CostCO Emergency Food Supply

I just ran across this and I'd never seen any mention of it before.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.asp...&lang=en-US

I'm not totally sure it's worth $75 a bucket but it does have a long shelf life.

It isn't really.

The calorie count is sub par, the servings are tiny, and it's basically a salt lick. Philip posted about it about a while back, here.

It might have some use for sauce and soup bases, but very underwhelming soup and sauce.

Welcome Newguy!

I believe that the general consensus is they are not worth the money. At least not for the amount of meals they claim to contain. Better than nothing for sure...

Is there a good alternative for something pre-made that you can get for an office (for the whole office, not just yourself)?

Thanks,

-john

Slimfast products are quite good as emergency food, they are absolutely packed with calories, with lots of vitamins and minerals.

http://www.slim-fast.com/products/products.aspx

The ladies in the office will love you if you get them a few cans of High Protein Creamy Chocolate Milk Shakes.

McVities Milk Chocolate Digestives are best kept for yourself though.

http://www.englishteastore.com/cok008.html

If the office has a microwave then some spotted dick makes a tasty treat.

http://www.englishteastore.com/cak004.html

"...spotted dick..."

Not at all what I suspected...

Am_Fear's ethnocentric posting points out the single most overlooked point of emergency food- palatability.

If I was a cowboy, and I have been, being handed something called 'Western Stew' from an 'all vegetarian' survival bucket would recreate a scene from an old Clint Eastwood movie and a convenient cottonwood.

A survival situation is #1 an exercise in increased physical and emotional stress.Any foods should be FAMILIAR. If you're going with MRE's,MAINSTAY bar or 20 boxes of Oreo cookies with powdered milk EAT ONE.If you find it unpalatable, it's going to be a LONG 72 hours.

A 72 hour food supply can be easilly assembled with familiar bulk and single serve items. The simple strategy of periodic USE and ROTATION will insure freshness as good, if not better than some 20 year plastic bucket.
The main criteria is reduced water which is prohibitively heavy in some canned goods. The flip side is we need water and must match those canned goods for cooking.

This COSCO product represents a marketing response to a new retail opportunity. It appeals to NEW survival consumers who are newly aware of potential disasters. The flaw is they, and COSCO think a convenient bucket wil be both effective and instant gratification like so many other consumer baubles.

Conversation gleaned from recent observation AT A COSCO, customer standing outside COSCO talking on cellphone " Hey babe, yes, I just left COSCO. I've got the champagne and sundried tomatos you needed, but they were all out of smoked almonds. Yes, I know I guess I'll swing by the deli and try them after I fill the Corvette up - oh, is our SMELL Oil C/C maxed out? Oh, and I got this 72 hour survival bucket thing. So we don't have to worry about earthquakes anymore. Love you, kiss,kiss." Turns up radio playing I LOVE L.A. and pulls out, giving a rude guesture to lady he almost backed into.

Are you sure he wasn't driving a Mercedes or a BMW? They seem to be the kings of those gestures...

Around here Lexus drivers seem to be the most adept at colorfull hand gestures.

Went to Sam's yesterday, to buy survival food supply for two:

1 65 serving box of dehydrated mashed taters (dw doesn't like rice)
1 box /48 servings instant oatmeal
6 cans of chili
8 cans of soup
1 box/ 30 granola bars
10 cans of tuna

Total cost- $48; looks like about 191 servings. Nutritional value-not great, not awful. All items are favorites of the household, and can be rotated, except the taters-prefer fresh when available. cannot help it-Irish heritage. Still looking for dehydrated cabbage, faith and begorrah.

need to add some non-fat dry milk, dehydrated soups, peanut butter, crackers.

Found a source of dried cheese and whole eggs in WI, will report findings,

What's the difference between a Porsche and a porcupine? The porcupine has the pricks on the outside!

Substitute any car make you like, but Porsche just sounds good on this joke...

I've only heard that line refering to Porshe drivers. And i have heard it most often by Porshe mechanics.

:)Walk around the Costco and see what you could buy for that same $75.00, Like nursemike said "nutritional value not great" but, I'd rather have that then the "bucket"(my apologies to Hyacinth, Keeping Up Apperances)our UK frends know of which I speak

Mike