Are Survival Tablets Worth the Investment? Weighing the Pros and Cons

While freeze-dried food packets are the most widely known and commonly used survival provisions for hikers, backpackers, skiers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, their drawbacks, such as requiring water, can sometimes leave people feeling unsafe or unprepared.

Survival tablets are a great alternative to freeze-dried food packets because they work well in nearly all survival situations regardless of immediate access to fire or clean water.

 Whether you are tired of hauling the weight of unused freeze-dried packets or want to ensure your safety in an emergency during an upcoming outdoor adventure, consider giving survival tablets a try. To learn more about how they work and what they are made of, continue reading below.

All About Survival Tablets

Survival tablets are an alternative to freeze-dried foods for backpacking and outdoor emergencies. They are made to replicate the body’s feeling of fullness while supplying the user with the required amount of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to prevent starvation when typical food is unavailable.

Survival tablets are a valuable addition to any outdoor pack or emergency kit because they are lightweight and relatively small. Sold in bottles of anywhere from around 100 to 300 pills, survival tablets can be individually packed into smaller vessels for practical usage.

One of the best benefits of survival tablets is their ability to store them for long periods. With a shelf life of 25 years when kept dry and away from harsh elements, survival tablets are a cost-effective way to be prepared when venturing into the wild.

The Nutrition Value of Survival Tablets

Designed by scientists and chemists who have studied the body’s natural breakdown without food over time, survival tablets have been specifically engineered to replicate the health benefits of eating a regular meal.

This way, if someone is stranded and needs the energy to search for help, they will not only be able to continue living without dying of starvation but also have enough strength to hike, swim, or tread toward safety.

A small individual packet of survival tablets containing 12 pills means that 12 survival tablets typically equate to one serving. While it might not sound delicious to eat your meals in pill form, these tablets are often the most appealing and successful option when it comes to a survival situation.

Each serving of survival pills has the following when it comes to nutritional information:

  • 100% Vitamin E, Vitamin D, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and Iron
  • 12 grams of fat, or 18% of the daily requirement
  • 240 calories per serving with 108 calories from fat
  • 30 grams of carbohydrates, considered 10% of the daily requirement

A single packet of survival tablets containing 12 pills is meant to keep a human adult alive for a guaranteed 24-hour period. If required, the user can minimize rations in half and use them for 48 hours in difficult or extreme conditions. While they can be used longer by taking fewer pills per day, manufacturers, product labels, or distributing companies do not suggest this.

Survival Tablets

Total Tablet Ingredients

One of the biggest reasons survival tablets work is their active food-like ingredients. Often made from real food-derived vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, survival tablet companies increasingly draw their ingredients from organic and non-GMO food sources.

Not only are the new and consistently improved survival tablet ingredients easier to digest, but they sustain the body longer with slower absorption and digestion rates than less healthy alternatives such as preservative-filled dried food packets.

The main ingredients in survival tablets that cause them to be so effective in keeping their users alive and feeling stable include:

  • Calcium phosphate or various acids depending on the brand
  • Non-fat dry milk solids
  • Sugars and acids
  • Vegetable oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil

 In addition to these essential energy-producing ingredients, the best and most effective survival tablets also include Folic Acid as well as:

  • Acetate and Niacinamide
  • Cyanocobalamin
  • Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and Vitamin D3
  • Zinc or Potassium

Along with all of the essential strength-producing ingredients and vitamins that can be found in survival tablets, companies have recently also been adding flavors like chocolate, strawberry, butterscotch, malt, and vanilla to make the crunching of the tablets much more pleasant and fulfilling than flavorless pills or simply swallowing them whole.

How to Properly Use Survival Tablets

The best way to properly use survival tablets for high-quality results is to follow the instructions on the box, bottle, jar, or packet you purchased. The survival tablets will also usually come with a small informational pamphlet to inform you of best practices for survival when food and water are scarce or completely unavailable during an emergency.

Even though survival tablets can be swallowed whole, it is best to chew them thoroughly before swallowing. This breaks up and activates its ingredients while allowing them to be absorbed in the mouth and under the tongue before reaching the stomach for digestion. Suppose you find the taste of the survival tablets intolerable despite their flavorings. If enough fresh and potable water is available, you will want to wash them down with water.

Conclusion

Whether you are a long road trip enthusiast who travels through deserts, mountain passes, and tough terrain, a skier going on long day runs, or a hiker and backpacker taking a trip through the backcountry, keeping survival tablets on hand is always a good idea.

Not only will they keep you alive in a difficult or dangerous situation when food is scarce or unavailable, but they will also give you enough energy to find help. With the quality life-saving ingredients in most survival tablets, you’ll have a better chance of getting yourself and others to safety when needed.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *