Ensure

[RXBOT]

Ensure or similar products would be an ideal asset to have onboard. It's a meal supplement one 235 ml. = one full meal. 250 calories & all the good things from a to z. Also Heinz V8 juice, 90 calories and = to 3 servings of vegetables per individual size can. Both good 4 when u can't prepare a meal & both should be in your abandon ship bag.

[sailingdog]

Umm.. have you ever tasted Ensure... most flavors taste like crap. MREs are probably a better idea...and still taste like crap. BTW, the average person requires about 2000 calories per day... how is Ensure a full meal if it only has 250 calories???

IMHO, some of the fully-cooked canned foods would probably be a better bet, since they have enough calories to handle the needs of a working sailor. If you're out in bad weather, then you're probably burning more than your base number of calories...

[byrondv]

Going with pure liquids foods doesn't seem like the best option. And if your only reasoning is that it is a "full meal" and doesn't require preparation... there are much better options.

I would be much more interested in hydration in general then the number of calories I am getting in my abandon ship bag. I don't know about the rest of you, but I have enough calories saved up tubby rear to get by for a few days.

Remember 2-3 quarts of water per person, per day is recommended. Not only are these products not going to give you that much, but I would be concerned that they could increase the need for other liquids. Emergency rations that are USCG approved are designed not to increase thirst. And just because they are, in fact, liquid doesn't mean they are meant to be chugged down in 2-3 quart quantities per day.

[sailingdog]

V8 is a good example of a liquid you shouldn't drink too much of... look at the sodium level in the label... two or three servings is the max for most people's sodium ration.

[sailaway21]

The caloric content is too low, although there is nothing inherently wrong with them per se. The MRE's, or Meals Rejected by Ethiopians, are a much better suggestion. In all actuality, if you're contemplating a situation of high physical stress you'd probably do no better than a can of baked beans. There's a tremendous amount of energy in them and they "stick to your ribs".

[Sapperwhite]

Genuine military MRE's (not the freeze dried commercial deals) are between 1200 calories and 2000 calories per meal. They are compact, you can eat them cold (no water wasted on the heater pack), and some actually taste OK (the pound cakes are highly prized when you're in the field for long stretches). The only bad thing about them is the large amount of plastic waste involved with each meal.

Pedialyte is really good for recovering electrolytes from being seasick for long (puking all the time) and having bad diarrhea (eating bad whatever on a long trip). It doesn't taste the best, but it also doesn't have all the sugar that sports drinks have.

I'd have to say that 250 calories is very minimal. You wouldn't be able to keep up strenuous activity for very long on that.

[zz4gta]

I used to drink ensure, but it was used as a heavy snack b/c I didn't have time for dinner some nights between work and school. They served their purpose, and if you must drink them, make sure they're cold.