Multitool.org Forum
+-

Hello Lurker! Remove this ad and much more by logging in.


Food storage in car question.

us Offline captain spaulding

  • *
  • Absolute Zombie Club
  • *********
    • Posts: 20,793
  • What's the matter, kid? Don't ya like clowns?
Food storage in car question.
on: November 21, 2015, 01:12:59 AM
I think my car setup needs some attention as I never really put a whole lot of thought into my car setup. One thing I definitely want to address is food and water. For water there is not many options. I think a few standard bottles might be the best option. I know water bottles stored in heat can/will leak toxins from the plastic into the water. In a true situation where I would access these for drinking I will take my chances. Plus its always good to carry water in case you need it for your radiator or battery. Obviously distilled is what you want for any car use, but again, in a stranded situation it does not matter. My real question is about food. What would be the best food to keep in a car trunk. Take into account it will need to have a long shelf life and be stable in 20F ( -6.6°C) through 117F (47.2°C) or higher. It rarely gets that cold here in the winter, but will hit freezing 32F (0° C). In the summer it can get up to 117F (47.2°C) and i'm sure the inside of the trunk is MUCH hotter. The food would need to be able to remain at least somewhat edible. So what do you guys suggest or what do you keep in your car for food?
I'm the milk man!


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

  • *
  • Zombie Apprentice
  • ********
    • Posts: 17,517
  • I'm not a pessimist, I'm an experienced optimist!
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #1 on: November 21, 2015, 01:24:05 AM
I only tend to keep foodstuffs in the car over winter (other than gum and mints and stuff) in case I get stuck somewhere, and I tend to have them in a coolbox which protects them a bit from temperature extremes. I might have a couple of canned food items, maybe some chocolate, cup soups, instant coffee sachets... simple non-perishables. Our summers aren't as hot as yours, but even in a coolbox, I personally wouldn't consider storing foods in the car for more than a day or so.


The cantankerous but occasionally useful member, formally known as 50ft-trad


cy Offline dks

  • *
  • Absolute Zombie Club
  • *********
    • Posts: 21,691
  • Bored
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #2 on: November 21, 2015, 06:53:35 AM
Planning a quick escape?  :)
A lot will depend on how often you renew these items. Canned food is usually boiled before canning so it should not be noticeably affected by the heat, for  a few months. Anything preserved in a metal or preferably glass container should keep better than the same item stored in a plastic container. Maybe some dried army style biscuits, a Sak with a can openner .
People here, in similar conditions, have canned food in cabins/sheds in their fields where it will get very hot in the summer and it seems to keep OK.

Kelly: "Daddy, what makes men cheat on women?
Al : "Women!"

[ Knife threads ]  [ Country shopping guides ]  [ Battery-Charger-Light threads ]  [ Picture threads ]


us Offline David

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,603
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #3 on: November 21, 2015, 09:08:38 AM
Mountain House Just In Case bucket, Seychelle water bottle w/extreme filter and a Water Brick
002.JPG
* 002.JPG (Filesize: 53.57 KB)
What? Enablers! Are you serrrrious? Where? I dont see any.
Hold Fast


spam Offline comis

  • *
  • *
  • Zombie Apprentice
  • ********
    • Posts: 11,149
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #4 on: November 22, 2015, 04:57:27 PM
I have read that certain Mountain House products could be mixed with cold water and still somewhat edible, such as the chicken salad.  It might be a viable option to consider since dehydrated food can last longer than most shelf food, and probably have less issue with high/low temperature.


us Offline sawman

  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 9,745
  • You're amongst friends.
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #5 on: November 22, 2015, 05:09:22 PM
Having something to eat and drink on hand is EXTREMELY important!

The other night we were stuck for 2.5 hours in a traffic jam after a semi overturned blocking all lanes. We finally were directed to head back the opposite way back off the interstate but luckily we had snacks and drinks on us to get us through. We're both diabetic and our blood sugar had gotten dangerously LOW. Having those snacks and cokes on us may have saved our lives!!!
SAW


no Offline Steinar

  • *
  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 3,435
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #6 on: November 22, 2015, 05:55:01 PM
biscuits and crackers seem to last forever if packed properly.


no Offline Grathr

  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,681
Food storage in car question.
Reply #7 on: November 22, 2015, 06:38:37 PM
If you wrap the bottles and food in a warm fleece blanket (might be handy to have as well) you'd be surprised by how stable the temperature inside will be.

Baby food might be a solution. Dry baby porrige can be mixed with cold water and be eaten after a few minutes. Its also full of carbs.
I bet some of the wet baby food in glass jars will last a good time too as long as its not exposed to direct sunlight.
-Knívleysur maður er lívleysur maður.
 "A Knifeless man is a lifeless man" old Faroese proverb.


us Offline sawman

  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 9,745
  • You're amongst friends.
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #8 on: November 22, 2015, 06:49:28 PM
We happened to have beef jerky and peanuts.
SAW


ca Offline jzmtl

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 8,551
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #9 on: November 22, 2015, 08:06:48 PM
I throw a couple of crunchy granola bars in there, doesn't really taste good any more after two or three years but still edible.


scotland Offline Sea Monster

  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 4,237
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #10 on: December 03, 2015, 12:05:52 AM
I've generally got food in my pack.

Long term....MREs are an option.
I don't know about Canada, but USA ones are pretty edible. Space-wise you are better off stripping them down to what you want and repacking them in something smaller.

(Australian MREs are disgusting, but in a survival situation, they have heaps of food in them, and are probably better than nothing.
Having said that, so is cat food.)

The hardest part I suppose is expecting something to last.
Your best bet might be to just make it a habit to have a food on you.


(You could also get a water tank and fridge fitted to your vehicle, it works for me :P )
« Last Edit: December 03, 2015, 12:09:21 AM by Sea Monster »


us Offline Higgins617

  • *
  • *
  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 3,303
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #11 on: December 03, 2015, 05:47:14 PM
I've got a little bit of everything, Clif bars, canned food, some pretzels. Then I have basically a full case of bottled water I keep in a metal milk crate.
I'm a total legend..... in my own mind- Herley


us Offline Alan K.

  • Thread Killer 2019
  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 6,574
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #12 on: December 14, 2015, 07:31:10 AM
I wouldn't consider long term storage due to temperature fluctuations.  Anything stored in the passenger compartment won't last as long as what you store in the trunk because it gets so hot inside a car on sunny days.  Canned foods and bottled water stored in a vehicle should be rotated out monthly, and any can that is swollen should not be opened and should be disposed of.  You might just get a box of meal replacement bars such as Cliff's bars or Zone Bars, and keep them for a few months. You can always get some MRE's but they won't last more than a year in the trunk of a car.  I just take a 72 hour kit of supplies for comfort and convenience as well as rations in the car if I'm going on a road trip, but I don't keep anything in the car on a regular basis.  In Florida heat nothing will last very long.  If I lived someplace where I might face being stranded by a blizzard I would carry a 72 hour kit all through the winter and would include food, water, shelter and warm clothing, as well as candles and a metal coffee can to put the candles in for light and heat, or to build a fire in if I had charcoal or wood, but don't build a fire in the car!  That is only for when you're stranded somewhere where you can set up some shelter outside of the car.  My 72 hour rations for the car in winter would include a couple of cans of beans or chickpeas, a couple of cans of spam, or tuna, or sardines, a couple of cans of ready to eat soup, saltines and a jar of peanut butter. 


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

  • Head Turd Polisher
  • Administrator
  • *
  • Just Bananas
  • *
    • Posts: 65,920
  • Optimum instrumentum est inter aures
Re: Food storage in car question.
Reply #13 on: March 11, 2016, 02:16:45 PM
I usually keep some granola bars or something similar in the car.  Since I work out of my car they tend to get rotated via my digestive tract, so I never worry too much about anything being old/expired/ruined etc.

You can probably get a lot of mileage out of various nuts like peanuts or almonds as well.  I've posted this many times before, but these things do happen often enough around here, particularly in winter.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/province-aims-to-avoid-repeat-of-cobequid-pass-storm-chaos-1.720715

Being one of fifteen hundred vehicles trapped for 16 hours in a blizzard is not how I want to have my ticket punched.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


 

Donations

Operational Funds

Help us keep the Unworkable working!
Donate with PayPal!
March Goal: $300.00
Due Date: Mar 31
Total Receipts: $379.86
PayPal Fees: $19.62
Net Balance: $360.24
Above Goal: $60.24
Site Currency: USD
120% 
March Donations

Community Links


Powered by EzPortal