Building your Bug Out Bag: Food

Food is not a necessity in a Bug Out bag, because you can go without it for awhile. But it sucks to be hungry. Packing some quick and easy meals will help comfort you in an already bad situation and give you energy. You want to pack quick and easy foods to prepare.

Canned foods (soups/beans/tuna) are great but they may weigh your pack down.
Protein/Energy bars or granola bars require no preparing and give you calories and nutrients that will help you to keep going.
Dehydrated camping foods are light and keep well. If you do pack them make sure you pack a stove because they require hot water.
MRE's are excellent but heavy (unless stripped down). They don't need to be cooked but if you would like a hot meal they have their own heater.

I personally pack 3 MRE's that have been field stripped, as well as a can of tuna and lobster meat. The lobster meat is just a little luxury item.

You will also need to pack a cooking kit. This kit should contain eating utensils, a cup or small pot, and a stove of some sort. The situation may not allow you to cook over fire. The stove can be either canister or a esbit type stove. Esbit types are very affordable and are easily packable. Canister stoves are quick and efficient, and will work in even the harshest of weather conditions. The problem with canister stoves is they are bulky.

I carry the MSR Pocket Rocket w/ 1 Fuel canister, A hobo utensil set, and a GSI outdoors canteen cup.

A food gathering/acquiring kit isn't necessary, however I carry one. Because we cannot read the future we do not know exactly what our BOB will be used for. The situation will dictate. In the case it may last longer than 72 hours I will want to try to acquire food.

My kit consist of a few commercial snares and a fishing supplies tin. I will go over the fishing tin in the future.