Re: Bug-Out Starter Kits @ Costco
Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 3:37 pm
Gander Mountain has big cans (5lb coffee type) of the same dehydrated backpacking food by Mountain House that have a 10-15 years shelf life. The beef stew is actually good...for dehydrated food and there are 10 or so servings per can. I got tired of the canned food frenzy around hurricane season and keep a few of these in the pantry with the other basics like first aid, water / bottles and filter for "on the go".
As most of this stuff is the same we have used for boy scouts it has a dual use for my family.
"Backpacker's Pantry" food is gross/nasty bad. As a troop we have tried it all. Mountain house for taste and shelf life is good. MRE's if you can get them are pretty good but they are bulky and temperature sensitive if you don't know the source.
Get a couple of the plastic "action Packer" boxes at Wally world and put the food/first aid/chemlights etc in one and another one for your important papers, copies of policies, backup computer disks, marriage lic. pasports, credit card numbers etc. and also put a change of clothes, socks underwear, jeans ans shirt and you have a good "bugout box"! Keep it in a safe place near an exit or in your safe room for those in tornado alley.
In case of fire, storm, bird flu, or whatever where you got to go in a hurry, make sure you take the box. As your house burns down or when you get to the shelter, you'll at least have the essentials.
If family members travel throughout the year, make sure you have an out of state (several hundred miles away)friend or relative as a "clearing house contact point" in case of big time distasters. I.E. a chemical plant explosion, nuclear incident, biological attack, or other such event that might quarantine an area or cause a mass evacuation or disruption on local services that might require separation of the family. At least while you were in Chicago and your kids were evacuated by the school distric and your house was "in the zone", they know to call "aunt edna" in Nebraska to let you know where they are and vise versa.
Be prepared. Don't be the guy in line at the FEMA POD 6 hours after the incident in your Escalade looking for MRE's and Ice!
As most of this stuff is the same we have used for boy scouts it has a dual use for my family.
"Backpacker's Pantry" food is gross/nasty bad. As a troop we have tried it all. Mountain house for taste and shelf life is good. MRE's if you can get them are pretty good but they are bulky and temperature sensitive if you don't know the source.
Get a couple of the plastic "action Packer" boxes at Wally world and put the food/first aid/chemlights etc in one and another one for your important papers, copies of policies, backup computer disks, marriage lic. pasports, credit card numbers etc. and also put a change of clothes, socks underwear, jeans ans shirt and you have a good "bugout box"! Keep it in a safe place near an exit or in your safe room for those in tornado alley.
In case of fire, storm, bird flu, or whatever where you got to go in a hurry, make sure you take the box. As your house burns down or when you get to the shelter, you'll at least have the essentials.
If family members travel throughout the year, make sure you have an out of state (several hundred miles away)friend or relative as a "clearing house contact point" in case of big time distasters. I.E. a chemical plant explosion, nuclear incident, biological attack, or other such event that might quarantine an area or cause a mass evacuation or disruption on local services that might require separation of the family. At least while you were in Chicago and your kids were evacuated by the school distric and your house was "in the zone", they know to call "aunt edna" in Nebraska to let you know where they are and vise versa.
Be prepared. Don't be the guy in line at the FEMA POD 6 hours after the incident in your Escalade looking for MRE's and Ice!