Suggested Beef/Venison/Buffalo Jerky for evacuation bag

B

Blue Jays

Joined
Feb 16, 2000
Messages
1,369
Hi All-

We've all seen many threads about what we carry in our bug-out bags with regard to food. Many have expressed their preference for healthy, high-quality jerky as a lightweight and easily-packed source of protein.

One of my favorite jerky suppliers (below) seems to have gone out of business. They were a fine firm with which to do business. It's a shame they don't seem to have been able to survive in the marketplace.

Mountain America Jerky
Attn: Chuck Watson
3558 South Depew Street - Suite 304
Denver, CO 80235 USA
Voice: 303-257-4711
Web: www.mountainamericajerky.com

With this in mind, do any fellow BladeForumites have suggestions for a source of premium-quality beef/venison/buffalo jerky? It is critical that the jerky be natural and made without MSG and other unhealthy chemicals. A search on BF didn't result in truly related threads. Thanks much for your advice!

~ Blue Jays ~
 
All jerky sold in the US has chemicals and anything without chemicals will expire due to humidity in the air.

You can make your own jerky if you have the time. You take your favorite cuts of meat and cut it thin with the grain. You don't want supermarket steaks cause they already cut against the grain, but if you go to a butcher, you can get an entire section. Ask him what a good cut for jerky is and chances are that he'll know. You can either dry it straight, or soak it in brine with or without hot sauce for a day before smoking.

Now, it's been a long time since I've done this, but you can put it in the oven with the door slightly open to let out the moisture. Heat at 160 degrees till thoroughly dried. This should keep for about a week at cool temperatures. Inspect for mold before consumption. For a bugout bag, a few protein bars and money should do for your food needs. Anything more and you're really looking at a survival kit.
 
For a BOB you need carbohydrates, not protein. Your energy "petrol tank" will soon run dry on beef jerky.

I'd recommend what a lot of high-distance cyclists use: Fruitcake!

maximus otter
 
If you could stomach it, jerkey covered in honey would do the job pretty well. Get a sealer and see how the stuff tastes in a few months at room temp. Just have one bite and wait a couple of hours, if no reaction have a bit more.

I'm guessing it will be fine without an air tight seal, but better to know and not need it than the other way around.
 
Hi All-

Thanks for the excellent suggestions so far. For a post just made in the wee hours of the morning, I can't believe the enthusiastic response! I should probably insert additional parameters to guide the discussion along the road:
  • Jerky should be available commercially, not homemade
  • Portions of 2-6 ounces per package is perfect
  • Durable weatherproof packaging, shrink-wrapped mylar is ideal
As far as the other pieces of the pyramid (e.g. carbohydrates & fats), we already have that component squared-away. Water has also already been addressed. My focus for this thread is specifically on dried meat.

My two previous suppliers were the courteous folks at MountainAmerica Jerky and before that at Ted Nugent's site. His jerky was branded as something like Wango Tango Wild Biltong, or something funky like that! Both offered a variety of flavors in a wholesome, chemical-free product. Thanks for your continued help in this search.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Hi All-

How about this...has anyone ordered jerky from The Beef Jerky Emporium out in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma?

It looks like they stock a couple hundred brands from a variety of producers...so it would be hard to "isolate" which ones are tastier than others. Let me know if you've heard of them or have any experience ordering from them.

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Hi All-

Oh, one other thing...if anyone has any experiences with exotic jerky like tuna, fowl, or elk, that would be helpful. Thanks!

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Just one comment on "exotic jerky". DO NOT BUY SQUID JERKY. If you do, you may find you negate your survival preparations when you commit suicide upon smelling it. :barf: My brother had some, and I made the foolish mistake of tasting it to see if it tasted any better than it smelled. :barf: :barf: :barf: Consider yourself fairly warned.
 
Disaster Monkey said:
Just one comment on "exotic jerky". DO NOT BUY SQUID JERKY. If you do, you may find you negate your survival preparations when you commit suicide upon smelling it. :barf: My brother had some, and I made the foolish mistake of tasting it to see if it tasted any better than it smelled. :barf: :barf: :barf: Consider yourself fairly warned.
Click to expand...
I like dried squid :grumpy: but as a kid I used to eat dried abalone. You had to boil the whole dried abalone for 24 hours and then let it dry for 48 before cutting it with a pocket knife into very thin strips. Don't even want to think what it would cost today,
 
Some dry squids are actually nice. It depends on who makes it. The better quality ones don't smell as bad. Dried fish are great too. Some people make 'em sweetish so it's a nice crispy snack.

I agree with Maximus about the carb thingy. For a BOB you probably only need some carbs. Maybe pop in a snickers bar or 2 as well. For survival you can have more fatty foods. Personally i like corned beef. You can fry it, you can eat it straight away. Plus you can do anything with it. Potatos, rice, onions etc. Best canned food ever!
 
Ok, then maybe it was just the squid jerky I tried. It was bad enough though that I wont be trying other kinds to see if their better! You guys who enjoy it are welcome to all of it.
 
Hi All-

Haven't yet tried any seafood-derived jerky, so I'll have to order a single 2 oz. sample with my next beef/buffalo order to see what it's like. I've only heard of seafood jerky in the past six months and haven't yet tried it.

Sygyzy, I checked into the Tillamook Country Smoker brand that you recalled. The owner seems like a very sincere businessman, but take a look at the list of ingredients from one of their typical products:
Beef, Water, Sugar, Soy Sauce Powder[(Wheat, Soybeans,Salt), Maltodextrin, Salt], Salt, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Monosodium Glutamate, Torula Yeast, Onion Powder, Spices, Garlic Powder, Spice Extractives, Sodium Nitrite.​
Skyline, that Wild Joe's Beef Jerky just might be the ticket. One thing is for sure...I don't mind paying a bit more for premium quality. These folks look like they're pretty serious about preserving the healthy aspect of real jerky. Have you tried any of the four flavors? I'm guessing the Cajun or the Hot might be the tastiest versions. The Lemon Pepper and Original flavors sound like they might need a bit more zing for jaded tastebuds!

The customer service folks at Ted Nugent's site had no idea who used to be their jerky / biltong supplier. I knew I should have saved one of those boxes!

~ Blue Jays ~
 
MSG is delicious and is one of the safest ingredients you can use. It's harm is overhyped especially since many people associate it with Chinese food which gives them headaches.
 
Hi sygyzy-

I hear ya'! People used to mention MSG all the time in restaurants, but you don't hear too much about it anymore...whether it's a decreased health risk or folks just aren't as concerned.

All things being equal, if I can obtain spiced jerky that doesn't contain any extra chemicals, I'm all for it. :cool: :)

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Blue Jays,

I haven't yet had the chance to try out Wild Joe's myself. They were featured on a show on the Food Network and I've been meaning to order a few pounds worth. :D The fact that they don't use preservatives or anything artificial is what caught my eye. Let us know how you like em!
 
Blue Jays said:
Hi All-

Oh, one other thing...if anyone has any experiences with exotic jerky like tuna, fowl, or elk, that would be helpful. Thanks!

~ Blue Jays ~
Click to expand...

Dont do tuna/salmon...

Dry flaking junky powdery YUCK! :(
 
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