should I bother with dried skim milk.with no fat it has less caloric density and it seems,less value as a survival food.any input?

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 24, 1999

Answers

I think probably that dried milk is cheaper. Neither it nor canned milk taste like fresh milk. Obviously its easier to open a can. But dried milk has a few more uses, I think. And certainly is easier to pack in a bug out bag than cans. But if water is a problem, get the canned stuff.

Taz...who has always used both and when we were out "on the chain" (Aleutians)we were damned glad to have either one.

-- Taz (Tassie@aol.com), July 24, 1999.

I'm more concerned about caloric density and available fat rather than humping my goods into the bush.the dried milk all seems to be skim,and fat is a valuable survival food.which makes me lean towards the canned.Lowfat diets produce hunger sensations,even if you've eaten a bunch of rice and beans.

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yahoo.com), July 24, 1999.

I want both canned and dry milk in my larder. I find the taste of the tinned stuff to be a bit thick, even when watered down; but mixed with dry, they're okay. Also, canned milk can be whipped with some sugar and used instead of whipping cream - I tried this and it tastes okay, too. I think we'll need some special treats. Just remember that canned milk takes up a lot more room than dry.

-- Tricia the Canuck (tricia_canuck@hotmail.com), July 25, 1999.

Zoobs;

Adventurefoods.com has whole dried milk (26% fat), $7.56/lb, can order as little as 4oz. They also have cream cheese powder - $14/lb, sour cream powder - $11.20/lb, shortening powder - $4.34/lb, maple sugar granules - $10.50/lb, honey powder - $4.90?lb, and butter powder - $5.46/lb. Besides supplying backpackers, they also outfit Everest and Antarctic expeditions. Their stuff may be a bit on the high side, but it's top quality--and where else can you find freeze-dried asparagus, tuna chunks, and ground beef? A little of some of the bulk items they carry will go a long way to warding off diet boredom.

If you have problems accessing their site, try e-mailing Jean and Sam Spangenberg at adfoods@dnet.net or phone 828.497.4113.

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), July 25, 1999.

git,you're the nicest lady I know

-- zoobie (zoobiezoob@yzhoo.com), July 26, 1999.

My guess would be that the price differential is availability and packaging. The nonfat stuff keeps longer in those boxes. Milkfat in cardboard would go bad fairly quickly. Old Git could probably confirm, but my guess is that the whole dried milk is canned.

I would mix the canned condensed with the non-fat dried to try and balance them out. Of course, we just discovered that my son has a milk allergy. Not good. Fortunately, they now have rice milk which has a lot of calcium and he likes it too. I've got lots of stuff to buy yet.

-- nothere nothere (notherethere@hotmail.com), July 26, 1999.