Customer Reviews:
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 Something to think about, September 12, 2010
By Arthur Bradley (Eastern USA)
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I have mixed feelings about this (and similar) products that I categorize as "survival food." If you are looking to buy individual blocks of food that will last for 5+ years, then these are perfectly fine. Edible enough, but not something you'd normally break out for dinner - not even in most disasters.
I often point out to people that stockpiling survival food is usually wasteful and unnecessary. It is much better to simply increase your stockpile of "regular" food (e.g., canned veggies, rice, beans, boxed foods, shelf-stable milk, etc.). Nearly all store bought canned and boxed foods have a shelf life of many months to several years - detailed shelf life tables are online or in my handbook. I recommend establishing a 30-day minimum food stockpile - no tubs of beef jerky or crates of tuna. Just regular food that you keep rotated. With this level of supplies, you can feed your family a balanced diet through nearly any event, and that includes hurricanes, floods, pandemics, widespread blackouts, etc. It is true that you wouldn't be ready for truly world-changing events, such as if an asteroid hits the planet and destroys all civilization as we know it, but I would argue that being worried about highly unlikely events is not very helpful to living a productive life. It's much better to be prepared for likely threats.
You might think that 30 days of food is totally inadequate, and that's fine, stockpile more. But keep in mind that the average American eats 2,100 pounds of food per year. So keeping 30 days of food for a family of five might be about 1,000 pounds of food - definitely requiring a little creative thinking to store in most homes.
The bottom line is that the Mainstay emergency packs are perfectly acceptable food products, but unlikely to ever actually be eaten. Your money would probably be better spent on just shoring up your food supply. Just my opinion; decide for yourself.
Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.
Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family."
127 of 127 people found the above review helpful.
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 Great For Backcountry Camping, June 12, 2008
By J. G. Hayslett
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As my title suggests, these are excellent for Backcountry Camping. You have the equivalent of 2-3 days worth of food. It weighs next to nothing (2 pounds if I remember correctly), and can be eaten on the go. It's not gourmet dining to be sure, but it's not meant to be, and they still taste pretty good. I bought a whole case of these when I drove from the East Coast to Alaska and they cut down on my travel time because I wasn't stopping all the time to get fast food or some other obese-inducing garbage. As I said, I wouldnt want to live on the stuff, but it does have some practical uses besides stocking up for the apocalypse or some other craziness.
79 of 83 people found the above review helpful.
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One Giant Mediocre Cookie per pack., January 20, 2010
By The Raptor (Lurking in the Tall Grass)
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Each package contains 9 bars each. I was hoping that they would be separated, but instead it's one giant block and if you want a serving then you break off a chunk. This means that once open you have to consume they entire package within a few weeks or it will most likely start to go bad.
These actually taste pretty good for survival rations. It's somewhat sweet, like the so-so cookies you get out of a vending machine. One thing to note, is that they do contain trans-fats (partially hydrogenated oils) even though trans fats do not appear in the nutrition facts. I was planning to eat one cookie every week so I could slowly rotate out the old ones and always have a fresh supply, but since you can't open 1 serving without opening 9 and because of the trans fat I will just keep these in storage until needed. It's not a problem though. They have an expiration date of 4-5 years from when you get them (mine expires in 2014) so they should be good for 2012.
59 of 62 people found the above review helpful.
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 Box had bugs, January 19, 2011
By Babba
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When I opened the box, the packages had little crawly things on them. Very disgusting. One of the bars had obviously lost the factory seal and was no longer vacuum packed. Since the package was sent 2-day Fedex, it is hard to imagine that the damage was done in transit. If the damage was done in transit, it is a bit difficult to believe that the package would have been infested so quickly, especially with the super low temperatures we have been experiencing. Check your bars quickly and be certain the packaging is tight against the bars!
25 of 26 people found the above review helpful.
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Best in category, March 9, 2010
By Rev. Dr. Roger Dodds (Blythewood SC)
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I actually conducted a taste test for my family of five, on a scale of one to five (five being the best tasting) Datrex lost out to Mainstay. Daytrex- avg. 2, Mainstay-Average 4. What good is an emergency ration if it is not palatable.
Rev. Dr. Roger Dodds
22 of 22 people found the above review helpful.
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 Oh not sold separately, August 18, 2009
By W. Carney (Washington)
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The picture show's 6 blocks and so when you read 9 bars, I thought oh 9 bars and the bar is small. The bar is about as big as a dvd case and is in 9 parts not 6 like in the picture. 4 years 6 month on the experation of the the one I got but it's still a long time. Im unhappy with them not be shown properly.
19 of 31 people found the above review helpful.
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Nom nom nom yummy, January 7, 2010
By mwizz (Omaha, NE USA)
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These are survival bars, not a four course meal. They aren't meant to be tasty, they're meant to save your life (though they aren't bad at all). If i could afford to buy 30 cases of these, i would. Be smart, do yourself a favor, get prepared.
14 of 16 people found the above review helpful.
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 Be sure to make sure they are sealed, February 25, 2010
By C. Moran
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These are a good product, my first package arrived "open", that is they leaked air, and were not vacume packed but the packaging was loose.
It should be hard and tight like a package of coffee.
10 of 11 people found the above review helpful.
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What is with people!, August 2, 2010
By Todd Janese Jr. (Niagara)
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They are for surviving not for a snack. Put it in a zip lock after you open. And if your are realy having to survive you will have plenty of time to cut them into 9 pieces. And to the ones that have health problems or are on a diet, don't buy them! Or maybe they will make a lite one, or carb free, or salt free, no sugar added made with 100% fruit, out of soy no protien no artificial flvors, diabetic friendly version! Buy a granola bar if you want a snack.These and all other EMERGENCY FOOD RASHIONS are,[ now this is going to be a surprise for some of you's], for surviving!
8 of 14 people found the above review helpful.
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Clearly not sealed., April 29, 2011
By erynn reiss
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I ordered one pack of 9 bars. Not sealed is an understatement, it is extremely lose. This seems to be an issue with Mainstay, stay away from these things until they sort out their incompetents when it comes to sealing the bag.
7 of 7 people found the above review helpful.
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No nuts mentioned in list of ingredients, July 5, 2010
By Hal (Issaquah USA)
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I haven't bought this product yet, but probably will. I did check the Survivor Industries (manufacturer) web site, and there is no mention of nuts in the list of ingredients as of 7/5/2010. This is important for folks with nut allergies.
7 of 12 people found the above review helpful.
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The product is OK, but the price. . ., February 25, 2010
By BB (Los Angeles, CA)
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. . .is a rip off. I paid for this product before checking prices at the manufacturer website. Price I paid on amazon.com: [...]. Price on [...]. I've already thrown away the original shipping packaging. Now, do I go through the trouble of buying suitable packaging myself and return the item? It's almost an [...] difference. Well, in the end I am a little lazy. The seller is unavailable for feedback. Live and learn I guess.
7 of 17 people found the above review helpful.
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packaging issue, January 7, 2011
By pianogirl
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I bought three packages. The seal was broken on two out of three packs. The first defective one I sent back. The second defective one, I opened it to see if it was spoiled. Then I re-packed w/ my seal-a-meal. We'll see if it lasts. The one package that did arrive with the seal intact I put an additional bag over it and vacuum sealed it for double protection. Product itself is okay, it just needs more reliable packaging.
6 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Great Ration, May 13, 2010
By Richard Linkletter
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Have ordered these and other brands in the past. Will now stick with Mainstay. I agree on the packaging therefore the 4 Stars. Seal is good but will not hold up to any rough handling. Are fine on the shelf. Overcame that problem by vacuum sealing each packet in foodsaver bags for traveling. Ups the cost a little but hey, its insurance! I keep 1 pack per person in emergency kits and since we ATV, in our ATV Survival Kits. Of the brands, to me, these are the best tasting and least thirst causing. Go great with coffee too.
5 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Great concept, July 28, 2011
By Walter
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The concept of emergency food taken to the very basics ; a chunk of bread-like ration packed with calories , small enough so you can actually carry it and have it with you when (God forbids ) you need it , flavor is not actually bad , like a dry lemon cookie , but when in an extreme situation taste is the last thing on your mind , or should be .
Enough calories for three days but a little on the light side (1200 per day ) actually tried it for one day ( three bars , two liters of water )and it is far from satisfying your hunger , but the calories are there and is possible to go three days if needed , only problem is that my package arrived with a small hole and shelf life was compromised : four stars , will go to five if the company improves shipping to guarantee intact packages .
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Ash cakes!, October 20, 2011
By Melvarius (Washington, USA)
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I bought this for a test run (and to finish a free shipping order). It had an airtight seal and a little confusing at first to open if you don't see the notch. When I opened it, it smelled sort of lemony. I pulled out a block (keep in mind that there are nine blocks similar to a chocolate bar in one package) and took a bite. It tasted very unpleasant. Not unpleasant enough to not eat in an emergency, but enough to prefer an MRE (despite their ability to constipate you). This was not the "Pleasant lemon flavor which appeals to everyone" that I expected. I tested it with my sister and she immediately made a disgusted face. Then I tested it with my niece (She gave it back to me after her first bite). At first the taste is what you'd expect chalk to be (unless you have tasted chalk) and it is just an ashy cookie-cake thing; but it turns to mush after it stays in your mouth for a while (unless it disgusts you enough to make you spit it out).
TL;DR
Buy an MRE instead.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Yet to Taste - Heavier than Expected - All One Package, October 27, 2010
By Frank (New York, NY, United States)
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I should've conducted more research before purchasing. I really like the 5 year shelf life.
I didn't realize that it was one package which pretty much means the day you open is the day to eat all of it.
It's a little heavier than what I expected, it's going into my Go Bag for now until I can find a suitable replacement.
3 of 5 people found the above review helpful.
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Cha-Ching, August 31, 2009
By kilo199999999 (California)
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I'm so glad that my order only took like 2 days to arrive..They don't expire until 2014 and I'm hoping that I don't have to use them. They're cheaper now so i'm going to order some more.
3 of 6 people found the above review helpful.
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Don't get these for the taste, May 26, 2011
By neXus
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I was going to save these, but I decided, why not and busted them out. They are little squares that are about as thick as a pack of cigarettes, or if you put both hands together and they are about the size of your palm. They taste like lemon cookies. However, they are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. The packaging itself is great, its silver metallic. You could use that to carry water in. Make sure you have plenty of water when you eat these. They are dry. Not something that I would consider as a tasty snack, but it will get the job done. I just ate these things for a day and was actually pretty full for what its worth. They are emergency bars though and my experience was just a casual test run. In my own opinion, I would rather spend the money on MRE's.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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received it open, March 23, 2011
By Konig
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The products seem great and I believe theyll survive 5 years like it says. Problem is itll only last five years if it stays sealed, i ordered three of these and i received 2 of them very loose and definitely not sealed. i love this product but what use is it to me if it wont last me 5 years?
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Mainstay 3600, August 1, 2010
By JohnnyG
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The perfect ration-3600 calories-nine sections at 3 sections/day. Great to keep in the car with extra waters or minimalist rations for those mountain trips-Five year shelf life-excellent product.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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Compact Energy, March 10, 2011
By Adam R
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I have not tasted the product yet and have not opened it so bear that in mind. I purchased it for a survival/bug-out-bag. The product is dense and hard. It is vacuum sealed in a relatively thick metallic material. The packaging was not torn or breached in any way. It is about 6"x6"x1.5". To me, it is a compact, long lasting source of 3600 calories for an emergency bag. 5 stars even though I have not tasted it yet. As long as it is edible (the other reviews indicate it is), I am satisfied. It doesn't need to taste like pumpkin pie...it just needs to be an edible source of good calories in an emergency and this seems to meet that requirement.
2 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Pay particular attention to the expiration date!, October 26, 2011
By Alan J. Taylor
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I acquired some of these last year for my bug-out-bag I keep in my car. I didn't do a very good job of inspecting them when I received them; when I was going through my pack the other day, I noticed the expiration date on the packaging...Oct 2011! I'm sure you can still consume them without worry about getting food poisoning, but if your intent is to have something that will be good in a year, 2 x years, 5 x years, whatever, make sure they send you a product with sufficient shelf life and a good expiration date.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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No experation dates on the food???, October 10, 2011
By anomaly25 (Columbus, OH)
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I got a pack of these because I was close to free shipping on some other items. I figured I'd try it out and see how it went, but the expiration dates have been removed from the food so theres no real way to be able to tell if its safe for human consumption. I kept the one I bought though, figured if I was half dead I could take a chance on some expired food rations. Just be aware, dont buy this as your main survival food.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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decent. tases fairly good for emergency ration., March 20, 2011
By Tom in Philadelphia
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Decent. No coconut flavor, tastes slightly like a lemon pound cake. No idea what it's made of, but it will give you calories in a very small, light, and compact package. You will still feel hungry after eating the recommended ration, but the calories will be in there. For an emergency 3 day supply of calories (wouldn't exactly call it food or rations) that weighs in at under a pound, it's going in my 3 day emergency pack. Worth the weight and space it takes up.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Ideal for emergencies or adventures, May 12, 2010
By Olman G. Aguilar Gamboa (San Carlos, Costa Rica)
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This product can help you in times when food preparation is not possible.
It comes very well sealed and packaged,its size is large (like a small notebook)
and has a regular weight, but that's not a problem, since it is understood that this is food that has been pressed to maximize its use and every gram counts.
Its flavor is pleasant and if there was a situation in which there are more sources of food available, no doubt this is a good option.
Is pre-divided into blocks for ease of use and save what is not consumed.
I recommend this product as a very important addition to your survival , emergency or camp kits. It does not cause thirst and is easy to consume over a moderate period of time as the sole source of food.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Eat Only in Case of Emergency, June 20, 2011
By Michael (Kentucky)
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I bought two of these in case of emergencies such as ice storms, major power outages, etc.
I decided to try one just to see what it tasted like, I thought it might be a handy snack. I expected something like a lemon cookie. I was wrong. It was very little taste, but as the package noted it did not make me thirsty.
I could eat this in a emergency only if I had run out of canned soups and veggies, but I would not buy this for a snack.
1 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Well sealed, hope to never need it!, July 7, 2011
By Collin
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I hope I never have to use these emergency rations, but I feel confident that they will hold up in my B.O.B. The seal was nice and tight when I received it. Just to reiterate, there are 9 bars in one sealed package, not 9 individually wrapped ones. These have good nutrition- albeit I would like more protein.
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Never hurts to be ready, September 16, 2011
By Leith Tussing (Orlando, FL USA)
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I keep this items in my bug-out bag as they're very small and high calorie compared to other food stuffs. I have MREs as well mainly for when hurricanes hit but you can put 2 packages of these in the same space as 1 MRE giving you 6 days worth of food compared to 1 meal.
I've rated it 4 stars as I have yet to try them yet so I do not know how they taste.
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The worse best food, August 19, 2011
By Desert Knight
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One package has been open and on my counter for over a month now. It's hard but tastes the same. After a while it breaks down and turns to mush in your mouth. the flavor is ok, but in those times when you will need these, I'm sure they will be just fine. Just like "Ash Cakes" on the Wilderness Survival Merit Badge Night! lol I give these thing 5 stars
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Good product, but not from Amazon, August 9, 2011
By K. Curtis (San Diego, CA)
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I bought two packages of Mainstay emergency bars. One was vacuum sealed (necessary to be shelf stable for 5 years) and the other one was not. I returned the defective package and bought a second one from Amazon (the seller was SCS Collectibles, Inc.). Well, when I receive the second package it too had lost it's vacuum seal. I finally called the manufacture to complain and they were kind enough to send me two properly sealed replacements, for free! If you buy these, make sure you're getting a product that is vacuum sealed and has a relatively new production date stamped on the package.
**UPDATE** I forgot to mention that the product should be rated 4 star! It's compact, has waterproof packaging, and will last 5-years. However, I'm not sure what they taste like since I haven't eaten them yet.**
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No expiration date?, October 4, 2011
By Phony Saint
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I received the package fairly quickly, however I don't think it's wise to pack food into a box with holes in it. But that's an Amazon issue, not a product issue.
My issue with the food is that the lot number/expiration date on the food wrappers are completely illegible; they seem to have worn off. I may just return/exchange them as I can't tell if they're good now, let alone in 3 years.
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Perfectly accepable, November 25, 2011
By Book nerd
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They're different and I think better than the Datex because they don't crumble into dust upon touch and they don't make you thirsty at all. Are these *really* 400 calories each?!? They sure don't seem like it when you're eating them. They're in a sheet that looks like cornbread, and you break off the squares easily. I'll upload some picstures when I get a sec. Of course now I needed to put them in a ziplock bag as they're not individually wrapped but no big as I ate them over the next day or so.
This is enough for a bit over a day, I'd reckon. Of course you can stretch it as long as you can take it, but reasonably speaking, only eating 4 bars a day would leave you verrrrrry hungry! I'm just not buying that's 1600 calories. it's not like they're snickers or anything.
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Ready for Nuclear Fallout, November 17, 2011
By Cookie-Wookie
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The packaging keeps out radiation to a certain extent. This includes solar flare radiation, and nuclear radiation. The two types of radiation that damage the human body are: 1) Consumed by food or water, 2) breathed in through radiated dust/fallout. This Mainstay might be one of the only types of food that can block out the absorption of radiation.
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A good emergency ration, November 8, 2011
By plasmize
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This stuff is dry and flaky with kind of a bland coconut flavor. Not really what I want to eat on a day to day basis, but that's not really what it's for. Each 200kcal block is individually wrapped so it will have a longer life after being openned. Having a few of these in your emergency kit is a good idea since it doesn't take up a lot of room and is highly nutritious. I highly recommend this as an emergency ration.
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NOT MREs duh!, November 2, 2011
By Pakalo
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READ THE LABEL BEFORE YOU BUY THIS ITEM. THEY ARE BARS THAT CONTAIN CALORIE INTAKE FOR EMERGENCY FOOD RATIONS. unless your military its really hard and expensive to get mres so get these instead and you'll be just fine. they come with 5yr expiration and sealed tight. probably wont taste the best but survival and emergency means just that.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Mainstay 3600 Emergency Food Rations, 9 Bars, December 21, 2011
By E. Shapley (China Grove, NC USA)
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In my opinion, the best tasting and most nutritionally complete ration as compared to Datrex, ER Bars & Mayday. Has the texture of a shortbread cookie & flavor of a vanilla-ish sugar cookie. Comes vacuum packed as one large bar scored into 9 smaller bars (very easy to break apart) so carry a Ziploc bag with you to store the uneaten bars. That the bars are not individually wrapped is pretty irrelevant when you consider that if the situation at hand dictates you must subsist on this product for a day or three you will likely end up having to consume the entire package anyway.
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Two out of three..., June 9, 2011
By EastOfTheRockies
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Bought three of these packets. Two had airtight appearence; one did not. Returned it and refund in process. Items are solid appearing, compact and seem like a good buy.
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As Advertised, April 21, 2011
By Craig M. Buckhout
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Not much to say about it. No surprises. It arrived in a reasonable time. The packaging was secure. I haven't tried it for taste, so can't comment there. It made it into our car's emergency pack.
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Great for emergency rations, April 4, 2011
By M. MacBradaigh (Pacific Northwest)
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Great for emergency rations that don't take up a lot of space or weigh a lot. The date they are produced is stamped on the package as well as the expiration date (which is 5 years after production date).
I don't plan on munching on them for snack food around the campfire, but if I got stranded, stuck, or otherwise ran out of other food, it's nice knowing I have several days of food in one fairly compact package.
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Excellent service!, August 25, 2010
By JasonW
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Product just as described! Shipping was very fast and product packaging was secure. Highly recommended. Will do business again
0 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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