[Arsenul]

Technically, I have enough for 10 days and it isn't that heavy. Although this is food, it's not food that can keep me going for more than 5 or 10 days. Of course I'd be hunting and fishing along the way, but this is what I have for the pack. 5 different types of rice, 5 different types of mashed potatoes, and 5 gravy servings to go with it. One other thing I might add is a loaf of bread squashed down and some of that peanut butter and jelly blend. I also have hot sauce. What do you think I should add to this?

 

[Inazone]

How about tuna or chicken in foil packets? I take a couple with me out on hikes, in addition to other small food items, and they have "best by" dates that are usually at least two years out. Combined with what you already listed, you could get a bit more variety than just slightly different flavors of the same food.

 

[IamZeke]

No protein. No fiber. No nutrients. No good fats. Nothing there except a lot of salty carbs filled with food industry chemicals.

Quit worrying about it being tasty and fun. This isn't a camping trip. BOB food is emergency fuel for a road march. If you need the emotional support of tasty food the first few days of an emergency then you are already sunk. Taking time to hunt/fish can waste valuable travel time.

Pick up some plain "minute rice" as your carb energy base. It can be even made cold by putting it in a ziploc with water and allowed to reconstitute for a half hour. You don't even need to stop walking to accomplish that.

Then you need protein. Jerky, foil meat packs, etc. Cans of sardines are perfect as they give you good protein and energy dense oils. A bag of lentils would be good too as they cook pretty fast.

Add some dried fruit to munch on and add necessary fiber.

Finally, learn how to forage. Every dandelion on the side of the road is a nutritional powerhouse. Some species of pine you can boil the needles for vitamin C and most have pine nuts you can recover for additional protein. The skill of foraging, along with a small base stock like I mentioned above, with keep you on your road march for the full ten days without running out of energy. Plus foraging doesn't take the time out like hunting or fishing does. You can forage while on the move.

A handful of grocery store seasoned carb packets is not the way to go. Honestly you could do a better job than what you have now by carrying a dozen ramen packs.

 

[Jerry D Young]

I use plain jerky, my own blend of gorp, and Millennium ration bars. Works well for me for 3 to 6 days. I carry tea, hot chocolate, and bouillon for hot drinks. Also, for the times when I can cook, and for longer periods, I carry lentils and a few other things, too. But for the BOB it is jerky, gorp, and the ration bars.

Just my opinion.

 

[Post18guy]

The Potatoes only need hot water and are quite palatable without gravy.
The Gravy and Noodles both require cooking time and to my mind some clean up of a sauce pan etc. which will increase the amount of time overall for meal times and some addl. supplies to add to your kit to facilitate this.
I'd second ramen but would suggest Cup of soups, so long as the integrity of the cup is intact all you really need is a heat source and a canteen cup/small kettle for heating water, further the Styrofoam cup will be reusable in the short term. Hot/cold drink packets to improve flavor of water and replace nutrients and provide sugars etc. and snack foods ie granola bars, individual candy, trail mix, also some single serve packets of hot cereal to provide bulk and complex carbs'.

 

[n8trshtr]

One word: PROTEIN

You need protein in your diet or you'll start doing stupid things as your brain misfires.

Mylar packs of Tuna, Salmon, and even cans if you must but get some protein.

 

[woodyp]

I can't for the life of me figure out how everybody seems to think they'll just leisurely stop, hunt, and fish, "along the way". I'm more interested in getting where I'm going with what I have or I wouldn't have it packed in the first place.

 

[wildcat84]

http://www.mountainhouse.com/product/53183.html

How about that? Monotonous, I admit. But it's nutritional values are decent, and it only needs COLD WATER to reconstitute...

I recommend also carrying SPAM singles as a "comfort food" or as a meat source. No need to heat either (though it's delicious fried) They also have a pretty good shelf life.

I also like to carry mixed nuts, etc, for snacking.

If I had ASSLOADS of money, I'd buy First Strike Rations. Compact (roughly the size of one MRE) and they contain a whole day's food. MRE's themselves are ideal, of course, but carrying 3 days of them would take up your whole BOB...

Cliff bars are also decent quick and compact foods. And even junk bars like Snickers, good for snacks, or eat on the go, though not designed for surviving heat in their commercial packaging..

 

[wildcat84]

I can't for the life of me figure out how everybody seems to think they'll just leisurely stop, hunt, and fish, "along the way". I'm more interested in getting where I'm going with what I have or I wouldn't have it packed in the first place.

Probably stems from the first mistake all prepper noobs make (and I am guilty as well) in going in having the idea that we'll "bug out to the wilderness" and just hunt and fish for whatever we need.

Fortunately the good people of this board have improved my education immensely on this subject...

 

[jihiggs]

Protein bars and nuts

 

[Indiana_Geoff]

Bag of cheesy noodles (as shown in the OP), with a package of chicken is darn fine eating at the end of a day of hiking.

Of course, sawdust with rabbit guts would be good when you are that hungry, but I would go for the noodles and chicken.

 

[Ghent]

you need to remember that when you are hiking you are going to need more calories and that you need a LOT better nutrition than you have shown. I do a lot of long distance hiking. Weight is always a concern so dehydrated or dried foods are ideal. Dried fruit and nuts have a high calorie and nuts have protein as well as both having vital nutrients. You can make GORP or something similar to sustain. You also need to make sure that you get some fiber and protein. Neither of which are in your foods. Dried Quinoa is excellent as a carb and super easy to cook. You can dehydrate it yourself. If you don't want to make your own foods you can purchase backpacking foods that are freeze dried or dehydrated from a camping and hiking store. Mountain house and backpackers pantry are edible ... and after a long day on the trail almost anything will taste good.

 

[Diligent]

Quinoa, a starch that is higher in protein than you current choices....protein is what you need......look for items that serve dual purposes.
Soups..they are light, contain protein, water for hydration. Sodium to replenish salt loss. And, they are easy to digest...foods that are hard to digest rob you of some of the calories and protein you just ingested.

 

[Diligent]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa

 

[Ghent]

also.. here is what I have in by backpack for hiking and also in my BOB for three days.

Breakfast - Dehydrated Quinoa with Dried blueberries, brown sugar and pecans.
Snack - Lara Bar or Cliff Bar
Lunch - dried chicken and Quinoa or rice with vegis, dried apricots or apples
Snack - GORP
Dinner - dried chicken or beef with Quinoa or rice and vegis. Dried fruit and a small desert.
Snack - GORP

Many times I will have a bread wrap with my meals and often replace the breakfast with dehydrated eggs and meat. I hope this helps and gives you some ideas. Also since I make all my foods (except the lara bar and cliff bar) this is a really inexpensive way to eat while hiking.

 

[bassguy]

For the winter I would throw in a couple of protein bars and maybe some protein powder.

My thoughts on hunting and fishing are:

If a squirrel is crossing the road or I see one near by why not shoot it real fast and you have a good source of protein.

If you camp beside a river or lake or stream, why not put a couple of yo-yos out for the night and you might get a good breakfast.

I do like to keep a couple of packs of meat in my bag just as creature comforts and they are great for protein. Instant Grits are also a great form of carbohydrates and they take up very,very little space of course I'm from Louisiana and I grew up on them.

 

[tryrchmnd]

Way to think light. Maybe some salt.

 

[mattmuttsmith]

Man, alot of people that responded to the OP are just downright rude.

To the OP: I think what you have is better than nothing, my friend. I would add some foiled meat. I would also reduce the different type of rices to the same type, and instead have different methods of prep. Overall, not bad, also you are better off than 90% are so good job.

Personally, I don't keep with the thought of fishing or hunting along my way. I also don't like food that I would have to prep more than 1 minute. In my BOB I carry enough MRE meal pouches, broken down to save weight, to sustain me for 7 days. I also have enough rice and etc, should that be used up to prepare my own food. After that, if I run out of food I have the items that "could" produce me other foods, like traps and small fishing gear, along with my firearms. So basically I have a three tier system. 1) pre packaged meals that require nothing but to eat them. 2) foods that are quick to prepare, should number 1 run out. And finally, 3) if all else fails, the means to hunt, fish and forage and scavenge.

Good luck dude! And don't let all the negative nancies that replied to this thread get you down.

 

[Jojo]

I just rotated here is what I have:
Coffee
1 min Oats
Dried fruit
6 crunchy bread sticks
Peanut butter
Unsalted peanuts, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds
6 Protein Bars
Jerky/Dried Beef
3 pkgs Kitchen of India ready to eat beans, peas, lentils and rice
sriracha
Sub-lingual B-12 for extra energy
3 pkgs Chomps Chews (electrolytes, carbs, amino acids)

 

[Nomad 2nd]

I keep plastic bottles in my pack. (Gatorade is better than soda... Wider mouth.)

Full of rice, beans, oatmeal, etc. (yes, I probably should not do the things that at minimum need to soak... But I'm from the south...)
Container of lifeboat rations, packet of things like salt, tea, coco etc (depending on season)
And a few foil packets of meat, energy bars. I also do parched corn, but at the moment I ate it all!

In addition, since I travel so much I have been in the practice of leaving "real food" in the car. Given a short time... I could add it to the pack. Everything from checks mix, to macaroni, canned food, to beef jersey, etc....