6-month emergency food supplies

[ishi]

I'm looking around at different providers of emergency food supplies. Can you guys recommend good ones? MREs don't have enough life span, or a good enough value/calorie for what I need.

[Quiet]

When stored in ideal conditions, MREs have shelf life around 7 years.
In terms of taste/flavor/nutrional value, the MREs you can get today are way better than the ones they had over 13 years ago.

If you are looking for emergency/survival food for long term storage, check out the Mountain House products. Their long term nitrogen-packed stuff, is good for 25 years and is pretty good tasting.

www.mountainhouse.com/index.cfm

[Ektarr]

Been a long time since I ate them so I don't know what the new MRE's are like. I know that when I was on Active duty, back in the 60's, we were eating C-Rats left over from WWII, and they were fine. Seems like canned might be the way to go, but I'm sure technology has improved things over the years. How 'bout a review once you've made your decision, Ish?

[boris]

www.nitro-pak.com
www.beprepared.com
get some ideas and then go to sam's or walmart
don't forget dried beans,pasta and such. stand by for helpful links...

[kwo51]

Bags of dryed dog food lasts along better than mre's and you can feed fido.

[Ektarr]

Last time I tried eating dog food I ended up in the hospital.

Found myself in the middle of the road licking my a** and got hit by a car.

[Hoplites1234]

If you're planning on putting it in a bug out bag type situation MRE's and such are definatly the way to go but that'd be one heck of a big bag to last six months.;) Light and self contained also good for bartering. On the otherhand fiffty pound bags of rice, beans, wheat and such go a long way as long as you rotate your stock and know how to prepare it. I know of some Mormon websites that discuss this--will find addresses and post.

Ektarr--Killer joke!:D

[robiewan]

Also remember that along with food you should provide at least a minimum two week supply of water per person in the home. You can figure that an average minimum of 62 fluid ounces of water for ingestion be calculated per individual. More in hot months. This is probably a good minimum to go by. Remember after Katrina that water was in extremely short supply. After an emergency, and until the local supply may be decontaminated, you are at the mercy of the elements and the depraved, so be sure to save some water too. You can store it for roughly 6 months to a year depending on how you prepare it. The local health department may have info on how to safely do so.
What ever you do, do not store your water in gallon milk containers, they are too flimsy and can be pierced or sprout a leak to easily. You can use 32 oz. Gatorade bottles, these work very well. You could also use larger containers for non-potable water for bathing, washing and other non food applications.
Hope this helps.:)

[boris]

for our water supplies, we do several things. we buy cases of water when they are on sale. we use them regularly as the tap water here taste nasty. we do, however , use 2 and 3 liter soda bottles that we wash out and fill with tap water. we can drink it safely if it comes down to it. or use it to cook and clean with. kool-aid helps with the taste.......

[kwo51]

Sit EKTARR....still laughing