High Calorie Survival Bars? Anybody tried em?

[sociotard]

Are those 1200 calorie survival bars I see advertised actually edible? Do they really last 5-7 years?

I've always (always here means for about 2 years) made sure I had enough food stockpiled in my house for a couple of weeks and water for two or three. My mom, however, decided that not only should I do that, I should have a portable 72 hour kit too. She made one for all her kids. They're big orange backpacks that contain just about everything a person would need to survive for three days. I actually think its kind of cool, and have been adding a few odds and ends I thought were prudent (photocopies of personal ID, A vacuum packed spare change of clothes and underwear, etc.) I was thinking about adding a couple of those survival bars, just in case I acquire a "Friend" while living out of my pack when Yellowstone explodes or Spokane gets hit with a dirty bomb. Do they really do all they say they do? So far I haven't met anybody who's actually eaten one.

http://www.quakekare.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=21
http://www.paintball-discounters.com/get_item_sv1001_energy-bar-3600-calorie.htm
http://www.maydayindustries.com/food.htm
http://www.epcamps.com/Datrex_Food_Ration.html

[axes_of_weezles]

Dont know.
MRE's have chocolate barr/cookies that last 10-15 years.
MRE's would be a better bet. They have everything you need and about 7-8000 calories.

Probably cheaper too.

[A knight without armor]

Buy one and eat it and see.

[sociotard]

The only MRE's I've found have been the ones marketed to civilians, which don't have quite as many calories. Anyway, I already have 3 MRE entrees (sp?) in my pack. This would just be a supplament.

[Lurker]

You can make better ones than you can buy.

Here's some recipes. They freeze well for up to 3 months in my experience.

Power Bars by Alton Brown.

I'm going to try sealing them in one of thse food vacuum sealers and see how long they last.

If you want some good shelf stable self heating meals, try these guys. I have a couple cases put back and they aren't bad at all.

L

[SouthernFreebird]

Don't know, I'm actually trying to survive on less calories.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Which ones, Milky Way, Mars Bars, Baby Ruth? Hell, calories are calories, if one wants a high energy calorie ladened drink, try a can of Borden's Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, about 1,000 calories per 8 oz cup.

[sociotard]

I don't think Snickers would last 5 years, (longevity is important when you just plan on dumping the stuff in a survival pack)

The websites make all kinds of claims about why their products are better that normal candy bars (I have no idea which claims are accurate)

For example, it claimed that candy bars store too many calories as simple sugars and not enough as, um, something else. I forget what. Carbohydrates or something.

[Welsh Rabbit]

Are those 1200 calorie survival bars I see advertised actually edible?

I don't know, but in a survival situation, you may have to eat maggots from rotting animal carcasses for the protein. The bars couldn't be that bad.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Any survival food supplies should be used up on a rotating basis. Not cool if food has a 60 month life and one hits the boonies with it at the end of 59th month.

We utilize a dehydrator, food saver and freezer, dry it, vacuum seal, then into the freezer it goes. It will last for many years prepared as such, but, we still rotate it out for use on a schedule, then replace with fresh.