The food that you want to store for your 72 Hour Bag (3 days) should be compact, easy to prepare (no heating), and high energy. Nutritious is also good and is easier to achieve by planning ahead. Figure on 2000-2500 calories a day or thereabouts per person, for a total of about 6000-7500 calories each…
Some good food items for your 72 hour BOB (“Bug Out Bag”):
- granola/trail/Clif bars
- packaged trail mix (fruits, nuts, seeds, etc)
- dried meats (jerky, slim jim, etc)
- canned meats (tuna, chicken, corned beef, etc) *don’t forget you need a can opener
- dried fruits
- packaged nuts (almonds, peanuts, etc)
- peanut butter crackers
- cheese and crackers
- MREs (government issue “meals ready to eat”)
- freeze-dried hikers meals (many are outstanding and require only water)
- candy bars/hard candy
- protein/energy powder mixes
- powdered Gatorade
- instant powdered milk
- sugar cereals
- pop tarts
- Grape nuts cereal
- instant mashed potatoes
- instant cereals (oatmeal, cream of rice, grits)- make sure they are instant
Each family will have their own preferences and you don’t need all of these items. You should rotate these items occasionally (the freeze-dried food and MREs will generally last 5 years or even longer) by eating them and replacing with fresh items.
Both the food and water that was discussed previously don’t have to be stored in your car at all times if space is at a premium or if you don’t want to have these survival items staring you in the face all the time. Just have them near your car where you can throw them in at a moments notice and bug out.
If you have two of these food kits, then you already have enough food to survive a week in your house without the need to cook.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Excellent you are giving the perfect mix of information. The amount of calories you need per day to the options of food you need to survive a crisis
Jose Escalante
http://www.joseescalante.com
2500 calories is huge. If you are a 200 pound male, maybe, but bugging out may be a good time to cut back and slim down! It doesn’t hurt to prepare with the 2500 calories, but perhaps you can talk about slowing metabolism so folks can last longer on less. Most Americans (and now anyone exposed to Western diets) have eaten so well for so long that they’ve forgotten that they can survive on much, much less.
Some would say you can even THRIVE on much, much less.
Katie
Great to ahve the 72 hours Survival Kit in palce.
But then, if s*it really hits the fan, would a 3-day survial kit last long enough?
I doubt it.
John Ho
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personality for Better Influence & Persuasion
Survival Tabs are good choice and Life Boat rations(non-thirst provoking)
Tastes like, candy!
More stress equals more calories. “Note food replaces sleep”-Eskimo quote
Food is also a comfort item.
Can be too many calories if you are just sitting on your butt. If you want to live stay busy.
I love your info even though I think I am in this heightened awareness state…
At a later date could you touch upon the things that could happen to need this supply? From something more likely to happen to something not so likely to happen. I would love to relate it to a situation.
Thanks!
Jen B
It was great to meet you! Did you hear that Bruce was accused of having an affair? What do you think?
The Harwood Center – Tinnitus, Chronic Illness, Fears, and Anxiety
Great info.
It’s just the sort of food I take when I go mountaineering.
http://www.martin-wright.com
MRE’s are handy, but really REALLY expensive where I live. I’d love a guide in making homemade ones. Please!!
Keri Eagan
Anything Alternative
Hmmm….this looks eerily similar to my cupboard in college. If that’s the case, you can definitely go for weeks without cooking.
MissMentor
Rob,
What a great list. I could live on that for some time.
I’m hungry!
Lynn Lane —>
The Warrior Of Success
Your list even works for my hunting excursions
Robert Martin
http://www.carbuyinghq.com
Hi Rob,
Yeah, 2500 calories a day is a bit much for moi.
ROFL
um
I can just sort of envision this like “Cathy” cartoon version of what this would be like.
In the CA earthquakes, those CAN be necessary.
Jennifer asks and I’m like, dude, Earthquakes. Power outtages. Water problems. Sufficient damage to your house that you have to LEAVE. Ah, Katrina. Hurricanes. (I used to live in the NE). Um, what else jumps to mind? Oh yeah, floods. Hit by lightening. Just go to your local Red Cross website to get some good ideas.
OK, back to the cartoon.
1st few hours ok.
then stress/overwhelm kicks in and she (me) rips open the Poptarts and eats ALL of them 1st day!
I have enough protein powder for like 3 wks.
And a shaking/mixing cup for them, too!
Excellent post, Rob. Very cool.
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April Braswell
Single Boomer Dating Expert
And FIRES. I forgot to mention FIRES. Oakland Hills in 1992. Or was is 1993?
Great list. Thanks for the advice.
Steve Chambers
Sales Training Speaker
Good check list. Thanks!
Martin O’Connor
http://smallbusinessdesigncenter.com
More good info. Thanks Rob.
Bert (alter ego- Mister P)
MisterP.org/blog
These are excellent suggestions for food. I would have been thinking of like military rations. You gave “real food” suggestions for the most part. I’m thinking about my 72 hour bag now.
Lisa McLellan
Child Care Expert,
Babysitting Services, Babysitting Tips, Babysitters, Nannies
The MRE packets remind me of my brother, who is in the Navy. They eat those, and I think they eat bugs and such as well, when they go on their camping excursions out in the woods in the middle of nowhere.
Anyway, great post with useful information.
Health, Fitness for Working People — Darryl Pace
I’m afraid there’s one very important item that has not been discussed yet . . . where’s teh WINE?!
I may have to go survival mode, but dang, man, I want my wine and cheese – even if I have to get it freeze dried.
Mastery and Team Building, Kate McKeon
I was waiting for this list. We go camping in the summer for week-ends. Some of these things would be great for that too. When I pack something, I think about what I will need with it (tuna-canopener) I’ve spent many a week-end without stuff so it is kind of a habit with me now no matter where I’m going.
Vicki http://www.bridal-threads.com