Questions regarding a BOB/GHB that is left in a car all the time.

[Kmcinnes]

Okay, so I keep my bug out bag and the vehicle with us at all times, I have packed some food items such as peanut butter, granola bars, peanuts, jerky and cocoa mix. Not sure on how long they will last and stay good to eat when stored in a car with hot summer and cold winters. The reason I am asking is because I'm going through my bag which I normally do from time to time, but have decided that I need to find out about the food storage if it's still good or not. I have had this food in my bag since last winter. I obviously don't want my family to rely on anything that might be bad down the road. Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[shibumiseeker]

The foods you have listed will be fine for many months to a year in a car under Indiana climate. I rotate out the food in my pack all the time though, it really isn't that hard to raid the pack for a snack once in a while as long as you remember to replace it.

 

[eldirector]

I pack my GHB and my "daddy bag" (I don't carry a diaper bag!) with snacks we'll actually eat. If we take something out, we replace it when we get home. Anything not eaten after a few months is swapped out. Not because it went bad, but I'm tired of carrying stuff I don't like to eat.

Right now, I think I have jerky, trail mix, and pop tarts in my bag. My girl has teddy grahams, goldfish, and a couple of those un-refrigerated yogurt squeeze tube things.

 

[the1kidd03]

Like already mentioned, they will stay good for many months.

If you prefer to avoid the headache/worries, you could always use the dehydrated emergency food bars from Mainstay, Mayday, or Datrex. They aren't the healthiest food in the world, or the tastiest. They sort of taste like a sugar cookie without the sugar. However, for the purposes of getting home from wherever you may be in your day to day life on foot, they will serve their purpose (provide you the fuel you need to go.) Good choice for short duration emergencies like that, but not the best option for long term food solutions. They are a particularly good choice for conditions like what you're describing and not have to worry about rotating them out very often. I have them in my vehicle emergency bag as well as my get home bag. In my day to day activities, there is virtually nowhere that I go which I cannnot hike to home within a 3 day time span. I can get by with those packs easily within that time/distance. Your situation may vary, but just a suggestion to consider.

 

[Dragon]

Get something like this, seal the food items up, and carry on as normal.

Amazon.com: 20 Mylar Ziplock Food Storage Bags 5.5"x7", 5mil: Everything Else

 

[Kmcinnes]

Most of the time were are not far from home, we actually work right across the driveway from our house, so most of the time we are close to home, I worry more about when we do take trips. To be honest I am bad about packing, so with my bag I try and keep it set up for longer distance travel, kids are young so we try and keep a bag in each vehicle that will supply my wife, both kids and myself for a number of days. We never eat from the bags, we save them for emergency only.

 

[shibumiseeker]

We never eat from the bags, we save them for emergency only.

Then make it a habit to swap the stuff out once a year and you are good to go with never having to worry about it.

Living out in the woods as I do my biggest problem is mice getting into my bags in the vehicles.

 

[Dorky_D]

The ration bars are in mine. I also keep some Cliff bars in there too.

I have heard about these having a shelf life of 5 years and 400 calories each, which is more than a Cliff bar.
Amazon.com: Millennium Bars Assorted 24-Pack: Everything Else

 

[Iroquois]

Best bet...rotate food every 3 to 6 mo. and water too.. I always keep water in the back seat floorboard, I figure I can carry 6 bottles. In the winter they do freeze, but a heavy duty gallon jug probably won't, in my experience. I will follow the Kankakee river home a good portion of my trip but I won't drink it without extreme measures to purify it. Food is a different story as you can eat frozen candy and sardines in oil, some nuts and fatty meats [SlimJims] . Summer snacks probably should be more carb-heavy, as protein taxes your kidneys in a low water intake scenario. Carrying enough to get home (I figure 3 days,tops for me) should not be that heavy, if you use your head.

 

[10-32]

The Cliff 'CRUNCH" granola bars and Snickers protein bars I keep in my bag seem to "dry out" and fall apart over the summer months in the car. I started changing those out every month. The jerky which I've kept in my bag for about 6 months seemed ok when I ate it two weeks ago. I couldn't tell any difference in it.

 

[h20addict3231]

MRE's and rotate them every 6 months

 

[10-32]

MRE's and rotate them every 6 months

Might want to re-think that. Keep in mind that temps in you car will be much higher than outside.

aPack Ready Meals - Self-Heating Emergency Meals

 

[1988-4551]

Rotation, like everyone mentioned is key. Peanut butter given time and warm summer temperatures will start to separate the oil which all you have to do is mix it up. To help keep things from breaking up you could put some of those smashable items in a rigid container....granola bars in an empty peanut butter jar etc.