OB Approved Section V: Emergency Rations

[Overland-Indiana]

This section of the Overland Bootcamp is dedicated to rations in the event you have a breakdown or other issue that leaves you stranded.

Water:

Obviously water is important. This should be #1 on your list of emergency rations since you cannot survive without it. Two gallons per person per day is a minimum. A lot of articles will advises 1 gallon per person, per day. Think about it, if you want to wash your hands, dishes, or even brush your teeth will 1 gallon be enough? I guess if you are OK with being a little dirty while you wait for help 1 gallon will suffice. I just prefer to keep 2 gallons per person. I keep a 5-gallon Jerry can in my vehicle (When on trips) that is intended and designed for water ONLY. Do not use gasoline type jerry cans for water. At all times I keep a case of water in both vehicles, and it is strongly recommended to keep that or more.

Here is a link that will give you more info on water needed for emergencies: http://www.ready.gov/water



Water Filters:

There are going to be places where water cannot be found to filter, but better to have it anyway. We use the Lifestraw and keep numerous of them both in our vehicles and also in our GHB’s. There are many options out there and a quick Google search will land many articles detailing the best of filters you can get. I also use a Katadyn pump type filter. Filters are also essential. Keep in mind that both water and filters have a shelf life and should be inspected periodically for quality.

Here is a great article about water filters, why they are needed, and brand comparisons. It is geared towards helping you decide what kind of filter would be most useful. http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Water-Filter-Reviews/Buying-Advice


Food rations:

This can be a difficult one. You have to decide what food fits your needs. Family size and eating preferences affect this. My kids refuse to eat MRE’s and for good reason, most of them taste horrible…the last thing you want to do is pack a bunch of junk no one wants to eat..personally I’d rather starve to death than eat a can of Spaghetti-O’s, but my kids love them so I pack them. Another thing to consider is weight. In the event you have to ditch your ride and hoof it, the less weight the better. Canned good are heavy which is not ideal, but if you can stay with your rig they are acceptable. Ounces=pounds, pounds=pain. Keep it as simple and light as possible. Make sure periodically to check the contents of your food pack and make sure none is expired or has become unusable due to moisture, package defects, or other issues. You don’t want to be in an emergency situation and go to your food to find it non-edible.
Another food-type item to consider is energy bars, there are numerous different ones out there, some are geared for shelf life and will last years, but they taste horrible....i suggest tasting a few different brand and keep some with your food rations on your trips. Try to avoid chocolate in hot climates, it will melt and be a huge mess. @hardtrailz made a valid point, jerky, dehydrated foods (such as Wise or Mountain House) are excellent light-weight choices.

Food Prep Considerations
When selecting your foods also take into consideration how you will prepare them. It is a good idea to have a mix of foods that are able to be eaten with no cooking. Ramen noodles for example, they are light and convenient, but require boiling water. Where jerky, MRE's or energy bars are ready to eat. Just a little tid-bit to think about while selecting your emergency food rations.





I strongly suggest reading some of the attached articles. They will give you plenty of more in-depth insight to food storage and selection.


http://readynutrition.com/resources/the-10-rules-for-your-emergency-food-pantry_26012012/


Info on the Lifestraw can be found here

Info on the Katadyn water filters can be found here

Info on Mountain House foods can be found here

And these can be found at your local grocery store....for those interested.

Just as something else to read I will list what i keep in my vehicle for emergencies listed below along with websites explaining uses and such.
The following links are info on the contents of my emergency pack and why they are important:
Fire Starter
Maps
Compass
Knife
Documents
Defensive tool

 

[Overland-Indiana]

Tagging @administrator for review/approval.

 

[hardtrailz]

Rations:

Canned foods are far too heavy in my experience. I would never include them in a GHB/BOB.

Simple GORP is always a good one for adult and family alike.

Ramen noodles are cheap and easy. Also lightweight and easy enough to have a bit of variety.

Rice, beans, dehydrated veggies, and dehydrated meats are the best survival foods. Not prepackaged overpriced stuff from a store, but simply some baggies put together. You are surviving, not trying to keep your tastebuds happy. There are tons of websites with recipes that are nutrious and cheap. Some rice and jerky can be tossed in some water and will keep you going.

Doing your own dehydrating is cheap and easy. You can do more than survival foods as well. Healthy fruit rollup or jerky without chemicals.

 

[Overland-Indiana]

You muddied this topic big time with all the bag contents, but I will stick with what you state as the theme for this post...

Rations:

Canned foods are far too heavy in my experience. I would never include them in a GHB/BOB.

Simple GORP is always a good one for adult and family alike.

Ramen noodles are cheap and easy. Also lightweight and easy enough to have a bit of variety.

Rice, beans, dehydrated veggies, and dehydrated meats are the best survival foods. Not prepackaged overpriced stuff from a store, but simply some baggies put together. You are surviving, not trying to keep your tastebuds happy. There are tons of websites with recipes that are nutrious and cheap. Some rice and jerky can be tossed in some water and will keep you going.

Doing your own dehydrating is cheap and easy. You can do more than survival foods as well. Healthy fruit rollup or jerky without chemicals.

I agree canned goods are too heavy, however, I am not stating carrying them on me is a good idea. If you notice, I have been editing this thread, it is not finished yet.

 

[hardtrailz]

Nope. Did not notice any editing.

 

[Overland-Indiana]

I have edited it numerous times, trying to re-arrange it and organize/condense it to the most important info. Also have been researching good articles to include. Check back occasionally.

 

[hardtrailz]

Calorie bars are good to have and cheap really. Enough to keep you going for awhile. Certainly not as tasty as an energy or granola bars(which are good to keep as well), but are definitely good for a true emergency.

 

[Overland-Indiana]

Calorie bars are good to have and cheap really. Enough to keep you going for awhile. Certainly not as tasty as an energy or granola bars(which are good to keep as well), but are definitely good for a true emergency.

I have a stack of those Datrax bars....have you ever eaten them? It is like a brick of wax haha, but it would keep you alive.

 

[hardtrailz]

Yup. It is titled "emergency rations" and they are definitely better than most things for that, but they do bring the suck when you are eating them.

 

[WUzombies]

Along this topic I made a video about home made "MREs" a while back:

 

[Michael]

Awesome thread! I'll review it soon! Whew, been plenty busy lately (not complaining)!

 

[Michael]

Approved with permission for me to edit!

 

[stoney126]

Along with rations. I bring multivitamins. Some of the energy bars include this but some rationsort or noodles provide very little. I'm not a expert by any means but it seemed like a good idea

 

[IronPercheron]

#lifestraw #MRE

Good to go

 

[IronPercheron]

Along this topic I made a video about home made "MREs" a while back:

Too cool! I am gonna get after some of this.

Approved with permission for me to edit!

 

[expeditionnorth]

I'm disabled & if I break down I'm literally stuck
I carry a survival back pack with food, shelter etc
great video
my fear is cans can become dented & useless
& if I stay with dehydrated foods is water always readily available
I'd add a spot device or alternative to it as well as a thought

 

[PetfishEric]

A couple of items to mention in putting together a long term storage survival food stash that you keep in your vehicle for that just in case time.
1. The items must be shelf stable. Things like Ramen, boxed noodles, cracker, and jerky have a limited life event though they may be "sealed". I have learned from years of experience with hunting camps that these things will not normally survive a year even in a sealed box. The temperature fluctuation impact the food and typically it will be stale and/or moldy with in a year. Even MREs will spoil in a couple of years if not stored in a cool dry place. If you can store in a cool dry place it will extend the life of these items but since we are talking about overlanding this isn't likely to be possible for a kit kept in your vehicle.
2. It's about surviving not taste. The average MRE has about 1250 calories, the average adult male needs 2500 calories a day under normal activity. So as you stock your kit be calorie conscious and remember you never hear of someone being found over nourished. Look for compact high calorie products like sardines packed in oil or tuna packed in oil, also other canned meats. Oats, rice, dried beans can be stored in vacuum sealed bags if you have a vacuum sealer. Some of the freeze dried meal available offer long storage and light weight as well. You just need to keep in mind freeze dried products and other dried items need water to reconstitute or you should avoid them entirely.

Now if you goal is to have a walk out bag with a couple of days of food to get you out of the woods you can put together many of the items that don't store as well like the Ramen and jerky but you need to keep in mind that they should be replaced every few months. Here in the east I prefer Ramen and freeze dried meals along with homemade stored in a jerky in a vacuum bag. I never leave it in the vehicle after the trip that way it will be used and cycled.

 

[TreXTerra]

My carry:

Water: Life-straw type filter (all times) as well as a larger pump filter for trips. I also carry a supply of long-shelf-life water packets at all times and spare jugs of water when on trips.

Food: In addition to a variety of fresh and packaged food on trips, I stopped carrying MREs. The climate where I live gets both very cold and very hot, which greatly decreases the shelf life of MREs. Instead, I carry a brick of lifeboat rations. They probably taste terrible, but they will keep you alive and last for ages in terrible conditions. I think people are overly focused on food, after talking to people who have actually been in a life-or-death bugout situation where they were living off their emergency gear for several days, I learned that water goes fast, food goes slow. People don't want to eat, stress and anxiety slow digestion and suppress appetite, but cause our bodies to go through a lot of water.

Fire: I keep waterproof matches, a lighter, and flint and steel in my vehicle at all times.

Navigation: GPS (with battery), Phone (with charger), 10,000 mAh battery, paper maps, and compass.

Knife: Kershaw folding knife, Swiss army knife, Leatherman multi tool, and a larger survival knife in my get-home bag.

Defense: Tomahawk, camp axe, survival knife, and a 9mm pistol with two spare magazines. If I am going on a trip, I also put in a rifle appropriate to the environment and spare ammunition.

Other Items:

• Tarp
• 5-50 cord
• Tent stakes
• Tire patch kit
• Army surplus wool blankets (x2)
• Mylar emergency blankets (place over wool blankets to keep out wind and water, use for signaling, to waterproof a makeshift shelter, etc)
• First aid kit with Israeli field dressings.
• Safety glasses
• Leather work gloves
• Insulated gloves, hat, ski goggles, scarf
• Sweatshirt
• Waterproof outer layer
• Spare socks (wool)
• Emergency flares
• Handheld Ham radio

 

[Gene Lambert]

Outstanding info

Lots of shopping to do!

 

[Cort]

The National Association for Search and Rescue have a good standard to follow. Check out the attachment for reference on a good 24 hour pack.