What food should I put in my 72-hour kit?
I have been pondering that question for quite some time now. I know that our packs can weigh down pretty quickly by the time we load the food and the fuel to cook it with. Not to mention it seems like it doesn't pack the nutrition it needs. After reading and praying and trying to decide what would be required, I began by taking out all the cooking fuel, the MRE's, hard tack candy, (worthless for energy as it picks you up really quickly and almost as quickly drops you flat on your face) and chewing gum. I replaced these things with items that maybe weren't the most entertaining, but certainly more energizing and way more nutritious! Not to mention way, way, or should I say weigh, lighter!
First off was the organic wheat berries and water for sprouting, as I explained in my post about sprouts.
Second I put in some 100% dehydrated fruit leathers. Not the ones that have all the chemicals, sugar, MSG, and high fructose corn syrup-NOT THOSE! I repeat, 100% FRUIT leathers. You can buy them for a very reasonable price at COSTCO. You get a bunch of them for around $10. You can also find them at the health food stores for sale individually. However, you will pay more for them there. The advantages of these fruit leathers are simply this: they are light, take up very little room, they taste good and satisfy the sweet tooth, and they are real energy. They have not been heated to a high degree so they will still have some live enzymes in them that will help carry your body through what will be, if your using your 72-hour kit, stressful times.
The last food item that I put in my kits are little tiny things called Chia seeds that I bought from my food co-op. No, I didn't put them in there thinking it would be a fun activity for the kids to try and grow a Chia Head! I put them in there because of the amazing things I've read about them. Click here to read this article. It is a great, short explanation of the history and the benefits of Chia Seed. It is also recorded that the Indians running from the Colorado River to California to trade commodities would bring only Chia seeds for their nourishment. Knowing this story it was interesting to me to find out that Chia seeds are a muscle and tissue builder and an energizer, which improves endurance.
They have extensive hydration properties. They can absorb up to 12 times their weight, improving and prolonging hydration in anyone who eats them. The nutrition does not stop there. They have fifteen times more magnesium than broccoli, six times more calcium than milk (and it is good calcium that your body can assimilate), three times more iron that spinach!! It has been proven to be the richest whole food source of Omega 3's and fiber FOUND ON THE EARTH!
I was very intrigued to find out about some of the healing properties it has and so I consider it part of my 72-hour first aid kit also. But that, and the other items I consider vital for a 72-hour first aid kit are another post!
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5 comments:
Thank you for this post! I have thought along similar lines but have never thought about chia seeds! I'm excited about that!
We also carry light-weight cannery items like freeze-dried refried beans, potato flakes/pearls and freeze-dried fruits - things you could actually eat at a moments notice even without adding water or cooking, IF you needed to. I have barley max and carrot max in mine too - I get these from www.hacres.com .
Oh! One more thought: if you carry your sprouting seeds in a plastic baggie with a CLEAN white cotton washcloth, you can add water when you need to and they will grow right in your pack, no rinsing needed - you can always use the washcloth and the baggie for other things if you need to.
Wendy,
I like where your going with the washcloth and baggie thing. But could you explain more about how you soak them and just how you would use the baggie and washcloth. It sounds very clever!
Amy
Oh good info Amy! I will have to get some of those chia seeds! Would they be good just sprouted and put on sandwiches or salads? And yeah I agree with Wendy about the washcloth idea! A damp cloth in a ziploc bag with stay moist for a while! It may make it so you won't have to use as much water for sprouting. For a 72 hour kit it would be a great idea!
The baggie idea is not my all-time favorite sprouting method for everyday use (the washcloth is unnecessary when you have plenty of water, space and containers on hand), but I heard about it from a friend who loves it - she carries them, growing, in her purse!
I took a sprouting mix on a 72-hour campout last summer. I added water - enough to get the washcloth plenty soggy - and the seeds sprouted, because they were in contact with the water, but not drowned in it (this skips the initial soak-and-rinse). They were edible the next day and perfect by the third day. If the weather is really cold, you might want to start with warmer water and keep it somewhat insulated.
In warmer weather, you might want to avoid getting them too much too warm, and airing them briefly once a day might be a good idea. Otherwise, just eat them within a few days, wash out your cloth, and start again. The baggie makes them very portable.
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