Okay, no pemmican, so did you look at the bif bar recipes we posted a couple weeks back? Those are pretty bulletproof and darned good trail food.

As for pre-packaged, I packed Hooah bars in Iraq all the time in my EDC and BOB and never had a problem. They are pliable so even though they would disfigure from the handling, they were never gross. They seem to work well for a lot of people. I also packed a lot of those single serving peanut tubes that they sell two for a dollar at most stop and robs. Peanuts are good trail food, and tolerate a lot of abuse and have a pretty good shelf life. Corn nuts also seem to do well. I find that the extra salt is more desirable on the trail than sugar. They can pulverize a little easier than peanuts do, but generally are rugged enough for extended stowage.
Toasted soy nuts are also fairly rugged and high energy and reasonably palatable.

Try the pharmacy section at Walmart. They have six pack boxes of Snickers Marathon bars for <$6 here. The multi-grain crunch tastes more like something edible than any of the other bars I've tried.

I don't know about corn nuts if you want to keep your teeth -- but the Hooah bars are supposed to be available at WalMart too, but I haven't seen them locally at WM here in Oh

I know what you mean. I got teeth like a dog, so crunching unpopped popcorn kernels and gnawing the marrow out of bones is no big deal for me, but my brothers' teeth are rotten, and they have to be more careful than I.

I've seen Hooah bars here at the local WM, but my guess is like a lot of other things they don't stock them in every store. These aren't the same Hooah bars I had in Baghdad, but close. I keep a six pack in my BOB.

I buy the Honey Nut Cheerios bars from Wal-Mart - 42 cents each by the box of 6 ($2.49)

Thanks for all the suggestions so far.

What do you folks think of honey roasted peanuts? Peanuts, honey and salt...

-john

Those will work, and may last longer so long as they don't get wet.

Many outdoorsy types make their own snacks. If you are eating them fairly regularly this may be your best option. Look for backpack recipes, stuff from cavers tends to be pretty durable and the stuff from the ultra light crowd usually gives you a lot of bang for the weight.

In the same area as the Honey nut bars, look at all of the many types of cereal/granola bars for about $2.50 a box.

Stay away from those with chocolate chips/coatings for warm weather use since they can be a mess when they get hot.

Chewy granola bars or trail mix bars keep well for weeks. I have carried them in pockets or packs on many trips. They are not bad even when you sit on them. There are so many different types and they are not expensive. Available at any grocery store.

If you want a more dedicated emergency-type food, Mainstay rations seem to be popular. I haven't tried them but plan to get some soon. 5-year shelf life, high-calorie, formulated not to require much water to digest. It is sold through many survival outlets, typical links include
http://www.bestglide.com/Mainstay_3600_Info.html
and
http://www.survivalunlimited.com/mainstay.htm
and
http://www.epcamps.com/Mainstay_Food_Ration.html

Steve