Emergency Ration : Mainstay Emergency Food Rations - Case of 10 Packs

Mainstay Emergency Food

The purpose of these rations is to keep people alive despite limited potable water supplies. They've got plenty of vitamins and minerals, however, they are greatly lacking in sodium and other electrolytes. That's a benefit when potable water is extremely limited, but it's a curse if you'll be performing strenuous activities. Each bar contains only 23mg of sodium, which is 1% of the recommended daily allowance. That makes sense - any more salt is going to provoke thirst. But it also means that with any moderate or greater activity, you're going to be sweating out electrolytes, and these bars won't replace them. If you have any desire to fend for yourself in a survival situation (doing anything but sitting around waiting for help to arrive) I'd STRONGLY suggest adding a sports drink powder high in sodium and potassium. Same thing if you're planning on using them to replace/augment hiking rations.

The texture is heavy but crumbly, and doesn't seem to absorb much water. (The first two ingredients on the list are Enriched Flour and Vegetable Shortening; the shortening would repel water or saliva) Meaning: it's not going to provoke thirst anywhere nearly as bad as most baked goods.

The taste is similar to a lemon cookie. It's slightly cloying, but quite tolerable. Taste might not be a significant consideration for adults, but when you've got kids, you don't need the extra aggravation of one of them refusing to eat at meal time because they don't like the taste of their rations.

The packaging is a sturdy foil. Tough, but can be opened without tools, and can be folded closed to protect an unused portion.

All in all, I'm impressed. I wouldn't want to eat these things for a month straight, but they would be great to get by for a few days. They managed to cram 3 days worth of food into a package about 1/3 the size of an MRE.

Mainstay also markets 1200 and 2400 calorie packages, which are more conveniently sized for personal emergency kits.

Nutrition facts (summarized from the package I received):
Serving Size: 1 bar
Servings per container: 9
Calories: 400
Fat: 20g (36%)
Sodium: 23mg (1%)
Carbohydrates: 46g (15%)
Protein: 3g
Vitamin A: 50%
Vitamin C: 60%
Calcium: 50%
Iron: 10%
Thiamin: 15%
Riboflavin: 25%
Niacin: 30%
Vitamin D: 50%
Vitamin E: 25%
Vitamin B6: 90%
Folic Acid: 35%
Vitamin B12: 20%
Phosphorus: 40%
Magnesium: 30%
Pantothenic Acid: 100%

Categories: Emergency, Emergency rations, Food, Mainstay, Mainstay Emergency Food Rations, Rations