Thread: Caffeine in shtf/go bag

Did a quick search and didn't see anything about caffeine.

I think it would be very handy, and is very compact/dense and easy to carry a lot.

Just didn't want it to be overlooked. If you don't have time to make coffee some jet-alert or nodoz could be handy. Pills are typically 200mg- about 2 cups of coffee.

5 hour energy? Never had one but supposedly there is no crash afterwards...

Originally Posted by Decker

5 hour energy? Never had one but supposedly there is no crash afterwards...

5 hour energies are a buck or two I think. Caffeine pills are pennies. I fortunately don't suffer from caffeine crash. I should note that the pills I'm talking about are straight caffeine, no other funny business in them.

Honestly I can't imagine a shtf scenario without my caffeine pills.

Uppers have their place for sure.

this is the one and only place where Amphetamines would be useful. In the old days there was speed in the
first aid kits in aircraft.

It has its benefits and downfalls.
I myself would consider it more of a luxury and trade item.

Caffeine dehydrates you because of its diuretic properties but at the same time, caffeine can help you with stamina because it slows down the adenosine that causes muscle fatigue.

When SHTF you won't need caffeine. I have seen SHTF and your body has the ability and is capable of giving you more stamina than any caffeine can.

Caffeine could be very important. The headaches from the caffine crash and following depression would make me think hard about adding some caffeine to the stash. Good idea and on my shopping list.

I am a coffee addict and dread living without it. Yeah, I can quit---I've done it before several times! When I am too lazy to brew coffee I just chew the whole roasted beans! A tablespoon's worth gives a good long-lasting buzz. Great for fixing constipation too! If the noise of chewing is not a problem, a pocket full of beans will help with the night watch.............................elsullo

I have 2 bottles of Upshot in each of my family's packs. I figure if we're needing to GTFO with a quickness then best to be fully alert.

While upshot and 5hr energy have their place, its worth noting that in the same size container you can fit maybe 50 200mg pills, giving you 10,000mg compared to maybe 200mg, and at a fraction of the per-unit cost. Look for jet alert/nodoz, or a generic brand. They're all pretty much 200mg straight caffeine in a small pill.

I agree that adrenaline is best, but caffeine can help with the more mundane tasks....digging a hole probably won't get you an adrenal rush, but uppers would make it easier.

Also, the diuretic properties of caffeine have been largely overstated (for example, most- if not all - caffeinated drinks do still offer a net hydration)

Edit- just found this gem: An oral dose of 200 mg caffeine appears to decrease reaction time by approximately 4 percent within 30 minutes, approximately 15 percent in 30 to 60 minutes and 18 percent in 60-90 minutes. A mild dose wears off in three to four hours.

Is there a natural, local alternative? I'm certain that coffee would be a great barter item {I"d trade for some} but I have no idea how well it would fair in long term storage... So is there a plant growing in our part of the world which could provide a caffeine buzz?

Originally Posted by stevepdx80

5 hour energies are a buck or two I think. Caffeine pills are pennies. I fortunately don't suffer from caffeine crash. I should note that the pills I'm talking about are straight caffeine, no other funny business in them.

Honestly I can't imagine a shtf scenario without my caffeine pills.

Originally Posted by Scott

When SHTF you won't need caffeine. I have seen SHTF and your body has the ability and is capable of giving you more stamina than any caffeine can.

Originally Posted by THC101

It has its benefits and downfalls.
I myself would consider it more of a luxury and trade item.

Caffeine dehydrates you because of its diuretic properties but at the same time, caffeine can help you with stamina because it slows down the adenosine that causes muscle fatigue.

Caffeine's diuretic effect is usually cancelled out by the quantities of water with which it is usually ingested. Thus, below 8 cups of coffee, there is actually a net gain in water, not a loss. While, obviously, the circumstances change when you're taking it in pill form, it's merely a matter of drinking enough water and not overdoing it to prevent dehydration.

Originally Posted by stevepdx80

Edit- just found this gem: An oral dose of 200 mg caffeine appears to decrease reaction time by approximately 4 percent within 30 minutes, approximately 15 percent in 30 to 60 minutes and 18 percent in 60-90 minutes. A mild dose wears off in three to four hours.

I was going to mention this if no one else did. what's even more interesting are the effects of caffeine on marksmanship during high-stress military training with 72 hour sleep deprivation: http://dodreports.com/pdf/ada430780.pdf

Originally Posted by twoclones

Is there a natural, local alternative? I'm certain that coffee would be a great barter item {I"d trade for some} but I have no idea how well it would fair in long term storage... So is there a plant growing in our part of the world which could provide a caffeine buzz?

Ephedra (Mormon Tea) grows naturally as near as Utah.

Originally Posted by Daev

Ephedra (Mormon Tea) grows naturally as near as Utah.

I'm very familiar with Mormon Tea {wow can it knock the chain off a chainsaw} but had no idea it contained caffeine.

seems like an odd luxury to worry about.
It's called willpower folks.

All you would do is offset when your crash is by carrying a limited amount on your person. And the sooner in you crash during this imaginary "crisis" the better as conditions and hostility will get worse as time goes on and you might as well be over your addictions by then, instead of running out of something you feel is necessary.

If any of you have actually spent more than a weekend in the woods (I mean minimum of a month) you would understand it's way different than all this stuff I've been reading here.
If you really have spent awhile on the crossroads of bum F and nowhere, you would understand how big of a psycological blow it is to loose or run out of an item you really cherish when there is no more to be made or found.

I'll take 2 more mag bars and flints over a few 5hr energy's or caffeine pills any day of the week

Originally Posted by twoclones

I'm very familiar with Mormon Tea {wow can it knock the chain off a chainsaw} but had no idea it contained caffeine.

it doesn't. but ephedra, in the right doses can have very similar effects. A monoaminergic stimulant like Ephedra is going to hit harder and faster than a Purinergic like caffeine. So you should take it easier on the Ephedra.

Originally Posted by Daev

it doesn't. but ephedra, in the right doses can have very similar effects. A monoaminergic stimulant like Ephedra is going to hit harder and faster than a Purinergic like caffeine. So you should take it easier on the Ephedra.

That sent me researching and I found this statement on a holistic / herbal website... The North American species of ephedra does not appear to contain the active ingredients of its Asian counterparts.

I guess the only way to be certain is to have a cup of tea

I thought about this and have purchased on sale several maxwell house jars of instant coffee. When you boil water for something just boil a little extra, plus as mention above, they will be worth their weight in gold.

You can also buy the individual packets, here is an example Individual Instant Coffee Packets - Coffee, Tea & Cocoa - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at Nextag - Price - Review

Check out ths sams club link as well Nescafe® Taster's Choice® Coffee Stick Packs - 84 count - Sam's Club