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Mainstay 3600 Food Rations Review
The Mainstay line of emergency food bars by Survivor Industries exceeded our criteria to be included in our 72 hour kits and Bug Out Bags (long shelf life, lots of calories, fortified with vitamins & minerals, and it does not taste like a cardboard sandwich). The Mainstay food bars come in three different calorie sizes, 1200, 2400, and 3600. The nice thing is that you can buy them by the case or the individual bar. The packaging around the food bar seems very tough and durable. Based on Survivor Industries’ claims these emergency food rations meet or exceed DOD/Coast Guard standards and can withstand temperatures from -40 degrees F to 300 degrees F.
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What About the Taste
I was really surprised at the taste. We were shooting a video review of this product and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect on camera. We did the shot in one take and I was surprised at how good it tasted (all things considered). I am not going to tell you that the Mainstay 3600 bar is the new late-night snack that I have before I go to bed but I can tell you that you will not be disappointed if it is your food of last resort. The best way I can describe it is a lemon “girl scout cookie” flavored hard cake.
Pros
- 5 year shelf life
- Non-thirst provoking
- Meets Coast Guard and DOD standards for packaging and stability
- Ready to eat with 400 calorie sections
- Fortified with vitamins and minerals that exceed RDA requirements
- Made in the United States of America
- It beats eating bugs and grass
Cons
The one thing which I did not like with the 2400 and 3600 calorie food bars is that the food sections are not individually wrapped
But if you are in a bad situation and you are trying to conserve your food for as long as you can, the individually wrapped 1200 calorie Mainstay bars are the way to go in my mind. Are they a little more expensive per calorie? Yes, but we are talking about a few dollars that will provide you with peace of mind in an emergency. Also you will have the ability to spread load the bars in different parts of your pack, emergency car kit, or on your person. If you do go with the 2400 or the 3600 bars, maybe have a ziplock bag so that you can reseal the partially eaten bar to keep it fresh and dry.
A Second Review
Popular Mechanics Emergency Food Bar Taste Test (Click Here)
Conclusion
We hope you never have to eat one of these bars but if you do then at least you will not be grossed out. For their size and weight vs the number of calories in each bar, they are pretty tough to beat. Make sure you rotate them every 5 years.
You can pickup Mainstay Emergency 3600 Calorie Food Bar on Amazon:
- 3600 Calories per ration.
- 5 year shelf life.
- One pack of 3600 calories emergency food ration (9 pre-measured 400 calorie meals) with 5 year shelf...
- Meets the US Coast Guard standards. Meets SOLAS 74/83 requirement
- One pack of 3600 calories emergency food ration (9 pre-measured 400 calorie meals) with 5 year shelf...
- Meets the US Coast Guard standards. Meets SOLAS 74/83 requirement
Last update on 2024-04-19 at 00:02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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