Last Updated on September 25, 2020 by
There are a lot of emergency foods on the market today and sometimes it can get a little confusing knowing exactly what all of them are. Below we will analyze what ration bars are and why they are important.
What Are Ration Bars?
Ration bars are high-calorie, high-energy, nutrient-dense, bars that are specifically made to get you through the really tough times in a survival situation. They come in solid blocks, that are scored to be cut into various cubes with a knife, and are very hard when you bite into them.
We are going to look deeper at emergency ration bars, or ration bars for short, and break them down so you understand the most popular brands, what to expect from them, and how you can use them in your prepping plans.
Emergency Food Bars Details
“Some brands taste better than others, but overall they all taste pretty descent (I did a taste test on Mayday, Grizzly Gear, ER Bar, and S.O.S. bars) and will help keep you alive if push comes to shove.
They can be thrown in a bug out bag or kept in the back of a bug out vehicle. The most important thing about them is that they have a 5-year shelf-life and provide and incredible amount of energy to sustain you for several days.
The best way to consumer these is to mix them in with some other type of emergency survival food because eating too much can’t be that good for you I would imagine.
These various brands of ration bars comes in a variety of different calorie counts per package such as 1200 calories, 2400 calories, and 3600 calories. I’ve even noticed that Mayday makes small individually wrapped bars that equal 400 calories.
Emergency Ration Bar Examples
I wanted to share a few examples of what “ration bars” look like commercially. You may have heard of the brand Datrex, which is a very popular brand among the prepping community. We wrote a little post titled What Is Datrex? earlier that you can read quickly. This is one example.
But if we look below, you can see three examples that are popular on Amazon which you can easily get a hold of.
Grizzly Gear Emergency Food Rations
Grizzly Gear emergency food ration bars is a branded product owned by Camerons. Camerons is known as the leader in Smokehouse Cooking Technology and has tons of grilling products for the home.
But in the prepping community, they are known for their emergency food bars. Their 3600 calorie bars are designed to be broken up into nine 400 calorie bars that you can eat at various times throughout the day.
Mayday Food Bars
Mayday is a very recognizable brand that has been around for over 28 years. They provide all types of emergency products including storage packs, water related products, lighting and heating, personal safety, pet preparedness, first aid and medical, and automotive supplies.
Mayday makes a wonderful apple-cinnamon flavored ration bar that comes in a 2400 calorie pack. With 19 grams of fat and 15 grams of sugar, this bar is designed to pack in the calories. Trust me, when you are hungry or starving, these emergency ration bars will be a life-saver!
UST Emergency Food Ration Bars
A safe, reliable source of calories and nutrients, UST’s Emergency Food Ration Bars are perfect for keeping in your bug out bag, backpack, or survival kit.
They have a 5-year shelf life and provide 2400 calories per bar, which can also be broken up into six 400-calorie portions. These bars weighs 18 ounces per package.
An excellent source of energy for emergencies, natural disasters, extreme weather, and more, the bars have a delicious apple-cinnamon flavor and a unique non-thirst-provoking formula, which means you don’t need water when eating these ration bars.
Some Thoughts On Product Quality
I wanted to comment on a few things that I see when people buy ration bars.
Taste
When it comes to taste, you need to remember that these survival foods are made with mostly enriched flour, sugar, and salt. The taste isn’t going to be like your mother’s home-cooking. These bars are designed to be part of your survival gear and prepping plans. You will only be eating these in emergency situations.
Fat
I see a lot of comments across the internet regarding the fat content in these emergency food bars. Don’t worry about the fat content. If it is a life and death situation, you are going to be craving fat so that you can keep your body functioning properly. Therefore, don’t be alarmed by the high fat content.
Carbs
I know we live in a society where carbs are the enemy. You will quickly notice that many of these ration bars have really high carb counts, such as 51 grams on the Mayday survival bars. Don’t fret about this. You are going to need carbs to keep your body going.
You have to keep in mind that you will probably be doing a lot more physical activities such as walking, gathering wood, washing clothes, etc. You will need all of the energy you can get.
Sodium
When it comes to sodium, you are going to see a little more variances than fat and carbs in these bars. For example, the Mayday bar has only 10 grams of sodium per saving, but when you look at Grizzly Gear bars they have 23 grams.
So if you are concerned with sodium, you can choose to go with a brand that better suits your needs in that area.
First Bite
I want to warn everyone ahead of time that these emergency ration bars are very hard. If you have teeth issues, implants, or any other ailments make sure you cut pieces off first and don’t bite directly into the hard block.
Once in your mouth, the emergency bars have a nice texture, sort of like a short-bread cookie, and will be easy for you to chew.
Ration Bars Q & A
What Do Ration Bars Taste like?
Many people are curious as to what ration bars taste like. Well, since there are several different flavors that you can buy, I will talk briefly about the main features of a ration bar’s tastes. First of all, the texture is more like a shortbread cookie than anything. They can be crumbly, but at the same time they are moist enough because they contain special amounts of water as they are meant for survival.
You may hear or read people talking about how ration bars taste like cardboard. This just isn’t true! There’s too much sugar in these ration bars for them to taste like cardboard. Again, these ration bars are designed for survival situations, therefore they are packed full of fat and calories so that you can sustain a prolonged cycle without food.
How Long Do Emergency Rations Last?
When talking about how long emergency ration bars last, you’ll primarily see them advertised as lasting anywhere around the five year mark. If you open these bars and then leave them in a zip lock bag, they won’t last as long of course. So make sure when you receive these emergency ration bars, keep them in a cool dry place and use them only for a rainy day.
The same goes with ration bars as goes with any emergency food supply – you are going to have to rotate your emergency rations. Because of this, you should be dating all of your packages so that you know which ones are getting close to their expiration date.
Final Thoughts
I’ve only given you a few of the brands that are on the market. You can read a full review plus watch a taste test video by reading our earlier post on emergency food rations.