in water with pre-sweetened koolaid-type stuff.

Yes, my BOB has a variety of food in it. But that whole load is fairly small. The spices are in tiny shakers that hold about a table spoon each (found them at a yard sale); the oil is in a 4 ounce flask.

And I just found these guys:
http://www.theepicenter.com/mre_military_meal_ready_to_eat.html
$1.75 for entrees, and they have the cheese spread packs. *licks lips* I might be running for my life, but why eat like it. :P And if any one knows of a civilian manufacture who is currently making the ham omlette, let me know. I liked it.

Can't help you with finding the omlette, but I would like to add my two cents to this thread:

Since bugging out is a daily reality check here, I've tried to think of what is most important aspect of the things I want to pack. Ultimately, everything in my BOB is about efficiency, meaning size vs. consumption. In the case of water, I must take as much as is practical for me to get me through 72 hours, realizing that at the end of that time I will be somewhat dehydrated because there's no way for me to take enough water to last on my own for three days. That being the case, the food I take must create the least interference with my water uptake, which means I must concentrate the calories without adding bulk, fiber must be kept to a minimum, but a balance of carbs and fats needs to be maintained or you will end up with the same effect.

To that end, I have found a product called Sesame snaps. These are small crackers made from sesame seeds mixed in a sweet yet crisp base. The packets are fairly small, smaller than a candy bar, yet pack over 300 calories each. They are satisfying and keep well. Since I have plenty of fat reserves, enough to last me a couple weeks of malnourishment, these really are more a comfort food to keep the hunger beast within quiet. It is not luxury, but it is the most practical.

Something even more significant, I keep a small bottle of Centrum Multivitamins in my BOB as well. They don't do much for the hunger, but they make a big difference in energy levels come the end of day two.

Home made Pemmican is about the only other alternative I can think of that would meet my requirements. But you won't get that here in the IZ.

Forget cooking anything. It is another luxury that I don't have to have for three days. If you want a little variety, a few jolly ranchers and a small pkg of beef jerky really make a big difference to the pallette. Listerine strips help a lot too.

WWII studies on lift raft rations and starvation:
You need 300 or calories per day to burn fat and not protein (muscle). This amount of food will allow you to "starve gracefully" and burn your fat reserves (the BOB most Americans carry 24/7, LOL) instead of breaking down muscle.

Ben, in your enviroment, I'd pack what you do. One thing I have to keep in mind is that other people don't always have the cold weather issues I do.

At least once a winter here, it goes well below zero and sits there for a week. In the summer, it rains almost as much as it does in Seattle, and it can drop from 80 to 40 in the course of a night if it rains at sunset. Add in some wind. In either case, you really should get something warm in you to regulate. I'm more worried about hypothermia than I am dehydration, becuase you have to go at most a mile before you run into water than is purifiable. Also, my plan-B is to bug on foot 80 miles to the family land.

Different locations, different issues. And I'm going to look for those sesame snaps, those sound interesting.

Here's a link to a web page that tells you about the Sezme brand Sesame Snaps.

http://www.national-foodservice.com/products/product.asp?warehouse=00&partnumber=1570035

As for weather, my wardrobe back home is built around the same basic premise as you have. Elk hunting in the high country is tough business. You might take a look at Rivers West brand fleece clothing for real wintertime comfort.

Cool, thanks.

For winter, the usual jeans and BDU-knockoffs, but with wool under them, and a pretty standard light parka. If it is getting really cold, wool pants, medium weight, and add silk long johns under the woold ones. For the top half of me, wooll shirt under wool icelandic fishing sweaters, and the same parka.

And yes, I've been razzed about my "sissy silks". I just smile and wave to those people at 30 below. :P