When I travel, I take my “Bug-Out-Bag” (BOB) with me for a couple of reasons – 1 ) If I lose any check-in luggage, I’m okay for several days until it’s found or replaced – 2 ) I experiment with new items to evaluate their usefulness. I always carry some food snacks like dried fruit or nuts. But I also carry some type of meat. Historically speaking, preserved meat would be jerky, but today’s counter-part employs preservation technology in the form of foil pouch packaging.

I’ve been using foil packaged meat as it has a slender profile and is somewhat lighter in weight than canned goods. In the local grocery store you can find plenty of fish pouches such as tuna or salmon (if you like fish). Otherwise, it’s slim pickin’s with SPAM pouches as the “other meat” option. In a Sports Department or Sports Store you can find the superior but more expensive foil pouch meals known as MREs (Meals Ready to Eat), but you’ll need to determine how much space, weight and budget that you can afford. Many of these meals have an amazing exothermic heating system that is quite remarkable.

When deciding on what food pouches to stock, take into consideration how isolated you expect to be from potential food resources as this my dictate the quantity and quality of your choice. The good news is that this type of portable food has a shelf-life in terms of years, and, new products are constantly being produced which gives us more variety.