Vitamins/minerals in BOB

[BrazilianSnowMan]

Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients and its a very good thing to keep a few days worth of vitamins and minerals in your BOB (mine is 45 days).
It may keep you going when the food is scarce.

[KhonHd]

A good point and something I never thought of... Thanks.

[BrazilianSnowMan]

I first read about it in "One Second After" or "Lights Out", cant remember. This guy was traveling on foot with his family and he mention that what helped him going was some vitamins he had.

[Spartan300]

I always carry multi-vitamins in my bob. I change them out yearly for fresh ones. In a pinch, those additional nutrients might just keep you going that extra few days until you are rescued, or you have found a better long term food source. Great idea if you ask me.

[kyratshooter]

Vitimins are not food.

They are essential for long term health but they are not food replacements.

It would be weeks before any vitimin deficency set in or caused a major problem and not really a concern for a BOB, which is a short term approach to any problem.

The psychological benefit of thinking you are doing something beneficial outweighs any real advantage.

[Wildthang]

All I carry is a few vitamin C tablets to help hold off colds or help cure one. I place more importance on the medical tablets I carry, like Tylenol, laxitive, Aspirin, sinus pills, and 6 of Vikadin in case something really bad happens.
I figure if you get sick or hurt, it is more important to cure that than keeping your vitamin and mineral levels up. But on the other hand, if you have room, vitamins couldn't hurt!

[BrazilianSnowMan]

Vitimins are not food.

They are essential for long term health but they are not food replacements.

It would be weeks before any vitimin deficency set in or caused a major problem and not really a concern for a BOB, which is a short term approach to any problem.

The psychological benefit of thinking you are doing something beneficial outweighs any real advantage.

I agree vitamins are not food.
But I disagree about it being useless in short term. I feel way better the whole day when I take my multi-vitamin. In any situation, even during normal everyday life, I want to perform the best I can. Imagine in a survival situation, I might not have enough food or even the time to consume it. I want a functioning body as much as I want a working brain. My multi-vitamins are here to stay.
To each his own.

Wildthang: I have a medical emergency kit pretty neat in the BOB. The vitamins are just an extra, it takes just a little space.

[Spartan300]

I agree vitamins are not food.
But I disagree about it being useless in short term. I feel way better the whole day when I take my multi-vitamin. In any situation, even during normal everyday life, I want to perform the best I can. Imagine in a survival situation, I might not have enough food or even the time to consume it. I want a functioning body as much as I want a working brain. My multi-vitamins are here to stay.
To each his own.

I agree. Since they weigh nothing and take up practically no space in a bob, why not have them? Naturally, they are not "food" but can supplement nutrients for you that your body may not be getting eating on the run or eating out of dumpsters, gnawing on wild game, etc.

[roar-k]

One of our local grocery stores had 1 year supply of vitamins on sale for $10 and they were BOGO as well. If I remember correctly they have a 2 year expiration date. I made two purchases and have a bottle I use daily and another I put away. The wife has a set as well.

[Desert Rat!]

I think what you must consider is, do you take vitamins now daily and will it affect the way you feel by not taking them? I know some people who take vitamins daily and if they skip a day or two they feel rundown or tired , now if its a physical or mental thing affecting them I don't know that but if its a normal thing you do you might put a few days worth in your bag, the only thing I keep in my bag like that is vitamin-C.

[hunter63]

Never thought about it, don't take them now, don't plan on it.......would be just extra weight as far as I'm concerned.
Nothing beats natural foods, more chemicals ingested are just that.... more chemicals ingested.

Y'all go ahead, just not for me.......

[BrazilianSnowMan]

Nothing beats natural foods

I agree 110%. lol
I dont eat balanced food most of the time. Im eating fried sausage, bacon and barbecue since monday. Tasty but not healthy at all. I need all the help I can get...hehehe

[hunter63]

Depending on 'store bought", anything, kinda flys in the direction of being dependent on those products....not a good thing if trying to "make do" with what natural provides.

[Rick]

The down side to herbs and vitamins is there is no oversight in the manufacturing or claims. The 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act gave safety and efficacy to the vitamin industry, which is a lot like asking the fox to watch your chicken. The FDA only oversees the labeling. While some vitamins are water soluble others are not which means you can over dose on them. Surplus water soluble vitamins are excreted in the urine so you can only store what your body uses. If you aren't deficient in water soluble then you are just wasting money because you urinate the entire amount. If you aren't deficient in non-water soluble then it is stored in your fat and you can slowly over dose over time. Your best bet is to consult with your doctor and determine, through blood work if you have deficiencies. If you do then target only those vitamins you are deficient in and monitor your progress with your doctor. I happen to be deficient in Vit. D so i take only that. I still don't have any assurance on their efficacy though.

[colorado plainsman]

I do carry emergen-c packets for a source of vitamins in the FAK. Don't want scurvy LOL

[Rick]

If you are near pine trees then you have not only a great source if Vitamin C but a free one as well. Pine needle tea is high in Vit. C and I think tastes pretty good. Don't forget that heat and long term storage can destroy Vit, C.

[Warheit]

I always take a multivitamin bottle with me, along with respective bottles of D and E. I have a little leather pouch for them and other medicinal type things.