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I'm in the process of setting up my overland vehicle so that it has "essentials" in it at all times. I've got a kettle and ways to boil the kettle etc.

I am interested in having basics in my vehicle such as water, tea, coffee as well military style dehydrated food.

I was wondering, if there an option for keeping milk on a long term basis? I understand that I would need to keep it cool but even then surely it would only have a short shelf life. What other options are in regards to milk?

I know that the obvious option would just to be buy milk when I need it but I want to be able to stop somewhere and have a cup of tea or coffee and not have to think about supplies.

Couple of ways to do this,

• Powdered milk, has a shelf life of over a year and just needs water added to it.


• Evaporated milk, milk with over 60% of the water removed before being canned.


• Sweetened condensed milk, basically the same as the above just with lots of sugar added.

Powdered milk is the lightest and can be made in small batches while the others would start to spoil as soon as the can is opened.

Condensed milk tastes better with coffee than with tea.

Powdered milk, although it keeps once opened, isn't as easy to use as it should be. It goes lumpy very easily when you put it in a hot drink. One way to help is to let the drink cool a little, or add a little cold water (as milk might be) and sprinkle the powder into the surface, letting it dissolve before stirring. The trouble is though, steam from the drink can condense onto the spoon, so that the powder sticks to it. Another way is to mix it up first in a little cold water and then add the coffee or the teabag and hot water, but it can still go lumpy.

Another way is to use UHT milk in one-shot 10ml catering portions, buying a pack of say 120. They don't need refrigerating. But you have to dispose of the pot somehow, which might not be a problem if you have other waste to dispose of regularly.

One solution to your problem is UHT (ultra-high-temperature) milk. UHT milk has been treated at a high temperature to kill all bacteria, making it shelf-stable for at least 6 months. Once opened, however, UHT milk needs to be refrigerated just like normal milk.

If you're used to the taste of pasteurized/homogenized milk, UHT milk tastes a little different -- the heat treatment leaves it with a slightly sweet, almost caramel-like flavor. If you're mixing the milk with something else, like coffee or cereal, though, you're unlikely to notice the difference.

UHT milk is readily available at supermarkets in much of Europe -- one common brand is Parmalat -- but is less common in the US. One brand which might fit your needs nicely is Horizon Organic, which is distributed in 8 oz "juice boxes".