B.O.B: what "first 3 days" food options are there?

[mettle]

Have a family of 4
2 children under 8

I've been doing a lot of planning n reading lately but cannot find a good solid idea(s) on what I can obtain for the first initial couple of days
MREs and a heater?
Ranger stove n mountain house packs?
Quick bars and such?

What packable options are there for such a family size, where one can keep the herd moving, fed and upbeat?

I recognize prep and practice are a must but not really reading a whole concerning this

Seems a lot of single guys think of the bug out and bob, but family guys seem afraid to undertake this effort...(some)

I won't be back online for a while, so I won't be able to respod to info responses until later

 

[Leo]

Red beans and rice will keep you strong and healthy for a long time. Throw in some white and sweet potatoes for the potassium and vitamins. Like everything served by the Army as A rations, B rats or C rats, it is always handy to have tabasco sauce and salt.

 

[NathanJefferson]

Depends on how picky the eaters are.

I like the old standby, peanut butter, I keep about a dozen medium jars in the house at anytime. Keep one in a bag or keep an extra on the shelf at all times for a 10 second grab.

Other items I use are protein/meal replacement bars and drinks. I keep several candybar like protein bars and individual powder packets in my bag. These don't keep terribly long from what I've read but changing them out every year or so isn't too bad.

Those two are about the most dense and tasty items I've been able to find.

 

[Indiana Camper]

I am constantly changing stuff in my bob. You can go heavy with broken down mres. You can go lite but expensive with mountain house pouches. The MH pro packs (I think that's what they're called) save room because they're vacuum sealed. They cost even more though. You could forget comfort and taste with some type of emergency/life ration bar.
You can eat popular backings food like single servings of Spam or tuna in foil pouches, Knorr pasta sides, mac and cheese, Idahoan mashed potatoes, stove top stuffing, and instant oatmeal. These are cheaper and lighter than mres. And cheaper than mountain house. Throw in some water bottles with some single Crystal Light flavor packets and you are set. These are not quite as easy as mres or mountain house but still very easy as they only require hot water.

 

[BKExpress]

I saw some chewable high cal tablets somewhere once. If you can find something like that it might be a good supplement just to keep you going.

 

[mettle]

Not a whole lot of responses
Moving a family in a hurry is quite an undertaking

I've got to find a viable source or two on initial foods to haul

Time to hit the search Again

 

[Indiana Camper]

I think we about covered it all. Ration bars, mre, freeze dried, real food that is simple.

 

[shibumiseeker]

In a crisis picky eaters are going to have a rough time.

The various assortment of power bars, clif bars, energy bars, peanut butter, candy, etc., are the best options for being able to carry 3 days worth of food while on the move. MREs are great except that 3 days worth of MREs, even stripped down, take a lot of space and weight.

I don't use freeze dried food because I don't assume I be able to stop to prepare it, but it's not a bad option for optimal weight.

My go-bag contains 2 MREs for variety, a 1lb plastic jar of peanut butter, 1/2lb of hard candy, and 20 bars of various types. That's designed for 3-4 days of travel on foot. I've tested it and I know that it works for me. No matter what you end up with, take a camping trip with some hiking and test it to make sure the family will eat it.

 

[WETSU]

Cliff Bars
Mojo Bars
Lara bars
Beef jerky
Slim jims or other type salami/pepperoni
Generic granola bars
Dried fruit (raisins, pineapple, bananna chips)
MRE peanut butter (they even have chocolate PB)
MRE entrees, meat n potato kind (1 each to save weight)
Nuts and seeds
Small pretzels
Electrolyte drink mix
Instant coffee, cocoa, hot cider and or tea (all instant type mixes)
Hammer gel or similar (experiment with this first)
Instant rice
Bullion cubes
Hard candy

Figure your calorie needs per person per day, add 25%. Factor in children's tastes and pickiness and go with what works.

 

[PistolBob]

Peanut butter - it's got it all.

 

[Curls & Swirls]

Okay this may seem strange but I think with kids as long as they can walk, they should each have their own bag. Keep them light of course!! For their bags you could get some of the healthy bars off of the health food isle, maybe some of those little freeze dried fruit packets and such and keep in their bags for them. Depending on how often you want to change it out, they even make those single serve things of peanut butter. Then when you want to rotate the food, you could take them out for a B.O.B picnic and family hike and they could eat what is in their bags and you could see the things you might want to have for next time. This may also keep having to leave in a "REAL" situation from being quite so scary for them. The thing I worry about with kids is having good walking/hiking shoes on hand, they seem to grow out of them so fast!

 

[Zoub]

My opinion is either you can eat it or add hot water, no cooking required.

I like the double serving mountain house meals. I keep 30 days worth for 2-3 people in a Mil spec shipping container that I can actually lift by myself. Then the smaller vehicle bags have meals in them.

I use a small Sealine bag, a clear one, stuffed with snacks and small packets of oatmeal, hot chocolate, Powerbars, things we like to snack on or eat for a quick breakfast. High carb stuff too. Lots of the things listed in posts above. This bag is always in my truck and in camp. Being waterproof, it can go in any situation.

 

[Survivalcookie]

Is it just me....but where are you all walking to? I just cannot see walking off into the woods with everyone else and trying to survive. I don't have a bug out location, so I am fortifying my home. When I have get a bug out location I will fortify that.

But I would suggest what ever you want to feed your children in a bug out situation, it should be something they are use to eating, even if it is bars as snacks. My son is a survivalist and my 7 year old granddaughter will pick up a cricket and eat it and say mmmm protein. All the boys think she is great lol.

 

[nucular]

I opted for mountain house or other freeze dried meals along with a stove and small sawyer water filter. For eat instantly stuff, it's a mix of different types of granola/snack bars. The kids pack with treats in it just for kids is a good idea.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Is it just me....but where are you all walking to? I just cannot see walking off into the woods with everyone else and trying to survive. I don't have a bug out location, so I am fortifying my home. When I have get a bug out location I will fortify that.

It's not about walking off into the woods to survive off the land. Most people have no real clue how to do that. It's about when you have to leave your home for whatever reason, even if it's to go stay with friends elsewhere.

I firmly plan on staying home under most circumstances as we are extremely well prepared out at the Ranch. Nonetheless, we have packs packed and ready to go on the off chance we do have to go somewhere in a hurry.

In the very remote chance I have to go to some type of shelter, I would rather have a little food, clothing, documentation, and tools with me than to arrive with nothing but what I am wearing.

 

[Indiana Camper]

^^^^^^ This

 

[mettle]

It's not about walking off into the woods to survive off the land. Most people have no real clue how to do that. It's about when you have to leave your home for whatever reason, even if it's to go stay with friends elsewhere.

I firmly plan on staying home under most circumstances as we are extremely well prepared out at the Ranch. Nonetheless, we have packs packed and ready to go on the off chance we do have to go somewhere in a hurry.

In the very remote chance I have to go to some type of shelter, I would rather have a little food, clothing, documentation, and tools with me than to arrive with nothing but what I am wearing.

I live near Bloomington
We are close enough to start seeing droves of looters within days of a collapse or catastrophe
There is no way I will stay close to town, trying to maintain a low profile and all the while fend off droves of desperate college kids, federally starved crack heads etc. Etc.
I have too many Obongo worshipping neighbors whom would not allow me to live peacably or freely after some event either.

I'd have to get my family out, with what we can before " despair and hunger" sweeps over the town

 

[052.5GT]

I personally would NOT carry jerky, unless it is just for something to chew on for a long time. There are very few calories/volume in jerky. Much better off taking some gorp or calorie dense fuel bars. also, Justins Nut Butter makes handy little 80cal packets that dont take up much room.

 

[oldbikelvr]

I live near Bloomington
We are close enough to start seeing droves of looters within days of a collapse or catastrophe
There is no way I will stay close to town, trying to maintain a low profile and all the while fend off droves of desperate college kids, federally starved crack heads etc. Etc.
I have too many Obongo worshipping neighbors whom would not allow me to live peacably or freely after some event either.

I'd have to get my family out, with what we can before " despair and hunger" sweeps over the town

I'm sorry you have such a low opinion of Bloomington. I have lived here for almost 20 years, and while I don't agree with my neighbors on everything, we generally take care of each other. Getting to know your neighbors and helping each other out, to my eyes is one of the best ways to prepare. I live near downtown, and we grow and share food, shovel each others sidewalks and generally help each other out, especially in the event of a severe storm or power outage.
I keep a bag with me to get home with Clif bars and power bars. There aren't too many places I need to go that I couldn't walk in 2 days time, so that's what I prepare for.

 

[brute69]

MREMRE peanut butter it has vitamins, calories,protein, sodium, and they actually taste good, plus very little space in your bob taken up.