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Thread: Is it Possible to Get 30 Days Worth of Food in a 5 Gallon Bucket?

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    Is it Possible to Get 30 Days Worth of Food in a 5 Gallon Bucket?

    My son and I were doing some quick numbers, 2k calories a day, times 30 days= 60k calories needed. Taking into consideration not only simple carbs, but protein, fats and nutrients, is it possible to fit 60k calories (plus the other nutritional needs), in a sealed 5 gallon bucket?

    We considered palatability, ease of use, shelf life, but what else should we think about?

    Here is the 1st list:

    4 large jars peanut butter (7500 calories per jar)

    Foil packs of tuna

    1 box Cliff bars (24)

    small bottle cooking oil

    20+ packets of rice mixes (yellow, with red beans, etc.)

    10+ packets of mixed dry beans

    small can powdered eggs

    small bottle of crystal sauce

    30 days worth of a multi-vitamin

    What else? Again, all must go into a 5 gallon bucket. and, some of the 'survival foods" suck with regards to taste, IMHO.

    What did we miss?

    Thanks, up front.

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    salt and pepper, Mrs. Dash, etc...

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    I saw a thing on "week in a bucket" that was based on regular food and not the survival stuff quite some time ago.

    https://survivalblog.com/alternate_f..._chemengineer/

    Quote Originally Posted by Bedouin2W View Post
    salt and pepper, Mrs. Dash, etc...
    Definitely. I keep a healthy stash of salt, pepper, hot sauce, blackened seasoning, etc.,etc. Sriracha goes a long way on helping some not so palatable food out.
    "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur."

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    I may be headed in the wrong direction - I wonder how many stripped MREs one could fit in the bucket.
    Nobody ever got shot climbing over the wall into East Berlin.

    Delivering the most precision possible, at the greatest distance possible, with the highest rate of fire possible.

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    MREs have water, which add no calories, take up space, and add weight.

    Using the Rules of 3, by the time one would be needing to use their food supply, they would have already secured a water source, so MREs would be a poor choice for what the OP is trying to accomplish.

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    Minor threadjack here, but I keep seeing folks buying the Wise food buckets, but I've read a number of reviews that suggest they're really bland. Anyone here have experience actually eating Wise food for more than a meal or two?

    Thanks.
    "We must, indeed, all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." -Benjamin Franklin

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bedouin2W View Post
    MREs have water, which add no calories, take up space, and add weight.

    Using the Rules of 3, by the time one would be needing to use their food supply, they would have already secured a water source, so MREs would be a poor choice for what the OP is trying to accomplish.
    I would assume the water packets would logically be removed from a stripped MRE. Likewise, one wouldn't need 30 spoons and 30 bottles of Tabasco.
    Nobody ever got shot climbing over the wall into East Berlin.

    Delivering the most precision possible, at the greatest distance possible, with the highest rate of fire possible.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Leuthas View Post
    I would assume the water packets would logically be removed from a stripped MRE. Likewise, one wouldn't need 30 spoons and 30 bottles of Tabasco.
    I'm not referring to water packets. I am referring to the water that is in the entree and other food items.

    Just think about how much more space and weight cooked noodles, rice, or pretty much any carb has compared to when that item is uncooked. MREs have a very high proportion of carbs:non carbs so adding MREs into the 5 gal. bucket would fill a lot of space in that container with water.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bedouin2W View Post
    I'm not referring to water packets. I am referring to the water that is in the entree and other food items.

    Just think about how much more space and weight cooked noodles, rice, or pretty much any carb has compared to when that item is uncooked. MREs have a very high proportion of carbs:non carbs so adding MREs into the 5 gal. bucket would fill a lot of space in that container with water.
    Gotcha. Good point, I wonder how it measures against 4 jars of peanut butter.
    Nobody ever got shot climbing over the wall into East Berlin.

    Delivering the most precision possible, at the greatest distance possible, with the highest rate of fire possible.

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    My kid said they would just take out the entree portion of the MRE, in pinch they would put it inside their outer layer, warm enough to eat.

    An MRE would prob. be a luxury sized item, space and ease of eating are big concerns.

    Peanut butter is fairly dense, stable, needs no refridge once opened, and the big thing, fairly good source of protein.

    Same with the foiled packets of tuna, soft shape, slim, easy to pack into round space. Beef jerky is expensive, but a lot fits in a small space, easy to eat.

    All this is dependent on a source of water and a way to cook the rice/beans which would prob. make up 1/2 the food.

    A Cliff bar covered in PB would be easy to eat (no cooking), fairly nutritious, and around 1000 calories. It would take the edge off.

    The little things like seasoned salt, black pepper, hot sauce would take very little room and would be welcome.

    My one gripe with all the freeze dried stuff was it was pretty bland and you had to cook most of it. Plus, it was expensive.

    I have to go to one of the warehouse stores this week, I'm going to price this stuff (prob. cheaper than a supermarket), see what is on the shelf, and put one together.

    A new, white 5 gal. bucket with a solid lid (no bung or openings) was $6 at my local paint store.

    Again, I'm shooting for 60K calories with enough fats and protein to go 30 days.
    Last edited by Spin Drift; 12-21-16 at 22:10.

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