Juice vs Water in Preps
Posted by bookofp@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 49 comments
Does anybody keep juice as part of their preps. We have a lot of water but a few gallons of juice means that some of the liquid we ingest in an emergency would have calories as well. Not sure if there are other issues with keeping juice on hand though.
robbhurst@reddit
I think powder mix would be a great addition.
Preppermom92@reddit
We have a lot of juice because my kid and my husband love it. What I do also have is powdered juice. Just add to water. It's easier to transport than actual bottles of juice, and in the event of an emergency, you can chose whether you need the water or the juice more.
If you get juice, it only has one purpose, which is consuming it, while water can be used for several things.
Dapper-Hamster69@reddit
I have dried juice power like gatorade. Does not last forever, but I do switch it out from time to time with fresh in preps.
I store a ton of water and have several filters, big and small. You will use a ton of water in cooking most meals, and if you end up working out in the heat you can do water or gatorade.
Beebjank@reddit
How long does powdered gatorade last? I have some as well but my dad has a bag of it from like 2005. I would imagine it's hard as a rock, but should still dissolve into water and be safe to consume?
Dapper-Hamster69@reddit
That is one of those odd questions. I know many go past the date some, but 20 years is a bit much for me. I cycle it with other food.
bellj1210@reddit
Same here- I always have at least 1 of the large cylinders of a powdered drink at home- normally 1 i am working on and a backup (hence at least 1). Past that it is just water and i keep it semi reasonable by having collection (right now for watering the garden) and filters.
TheSensiblePrepper@reddit
I store 8 one gallon bottles of shelf stable orange juice at all times.
The purpose for this is whenever someone in the House starts to get sick, we all start drinking orange juice right away. No waiting for me to get to the store for fresh stuff.
I started doing this in 2022. While it might just be anecdotally, we have found that other members of the house seem to not get sick once we do this when the first person gets sick. Your mileage may vary.
Maleficent_Mix_8739@reddit
We make our own powdered instant juice mixes in our freeze drier. Works great as a healthy water flavoring.
Grouchy-Platypus4673@reddit
Looking for the most reliable (not necessarily cheapest) water filter for long-term emergencies. Thoughts?
Individual_Run8841@reddit
Katadyn from Switzerland, have a nice range of reliable Waterfilter.
I have the Pocket Wasserfilter, wich is good for about 50.000 Ltr. and an additional Maintenance Set with extra O-Ring’s etc.
and I have a small one the BeFree wich is good for a maximum of about 1000 Ltr.
My thinking behind this is the following, in a Emergency with Water is down, I first use the Water stored (Glasbottles) from wich I have enough for about a month…
If the emergency is still ongoing I would start to use the small filter maybe at week three or even at week two of the emergency, so to always have a buffer of the stored water.
If the need arises to filter more water (take care of more people or it appears foreseeable it will still go on longer, than I would start to use the bigger one…
(Last but not least I have from them also the SteriPen UV Light Water sterilisier wich I could recharge with my small Solar setup)
Grouchy-Platypus4673@reddit
I'm compiling data on water filters based on technical performance and real-world failure rates, not just marketing. I'm looking at metrics like log reduction rates for viruses/bacteria, filter lifespan, and ease of use under stress. What's your experience with brands like Sawyer, Lifestraw, Berkey, or others? Which model has proven most reliable when it absolutely matters
Paranormal_Lemon@reddit
Sawyer (regular not the mini) is decent. Keep in mind once used they cannot be subjected to temps below freeziing. They are nice to keep in a pack, car etc. But for long term you want to have the ability to boil, use activated carbon for removing chemicals.
ExtraplanetJanet@reddit
I have a large container of Tang powder in my emergency supplies because I don’t have a lot of other good sources of Vitamin C in my storage. Vitamin C doesn’t have a terribly long shelf life but it’s okay because every Christmas I can make a big batch of Russian Tea to give out and buy a new container of Tang.
JanieLFB@reddit
I keep apple juice for stomach issues. Rotate it. It only goes bad when it sits out too long. Apple juice shouldn’t have SCOBY!
Ayiti79@reddit
Primarily water. However if ai want anything relating to juice I just keep a mixing powder of some kind.
ArcaneLuxian@reddit
I have kids, so juice is already important. When I buy one I buy 2, I dont like having at least a couple gallons of it around. I also keep powder juice packets and electrolytes. Shelf stable is best because I have have a few bottles on hand at any given time.
incensenonsense@reddit
Drink powders like some suggest have their benefits and will actually taste good, and are great for rotating storage.
A longer shelf life alternative is having sugar, salt, and “no-salt” potassium salt, separately, that can be mixed with water to make a rehydration fluid that also provides calories.
very_squirrel@reddit
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_rehydration_therapy
very_squirrel@reddit
Yours is one of the few science-based answers here. Nicely done!
premar16@reddit
In my pantry I have a whole drink section
In it I have
water
teas
coffee
cider mix
cocoa
gatorade mix
juice
drink mix
shelf stable milk
gingerale
meal replacement drinks
I know some of this will not last me years but it is enough for several month to one year. I just use it and rotate when on sale
SunLillyFairy@reddit
Packaging matters. Canned juices last longer than boxed or bottled, and bottles lose vitamin c fastest due to light penetration.
Citrus juices (pineapple, orange) have more vitamin C, but non-citrus (apple, grape) hold up longer.
There_Are_No_Gods@reddit
No, but that's primarily because we prefer healthier options even now, such as water and minimally processed food. Most commercially available juice is mainly just water and sugar, with all the fiber and most of the nutrients stripped out.
What I store for prepping is mainly plain old water, but also some powdered mixes, mainly Liquid IV.
SunLillyFairy@reddit
We store canned fruit in 100% juice. I also have absorbed acid in powered form in Mylar in our freezer. In that form it retains 60-80% (15-20 years) potency for many years after its use by date. If it's not sealed right and takes on any moisture, it will degrade quickly.
AlpacaSwimTeam@reddit
If you've got a Brazilian grocery near you, they typically have a powdered juice packet section. The flavors are fantastic and I'm pretty sure they're shelf stable for a long time. Take your Google translate device if you need help figuring out what things are. Honestly tho, they're cheap so buy one of each, log what you like, and prep those when you can. They're great and I've been using them for over 10 years instead of electrolyte drinks.
Scared_Category6311@reddit
I have powdered Gatorade in my supply.
Cherimoose@reddit
I try to store the calories separately from water, to maximize options.
infinitum3d@reddit
I stock a couple hundred cans of soup.
They’re MREs, just peel open and eat. Calories plus liquid. Inexpensive.
Progresso mashes some great High Protein ones.
BelleMakaiHawaii@reddit
I prefer freeze dried juice, it stores easier, and is very versatile
infinitum3d@reddit
Auguson Farms version of Tang is excellent!
DerthOFdata@reddit
Water lasts forever. Juice has an expiration date. You can store water and forget about it for decades. Juice you need to keep track of and rotate regularly.
Retributxon@reddit
Little late to this but I have 3 cans of powdered orange energy drink stashed aside. I thought it'd help alleviate from having just water
poppyseed84@reddit
I keep those single serve emergen-c packs, which won’t get oxidized/wet like a big container of tang. I keep some canned, caffeinated sodas around for extra pep when I need it (need to re-up… just finished of my 12 pack of cola I bought two years ago :) ). I have some other single serve drinks on hand, but mostly just store water. Single serve for non-water fluids is my go-to, since you can throw them in a bag for travel, they get finished quickly and don’t need refrigeration.
myself248@reddit
Store what you drink, drink what you store. I try to buy my usual drinks a month or two ahead of the need, so there's that much worth of my daily consumption sitting on the shelf at all times. Some of that is water, some is pop, some is fruit juice, some is V8. I've gotten away from Gatorade and replaced it with V8, which feels just as hydrating but is also a fraction of a meal.
DeafHeretic@reddit
I have a well, so plenty of water. I prefer juice, but this year I have been drinking almost solely ice water (I freeze a half liter water bottle that is about 75% full, add water and drink until the ice melts and the water is no longer cold). I have two bottles and alternate use.
I do have some frozen fruit juice concentrate, and sometimes I mix it and use that instead.
I also sometimes drink the spicy V8 juice - about one glass a day, if that.
Altruistic_Key_1266@reddit
Powdered juices that have lots of vitamin c. Like Tang. Or country time lemonade.
Longjumping-Army-172@reddit
Actual juice will expire quickly. I'm not convinced that powders will do much more than add flavor. Do they still make the frozen concentrates? Haven't had those since I was a kid, but I imagine they'd keep longer.
Lethalmouse1@reddit
A lot of juices last about as long as any logical rotational.
If you are otherwise drinking juice, many have sealed shelf lives over a year. So unless you are talking 20 year bunker, you're good.
Also, a lot of juice doesn't necessarily just go bad, so much as ferment. Little teenage hack lol.
Longjumping-Army-172@reddit
I wasn't sure as to what kind of prepper or juice we were talking, so assumed the worst.
I agree that someone that was on top of their rotation would be good with canned or bottled juices with no waste.
Also, a few bits of bread and a balloon with a pinhole will speed the prices...lol.
Lethalmouse1@reddit
I wouldn't have a 20 year bunker unless I could afford to live without a paycheck for 20 years.
I also think 99.89% of all 20+ years apocalypses, will still afford some sort of acquisition.
Having 6-12 months of functional, likely carries you to 18-24. And if you make that period, you're probably in a positive position by not being destitute.
2 years to ramp up my farming.
Traditional_Key5372@reddit
I always keep a couple gallons of apple juice that the kids like, but there is an expiration date to those. For long term, I grab the Tang powder mix. 100% of daily vitamin C and Calcium. I'm sure there are other power brands that have more vitamins or different flavors.
JenFMac@reddit
Tang from the dollar store for the win!
davidm2232@reddit
I keep around 10 gallons of cranberry juice on hand. It is a nice alternative to water if I don't want to have a beer or soda. It is also a much healthier mixer for alcohol than soda or energy drinks.
I also have a few tubs of Tang in case I needed the vitamin C
Paranormal_Lemon@reddit
If I need calories I want protein and fat too, not just sugar. Stock some emergency ration bars instead. They have at least a 5 yr shelf life, likely still good for 10 or longer if stored in a cool place.
gilbert2gilbert@reddit
If you like juice, have some juice
69stangrestomod@reddit
Gatorade and dextrose lasts longer and can up the calories easier than storing juice.
Ryan_e3p@reddit
I don't keep juice, but I do keep powdered drink mix. Certain juices in excess can cause diarrhea which not only slows you down, but is unsanitary and dehydrates you. I'd rather keep water which not only hydrates you, but is also a "base ingredient" for cooking.
MmeLaRue@reddit
For long-term storage, I wouldn't recommend it. However, in the nuclear scenario, it can be a useful supplement to your water supply for the period in which you're likely to be in shelter. And that is the primary benefit to including juice or other packaged beverages.
fenuxjde@reddit
There are lots of fortified juice powders that are useful for prepping but regular juice itself goes bad so relatively quickly, it's not a great thing to stock.
eternalmortal@reddit
Juice expires faster than water would, and water has additional utility in being able to be mixed into dry and rehydrated foods, used as a cooking base for soups, etc.
Definitely keep some juice around in addition but not completely replacing water preps. I personally have some of the powdered energy drink supplements to add to water to increase taste and electrolyte intake.