check your expiration dates

[05Kingquad700]

Reminder to check your expiration dates on your first aid kits, or anything else that has an expiration date on it. Good winter project to prep for camping season.

[Mike]

Re: check your expiration dates

Probably not a bad idea. I was in Italy with a friend who came down with a terrible case of the flu. He was really suffering.

I pulled out my ancient packs of Theraflu that I carry in my ditty bag. Sadly, the packs had somehow been contaminated with a leaky shampoo bottle and were kind of, well, "icky".

Out of desparation, my friend still mixed the caked and soapy Theraflu with hot water and drank it down. I think the medicine was worse than the illness.

[Bigdog57]

Re: check your expiration dates

Winter IS our camping season in Florida! I am checking dates on stuff, and switching out those past their dates. Ate some Uncle Ben's Ready To Eat rice that was dated 6/12 - tasted alright and had no problem. It can go about a year past the 'best by' date.

[Mike]

Re: check your expiration dates

Winter IS our camping season in Florida! I am checking dates on stuff, and switching out those past their dates. Ate some Uncle Ben's Ready To Eat rice that was dated 6/12 - tasted alright and had no problem. It can go about a year past the 'best by' date.

Uncle Bens dated 6/12. That would be considered new in my kit.

I remember when we were kids, one of our friends brought a chunk of brown sugar on a long weekend backpacking trip. It rained cold the whole time and we all had a hankering for that chunk of brown sugar. Our friend had it in reserve for his oatmeal, but it turned into a big and lively debate as we all tried to convince him to share that chunk of brown sugar as a snack.

When he finally relinquished and took it out, we notice it was covered with mold. He came from a poor family and that brown sugar was a special treat for his mom to give up. That was a sobering experience to know that our friend's food stash had to include moldy food.

[sarahspins]

Re: check your expiration dates

Most expiration dates are very conservative... generally with dry foods if it looks okay, it's fine to use even if expired. With medicines, they lose effectiveness but it's not as if one day it works fine and the next it's no good - I wouldn't toss any until they are at least a year expired, because in an emergency they're still better than nothing.