One of the basic tenets of emergency preparedness is to have water and food or a way to procure water and food. I am of the opinion that you should have both with you at all times. Water is easy to keep with you. You can either carry a water bottle (or several), keep a mini water filter device in your bag, and be able to drink or fill your bottle where there is safe drinking water.

Food can be a different matter. Food can go stale if not properly stored. It needs to be rotated on a regular basis. It also needs to be able to hold up to being bounced around in a bag or a vehicle. Food for emergency purposes also needs to be easy to grab and eat. For my emergency kits, I tend to stay away from foods that have to be prepared by cooking or adding water. I also tend towards foods that I can easily purchase at the grocery store or Dollar General.

10 Best Emergency Foods to Keep Stashed in Your Bags and Vehicles

Nuts and Seeds

Dried Fruit and Fruit Leather

Trail Mix

Granola/Granola Bars

Meat Jerky

Protein, Cereal, and Breakfast Bars

Pretzels and Crackers

Applesauce Pouches and Small Fruit Containers

Freeze Dried Foods

Peanut, Almond, or Sunflower Butter Packets

I tend towards foods that are more nutritionally dense and with simple ingredients because my body no longer likes the extra sodium and sugar that comes with processed foods. I also can not stomach fake sugar well. You need to pick foods that are right for you. I know some of you are thinking that food is food. If you are hungry enough, anything will do. You are also right, but at this point, we can make good choices for our bodies and what we choose to store in our bags. We are not in a situation right now that requires us to look at food differently.

How should you store your emergency food? Some of these can handle being stored in a zippered plastic bag or a reusable plastic bag. Some of these will be crushed if they are in plastic bags so you may want to look at lightweight plastic boxes or metal tins for storage. You want to keep the food storage light in case you need to walk any kind of distance and have to tote your emergency goods.

You also need to consider the seasons. Most of the foods on this list can be stored year-round, but some of them will freeze in the winter. Likewise, some of them may not handle the hot temperatures in the summer and melt in their packaging. Some of you will want to include candy and chocolate in your emergency foods and they do not handle hot temperatures well in storage. By rotating your emergency foods every winter and summer, you should be able to avoid wasted or spoiled food.

Emergency foods and water are a necessity if you have any kind of commute during the day or week. You need to have these no matter how you travel on vacations or visits. You could be stuck in your vehicle for a few hours or days due to deteriorating weather conditions, accidents, or traffic jams/gridlocks. You might need to walk for a distance if you can not use your vehicle. You just never know so having emergency food and water on your person is a necessity.

Thanks for reading,
Erica

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