You will see these types of bars in many survival kits. Originally, these types of food bars were designed for use by the U.S Coast Guard for survival on life boats. Because they were designed for this intense survival environment, they are excellent for use in your emergency supplies. Here are the main attributes of food bars that make them great:

• Long Shelf Life –Unlike off the shelf nutrition food bars that only last 12 months, these high calorie survival food bars are designed to last for 5 years!

• High Calorie – Although compact, these food bars are very high in calories. They come in 1200, 2400 and 3600 calorie configurations.

• Non-thirst provoking – Because they were originally designed for use on life boats, these food bars are made to not make you thirsty. That is why they are not particularly sweet or salty. They are little bit bland for that reason.

• Lightweight, compact and durable – You don’t have a lot of room in a survival kit so space is at a premium. These types of food bars weigh less than a pound and a half and are very compact. That means you can get the calories into your 72 hour emergency survival kit without taking up all the space.

• Taste – While they are fairly bland in taste, they at least don’t taste bad. Some have a coconut cookie taste and others a lemony taste. But in a pinch you and your kids will eat them. My kids have eaten them.

At www.TheReadyStore.com we carry two brands of high calorie emergency food bars: Datrex and Mainstay. Here is the run down on each.

Mainstay food bars taste like lemon sugar cookie dough. They come in 1200, 2400 and 3600 calorie packs. The food bar is foil wrapped and the food bar has no other wrapping inside. They are flat and not as compact or easy to break apart as Datrex. They have a 5 year shelf life.

Datrex food bars taste like a coconut shortbread cookie. They come in 2400 and 3600 calorie packs. The entire food bar is foil wrapped and inside the foil the food bar is packed in 200 calorie small bricks for easy portioning. They are slightly more crumbly than the Mainstay bars, but they are more compact and easier to eat.