We have the results of the HungryZombies.com taste test of emergency rations!

These things are actually pretty good!  All of the testers, myself included, expected these to taste horrible, but to our surprise they were not bad.  Not super yummy, but not bad.  A fact all the more surprising when considering the brick like feel and weight of the vacuum sealed packs.  I didn’t expect to like any of them.

We tested the Datrex 2400 Calorie Food Bars, the Mainstay 3600 Emergency Ration bars, and the 2400 Calorie ER Bar.

The Datrex ration was the overall favorite in terms of flavor, texture, and packaging.  However, one tester hated it because of the coconut flavoring so if you don‘t like coconut then this one is not for you.  Everyone else was generally pleased.  One of our favorite features was that each bar in the pack was individually wrapped so as to keep the rest from going stale as you eat them over 3 days.

The Mainstay was the second favorite.  The lemon flavor was pleasant and not too strong.  The bars are also sectioned so it is easy to grab a single portion.  The texture was OK - a bit coarse, but not unpleasant.

The ER Bar was the least favorite.  The lemon flavor was similar to the Mainstay bar, but was not as strong.  Most folks didn’t like the texture as well as the other bars, but one thought it tasted more substantial and as a result might make him feel more full after eating a portion.  Another thing we didn’t like was the fact the bar was not pre-sectioned.  It is just one big block that required a fair amount of effort to break into smaller pieces.  Heh. Some went flying about the room in the process.  Still, even with these issues, it was certainly edible.

Sample 1: Mainstay Bar, Sample 2: ER Bar, Sample 3: Datrex Bars

Overall we were quite pleased.  We agreed, save for that fellow that hates coconut, that it would probably be best to buy a mix of the various bars so as to have some variety.  A little variety can go along way if you are forced to eat ration bars every meal.

Thanks to my co-workers that were kind enough to take part in this test.

Click here for more about other taste tests.

Update:  Even if you choose not to eat these, they still could save your life.  An unopened pack is pretty solid and could be used to deliver a swift whack to the head of a hungry zombie while shouting lines like "Eat this!"

The folks at Popular Mechanics have a great survival guide section on their web site with great tips on how to survive almost any type of disaster.  While these plans are not specifically designed with zombies in mind many of the same concepts apply.

It covers what supplies to have, what to do when power fails, suggested survival gear, and many other things to do in preparation and during a disaster.  It is a fairly quick read and is broken into sections so it should be easy to find what interests you.

I personally liked the printable checklists for survival kits for car, home, etc.    They make great starting points for folks, but most will end up personalizing them depending on their needs.  A couple items that never seem to be on these lists, but I think are essential for kits - especially for car kits - A hat and sunscreen!  If you have to hoof it several miles in the sun then a broad brim hat and sunscreen can save you a lot of pain and damage.

You may have seen the various emergency rations for sale online and wondered if they tasted good.  I figure it would probably be better that they just taste OK as opposed to good to discourage consuming them too quickly.  But, the question remains - Do these things taste alright or are they super gross?

Well, the folks at Popular Mechanics did a small taste test for us to help answer that question!  They tested the ER Bar, the Datrex White Ration, and the Mainstay ration bars.

The results are interesting, but I'm still going to order some and conduct my own taste test before buying a case of the stuff.

The favorite turned out to be the Mainstay bars, but they may not be for everyone.  Click here to read the piece at Popular Mechanics for more information.  It is short but interesting.

I will post my personal reviews of these products as soon as I get to test them myself.