Interbake Foods of Richmond, Virginia, produces most, if not all, of the commercially available hardtack in the United States, under the "Sailor Boy" label.
As of January 2015, 98 percent of its production goes to Alaska.
Alaskans are among the last to still eat hardtack as a significant part of their normal diet.
Originally imported as a food product that could endure the rigors of transportation throughout Alaska, hardtack has remained a favored food even as other, less robust foods have become more readily available.
Alaskan law requires all light aircraft to carry "survival gear", including food.
Therefore, the blue-and-white Sailor Boy Pilot Bread boxes are ubiquitous at Alaskan airstrips, in cabins, and in virtually every village.
Unlike the traditional hardtack recipe, Sailor Boy Pilot Bread contains leavening and vegetable shortening.

Hardtack is also a common pantry item in Hawaii, and The Diamond Bakery's "Saloon Pilot" cracker is available there in grocery and convenience stores.
The round hardtack crackers are available in large- and small-diameter sizes.

Those who buy commercially baked hardtack in the continental US are often those who stock up on long-lasting foods for disaster survival rations.
Hardtack can compose the bulk of dry food storage for some campers.

Many other people who currently buy or bake hardtack in the US are Civil War re-enactors.
One of the units that continually bakes hardtack for living history is the USS Tahoma Marine Guard Infantry of the Washington State Civil War Association.
Interbake Foods of Richmond, Virginia, produces most, if not all, of the commercially available hardtack in the United States, under the "Sailor Boy" label. As of January 2015, 98 percent of its production goes to Alaska. Alaskans are among the last to still eat hardtack as a significant part of their normal diet. Originally imported as a food product that could endure the rigors of transportation throughout Alaska, hardtack has remained a favored food even as other, less robust foods have become more readily available. Alaskan law requires all light aircraft to carry "survival gear", including food. Therefore, the blue-and-white Sailor Boy Pilot Bread boxes are ubiquitous at Alaskan airstrips, in cabins, and in virtually every village. Unlike the traditional hardtack recipe, Sailor Boy Pilot Bread contains leavening and vegetable shortening.
Hardtack is also a common pantry item in Hawaii, and The Diamond Bakery's "Saloon Pilot" cracker is available there in grocery and convenience stores. The round hardtack crackers are available in large- and small-diameter sizes.
Those who buy commercially baked hardtack in the continental US are often those who stock up on long-lasting foods for disaster survival rations. Hardtack can compose the bulk of dry food storage for some campers.
Many other people who currently buy or bake hardtack in the US are Civil War re-enactors. One of the units that continually bakes hardtack for living history is the USS Tahoma Marine Guard Infantry of the Washington State Civil War Association.
Hardtack