Customer Reviews

Mainstay Emergency Food Rations. One Pack.

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm sorry about the other reviewer... maybe he is unfamiliar with the concept of survival preparedness. These are some of the best survival bars you will ever come across. First off, it is survival food not gourmet cooking, these bars taste like a lemon-butter cookie, and are crammed full of all the vitamins and minerals your body needs, and yes they have a high fat content, which you will need in an emergency situation, for energy. Ontop of all that, they are low protien, which means it takes far less water for your body to break them down into useful energy. They are pretty much impervious to heat and moisture and will last apx. 5 years, perhaps a little longer, they do not take up much room at all, and require no preparation...

I'm a "survivalist" in the sense that I live in a earthquake zone and also spend a lot of time in the outdoors far from civilization and prefer to "be prepared". I've tried different types and different brands of highly concentrated survival foods and ounce for ounce Mainstay rations are the best (for shelf-life, compactness, nutritional value, shape, and, yes, even taste).

They were originally developed (and USCG approved) for lifeboat survival, so I used to pick them up by the case at marine and boat supply places. Because of this they do not cause thirst or intensify dehydration, like other foods can (remember digestion usually requires water).

Each rectangular, airtight, watertight mylar-backed laminate plastic package is a little bit bigger than a double CD album (like the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack.... LOL), and consists of 9 blocks of food. Each block is the caloric equivalent of about 1 meal. So if you pace yourself, you have about 3-4 days of rations for 1 person in one package. I recommend at least one package for each member of your family. I read in a catalogue once that they were approved for use by all religions, if that matters to you (when you're starving).

I particularly like the shape of this package because I have a pocket on my "Go" bag which perfectly fits one Mainstay. (For those not familiar, a Go Bag is an emergency supply/gear bag that you can quickly grab on the way out the door or when bailing from a vehicle). I still use MREs, freeze-dried foods, and canned foods also, but Mainstays are a great back-up and like I said the most compact food energy source of all of them.

As for taste, I kind of like them and believe me, when you're hungry, they taste great. It tastes neutral, slightly sweet, to me, like a shortening cookie. I think the instructions advise that if rescue is not imminent, don't eat for the first 24 hours.

LOL... I can't speak to the nutritional requirements of non-human consumers, but I will just mention... dogs seem to like them.

As soon as you get them, write the Expiration Date on the front (like, "01/09") with a Sharpie so you can know which ones to eat first. Every few years, when I rotate my stock, I enjoy them for a few days of snacking.

Oh, and TSA inspectors don't like them in carry-on... LOL.

Calorie dense and pleasant tasting, but more important is the 5 year shelf life. Can be made in to a porridge by crushing and adding water. You will need a knife or scissors to open these well sealed packages.

I think these taste good. Like a lemon cookie, I had some that were expired and used them for late night snacks. They do have allot of good stuff in them. Should come in different flavors though, but remember it is a survival food and is not meant to be fancy.

I picked up two of these for my "bug out" pack. Each packet contains nine bars, weighs a little over 1.5 pounds and is fortified with vitamins, as well as a natural anti-oxidant. The five-year shelf life is awesome (mine expire in November 2014) and they will do the job if need be. Get yourself some of these and be prepared!

Only good through 2012. Better bet is to find this product while it still has close to 5 years to go.

This product tastes like a lemon sugar cookie. It will do the job to keep you alive, but don't expect a long term energy boost. There is very little protein, so the energy you get is from carbs.

I'll keep a few in the house and cars for absolute emergencies.

It claims to have a 5 years shelf life, but the expiration date on the packaged was 06/10... disappointed.

I'm an old boy scout, heart and soul. My motto is "be prepared". Emergencies are just that- something unforeseen that "emerges" upon us when we least expect it. Better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it. You can't always take a pantry of canned food with you everywhere you go, and the case of MRE's in your truck may be a long way down the trail when the SHTF. But you can throw this in a daypack and have a 3-day emergency food ration for a much smaller space than 6 MRE's.

I carry this in a Camelbak M.U.L.E. with some Polar Pure water purification crystals, an Aquamira emergency filter straw, a lockback knife, compass, Mag-lite, Swedish Firesteel, Tinder-quik, and a AMK heatsheets bivvy. There's still room for some extras and a compact packable rain jacket.

That's food, water and shelter for a good 3-7 days if you know what you're doing.

This product may taste like lemony sheet-rock, but it will keep you alive and moving if need be. If you're a LOTR fan, just pretend it's Lembas. Religious folks can pretend it's manna. Time comes to use it, you'll think it's heavenly.

I'm sure this stuff will keep you alive. As for taste, however, it is like a biscuit made with three times the fat and then soaked in oil. If I had been able to finish the one block I tried, I don't think it would have stayed down. If rationing your food is the point... well done Mainstay!