The Ultimate 3-Day Lightweight Meal Pack for Your Bug Out Bag meets the need of most Preppers in the South African scenario. It is put together to:
- keep weight and space down to a minimum,
- provide complete nutritional requirements and
- does not need a fire at all.
This means that all you have to consider is the carrying and acquisition of water, which is required for every situation.
Purpose of The Bug Out Bag
When putting your Bug-out-bag (BoB together you need to consider what the food that you put into the bag is supposed to do. Considering what your circumstances will be if you can reduce the concerns of:
- how you will prepare food,
- how long will it take and
- where will you be able to make fire,
You will have reduced your stress levels considerably.
The food needs to be nutritional, provide you with sufficient protein, be easy and quick to prepare and keep your energy levels up. The last thing you need is to find your energy levels lacking when you need energy the most. This could cost you dearly!
Resorting To Your BoB
We prepare our BoBs for a specific reason, and that is to grab and flee when our other plans cannot be followed. For instance:
- When you do not have time to load and or hook your trailer with your stores
- When your car, caravan or trailer has to be abandoned, for whatever reason,
- You could not get to your family before they had to flee so you have to meet them at a secondary point in a day or three, or
- If you have to flee on foot for any reason.
If you are on foot and only have your BOB, it needs to meet all your requirements effectively. Remember, some of you will be panicked by the fact that you are now on foot, possibly far from your destination and moving in dangerous circumstances. There will be many unknown issues to deal with. Make sure that you have considered your BOB contents carefully before you need them.
One of the biggest issues is that of food and water. If you have bought BOBs to suit each person, there will definitely be space restrictions and Mom and Dad will probably carry the food, shelter and most of the water to help the weaker members of the group.
Who Is Carrying The BoB
When planning your BOB, you need to consider who you are putting it together for. The younger the child, the smaller the pack they can carry. Maybe they can only carry some clothes and a snack for the day. The older children will be able to carry more and can share the burden.
It does not help to give BOBs to people that cannot carry them and move with reasonable speed and stealth. The more children and Frail people there are in the group, the more the stronger people will have to carry.
Try not to carry tents in your bag. You can make great shelters with plastic sheets, groundsheets and natural materials in most locations. It does not help to carry tents and then you cannot escape because you cannot move fast enough or become exhausted trying to run with all that weight. I know modern tents are quite light but modern groundsheets and plastic sheets are still lighter.
Food Requirements
Food is something that causes us great concern. Tinned food, although does not usually need preparing, is bulky, heavy and often difficult to carry, especially for kids and frail people. Space in a BOB is limited and you have to move, often quickly and quietly. A large, heavy bag does not lend itself to this and frail, unfit adults or younger children will find it difficult to carry.
Packing things that need fire to prepare, like dehydrated meals, means that you will have to stop and build a fire to prepare meals. This comes with the risk of smoke and the smell of cooking food. It also slows your progress down by however long it takes you to cook, eat, and wash your dishes to prevent illness and cover your tracks.
I find it far more practical to make up instant meals that only require water. To this end, I make use of high-quality meal replacement shakes and bars that are high in nutrients and protein, quick and easy to eat or drink on the move and avoid delays. They can even be consumed while hiding without the fear of the fire being seen or smelt.
Lightweight Means Faster
There will be circumstances where one needs to move quickly and quietly and in many circumstances, it will be difficult to do both, especially with a large or heavy BOB. Having a lightweight BOB will help one to move quicker and probably more quietly although, how you pack your BOB plays a huge role.
Have as few items, especially metal items, hanging on your bag as possible. These are what generally get hooked on everything and what makes the most noise when they bang against trees, rocks etc. Don’t forget a good torch, preferably one that you can recharge on a small solar panel.
No Fire
Generally, the last thing you want to do is to make a fire. In South Africa, we have very little snow and that is usually only on the higher peaks of the Drakensberg in late winter. So making fire for the cold is a relatively scarce necessity. Now I am not saying you need snow to reach very cold conditions. Ask me, I have walked patrols and best in Gauteng at -2 but there are ways to keep warm without a fire, and if you have planned properly, you will have the means to combat the cold.
Just Need Water
If you have planned your BOB food requirements carefully, you will have a food component that is lightweight, meets your nutritional requirements and does not require stopping to make fire or prepare food. All you will need is water and you need that to survive anyway.
You need to ensure that there is enough water for your entire group and you will need, on average 2 Lt per person per day. The first day is taken care of with the prepacked water that you keep with your BOB. You will need to look for water as you move and take every opportunity to collect water. Make sure that you have the necessary purification chemicals and/or equipment with you. You do not want to have to stop and make a fire to make water potable if at all possible. Making a fire should be your last resort but it must be done to ensure safe drinking water if you have no other means.
My Food Answer
I have done a fair amount of research on suitable food and meal replacements over the years and I have come up with a food pack that lasts 3 days. It contains 6 meal replacement shakes, 3 meal replacement bars, 6 high protein snack bars and 9 sachets of high energy drink powder to replace the electrolytes that you will have lost during your walking.
This pack is lightweight and I keep it in an easily accessible outside pocket on my BOB. I make long bags that take 200ml and pack them with my food. All I need to do for a meal on the go is reach into my BOB pocket, take out a sachet of shake and a plastic bag, place the shake in the bag and add the water. A quick shake of the bag and my meal is done. Made and consumed on the move,
Make Your Own Or Contact Me
If you are interested in making your own lightweight 3-day food pack, research, research, research. Finding cheap shakes could be your downfall when you need the best nutrition possible. Rather, choose a product on what it contains and what your body needs. It is a bit more expensive but, when you think that you could pay for choosing a cheaper substandard shake with your life, those few Rand are not worth it. Rather, pay for the best.
If you would rather buy a 3-day pack, you can contact me here for more details.
“It is better to have prepared and never to need it than to be unprepared and be in desperate need of it”.
Be Aware. Be Safe. Be Prepared!