Emergency NOM NOM NOMs

Food and water are going to be a top concern in instances of emergencies. Its one of those times that, if you are forced to leave your home, you may not know where or when your next meal is going to come from. Will there be a water source? Is that water source clean?

There are a few different ways you can stock your 72hr bags with food. 

You can pick basic foods normally found at your grocery store that will stay good for a while such as 

-granola bars

-nut mixes

-canned goods

-Microwave meals(some can be made with hot water)

You can go with foods found in outdoor/camping stores like the Mountain House line, which are pretty fancy MREs. They are pretty expensive though, you could probably try to find some coupons or buy a few when they are on sale.

There are also the traditional Military MREs. You can find these online and Im fairly sure at Army/Navy supply stores. These can be expensive too but I would honestly choose them over a commercial brand like Mountian House just because I know more about them. I would check the supply stores first if there is one near you, I would think you would have a good chance of finding MREs cheaper. It may not be a whole kit like they sell on line though. 

I've been lucky enough to have tried some MRE meals with Jared being in the Army. 

Spaghetti is not to bad. If you find one with the brownie stuff, EAT it lol! Most are edible enough if your hungry enough. 

One thing Jared did tell me though is that if you are not quite used to it, it COULD block you up a little....know what I mean??

He thinks its the "bread" since its really dense(it dries your mouth out pretty well) so I would just nibble on it, don't discount it all together though since its a good source of carbs!

Another component of the MRE(what ever type) is if you want your food hot. Now for me, food is food. Hot or cold, as long as I have food I will be fine. There are options though. What I have experience with are the "Flameless Heaters" that came with Jareds MREs. They are simple to use and get REALLY hot. 

What ever kind you get they can be used for other things too(they are a one time use thing though) like keeping your body warm in a pinch. 

They can be slightly spendy though so if it came down to it I would be buying extra MREs instead of the heater.

Then we come to water. Im finding out its sold in a few forms.

-Pouches

-(juice)Boxes

-Cans

All of these options, I feel, have a place and purpose. 

-Pouches- in our 72hr bags/kits. They make the most sense there for their size and weight.

-(juice) Boxes- In the car is where I would put these. They are perfect for kids and could be stored easily in car type compartments. 

-Cans- Either in your house or in a pre determined shelter you already have set. My in laws have property in the mountains that Jared and I have talked about as a place to go. Storing cans up there would be perfect, as long as we make sure to leave a can opener too!!\

Another water option is a back pack with a bladder. This is your run of the mill bladder. You can get backpacks with them or ones without(but still have a spot for them. Most packs that are made for them have a hole in by the shoulder area of the strap allowing for the hose to come out and then a loop on the lower part of the shoulder strap to secure the hose. 

Keep in mind though that a fully filled bladder can get kind of heavy. I filled mine at a festival for the first time and it was pretty uncomfortable to me. That could be the backpack though or my  bad back!

Along with this I want to mention having some sort of water purification. There are tools that you can buy to take with you that will purify like THIS but they are expensive and can be bulky. I would invest in one for maybe a bigger pack or shelter(like the land I spoke of), but for a 72hr kit I would say to go with water purifying tabs, smaller for your pack but they do take a little more "thinking" in making sure your doing the steps right!

I think thats all I can think of for right now for food stuff.

Really just do your research, find good prices, look around. You cant really go "wrong".