Posts Tagged ‘72 hour kit’

Survival Food for Survival Kit

Today I’d like to talk a little bit about some ‘good’ survival food you can have in your survival kit. A couple of days ago I talked about the reasons why you should have a disaster plan for your family and Ken has also been talking about the different types of survival kits you should have ready. Let’s talk about something that goes inside the kit – your survival food.

Canned foods are convenient for your car kit or a kit that you want to use to survive for more than a day. They are heavier than other foods, but not a problem for in the car or several in a survival pack. Canned foods are already cooked so you can eat them without heating them. They will provide you with a nice amount of calories and protein if you choose wisely. Read the labels.

Another convenient item would be a brand of protein/energy bar. There are many brands out there at your local market. Ken and I prefer Power Bars, but there are so many others, such as Kashi and Kellogg’s and many more. A variety of these bars will give you calories and protein, but read your labels as some of them may not be as calorie-dense as you may expect.

An important thing to remember is the food packed in your kit should be calorie dense, easy to carry and easy to eat/heat (if necessary). Another ‘easy’ food that is great for your survival kit are MREs. They are relatively lightweight and can provide you with a tasty nutritious meal (except for the very high sodium content :=) Just remember to put some MRE heaters in your kit!

Peanut butter is another easy and calorie dense food. You can eat it right out of the jar or spread it on crackers if you have some packed. Be aware of the thirst that some foods may bring on though.

Nuts are another great food to have in your survival kit. Stored in an airtight container or vacuum sealed in a plastic bag are a few good ways to pack them. Nuts are very high in dietary fiber, and are one of the best plant sources of protein.

Another survival food consideration is if you have any dietary related health issues, this should be a factor you consider when packing your ‘food’. Things like diabetes and high blood pressure may cause you to pack different food types. Just bear that in mind. For example, if you need lots of potassium, you could pack some dehydrated banana chips. You get the idea.

Don’t forget to have some water packed, or water filter, depending on your kit.

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking so you can make sure you’ve packed your survival kit with the right survival food for you and your family.

If you enjoyed this or topics of emergency preparedness, or are planning for disaster,
Read our current articles on Modern Survival Blog

Emergency Kit For Vehicle

Keep an emergency kit for your car/truck/vehicle, a survival kit in a bag (backpack) which contains items that will give you a better chance of success if you become stranded for any reason and have to make it on your own for a time.

In this video, I am demonstrating a very basic emergency kit, one that I am currently putting together for my truck. We’ve recently moved and I’m re-doing our kits, so I thought I would share the basics to hopefully give you ideas for your own kit.

Part of the fun of assembling your own emergency kit is that it really makes you think about scenarios. You can be very minimalist and simply keep a few basics in the kit, which is fine if that’s what suits you – but I challenge you to think beyond that. Or, you can spend more time and really get into being creative about what you put in it.

A challenge is always one of size/weight versus practicality and risk probabilities. In our normal day-to-day lives, so long as nothing catastrophic happens, most of us will be OK with a very minimal kit containing some extra food and water. The challenge comes when you begin to hypothesize about other scenarios, like becoming stranded for a day or two. Not only will you need more food and water, but you will need other things… things to keep you warm, make a fire, purify water, signal for help, etc.

Here is a what I have so far in the beginning stages of this basic emergency kit:

(fire)
lighter
strike-anywhere matches in watertight container
magnesium fire starter tool
magnifying glass lens

(kindling)
several cotton balls soaked in vaseline
fire-starter stick

(basic first-aid kit)
4×4 sterile gauze pads
2×2 sterile gauze pads
band-aids
waterproof gauze tape
triple antibiotic cream
alcohol swabs
sterile gauze wrap

(food and water)
high calorie power bars in back-pack, ~3,000 calories
cooler/ice-chest in the truck contains ~6,000 calories other foods
plastic bottled water (plus a water filter if necessary)

compass
local topo map and state map, plus regional atlas
signal mirror
leatherman multi-tool
knife
LED flashlight
Katadyn portable water filter
plastic cup with snap-on lid
20′ of 550-paracord
emergency blanket -mylar
roll of TP in ziploc bag
hand towel
pepper spray
small notebook and pen in ziploc
USB thumb-drive with encrypted personal info
hat
gloves
blanket (in vehicle)

If you enjoyed this or topics of emergency preparedness, or are planning for disaster,
Read our current articles on Modern Survival Blog – surviving disaster and emergency

MREs

MRE. Meal Ready To Eat, a US military precooked ration pack used to feed soldiers who are currently engaged in ongoing missions. Just like regular meals, these military MREs are packed with vitamins and minerals enough to nourish and replenish the body.

To preserve the quality and freshness of these specially designed meals, MREs are placed inside airtight containers. They are compact and lightweight, which makes them easier to bring and can easily fit into the pockets of soldiers (and your survival kit).

Generally, these meals (not just one packet, but a prescribed meal) contain an average rate of 1,250 calories. Usually, these military meals are comprised of 51 percent carbohydrates, 36 percent fats, and 13 percent proteins.

Some of the types of meals packed in MREs include Chicken Breast, Pork Ribs, Beefsteak with Mushrooms , Chili with Macaroni, as well as many others.

The shelf life of a military MRE is specified to be 3 years at a temperature of 81 degrees F.

MREs can be purchased by civilians directly from the contractors who supply MREs to the United States Government. These MREs are very similar to genuine US Government MREs, differing only in minor details (i.e. design of case and bag or type of spoon).

Although MREs can be eaten cold, the main-course packets are designed to be heated using a flameless heater – an additional packet/pouch designed to accept an MRE. Simply add a bit of water, slip the pouch holding the MRE into the original MRE cardboard carton for several minutes and Voila… a heated meal.

From a survival preparedness standpoint, MREs have their place. Certainly not every place, but they are well suited for travel. I typically keep several in my 72-hour vehicle survival kit along with other types of foods. They are obviously very convenient for a pack trip, since this was their intent in the first place for military personnel in the field.

So, when you are considering portability and travel, when it comes to stored food choices, you may consider some MREs. There is a wide variety available today and many distributors are selling them. Here are a few choices, including several from our own sponsor sites.

MREs on Amazon.com

MREs at Camping Survival.com (use ‘modernsurvival’ discount code for 5% off)

MREs at Ready Made Resources.com (tell ‘em Modern Survival Blog sent you)

MREs at Emergency Essentials.com (again, tell -em Modern Survival Blog sent you)

Be Prepared. If you enjoyed this, or topics of current events risk awareness and survival preparedness, click here to check out our current homepage articles…

Survival Kits

“The idea behind having emergency kits is to have at a moments notice, the basics for survival.”
… a quote from Emergency Essentials.

A common survival kit is a 72-hour survival kit, kept in your car as well as your home in a location where it can easily be accessed.

A survival kit should contain the basics, plus some extra supplies, but remember to never pack more than you can carry.

Survival Kit: basics

Water
Potable water in suitable containers for immediate drink-ability, and a water filter for purifying water after you run out of bottled water. Humans cannot survive beyond 3 or 4 days without any source of water.

Food
High calorie food such as high calorie energy bars or mres (meals-ready-to-eat), vital to maintain sufficient energy to keep going.

Warmth and Shelter
Small tent or tarp, poncho, emergency blanket, and matches, or other related items with the current season in mind.

First Aid
Keep the basic first-aid items that you know how to use. The smallest injury could turn into a large problem if not treated promptly.

Survival Kit: extra supplies

Clothing
Extra socks and a change of clothes in case you get wet or need extra warmth.

Medication
Add a supply of your medications to your survival kit, which is commonly overlooked.

Tools
Knives, multi-tool, can-opener, use your practical imagination here.

Sanitation
Toilet paper, hygiene products, soap, and hand-towel.

Light
Flashlight, and extra batteries.

Communication equipment
Portable AM/FM/Shortwave/NOAA Weather radio, preferably a hand-crank powered model, and extra batteries. A signal mirror.

Here are a few survival kit ideas to get you thinking…

Deluxe 2-Person Survival Kit for Emergency Disaster Preparedness

Quakehold! Grab-’n-Go Emergency Kit, 2-Person, 3-Day Backpack

Ready Wise I™ Emergency Kit

Go Bag Survival Kit

2 Person Emergency Survival Kit

WISE Essential and Deluxe Survival Kits

Be Prepared. If you enjoyed this, or topics of current events risk awareness and survival preparedness, click here to check out our current homepage articles…

Emergency Supplies for Personal – Family Safety

These are the things you will need – food, water, and equipment – if you are forced to live at home under emergency conditions. Keep your supplies in a cool dry place, and check them periodically to make sure that the food is still good, and that the batteries still work. A garbage can with a tight lid makes a good container – it is watertight, can be moved easily, and is itself useful in a disaster.

Basic survival supplies to kit and assemble include the following:

Battery operated radio

Battery operated flashlight (LED lights last longer)

Extra batteries

First aid kit

Fire extinguisher

List with the name of each drug plus the name and number of the physician who prescribed it

Blanket or sleeping bag for each member of the family

Watch or battery operated clock

Bottled water

Manual can opener

Canned food your family likes (Include meats, poultry, fish, fruits, and vegetables for a balanced diet) Cans are better than jars because they don’t break.

Crackers and cereal. Wrap these in plastic bags and store them in airtight containers to add to their shelf life.

Foods that store well and do not require cooking (for example, honey, nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate stored in airtight containers or vacuum-sealed)

Baby food and/or formula and disposable diapers if appropriate

Pet food as needed

Store at least a three-day supply of food and water for your family. A two week supply is even better. A three month supply is even better than that

Figure that each adult needs at least a half gallon of water per day for drinking and another half gallon a day for sanitation

Tape for taping windows; supplies for boarding up windows and doors

Paper plates and cups and plastic utensils

Garbage bags

Toilet paper

Moistened towelettes

Personal care items (deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)

Clean clothes

Candles and matches

Pencil and paper

A sharp knife

Needle and thread

Chemical cold packs

Tools

Sturdy shoes

Rubber gloves

If you enjoyed this, or topics of current events risk awareness or survival preparedness,
click here to check out our current homepage articles…