Datrex 3600 Emergency Food Bar - 3 Day/72 Hour Bar - Single Pack

DATREX 3600 EMERGENCY FOODMy emergency kit contains a package of Datrex 3600 Emergency Food. What does it give me?3600 calories in 18 individually-wrapped portionsweight 24 ounces (measured on a food scale)dimensions: 2.5" by 3.5" by 4.25"shelf life of 60 monthslittle nutrition other than providing fat, simple and complex carbohydratesIngredients (food allergy notice!) wheat flour, vegetable shortening, cane sugar, water, coconut and saltA dietitian would be obligated to lecture you on how bad this supply of emergency calories is for you--but this old-school "iron ration" can keep your starving body from metabolizing your internal organs and your muscle tissue in an emergency. I think it tastes like a gritty shortbread cookie with the coconut taste evident, but then I have no issues with eating the military Meal, Ready to Eat (MRE) individual field rations either. Think "The Empire Strikes Back," Episode V of Star Wars, the scene where Luke meets Yoda: Yoda's comment on Luke's emergency ration was appropriate. Don't expect a five-star restaurant meal! These bars are high-carb, high-fat and low-protein. For lifeboat use low protein is good--protein raises your water needs even more than fat does for digestion.I purchased my Datrex 3600 Emergency Food in April 2011 and the package was marked with a manufacturing date of March 2011 and an expiration date of March 2016. I needed a reserve food source for my emergency kit that was low maintenance--something I could pack in my kit and not worry about for a while. I purchased two packages--one for my kit, and one for testing. The test package will be used on the job--sometimes I don't have time for a lunch break and my work days with commute are nearly 14 hours long.The wrapper is a mini survival manual, giving old-school advice on conserving drinking water. That advice is situational--if you are in a life boat on the ocean, conserving drinking water can extend the amount of time you'll survive dehydration. The instructions recommend one 200-calories bar every six hours for lifeboat use or one bar every four hours for "emergencies on land." The nutrition information on the package is useful in planning a survival kit--basically, these Datrex survival bars are empty calories. Even though high-carb, high-fat and low-protein mean that you don't need as much water as when you eat high protein meals, if you don't have water it is a bad idea to eat. For hard corps emergencies, empty calories are not a bad thing--they keep your body from eating your heart out under starvation conditions. As I said, I plan that these survival bars are a back-up food supply. I'll have other survival foods and vitamin supplements that don't have the shelf life, the low maintenence feature of the Datrex bar.I think outside the box. The 18 bars in my Datrex pack were individually wrapped. I wonder if they'd make acceptable fuel? I will have to test that out--learn burn time and how long it will take to get a pint of water to boil. I may need to purify a pint of water more than I need 200 calories. If opened carefully, the foil-lined package will work as a boiling vessel, holding about a pint of water.

This is the gold standard for packaging and longevity. They cost more than some of the competition but they are reliable, and do what they say that will do. They don't taste great, but they will keep you alive. They are intended to be put on a life raft and rotated out every 5 years. They will store under any conditions if the packaging and vacuum seal is intact. These are US Coast Guard certified.Package date 08/2022Purchase date 06/2023Expiration date 08/2027 (4 years and 2 months after purchase)If you are going to keep these in a pack or somewhere subject to abrasion, it's important to keep the vacuum seal intact, or the contents will be ruined and won't have longevity. For best results, keep it inside a couple of layers of something else... at a minimum, a heavy ziplock bag. That being said, they do use a heavy mylar bag and a really good vacuum sealer to package these up.

I bought several packages of these Aug. 2012. Just re-discovered them in storage and opened a pack. They look, taste, and smell the same as when I first got them. If they are still made & packaged the same way, then they are at least good for twice their stated shelf life.

Can be kept in the car trunk, "GO BAG", cottage, etc,... A palatable, easy to carry item. Contains a number of individually wrapped little bars, easy to eat one at a time, as you move. Does not need to be "washed down" after eating, but a drink of water after consuming doesn't hurt. I've kept these on hand for years!

While they do indeed have a 5 year shelf life, the ones I got were manufactured in 2022 (it is 2025) so they expire 2 years from now. Not very useful for longer term planning and storage.

The package has instructions for emergency consumption on it (as well as for water), making it very useful when you're not a survival expert. At 4.5x2.5x1.5" it's compact enough to easily fit in a bug out bag, backpack, or a nook in your car trunk.I opened my first pack to try it out. The individually wrapped bars are convenient but I remain skeptical that they retain the 5-year shelf life once out of the main package. They are wrapped in thin, clear plastic, but appear to have a good seal on them and are tough to open (good thing).They smell strongly of coconut once the outer package is open. This would be a concern for backpackers or woodland survivalists, as I suspect the smell is enough to attract wildlife.The taste is of slightly dry shortcake cookies with a mild coconut flavor. They are perfectly pleasant to eat, but head the instructions on the pack, and eat in small bites. It's surprising how little it takes to make it hard to swallow, as it will crumble and coat your mouth. They are thirst provoking but only as a function of their dryness. Just drink your water ration after eating one, rather than before, and you'll be happy.The outer package is very tough and I've heard reports of people eating these 5 years AFTER their expiration date with no ill-effects. Their shelf life is the same as the Datrex water packets so you can buy and rotate them together every 5 years.Pros:CompactTastyIndividually wrappedLong lastingCons:Shelf life likely less once outer package is removedStrong (but pleasant) smell once outer package is removed

The ad is misleading it is listed as having a 5 year shelf life. Mine had an expiration date of 2027 that's only 2 years.