The James Kim ordeal has gotten me to rethink my vehicle kits. The biggest gap in my plan has been food supply. I'm now thinking in terms of emergency rations - bars, etc. So, I would like input from the Forum. My initial specs are 21 days supply for two persons, 2000 calories per day (min.), palatable, balanced and compact. I would appreciate input on favorites, my specs or other issues. I have never used such rations (I've been a freeze-dried packs and beans-and-bacon kind of guy (depending on weight parameters) up 'til now)

Thanks for input..

I like to carry a few MRE's, a can or bags of nuts (mixed), a few small boxes of raisins, Granola bars, a few packs of instant grits (or oatmeal), some Slim Jim's, Old fashioned pork skins, little Hershey's chocolate bars, a few bottles of water, quite a few 1 gal sized ziplock bags. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />
I know that if I keep a good knife with me, I can make do anywhere because my imagination is my only limiting factor!

Thanks for the feedback - sounds more like a picnic! <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

21 days of emergency rations for 2 people is going to take up some space even with their compact size. This may or may not be a problem for you depending on your vehicle.

The only reason I bring this up is that I've been thinking of doing the very same thing with the exception that I'm thinking in terms of supplies for one person instead of two for the immediate future, and I have a small car so this issue becomes critical when I calculate how much space I have to dedicate to other emercency items such as extra fuel, water, roadside emergency supplies, and more.

Anyway, Datrex Blue rations come in 3600 Kcal packages.

I've been thinking of PMing the Redflare guy to see what the size of Blue Rations are. I noticed that they carry them as well as the Datrex White Rations (2400Kcal) and Mayday 1200Kcal packs.

Don't get me wrong on space issues. I do have a back seat, and I can adjust the load depending on passengers, what gear I'm taking on a trip and so on. I'm not going to short change myself just so that I have a clear backseat to look nice. LOL

Overall, if it's a case of food to hold you over until rescue versus a TEOTWAWKI situation, I think Mr. Ritter's suggestion of a PLB as a means to be found as quickly as possible is a good idea. Such a thing would limit the amount of food you'd need I would think. I'm saving up for a PLB now, and going for the emergency rations as a stopgap measure.

Nicodemus,
I appreciate your analysis. I would be interested in the dimensions, if you can get them. I did see on the web site of the co. that the "white" ration is 500 gm. - I suppose net. That would be 1000 gm. per day times 21 days = 21,000 gm or 46.3 lbs. That is a lot, but doable. I own a full size Chev. sedan and PU w/FWD (I use a waterproof locker in rear for supplies). I think a food cashe of 46 lbs. would not take up too much of the available space.



I concur with your "get found" precepts, but plan for the worst. My current efforts spring from my analysis of the James Kim episode. Though I would not likely find myself in that situation (for a number of reasons), I have concluded that a robust food supply would do two principal things: (1) make waiting for rescue a whole lot more stress-free (my preferred scenario) or (2) enable me to be in a better nutritional state to effectuate escape (walk out). My current kit(s) are geared to long term self-sufficiency on food (snares, field expedients, firearms), but it now occurs to me that a food supply of compact and suffient duration has high redundancy - and comfort value! At my age, that last is a plus!

"...At my age..."

Those of us with "old" in our names do have to think about this walk out thing more than the young kids do. And of course the weight we could carry while doing that walking...

Ah, I found the post I was looking for. Duckear claims you need 300 calories per day to burn fat and not protein (muscle).

While it sure would be good to have more, it sounds like you could get by with less, but you at least want some.

-john

Datrex or MainStay. MUCH more compact that MREs. The MainStay bars aren't thirst-producing per se. I don't have personal experience with the Datrex. But of course, don't eat if you don't have adequate water.

I've had MainStay and Datrex.

Both taste great in my opinion, I ended up eating a whole datrex (3600cal) as snack around the house... it's light and flaky. tastes similiar to coconuts.
The mainstay was MUCH dryer (to me atleast, its spposeldy pretty moist, maybe due to the diff. texture/compound than datrex) (taste like lemon) and harder to eat without water.

With that said, I have a case of Mainstay at home but in the future plan to buy cases of Datrex instead. If you buy Datrex by the 3600cal packs it's cheaper than the other size that equals the same amount of energy.

I'd get a case of datrex 3600cal stick it in the trunk and call it good you could go a LONG TIME in a survival situation "waiting" eating them.

I wanted to add for vehicles I always carry the "4 pack" of powerbars. 2 chocolate and 2 peanut butter. I just grab them when I'm at WallyWorld or the like.
I recently had one after I'd worked all day and had no time for lunch and was getting very hungry, I new I was 1hr away with traffic so I figured it was time to jump into the stash <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
(Note about power bars: WHen it's cold they NEED to be warmed up to chew/eat)