Survival Kit Series Week #5: Food Part II

If you are just joining us, I recommend starting with week #1.  You can find it here:

 Survival Kit Series Week #1

Once you've completed that, just jump in on this week's focus.  I will cycle through each week again once we are done.  You can do the earlier weeks last instead of first!  You can also read the intro to this series here: Survival Kit Ideas: a week by week approach.

I hope all of you were able to add breakfast and lunch items to your kit  last week.  I added fruit leather, rice cakes, and I ordered granola and a chicken salad pouch, but I'm still waiting for them to arrive.
 

This week's focus:  

Add food for snacks & 3 dinners (per person) to your survival / 72 hr kit. 

Be sure to leave a comment by Wednesday, November 2nd at 9:00 am to be entered in this week's giveaway. Just tell us what you have in your kit or what you will be adding.

Goals:

Photo Credit: Sean MacEntee

Keep in mind that you may be in a variety of situations if forced to use your kit.  You may be on the move.  You may not have much water.  You may not have much fuel.  You may be very busy.  You may be overwhelmed / scared.  As such, you should have a few goals in mind when adding food to your kit.  However, there is no one answer for all families.  Everyone is different and some of the following things may be more important to you than others.  But as a general rule, you want your food to meet as many of the following requirements as possible:

• Lightweight 
• Can be eaten without a water / heat source
• Easy to prepare (if you choose to use water / heat to prepare it)
• Nutritious
• Appetizing / familiar (consider a few comfort foods)
• High in Calories
• Long shelf life (in case you forget to rotate every six months).  You can also vacuum seal much of what you include to make it last longer.

What to Avoid:

Credit: wrestlingentropy

A few things I've learned from experience not to include (add your own suggestions / thoughts in the comments):

• Pop-top cans (soups etc): They can pop open rather easily and create quite a mess in your bag.
• Jolly Ranchers: They melt and become difficult to eat. 
• Mint Gum: If kept with your other food, it makes everything taste like mint (but you could keep it elsewhere if this is a good comfort food for you)
• Nuts:  Because of the high fat content, they go rancid rather quickly.  If you are really good at rotating them every 6 months, they should be fine, but if you know you tend to rotate less often (like me), you may want to avoid them.
• Crackers / Granola Bars: These are great options unless they are in a position where they are easily crushed/ smashed.  Then, they become difficult to eat.
• Fruit / Applesauce cups: They just don't stay sealed very well.
• Canned Goods: This is just personal preference, but they are heavy and bulky.  They don't taste great cold.  If you do choose to include them, you will also need a can opener.  I think freeze dried options are better.  Ideally you would have water to hydrate them, but if not, they are safe to eat dry.  I will include both options in the list below as canned goods are far less expensive and this benefit may be more important to you than weight.

 Snack Suggestions:

• Dehydrated / Freeze Dried fruit  (I get the pouch sizes: VERY lightweight.  Freeze dried = same nutrition as fresh, but my kids think it tastes like candy)  Contact me directly if you want to order a pouch size (1 cup) fruit sampler.  It costs $7.75.  It cannot be purchased online)
• Raisins / Craisins
• Fruit Leather
• Candy (gummy candy works well)
• Gum
• Beef Jerky
• Squeeze Fruit Pouches
• Squeezable Applesauce
• Crackers
• Trail Mix (be careful of the nuts...I suggest vacuum packing this if you do choose it)
• Rice cakes
• Granola (Contact me directly if you want to order this in a pouch size.  It costs $9.93 and would feed four.  It cannot be purchased online)
• Granola Bars / Nutri-grain Bars  
• Cliff Bars / Energy Bars
• Sunflower seeds (you will need to rotate regularly.  I suggest vacuum sealing them)
• Raw nuts (I suggest vacuum sealing them)
• Emergency Food Bars

 Dinner Suggestions:

• Tuna Pouches (the pre packaged ones at the grocery store with crackers and everything)
• Canned Ravioli / Spaghettios etc.
• Canned beans / chili / stew
• Canned chicken / tuna + mayo / relish packets
• Dried soup mixes (will likely need to be cooked to be eaten...most include dehydrated foods which must be cooked).  These can be purchased in a larger size and then re-packed with a vacuum seal into smaller more manageable sizes..
• MREs (taste similar to Chef Boyardee. Usually come with their own heater and require no separate water / heat source.  Relatively long (5 yr) shelf life.  Are prone to exploding)
• Freeze Dried Chicken Salad (chicken, celery, onions...just add water) and mayo and / or relish packets.   (Contact me directly if you want to order this in a pouch size.  It costs $11.71 and would feed four.  It cannot be purchased online)
• Pantry can of a Thrive Entree
• Shelf stable sausage stick (like Hickory Farms.  MUST rotate.)
• Hormel Completes (or similar)

What we have done in our family:

Snacks: We have multiple pantry cans of freeze dried fruit.   As I mentioned last week,  I've chosen this b/c it is lighter, healthier, and has a longer shelf life than dehydrated fruit (I don't have to worry about rotating it).  We have gummy bears, fruit flavored gum, emergency (3600 calorie) bars, and some vacuum sealed sunflower seeds. 

Dinner: Right now, we just have MREs.  I like these b/c of the convenience of the MRE heater.  No need to take everything out to cook.  But, my kids are used to them, so I worry a bit about if they will eat them or not.  I'd like to get some shelf stable sausage and a Thrive entree.

This week's focus:  

Add food for snacks & 3 dinners (per person) to your survival / 72 hr kit.  

  

Be sure to leave a comment by Wednesday, November 2nd at 9:00 am to be entered in this week's giveaway. Just tell us what you have in your kit or what you will be adding.

And don't forget....
Add $1 per person to your survival kit this week.  Make sure you use $1 bills and / or quarters.

Monthly Challenge: Water.  

This is separate from your 72 hr kit and will help you be prepared to deal with the after effects of an emergency that you do not have to evacuate for.  
Find a way to store at least 14 gallons of water per person in your family.  This is a bare minimum for 2 week's survival and leaves no extra for cooking or washing.  If you already have some water stored, try to add at least another 14 gallons per person.  You can store it in 55 gallon water barrels, 5 gallon containers, plastic juice bottles (not the kind from the refrigerated section), soda bottles, or 16.9 oz water bottles.  A variety is best.  If you have a large water source such as a swimming pool, get a water filter so you could use it if contaminated.  Learn more about water storage

Other weeks in the Series:

Intro: Survival Kit Ideas: a week by week approach
Week #1: Rotation and Packaging
Week #2: Water Part I
Week #3: Water Part II
Week #4: Food Part I

This week's winner:

I'm so thrilled to announce the winner of week #3's drawing:  I had 6 entries (just one per person):   According to Random.org comment #4 was the winner.

Sabrina said:

Congrats Sabrina!

 Want to win?
I am giving away 1 prize per week for 26 weeks.  All you have to do to enter the drawing each week is LEAVE A COMMENT on this post before 11:59 pm on Tuesday.  Simple.  This is open to anyone and everyone: my family members, friends, those I've never met, other Shelf Reliance consultants: anyone! Below are the 4 prizes each winner can choose from:

1. A 55 gallon water barrel, 
2. A Katadyn Hiker Pro Microfilter, or 
3. A Featherlite zero degree sleeping bag
4. A $70 credit to purchase any emergency supplies you want from Shelf Reliance

That's right!  I will be giving away something EACH WEEK for 26 weeks!

Want to guarantee winning one of the above?  
If you want to earn a prize instead (or in addition) to winning one, fill out the form at the bottom of this post each week.  Once you reach 50 entries (an average of just over 2 per week), I will contact you about which free product you want.
You can share it:

• using the buttons at the very bottom of this post.  This is the quickest and most painless way:...just click on each button!  Each click counts as one entry!
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• on your blog / website (each post / mention counts as one entry).  

The following form will be available at the end of each weeks post.  Simply submit your info each week.  Once you reach 50 entries, I will contact you about which product you'd like.  Please be honest!


I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance; a company with a mission to empower others to become self reliant, prosperous and charitable.  You can learn more about Shelf Reliance, becoming a Shelf Reliance consultant ,buying their products, or earning free products, on my Shelf Reliance Consultant website.