Costco Bulk Survival Rations

[Ben]

I just went to my Costco.com bookmark, and the front page was advertising this "Thrive" survival food in up to one year complete packages. Anyone heard of this stuff?

Around a year ago they were selling a "bucket 'O survival food" that somebody posted about here. I actually got that as I thought it was a good deal. I tried some of those food packets, and they're pretty good, though very salty. Just wondering what this stuff might be like. Price seems pretty good.

Costco Survival Rations

[Jim147]

I don't know anything about the brand they are selling. I let my Costco membership go eleven months ago.

The thing I would wounder about is the shelf life after opening a can that has fifty or two hundred and thirty six servings in it.
It wouldn't do myself or my family much good if we had to eat all of it in a week.

I do see a plus side to it if I thought I might wind up with a large group of people here after some kind of TEOTWAWKI. The down side would be Costco doesn't sell primers.

jim

[Fjolnirsson]

I have heard good things about Thrive brand. It's sold by Shelf Reliance primarily, so far as I can see.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

Anyone know what "beef TVP / textured vegetable protein" is?

The thing I would wounder about is the shelf life after opening a can that has fifty or two hundred and thirty six servings in it.
It wouldn't do myself or my family much good if we had to eat all of it in a week.

If TEOTW happens and you need to break open a stash of survival food, the problem of how to store all your extra food is a problem anyone would love to have.

[Jim147]

I'm just trying to come up with an answer to it saying a one year supply but having such large serving amounts per container.
I wouldn't be worried about this if the world ended.
I just like to ask the what were they thinking questions.

jim

[Vodka7]

Anyone know what "beef TVP / textured vegetable protein" is?
If TEOTW happens and you need to break open a stash of survival food, the problem of how to store all your extra food is a problem anyone would love to have.

Dehydrated soy-based meat replacement.  Closer in texture to wheat gluten than tofu.  Can be stored for a pretty long time dehydrated.

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

I'm just trying to come up with an answer to it saying a one year supply but having such large serving amounts per container.
I wouldn't be worried about this if the world ended.
I just like to ask the what were they thinking questions.

jim

Eh.  Figure 50-ish servings per can.  Figure you'll eat maybe 2 servings a day from each can.  Figure there's probably two of you, at least.  That means each can would have to last no longer than 12 days once opened.  Doesn't seem like much of a problem.

[Ben]

Yeah, I'm guessing being Costco, they are marketing this to the average 2.5 kids and a dog family. Being dehydrated, once it's opened, just like oatmeal or similar, if you put a lid on it and store in a cool, dry place it should easily last half a year after opening. A fifty serving container would give four people twelve meals (12.5 actually, but the dog's gotta eat too :)  ), so it wouldn't be sitting around too long anyway. Might be more problematic for just one person.

[Gewehr98]

May not need all that dehydrated soy protein after a short while, once you're bound up internally from subsisting on it for a few days/weeks.

Just a few weeks of MREs did that to me.  

[Wildalaska]

In a true TEOTWAWKI all the TVP primers ammo and guns in the world wont save 90% of us.

We are all so soft and civilized that two weeks without toilet paper and electricity will mean the end

I put my dollars on a bet that the only folks who ultimately survive will be pockets of rural poor agriculturists who are used to wiping with leaves and eating termites, and they aint white folk.

WildjustonelastwipebeforeigoAlaska TM

[brimic]

Just one more ironic thing to be buried with you under 1/4 mile of volcanic ash when Yellowstone blows up.

[Hutch]

I think y'all are missing a big point.  A major, national retailer is selling SURVIVAL FOOD?

This used to be the purview of either major suppliers to Mormons, or outfits that also wanted to sell you push-daggers, Danish Navy greatcoats, and water-purifcations tabs.  The fact that Costco sees a market for this is big news.

[Ben]

I agree with what Hutch said.

Also, other than hopefully a Zombie Apocalypse, my interest in these types of products is more for easy to grab stuff for earthquake, fire, or tsunami evacuation, or possible longer term infrastructure disruptions rather than TEOTW.

I bought my parents one of the "Buckets 'O Food" I mentioned and my mom commented how nice it would have been to have something like that when her family was on the road for 6 months after the Russians invaded and they had to high-tail it out of their village during WW2.

[Jamisjockey]

The packaging is kind of odd.  I guess once you open a can you've gotta eat it pretty quick then?   48 servings in one can? 

I think y'all are missing a big point.  A major, national retailer is selling SURVIVAL FOOD?

This used to be the purview of either major suppliers to Mormons, or outfits that also wanted to sell you push-daggers, Danish Navy greatcoats, and water-purifcations tabs.  The fact that Costco sees a market for this is big news.

I noticed an uptick in online survival retail since Katrina.  Just my observation, FWIW

[Balog]

I think y'all are missing a big point.  A major, national retailer is selling SURVIVAL FOOD?

This used to be the purview of either major suppliers to Mormons, or outfits that also wanted to sell you push-daggers, Danish Navy greatcoats, and water-purifcations tabs.  The fact that Costco sees a market for this is big news.

1. That's pretty funny.
2. It's also a really good point. Maybe all hope for rectal-cranial inversion therapy is not lost.

[Ben]

I noticed an uptick in online survival retail since Katrina.  Just my observation, FWIW

I agree. Katrina was a wake-up call to a lot of people regarding keeping at least a few days worth of stuff around the house -- which of course would create a merchandising niche.

Even the Northern Tool catalog now has a "get ready for swine flu" section. 

[mellestad]

Just one more ironic thing to be buried with you under 1/4 mile of volcanic ash when Yellowstone blows up.

Lol, nice.