Food storage is one of the most critical elements to keep in mind while living the prepper lifestyle, and it’s something that we’ve made sure to talk about plenty of times here on ABL. Stocking up on all of the necessary foods and liquids that you need to keep your body happy and healthy is critical to surviving in a SHTF world, and on that note, today we’re focusing on the best powdered milk for backpacking. Incidentally, these picks are also excellent for long term storage.
We often discuss different types of food and meals that you can use for long-term storage, and while this foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner are essential to have, so is milk. Milk is loaded with vitamin D, and along with being a great drink throughout the day, can also be used in all other sorts of recipes for cooking and baking.
You obviously can’t store regular milk for that long even with a fully functional refrigerator, so when it comes to stocking up on milk while trying to survive, the only option that you really have lies with powdered milk.
As such, we’re here to run through our top picks for the 5 best powdered milk options that you can get right now.
1. Milkman Low Fat Instant Dry Powdered Milk
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Starting off with this powdered milk journey, our first pick goes to the Milkman Low Fat Instant Dry Powdered Milk. You get 12 quarts of milk for under $25, and that works out to a price of around $0.58 per ounce of milk. Right there, you’re already looking at a pretty solid value.
What we particularly love about Milkman’s milk is just how good it tastes. You get a very rich and creamy taste, and if you didn’t tell us this was powered milk, we’d honestly believe that it was the real deal. The powder easily and quickly dissolves in either hot or cool beverages, and it has a minimum shelf life of 2 years.
Milkman’s powder is 100% GMO-free, and it’s also low fat. Milkman’s been making its powder for over 60 years, so it’s obvious the company is doing something right!
2. Peak Dry Whole Milk Powder
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If you’re looking for something that comes in at an ever greater value, Peak Dry Whole Milk Powder is another solid choice. You get 900 grams of powder for under $20, and it’s loaded to the gill with vitamins A and D3. There’s a rich and creamy taste here once again, and just like Milkman, Peak manages to offer a shockingly true-to-life real milk taste.
You can expect Peak’s powder to last considerably long (up to 5 years after the expiration date on the label), and it works great for both drinking and all sorts of baking. Peak’s powder is extremely versatile for how you can use it, and for those that love the taste of whole milk, having that present here is another big benefit.
3. Nestle Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk
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Nestle is one of the biggest names in the food market, and as you might expect, the company’s Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk is one of the most popular milk powders on the market. Popularity doesn’t always translate into quality, but in this case, it absolutely does.
You can get Nestle Carnation in a variety of different sizes, but we found that the sweet spot lied with the 25.6-ounce offering. This allows you to get a per-ounce price of $0.46, and compared to the other two options we’ve already looked at, that’s considerably cheaper!
Along with the low price, Nestle Carnation also tastes fantastic. It’s fully fortified with vitamins A and D, and since Nestle spends some extra time removing water from milk during the creation process, you end up with milk that is creamy, rich, and oh so tasty.
Whether you need help making smoothies, baking, or just want a cold glass of milk at the end of the day, this easily earns our pick as a strong contender for the best milk powder around.
4. All American Whole Milk Powder
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Moving right along, our fourth pick goes to Hoosier Farm’s All American Whole Milk Powder. This is another whole milk powder option, and once again, the taste of the whole milk is undeniable. Folks that typically don’t like whole milk likely won’t enjoy what’s being offered here, but for whole milk fanatics, this is the powdered milk for you.
The 2-pound jar is entirely hormone and gluten-free, and using 4.5 cups of powder with 3.75 quarts of water will get you one full gallon of milk for use in baking, drinking, or anything else you’d like to use it for.
We were pleasantly surprised with just how great Hoosier Farm’s milk powder tastes, and while some people have complained about it not dissolving easily, we never had any such issues in our personal experience with the product. Your milage may vary, but we can still confidently recommend this guy without any hesitations.
5. CapraMilk Goat Milk by Mt. Capra
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For preppers looking for something a bit different, CapraMilk’s Goat Milk by Mt. Capra is a neat alternative that’s absolutely worth checking out. Powdered goat milk isn’t nearly as popular as powdered cow milk, but goat milk has the advantage of being easier to digest, not using any antibiotics, and being entirely free off pesticides, hormones, herbicides, and more.
CapraMilk’s powder is naturally homogenized, and as you’d expect, is a truly fantastic source of calcium.
People often use powdered goat milk when making baby formula, and if you happen to find yourself in a situation where you need to use powdered milk and you have a baby, this can really come in handy for those situations.
Final Thoughts
The best powdered milk for long-term storage for you will ultimately come down to your preferences and needs, but no matter which of the powdered milk options you pick from this list, you can rest easy knowing that you’re buying one of the best powdered milks the market currently offers. Powdered milk might be a bit daunting to those that have never tried it, but we promise you’ll fall in love with the stuff after trying one of the options mentioned here.