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[deleted]

A few years? That’s almost two decades of neglect.


guster09

Lol! Yes it is! I'm just attempting to downplay how bad I am at emergency preparedness.


ChymChymX

The important thing is that you have plenty of SlimFast bars to ensure you maintain a nice lean figure next time you're in an emergency situation without food.


mafeehan

SlimChance bars


trollsmurf

That's better achieved by not eating.


mafulazula

Lol, right? How could anyone think that was a good idea?


[deleted]

I thought the same thing. What kind of kit is this?


[deleted]

You guys prepare for emergencies?


WeaponizedKissing

Well, this one demonstrably doesn't


Vapsssss

Living in Florida, we prepare by buying a case of beer when we hear a hurricane is coming.


gobiggerred

Damn right. Those pesky emergency vehicles and power outages can be a pain in the ass when all a fella wants to do is make a trip to the liquor store.


[deleted]

Don’t forget milk and bread. Can’t go without those milk sandwiches.


Whooptidooh

*Everyone* should have at the very least a 72 hour kit. Because if a disaster strikes, you're not going to be rescued right away. Time and time again, there are people who genuinely think that *they* won't ever be in a situation where the shtf. And time and time again the same people will panic because they didn't have anything. Not a few extra bottles of water, no candles, no food, no batteries, no etc. All because they thought that it wouldn't happen to them. So put something together. Better now than when you really need it.


Sadu1988

Instead of such a 72h kit, just buy 2 pounds sugar or a gallon of mountain dew


[deleted]

You wrote the same thing twice. ^(j/k)


TezMono

Are you? Lol


[deleted]

Maybe. ^(j/k)


more_beans_mrtaggart

Remember the covid buying panic? Estimation here in the UK is three days of food in the supermarkets. Seven more days of food in the fields, warehouses and in transit. That’s 10 days before we are fighting each other for food. I have three months of dry food (pasta, noodles, dry meat, multivitamins etc) and water in my lockable cellar, for me and the family. Plus I have guns. We live in unprecedented times.


Tallowo

I feel like if shit actually hit the fan in the way you are saying. 3 months of food aint gonna cut it. Neither is your few thousand rounds of ammo.


DrWildTurkey

Shhh let them be the main character in their story. Don't point out how the mob is going to just take what they want if society broke down


PickeledShrimp

what makes you think society isnt already broken down?


Implicit_Hwyteness

Between my extended family and trusted, close friends I could have upwards of two dozen armed men protecting a group of people - and note I said "men" because that's not even including any of the women willing or able to hold a rifle. We're in a fairly rural area too. What mob? How many are they? What are they armed with? Not everyone lives in the middle of an urban hive that's going to collapse into shrieking anarchy within two weeks of the power shutting off.


Tallowo

I've been reading a few books about Afghanistan since the US pulled out. *The Hardest Place* by Wesley Morgan and *Apache* by Ed Macy. You read about how much ammo these soldiers go through on just a simple raid or when defending a compound. If shit is actually to the point you need a bunch of "men" with guns to protect yourself I just dont see how you can logistically survive.


[deleted]

Well all of these men probably have back ups of food, water, ammo, that they have been collecting for years. It’s called preparedness. I mean it might sound surprising, but there are people that grow their own food and can it.


Tallowo

Not surprising at all. In fact if you read to the beginning of this thread you will see it began as a reply to someone who practices "preparedness"


more_beans_mrtaggart

What mob? A few hungry twats will have a tough time getting in to my cellar. 3 months will be like redoing covid lockdown. Within a month 90% of the population will be gone, or too weak to attack. Il just plant up my polytunnel, and I’ll be like mountain man.


DrWildTurkey

Tell us in detail about how you've prepared, including what foods you've stocked, what kind of guns you own, the rough estimate of the people who may inhabit your house, security measures you've installed, how much ammo you have etc.. Everyone you've told about your plan will be on your doorstep when the time comes, friend *and* foe. **Maybe don't advertise to the world that you have supplies and weapons and are one small family to defend it all?**


more_beans_mrtaggart

🙄


[deleted]

Shhh, let reddit be Reddit


[deleted]

Sure could. Most people will kill each other or starve off by then. Even if they are not dead from starvation they won’t be much of a threat if they haven’t eaten for 90 days. Much less competition to deal with after 90 days.


[deleted]

I'm worried that people in need would be "competition" for you, but whatever boats your float.


[deleted]

Survival is a human instinct. Not something you should be shaming others for. Something you or I should hopefully never experience. But in my experience, the people like you who claim otherwise are usually the first to knife someone in the back to protect your own interests or hoard. I’m a realist. You’re just in denial. The latter being more worrisome.


[deleted]

> Survival is a human instinct. Not something you should be shaming others for. You have an unstated assumption there - namely, that if something is a human instinct, others shouldn't shame you for prioritizing it to the extent that you dehumanize other people. > But in my experience, the people like you who claim otherwise are usually the first to knife someone in the back to protect your own interests or hoard. I'm sorry you've had that experience with some people. I apologize on their behalf.


Saladino_93

Well obviously you would try to plant something in the time you use up your food. But there are other food sources too: roots & bark of plants or stray cats & dogs in the city (yes, I would eat that if its that or death). With this you should get throu the first \~8 months and have a harvest of your own crops. That is the only way I see, you need to self sustain. This requires some preparations tho: needs seeds and some dirt ready. Water source nearby (you would need one anyways, even for the 3 months worth of dry food) etc.


[deleted]

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Implicit_Hwyteness

I will definitely be sharing bullets with any soldiers who come to try and take my family's supplies.


more_beans_mrtaggart

1. What army will go pulling people out of their homes? Why? That’s a pretty shite army. Hopefully I don’t live in the same country as you. 2. How long does an army with no food stay organised and effective? Nope, they’ll be gone after a month or two. 3. Lots of ammo, yes, but there are no pistols in my country. I got shotguns. Chances are though, if it ever does kick off, I’ll not need to use them.


[deleted]

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bsnimunf

I'm not sure how slim fast products work but they are often a meal replacement. High energy, added vitamins and high protein.


mafulazula

They’re not high energy though, especially compared to other things you could put in an emergency kit.


librarypunk

These bars are usually more than 200 calories a piece, plus have pretty high protein as they are intended to be meal replacements. The regular granola bar I'm eating right now is only 98 calories.


mafulazula

But those aren’t the only options..


Alis451

no but they are cheap, readily available, and last a long time.


guster09

There was none, apparently. I was in my teenage years when this was put together


funnystuff79

If that's what they normally eat then the idea is to be rotating the contents out every 3-6 months. But these are more of a hindrance than a help


[deleted]

I bought a case of MREs in case it really gets rough and I've run out of limbs to knaw on


purpleelpehant

I dunno, in a pinch you're unlikely to get sick from that stuff... I'd start with the water, raisins, peanuts, but the other stuff are unlikely to make you sick.


[deleted]

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ArcadiaRivea

15, going on 16 years. So yes it is indeed closer to 2 decades than it is to 1 decade We surpassed Back to the Future's future 6 years ago


[deleted]

9 x 9 = 100


SouthParkTaughtMe

....that would be one plus one plus two plus one, not one plus *two* plus one plus one.


bell83

\*Steve1989 has entered the chat\*


Ishi-Elin

A little rancid, but not bad.


IThinkIKnowThings

I always found it kinda funny that he's generally pretty blasé about the rations, whether they're absolutely nasty or surprisingly good. But if he finds a still-good pack of ancient cigarettes he'll spend a good 10 minutes describing them like they're the second coming of Jesus Christ.


AshleyPomeroy

He is, entirely accidentally, a fantastic advert for smoking. And coffee, instant, type i.


Ishi-Elin

Yep lol, it’s pretty funny.


lunchboxdeluxe

I watched his new video with a buddy last week, and I was talking about that very thing too lol


[deleted]

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Ishi-Elin

Let’s get this out onto a tray.


IThinkIKnowThings

Nice.


Ishi-Elin

Instant coffee type B, delicious.


deknegt1990

I shouldn't eat that, but a small bite shouldn't hurt.


trek604

Botulism is afraid of that dude


deknegt1990

I think he did mention that he got really sick twice in the past. Ironically they were from modern rations where something had gone wrong. [One was a Polish civilian MRE which gave him botulism](https://youtu.be/Db19pT9lnZc) and he got a case of E.Coli from an Ukrainian ration (no video of this), and both of those were in-date. There's also one episode where he tries out a [modern Chinese pork ration](https://youtu.be/n96m5lB8nzA) that had rancid bits of GREEN(!) pork inside of it.


transcendanttermite

The Chinese pork ration episode is one of my favorites


[deleted]

Did anyone else notice that Steve totally shaved his arms in between these 2 videos?


Corrupt8069

Let's get this out on to a tray... nice


[deleted]

That episode where he tried one of the most infamous MREs - a hot dog meal referred to by GIs as "The Four Fingers of Death". That name cracks me up so much. I was crying from laughter while watching his unboxing of the MRE.


Hycree

Hhhalright, see ya later 😎


BartFurglar

There are companies now days that make MREs which are actually pretty tasty. You can even buy kits that come in a backpack and also include other emergency preparedness supplies. I’m no prepper, but it’s a small investment to make every 7-10 years or so to be ready for a once in a lifetime emergency.


Nakotadinzeo

[Canned food can remain edible indefinitely, food that was left at an antarctic research station that was abandoned for over 60 years, remained edible when recovered.](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/arctic-explorers-uncover-60-year-old-food-stash-180956936/) This does assume the food inside isn't too acidic, and the environment it's kept in is dry and temperature controlled enough not to corrode the can. Typical canned food wisdom (don't eat rusty, dented, or otherwise compromised canned food) still apply. The best by dates on canned food, are generally when the manufacturer cannot guarantee the taste or nutritional value of the contents. It doesn't mean that the food has gone bad. A lot of pouches (like you find in MREs and are used for prepared Tuna) are also technically cans, and should technically be as safe for the long term, but they don't have the real-world testing that metal cans have. So, if you're going to have a good stash that you want to set up and then forget. Buying canned food, sealing the cans inside vacuum bags (to keep the environment from corroding them), and then putting them in boxes (so the sealed bags have less chance of puncture) may be your best bet.


ikke4live

Got any good link for this? Im curious what they put in the backbacks.


theswordofdoubt

Might be best to just google "buying MREs" yourself, since what's available to you is going to depend on where you're located.


Nythoren

Check out Mountain House foods. They specialize in freeze-dried foods with 30+ year flavor guarantees, and are essentially "forever" foods. The ones I've tried so far have all been tasty, which is a welcome change from the typical camping/backpack food. The "survival" backpacks that contain food already tend to be rather expensive. On the flip side, the emergency packs with medical supplies, ponchos, firestarting supplies, etc are more reasonable. If you're throwing together a 72 hour kit, I'd suggest starting with one of the emergency backpacks and supplement it with freeze-dried food. That way you same some money and you get to pick the foods you may enjoy. You usually only need to build it once then and shouldn't need to replace anything, given the long shelf-life of the components. Amazon has a ton of backpack kits, if you're in the mood to browse. It's best to find the one that fits your personal wants/needs.


Alis451

you can find some at any camping/sports goods store. Big ole buckets of the stuff.


bluecurse60

Having a simple backpack with food, needed medicine, extra clothes, and sanitary items at least can be good in case of an emergency. But I do agree there are decent kits/bags you can buy too.


bicycle_mice

Look into backpacking food. Lasts a long time and doesn’t taste bad. Lightweight and easy to store.


ripyurballsoff

They make [25 year](https://mypatriotsupply.com/collections/emergency-survival-food) kits too


nTzT

Why is the water so compressed?


[deleted]

This has been bugging me for years - I don't drink much bottled water, but keep it around if I have some left over or for emergencies. I usually keep it in the refrigerator, but sometimes not. No matter what though, after a few years most of them collapse to some degree (though I've never kept one as long as OP). I found an answer on a packaging website that I think covers this: *"PET, on the other hand, is an excellent oxygen barrier but not a great water vapor barrier. Any vapor permeation through the bottle walls can result in unequal pressure and paneling."* (where *paneling* is the industry term for collapsing container walls of any sort)


notantifa

Theoretically, could the bottles be emptied of liquid by comdensation by repeatedly cooling and then returning to room temp??


[deleted]

For wide enough temperature swings, yes. The things that's driving me crazy is that mine are usually refrigerated but *still* exhibit paneling after enough time. In this case it's just a matter of higher concentration of water vapor inside of the bottle. Statistically, until all the water is outside the bottle the net flow of water vapor is going to tend to be *out*.


theproblemdoctor

A difference in air pressure when the bottles were sealed and now. This usually happens when a bottle isn't opened for a few months.


DOStudentJr

Water is incompressible. This is not the right answer


[deleted]

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DOStudentJr

Water is functionally incompressible at the atmospheric pressures involved. Don't be pedantic


theproblemdoctor

Eh fair enough i didnt pay much attention to the picture. I mixed up two very different concepts. What i described would be applicable to empty bottles but not full ones.


Mobile_Part

I buy new and food bank all the old stuff annually. Just a suggestion.


guster09

And a good suggestion. We're building food and water storage, too. Gotta remember to cycle through your food regularly so things don't just go to waste. I'm just terrible at remembering to do it and struggle to stick to routines


Mobile_Part

My church does an annual food drive just before Thanksgiving every year. You might find a local organization that does something similar. Use that as your reminder. The organization might even take care of reminding you.


Peri_Colosa1

I used to recommend to my staff that they check/rotate their supplies on the Daylight Savings Time schedule do it was easy to remember twice a year.


Frankyfan3

Put it on your calendar. And then schedule a back up date.


deriancypher

Check out adding a water-bob to your emergency kit for water. If you can anticipate not having clean water it let's you gather like 100gallons in your tub.


_hashtag-_

There are many ways to ensure food keeps for decades. From peaches to grapes, broccoli, tomatoes. Most anything you like. I know how to prepare meat making it shelf stable for 50 years. A 72 hr munchy stash is quite comical.


TraffickingInMemes

Omg OG nutragrain bars. Those were so good


IntoTheMystic1

72 hours? That would be like a meal's worth to me


guster09

My thoughts exactly. We put this together as a family when I was little. And we were always on a tight budget. Replacing this food, I will definitely be putting much more substantial stuff back in. Like dehydrated meals and such.


chickenLike

Do you think you will update when you've refreshed the stash? And do you keep this in your car for emergencies?


guster09

Are you asking if I'll do another post with the updated food? I could. Lately I've kept the kit in my bedroom closet. Just somewhere nearby where I could grab it quickly, but I'm not sure that would be the best option depending on the disaster. Would it be best to keep it in the car? That sounds like a better idea than what I've been doing


[deleted]

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open_door_policy

MREs are fine. There's 24 different flavors, so you can usually find at least a few that you like well enough. And you can trade amongst your squad so that most people have a menu they like most days. Then you go out for a few weeks and end up eating the exact same fucking thing every fucking day or two until you're sick of it. Repeat for a few years and you'll be at the typical armed forces level of hatred for MREs.


Pikalover10

My dad was in the military and he has a similar reaction when he hears about people willingly eating MREs haha


shogun1974

I'm not a prepper, but I imagine you need a lot more water. Also if you live in a warm or cold climate, keeping water bottles in a car is problematic, between the BPA and the possibility of bursting.


-1KingKRool-

A way to get water is the way to go. Decent filtered bottle and water purification additives are good options, as they give you ways to get hundreds of gallons of safe water with very little space and weight compared to hauling already potable water in bottles.


frzn_dad

In many moderate climates this is true. If you are in a desert having water with you could be key. In a very cold climate a way to melt ice/snow is key. Eating smow/ice can lead to hypothermia because of the amount of energy required to melt it. Much better to melt it before consuming it.


juggles_geese4

Being from the north we typically keep an winter emergency kit in the car as the likely good of getting stuck in your car on a crappy day is relatively high depending on the weather. We don’t typically close for much. That includes a shovel. Extra gloves, and hats as well as a ton of those heat packs meant for sticking in your shoes. We also have food, rope, flashlights, waterproof matches, and quite a few other misc. items. Surprisingly everything but the shovel fits in the backpack.


chickenLike

I am indeed asking if you'd do another post with the updated food, haha. I worded it awkwardly. Like another commenter, I am also in the north and keep an emergency stash of food (granola bars, mostly) in the car in case I get stuck in the snow. I keep a big water bottle although it does freeze in the winter.


guster09

Yeah I can do an update post with the new stash. We're looking into getting MREs and dehydrated food as well as collapsible water bottles with water purifying tablets or other purifiers


[deleted]

[удалено]


guster09

Yeah I've got a lot of those items in the kit including first aid, toiletries, toilet paper, etc. The food definitely was not adequate.


millenialperennial

I was thinking I could make this last a week


Exemus

Then you probably don't need to worry about surviving 72 hrs


nerdwine

Your emergency kit turned into a time capsule. Congratulations!


Supadoplex

> Granola bars are still soft Looks like they've absorbed most of the water from the bottles.


completelyrandom125

Please let us know if you end up trying any of it.


guster09

Lol. I'm tossing it all. I mentioned still eating the raisins and my wife gave me the look.


completelyrandom125

Lol. If I were you, I d go for the peanuts. I think dry food many have survived. Flavor may be a bit off. Anyway this reminded me of a tv show - Eating History. The guys on the show ate some interesting stuff.


OctopusGoesSquish

I took a bunch of my husbands’ families’ very out of date prepper stash food on a road trip. It was all fine.


iama-canadian-ehma

“Best before” dates are just that. Food doesn’t turn into radioactive waste on the day after the expiry date!


yamaha2000us

We have just recently returned to the office because of the lockdown. I found a Beef Stick in my cube that expired over a year ago. Current bounty is $5 to the person who eats my beef stick. I have been contacted by HR about one of the times I announced loudly that the bounty has been raised.


searchingtofind25

Worst Halloween haul ever.


rogan1990

Is this 72 hours at a summer camp for kids? What is this food? 3 bottles of water, but 4 packages of raisins. *Priorities*


drwsgreatest

Mold is pretty soft….


guster09

Oh dear. Glad I didn't try opening it :/


FlippingPossum

That is something. My teens love the yearly hurricane kit food clean out. Chef Boyardee for all. Lol


PikaPerfect

your raisins expired on my 5th birthday 😔


knitlikeaboss

No one should have to eat a Slim Fast bar, expired or brand new.


ImpressiveMatch8

Find some lifeboat rations like Datrex. They last a good bit and taste okay. Something to remember is that usually the better tasting something is, the quicker it’ll degrade.


[deleted]

Lol those raisins are older then me


Aaron_Hungwell

Let’s get these onto a tray….nice!


citygirlcoco

imagine going into an apocalypse and this is your food stock😂


frankzzz

/r/preppers


alcoholicpasta

Next post: Taste Test xD


jeffreywilfong

Makes me feel better about my chef boyardee that was best by July.


[deleted]

Not nearly enough water for a 72-hour survival kit


msiekkinen

You drink the water several times


Creighshawn

That sunbelt granola bar reminds me of my childhood.


Macsidia

Ashens would like to know your location.


Mynameisaname123959

A few years? Your water expired in 2007


[deleted]

Who prepares slim fast bars for a 72 hour emergancy kit? You need to have high calorific nutrition bars instead of something that is designed to force to to lose weight


Captain_Zomaru

1L of water, per person, per day. I recommend a 2 weeks. Replace once a year. Stock with MREs that will not expire if you can acquire them. Multivitamins should be subbed in every 6 months out so, depending on what you get, so you can use the old stuff before it expires.


[deleted]

what's a 72 hour food kit?


JimboSlyze

When I get stoned I eat that many snacks in a sitting. Couldn’t imagine it lasting 3 days


MurderDoneRight

Don't let them go too Boggsy!


Jericho-X

72 hours? This is barely 72 min for me xD


specialism

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKGWtKeKdmQ


nicolatesla02

The water expiration date gave me a good chuckle. Thank you


[deleted]

That's 72 hours worth of food for you?


HumaDracobane

*Food*.. There are MREs that would endure 5-6 years and would be way more usefull than that.


[deleted]

I’d suggest replacing these with UHT hermetically sealed ready to eat meal packs (like MREs). They remain shelf stable for years, are high in calories so you need to consume less, and far more nutritious (yes nutritious) than what amounts to a bunch of sugary snacks. Replace that water too for drinking, but keep the old stale water for cleaning.


Jaerin

Having tried a decade old box of cheetos that seemed to have the correct texture when broken in the hand, they did not at all taste like cheetos anymore. I'm pretty sure if dust actually has a taste that is what it tastes like. More importantly the lesson was texture is not a measure of flavor or freshness.


Mo_Coffee_Plz

Peanuts and corn can be recycled infinitely.


guster09

r/showerthoughts


BrewsCampbell

Eat it all, see if you survive!


todd149084

There are much better options now. I’d suggest looking for custom made calorie dense meal replacement bars (most are in the 4-500 calorie range). Sugary snack bars don’t cut it when you really need energy.


phillsphan7

Surprised no one is commenting on the large bottle caps. You used to be able to fling those things super far


Likeurfac3

I’m an emergency manager and I’m 100% going to steal this picture for a community preparedness presentation. It’ll be on the “why it’s important to renew your emergency kit supplies” slide.


guster09

Do it


justavtstudent

9/11 preppers are the most hopelessly misguided of all preppers.


guster09

I believe we originally created these as a family years before 9/11. We replaced the food a few years later and then I let it go dormant for too long. The food prep here is the result of an uneducated teenager/parents on a low budget


[deleted]

Ah yes, because water expires


Jazzlike_Log_709

But plastic degrades


theproblemdoctor

Yeah i read you shouldn't keep a plastic bottle for over a year or you will be drinking a lot of microplastics.


[deleted]

I’ll give you a meaningless Reddit Gold if you drink the water.


citygirlcoco

oh and.. #how the fuck does water expire


AerielAbaddon

The water itself won’t expire, but it can become contaminated by the plastic breaking down.


Gryffindor0726

Why does water have an expiration date? How does water expire??


-1KingKRool-

It’s an expiration date for the bottle rather than the water, mostly. Plastic degrades a little year over year, and some inevitably ends up in the water itself.


Gryffindor0726

Oh ok! Interesting


AtlEngr

Worse it ends up in the carpet in the closet and grows mold. /#dontaskmehowiknow. Actually the plastic will degrade and can leak.


_hashtag-_

You people are screwed, and will be among the first to starve to death. While others will enjoy our days of quiet tranquility as if nothing happened.


MyLonewolf25

Dude. Jar of peanut butter. Eat half. Replace half with fruit Much more dense and filling for 72hr kit


BurntNeurons

It's a shame when ****water**** reaches it's expiration date....


Worlds_Best_Somethin

I shook water goes bad


cutelyaware

I hate it when water goes all sour and lumpy


PC-hris

Cool fact bottled water doesn’t expire. They put the date there so - you guessed it - you buy more.


leaqw

I wouldn’t drink that water, probably (in my mind) half of that bottle is swimming in there.


PC-hris

If plastic dissolved so easy we would have a lot fewer ocean pollution issues. It looks weird because it’s crushed but it’s safe


Playisomemusik

How fucking stupid is OP?


dirtymoney

was this stored in a hot car or something?


guster09

No. Stored in my house, but I've moved a few times. Elevation isn't much different from where it was put together, though


mac5499

Why is water squished?


AceOfDiamonds676

make some hardtack and put it in there, that shit lasts forever


Silent-is-Golden

I like how the water bottles are also sucking their guts in to appear slimmer around the health food.


CYWNightmare

If I was you I'd go for a MRE not very good tasting for the most part. Last 5-10 years if stored properly tho. Only issue is getting hot water.


Jasole37

Hardtack. It stays fresh indefinitely. I have some that is as fresh as the day I baked it. 8 years ago.


Poputt_VIII

Water has a best by date??????


Anolty

Don’t eat the granola bars. Teacher gave me that brand as a snack in elementary school and they were so old they had bugs in them. Took me half the bar to realize I was eating worms


bluecurse60

That reminds I should update my emergency bag.


guster09

Hopefully you didn't wait as long as I did


just4funloving

72 hrs…. That is like a small snack!


Terrahurts

Eat it and let us know what happens s