NRG-5 rations or freeze dried rations?

[Omega]

I am not sure if I should get myself Readywise Emergency Food Supply or NRG-5 Emergency Rations in addition to my normal storage
Both have 20 years or longer shelf life. However, NRG-5 seem to me a cheaper and more compact option when you compare based on the same amount of calories. I also saw somewhere on internet NRG-5 were made for German Army
However, I am not sure which one is more balanced and which one is easier to eat in normal life for rotation - they both don't have meat, but have vegetarian proteins. And I believe Readywise may not have enough fibre, though suspect NRG-5 too
Both can be mixed with water, but NRG-5 might be easier to mix with cold water
Readywise has more flavour options, but I suspect I could mix NGR-5 with water and add flavour, most likely something what is used with porridge - jam, honey etc
Not sure how many I want to buy because they seem to have very long storage, probably 2 weeks worth for my family is enough, 1 month seem a bit excessive
What do you think?

[jennyjj01]

I am not sure if I should get myself Readywise Emergency Food Supply or NRG-5 Emergency Rations in addition to my normal storage
Both have 20 years or longer shelf life. However, NRG-5 seem to me a cheaper and more compact option when you compare based on the same amount of calories. I also saw somewhere on internet NRG-5 were made for German Army
However, I am not sure which one is more balanced and which one is easier to eat in normal life for rotation - they both don't have meat, but have vegetarian proteins. And I believe Readywise may not have enough fibre, though suspect NRG-5 too
Both can be mixed with water, but NRG-5 might be easier to mix with cold water
Readywise has more flavour options, but I suspect I could mix NGR-5 with water and add flavour, most likely something what is used with porridge - jam, honey etc
Not sure how many I want to buy because they seem to have very long storage, probably 2 weeks worth for my family is enough, 1 month seem a bit excessive
What do you think?

depends on what you are prepping for and what extended pantry you are fitting them into. Personally, they are not for me as you pay a lot for some specific properties. I think the NRG name gives it away. Lots of calories in a compact long life product. If only storing a few weeks worth and not rotating, I'd prefer lots of cheaper supermarket ready meals and do add them to regular diet. With rotation, shelf life is less of an issue.
A review... https://youtu.be/TckSQ-z_cC0

[Frnc]

Why do you want 20 year shelf life? This only makes sense if you have 20 years food stashed. If you only stash enough for 2 months, you only need 2 months shelf life.

There is the fact that in a bug-in you would eat more cupboard food than normal after the first week. So it might take you a year to eat your stock when rotating. So a year or two shelf life is preferable for most stuff. But you get this on most cupboard food anyway.

I do have a few freeze dried meals and ration bars in my BOB/EGB, these have about 5-7 years shelf life. The freeze dried meals need boiled water.

[ForgeCorvus]

The NRG are great.... If you want something you can stick in your car kit or Hotel bag and then just forget about.
If you need a food reserve, there are better (and cheaper) ways of doing that.

They're 'lifeboat' type rations, best to use them as such

[Frnc]

My ration bars are Seven Oceans. 2,500 calories per 500 pack, divided into 9 bars. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005ARF3PA/

[jennyjj01]

My ration bars are Seven Oceans. 2,500 calories per 500 pack, divided into 9 bars. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005ARF3PA/

Ouch at the price. 2 days low Cal diet for 12 quid..
I know it's not the same, but a 5 pack of yumsu noodles from B&M for 75p also has

https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/yum ... 5pk-391193
has 1700 calories for 75p...... Add boiling water and they are a tasty meal. A bit of chicken and sweetcorn and they are a feast..
Or for £12 at Home Bargains, A tray of 30 flapjacks with 15,000 calories.
https://home.bargains/product/d7013895- ... lavour-x30

I know it sounds flippant and argumentative, but a packet of those noodles or one of those flapjacks is lunch some days and they last ages. They do get rotated in, too !!!

If, post shtf, we can't boil a kettle, we are bu66ered.

Makes the NRG seem just a tad dear.

[Frnc]

My ration bars are Seven Oceans. 2,500 calories per 500 pack, divided into 9 bars. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005ARF3PA/

Ouch at the price. 2 days low Cal diet for 12 quid..
I know it's not the same, but a 5 pack of yumsu noodles from B&M for 75p also has

https://www.bmstores.co.uk/products/yum ... 5pk-391193
has 1700 calories for 75p...... Add boiling water and they are a tasty meal. A bit of chicken and sweetcorn and they are a feast..
Or for £12 at Home Bargains, A tray of 30 flapjacks with 15,000 calories.
https://home.bargains/product/d7013895- ... lavour-x30

I know it sounds flippant and argumentative, but a packet of those noodles or one of those flapjacks is lunch some days and they last ages. They do get rotated in, too !!!

If, post shtf, we can't boil a kettle, we are bu66ered.

Makes the NRG seem just a tad dear.

It is bugout bag food. Needs no water or heat. Expiry is about 7 years. I only bought one, and it was cheaper when I got it. I also have some freeze dried backpacking meals in my BOB which also have about 7 year shelf life, but these need hot water and they probably work out more expensive per calorie.

My freeze died meals are:
FYP = Fuel Your Preparation
FYP morning oats with raspberry 70g net, 346 cal
FYP scrambled egg w cheese 70g net 365 cal
FYP Vegetable fried rice 100g net 523 cal
FYP spicy pasta aarabiata 100g 385 cal
FYP 5 bean cassoulet 100g 589 cal

These are about £6-7 each.

The individual portions are also sold as Summit To Eat, to appeal to the hiking and climbing market, but these come in two sizes, both being larger. Eg the Spicy Pasta Arrabiata is 599 or 998 calories £7.99 or £9.99. You can split meals using heavy duty standup (base opens out) freezer bags. These will hold boiled water and stand up. You can seal the top to keep it warm and prevent spillage. It's better to use aluminium bubblewrap as a cosy while it cooks.

Instant noodles is a good idea, but what sort of website doesn't tell you calories etc? Noodles that come in plastic pots are a bit bulky for bugout. The ones in packets could be 'cooked' in the freezer bags I mentioned. You don't need to actually cook these.

Flapjacks are good, but what is the shelf life? I don't want to be eating a whole tray of them very often.

FYP also do tins with a 25 year life. I think inside the tins you get individually wrapped meals, but I'm not 100% sure.

[Frnc]

So in total I have 2,200 cals freeze died and 2,500 cals ration bars. If I thought I was evacuating for more than 3-5 days, I would be grabbing stuff like pasta, tuna fridge pots, died falafel powder, cheese powder, milk powder etc. Maybe even cheese etc from the fridge if I had that and there was power.

[Omega]

depends on what you are prepping for and what extended pantry you are fitting them into. Personally, they are not for me as you pay a lot for some specific properties. I think the NRG name gives it away. Lots of calories in a compact long life product. If only storing a few weeks worth and not rotating, I'd prefer lots of cheaper supermarket ready meals and do add them to regular diet. With rotation, shelf life is less of an issue.
A review... https://youtu.be/TckSQ-z_cC0
[/quote]

More to bug out than bug in. Also, I want to use it instead of my lunch when I work on remote client sites where it is hard to get some food without driving somewhere else.
I tried Seven Oceans - it reminds me Scottish shortbread, though expensive one. I know it lasts more than 5 years, but why should I get with 5 years expiry if I can get 20 and then not rotate at all because it will probably last for 40 years? Maybe then I can sell it to MRE collectors , so I won’t lose anything
There are videos where people compare NRG-5 with Seven Oceans and find NGR-5 is better tasting, especially if mixed with water (as I understand, Seven Oceans is better when there is limited water as it doesn’t cause thirst, unlike NRG-5). I will buy NRG-5 to try, but suspect I will be ok with taste as I am fine with Seven Oceans

[GillyBee]

It's like everything. A balance of cost and what works for you. Personally I tend to use "normal" energy bars in the car and bags and just swap them out twice a year. But I am mostly in the city. I pack extra as fresh for any longer journeys. If I was travelling in rural areas every day I would want something a little more substantial but would probably still just look for a year;s shelf life and swap out.