Making several batches of hardtack is one of the easiest and most cheapest methods of food storage you could ever hope to accomplish. Once you have made enough hardtack not only can you store it for when SHTF, but you can include it in your survival kits and bug out bag when you head out. You'll never be without food that way!

Check out this rations-stretcher below.

3 cups of white flour
2 teaspoons of salt
1 cup of water
A cookie sheet
A mixing bowl
A knife
A common nail
Here’s how to make hardtack:
1. Preheat your oven to 375°.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.
3. Gradually mix in the water until you form a dough that doesn’t stick to your hands.
4. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to no more than half an inch thick.
5. Cut the dough into 9 squares.
6. Using the nail, make a 4×4 grid of holes in each piece.
7. Put the pieces on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Turn the squares over and bake for another 30 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Ideally, the hardtack should be just a little brown on each side. Adjust the baking time if necessary. Once it’s cool, it should almost be hard as rock.

As previously stated, you could also modify this recipe to make it more palateable by including ingredients like shortening or protein, at the expense of shelf life. In the Civil War, the common recipe included vegetable shortening, and still lasted for months until the soldiers got them, but it was a common joke that they’d be crawling with worms and mold. So that choice is up to you.

Maybe not the most appetizing recipe on the planet, but it'll get the job done. For more survival information like this, check out Urban Survival Site.