# Zombie Bunker - or what foods have the longest shelf life **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 29, 2007, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388 "2007-10-29T00:39:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/1 "2007-10-29T00:39:00Z")
So I have just finished reading **World War Z** by Max Brooks, which is a pretty good read if the zombie genre interest you at all. As per usual after reading something like that you get to thinking, just as an intellectual exercise of course šŸ˜› about how youā€™d survive the zombie plague. The thought occured to me, say you go to the expense of building a snazzy little bunker, fully tricked out with all the latest survivalist gear, etc, but what food do you stock it with? For arguments sake if the zombie uprising doesnā€™t happen for 10 years, are you going to retreat to your bunker and find all that food has gone off? I noticed doing the grocery shopping the other day that even canned foods have a comparatively short shelf-life if you pay attention to the ā€œbest beforeā€ date on them. Is that the producers just playing it safe? and the canned stuff will actually last for years and years? So if you donā€™t want to have to replace the entire contents of your bunkers pantry every 2-3 years, what foodstuffs should you stock it with that will have an effectually unlimited life, or failing that a usuable shelf-life measured in decades? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/2 "2007-10-29T01:08:44Z")
Here is a place that sells [Freeze Dried](http://saratogatradingcompany.com/food_storage_in__10_cans.html) food in large amounts. I imagine that it can keep pretty much forever, of course it does need water at the very least, and maybe a heat source. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/3 "2007-10-29T01:19:18Z")
One roommate and I used to keep around those awful Nutrisystem meals around to prepare ourselves for the zombie outbreak. Theyā€™re just horrible, but they last forever. Of course, we also had an assortment of weaponry and tactical gear in strategic positions around the house. We were quite serious about defending against the zombie outbreak. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/4 "2007-10-29T01:20:29Z")
Cool website. It must be a survival nuts wet dream - freeze dried food, food bars, mini water filtration systems. I can start plans for my bunker now šŸ˜› They claim a 30 year shelf life on their freeze dried stuff - that would do the trick I think, šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/5 "2007-10-29T01:23:19Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] Of course, we also had an assortment of weaponry and tactical gear in strategic positions around the house. We were quite serious about defending against the zombie outbreak. [/QUOTE] Unfortunately the only weaponry I have around the house are a couple of cricket bats. Which could be useful depending upon which variety of zombies we get plagued with šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/6 "2007-10-29T01:26:59Z")
US Military MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) have a shelf life of 10 years. Iā€™m quite confident that they will supply nutritional sustenance for a much longer time than that. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/7 "2007-10-29T01:45:00Z")
Honey. Last literally forever. They have reconstituted honey from Egyptian tombs that is still edible. Pure sugar. Dried natural foods stored in a nitrogen environment will last the better part of forever. Beans, legumes, grain, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/8 "2007-10-29T03:17:18Z")
[QUOTE=GreedySmurf] Unfortunately the only weaponry I have around the house are a couple of cricket bats. Which could be useful depending upon which variety of zombies we get plagued with šŸ˜ƒ [/QUOTE] Easy solution: drive some fairly long (5 inch +) nails into one end of each cricket bat. Then you can use it as a blunt weapon to beat zombies away, and then when theyā€™re at a good swingspan (sic) you can slam a nail into their eye socket or ear to destroy them. Remember that Steven got out of a potentially deadly zombie grapple situation with nothing more than pure will and a screwdriver. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/9 "2007-10-29T03:23:35Z")
Er, Steven in the original Dawn of the Dead, I meant to say. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/10 "2007-10-29T03:28:16Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/11 "2007-10-29T03:38:00Z")
Sorry for making this a movie thread, guys :smack: ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/12 "2007-10-29T04:04:43Z")
[QUOTE=adam yax] Here is a place that sells [Freeze Dried](http://saratogatradingcompany.com/food_storage_in__10_cans.html) food in large amounts. [/QUOTE] I have to say, no matter how hungry I got, I donā€™t think Iā€™d be able to eat those kids. If I did that, Iā€™d be no better than the zombies. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/13 "2007-10-29T04:55:14Z")
[QUOTE=GreedySmurf] Cool website. It must be a survival nuts wet dream - freeze dried food, food bars, mini water filtration systems. I can start plans for my bunker now šŸ˜› They claim a 30 year shelf life on their freeze dried stuff - that would do the trick I think, šŸ˜ƒ [/QUOTE] But what if the Zombie Apocalypse happens in 29 years, 11 months and 25 days? Huh? What then? Weā€™re all doomed! ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/14 "2007-10-29T05:09:20Z")
[QUOTE=silenus] Dried natural foods stored in a nitrogen environment will last the better part of forever. Beans, legumes, grain, etc. [/QUOTE] Whatā€™s a nitrogen environment? (Crossing my fingers that itā€™s Tupperware.) ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/15 "2007-10-29T05:12:19Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] But what if the Zombie Apocalypse happens in 29 years, 11 months and 25 days? Huh? What then? Weā€™re all doomed! [/QUOTE] If it takes that long Iā€™ll probably be too old and infirm to make it to my Zombie Bunker, so those young whippersnappers who walk over me to get to the bunker can starve with their only food source having expired! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/16 "2007-10-29T05:16:09Z")
[QUOTE=fetus] Easy solution: drive some fairly long (5 inch +) nails into one end of each cricket bat. [/QUOTE] [Kang] And one day they shall make a cricket bat with a nail so big, it will destroy them all. [/Kang] ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/17 "2007-10-29T05:21:59Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] Whatā€™s a nitrogen environment? (Crossing my fingers that itā€™s Tupperware.) [/QUOTE] Air in package replaced with nitrogen. No O2, no weevils and other beasties. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/18 "2007-10-29T05:30:10Z")
Canned foods will generally last well beyond their ā€œbest beforeā€ date. I have eaten home-canned tomatoes that were 13 years old. They were delicious. I made chili with 'em. Helpful hint: if the canā€™s top is bulging, donā€™t eat the food. It means some microbe is at work inside the can digesting food and emiting gases. But if the can is in its original condition (no bulging), and not rusted through anywhere, the food inside should be edible, if not necessarily delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/19 "2007-10-29T05:56:30Z")
[QUOTE=GreedySmurf] Unfortunately the only weaponry I have around the house are a couple of cricket bats. Which could be useful depending upon which variety of zombies we get plagued with šŸ˜ƒ [/QUOTE] Bahā€¦all you need are [pool cues and some Queen music](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E8RugptCUE) (also from this ā€œHow to Kill Zombiesā€ video they use Cricket bats as well but not part of this bit) ---
**Author:** ![masterofnone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@masterofnone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/masterofnone)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zombie-bunker-or-what-foods-have-the-longest-shelf-life/424388/20 "2007-10-29T17:47:44Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] US Military MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) have a shelf life of 10 years. Iā€™m quite confident that they will supply nutritional sustenance for a much longer time than that. [/QUOTE] When I was in the ARMY (89-91), the MREā€™s they fed us had expired in 83. They tasted like crap, and Iā€™m sure many of the vitamins had broken down. Still, I never saw anyone have any ill effects even after a few months with no other food.