Are you in the hunt for tasty survival food? Because food for a Bug out Bag can be anything but that. When SHTF you won’t exactly have luxury dining on your mind. But your survival food supplies don’t need to taste like cardboard or have the shelf life of a Twinkie. So, grab a granola bar and buckle up your bug out backpack – we’re about to explore the world of survival cuisine and discover how to keep your belly full when the going gets tough. After this 5 minute read, you’ll know how to pick the right food for a bug out bag. You’ll also have a list of foods that you can use to get packing straight away.

How to pick the best food for a Bug out Bag: TL;DR

If you’re too busy for a 5 minute read, here’s the nuts and bolts of picking the best Bug out Bag food to sustain you when the SHTF:

1. Pack sufficient survival food supplies to get you to your bug out location. Most Bug out Bags are packed to last at least 72 hours. Check out this ultimate Bug out Bag packing list for 2023.
2. Look for high nutrition, calorie dense food that is lightweight, long lasting and can be stored easily at room temperature for long periods. Proteins are a great source of lasting energy but your body also needs a balance of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
3. Pack predominantly non-perishable foods and freeze-dried foods. Some fresh food is great if you can fit it in your pack weight for standard 72-hour bug out bag.
4. Check out our lists below for examples of dehydrated and freeze dried Bug out Bag food.
5. Freeze dried whole foods are better for you than MREs (meals ready to eat), but require more time, preparation and ingredients.
6. Don’t forgot your personal taste and preferences when buying your bug out bag food.
7. Get a couple of comfort food items to see you through hard times. You’ll thank us later.

5 factors for choosing the right Bug out Bag food

The 5 most important factors when choosing bug out bag food are:

1. Nutritional value – Nutrition is just all the elements we humans need for a balanced diet. Look for options that offer a balanced mix of macronutrients, such as protein, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as essential vitamins and minerals.
2. Shelf life – if you’re bugging out and you don’t know how long for, pick food that lasts for months without any refrigeration. Check out the dehydrated and freeze dried food options down below.
3. Caloric density – caloric density refers to the amount of calories per unit of weight or volume. When selecting food for a Bug out Bag, consider choosing options that have a high caloric density, which means they pack a lot of calories into a small space. This can help you conserve space and weight in your bug out bag while still providing the necessary energy to keep you going. Examples are meat, beans, legumes, oils, nuts, and coconut.
4. Weight and size – Choose options that are lightweight, compact, and easy to carry, as you’ll likely be on the move and don’t want to be weighed down by heavy or bulky items.
5. Your own taste and preferences – while taste is not your top priority, , it’s still important to choose food options that you enjoy and will want to eat. And pack some comfort food items – chocolate or candy for instance. Savouring these can help keep up morale during a stressful time.

So how do you go about finding this food? Keep reading for our 7 handy tips and resources.

7 Tips for choosing Bug out Bag food that meets your needs

1. Use our lists of high protein survival food supplies and healthy foods with a long shelf life to get started.
2. Use this chart to work out how many calories per day you need to plan for in your Bug out Bag, based on gender, age and level of activity. Plan for lots of activity in a typical day. Surviving can be physically tough work!
3. Use this US database to look up the calorie content (kal) and nutrient value for different types of foods you like – both whole foods and processed – to find nutritional and calorie dense options.
4. Think about dietary restrictions such as allergies or intolerances, make sure to choose food options that meet these needs.
5. Mix and match options to ensure that you have a variety of nutrients and flavors. Packing a combination of fresh, non-perishable, dehydrated, and freeze-dried options can cover all bases.
6. Don’t pack your food first. Get your Bug out Bag gear together before you plan your food. Use this table to work out what your bug out bag should weigh once fully packed. Then allocate a portion to gear, a portion to water, and a portion to food. The less your food weighs, the more gear you can take and vice versa. This process will help keep your focus on high nutrition, high calorie lightweight food options.
7. Check out this list of common long life foods which also lists as how long each food item will last.

Lets take a look at specific high nutrition, high calorie, lightweight But out Bag food options next.

Bug out bag food options

Non-Perishable Bug out Bag Food

Non-perishable food is food that doesn’t go off quickly or without refrigeration.

Examples of non-perishable food:

1. Canned goods – easy but not lightweight so try to minimise canned food options.
2. Nut butters – peanut, almond, hazelnut are some great examples.
3. Nuts and seeds – cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.
4. Trail mix – ads high calorie dried fruit and honey as well as grains and seeds to your diet.
5. Energy bars and protein bars – the epitome of high calorie and lightweight.

For a list of healthy and high protein non-perishable, dehydrated and Freeze-dried food types, take a look at this post ‘What foods can you store for long term survival (32 healthy high-protein options)’

If you’re interested in how to store non-perishable foods for the long term, check out this post ‘How to store food in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers’.

Dehydrated and Freeze-Dried But out Bag Food

Dehydrated food has been through a drying process to remove moisture. This helps to preserve the food and extend it’s shelf life.

Freeze-dried food as the name suggests is dried through an intense snap-freezing process. The outcome is food that is even drier than dehydrated food. Freeze-dried food lasts longer than dehydrated food for this reason.

5 dehydrated and freeze-dried food options:

1. Dehydrated and freeze dried whole foods – beans and peas such as fava beans and split peas, vegetables such as mushrooms and edamame.
2. Dehydrated and freeze dried processed foods – jerky, dried salami, pemmican.
3. Powdered foods – like protein powder, powdered milk, and powdered egg.
4. Dehydrated and freeze-dried meals – Meals Ready to Eat or MREs are the most popular examples of freeze dried meals designed for survival. You get the convenience of a whole meal in one lightweight bag. But there are some trade offs. You can read about these in the Pros and Cons section below.
5. Meal replacement bars – energy bars and protein bars.

Pros and cons of dehydrated and freeze-dried Bug out Bag food

Pros

These food groups are lightweight, low volume and can really pack a calorie punch if you choose the right foods.

Whole foods are best for you in terms of nutritional value. But you do have to pack seasonings and know how to turn whole food ingredients into a tasty meal you’re going to want to eat.

Packing your own freeze dried and dehydrated whole foods will also save you money compared to other options.

Cons

MREs and dehydrated meals can be full of salt and other preservatives. They’re not the healthiest option. They’re also much more expensive than pulling your own ingredients together into a good meal.

But they are convenient and time saving. You’ll also get total nutrient and calorie values on the pack, which makes it easy to pull together your survival meal plan.

Can you dehydrate or freeze dry your own homemade Bug out Bag food?

Yes. You can make your own dehydrated whole foods And doing so, at a large scale, can save you money.

Dehydrators are cheap. You can pick one up for $200. They’re simple to use. And best of all, the types of food you can dry is super versatile.

You can make your own dehydrated fruit, vegetables and even meat for your Bug out Bag.

However, it’s unlikely most people will fork out thousands of dollars needed to buy a freeze dryer. Most people will opt for store-bought freeze dried food options because of this cost.

Other Considerations for packing your Bug out Bag food

When it comes to packing a bug out bag, food is just one of the many considerations you’ll need to keep in mind. Here are a few other factors to consider when it comes to planning food to survive an emergency situation:

Hydration and water:

When considering the weight of your Bug out Bag, you have to think about both food and water because both add a lot of weight to your pack.

Standard practice is to prepare 3L of water per day per person. That’s enough for drinking and cooking in normal conditions. Hot conditions require more water.

You can either take that with you, or use known water sources along your route. Doing the latter will leave you with more room in your pack for Bug out Bag food. Instead of carrying a few kg of water, carry what you need to get to your first water source and pack a water filtration system and metal water bottle.

Food prep and cooking:

Don’t forget about food preparation and cooking options when packing bug out bag food. Pack a portable stove, fuel, a cooking pot, knife and utensils to allow you to prepare and cook food on the go. Your bug out bag pots and pans need to be multiple use. A 3 piece mess kit might be a good idea as you can use these for sautéing an for boiling. They also contain basic utensils.

One tip we’d always recommend is to sure you have some food options that don’t require cooking too, incase you can’t set up camp where and when you plan. You can pack protein bars, jerky or meal replacement bars to provide quick and easy sustenance on the go.

Storage and organization of Bug out Bag food:

If you want to make sure your food lasts, read this post about how to store food long term using mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. It has everything you need to know about keeping your bug out bag food safe to eat.

Keeping moisture, oxygen and light out of your food is the best way to prolong it’s shelf life and that’s exactly what mylar bags and oxygen absorbers will do.

Packing your bug out bag food in mylar bags means it is easy to access and organize. Just make sure you label each bag with what’s in it and the ‘best eaten by’ date.

Safety and sanitation:

It’s probably the last thing on your mind when building your bug out bag, but good hygiene and sanitation practices avoid illness and injury. Especially important when it comes to food prep and storage. So pack some hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in your Bug out Bag to maintain good food hygiene.

Conclusion

Packing the right food for a bug out bag is pretty important to your survival during an emergency. Pack enough food to get you to your Bug out location. Making sure that food is long-lasting, nutritious, high in calories, lightweight and low volume will help you physically survive. Selecting food that is tasty will help you survive mentally. Don’t forget the equipment you need for food prep, cooking, storage and sanitation. Oh, and include drinking and cooking water in your plans too. The aim is to balance enough calories and nutrition to support your survival goal, with a pack that’s not too heavy to carry.