FOOD
For serious preparation, dehydrated food is the way to go. Dehydrated
food takes up about 2/3 of the space of canned food, and most items
have a shelf life of 15 - 20 years @ 70 degree storage temperature
(longer if stored in a cooler spot) There are many sites selling this
food, and I have spent a tremendous amount of time comparing prices.
This is my favorite source, they have the best prices, and excellent
quality and service. There are also some excellent tips on this site.
http://www.waltonfeed.com/
Dehydrated food comes in either 6 gallon buckets (similar in size to a
construction bucket) or #10 cans (similar in size to a coffee can, and
typically sold in cases of 6 cans) I purchase the food in 6 gallon
buckets, which is cheaper than the cans. Both the pails and the cases
will stack easily. The pails have 2 versions - “NP” and “SP”. The SP
pails are slightly more expensive as they contain a sealed mylar liner
that the NP pails do not. I think it’s a good idea to pay the extra for
the SP pails (about $4-5) and have the better protection. You get
potentially longer shelf life and the product is more likely to be in
good condition when you really need it, which is why you are purchasing
it in the first place.
A few tips I have learned the hard way on food:
Most canned and packaged goods have a shelf life of just a few years,
compared to 10 - 20 years for dehydrated food. Buy mostly dehydrated
food, and mix in a few canned goods for variety. Tuna, spam and canned
ham have much longer shelf lives, I do have quite a bit of them.
“Food fatigue” or boredom, is a big problem in survival situations. If
you are stuck at home during a stressful situation, meals may be one of
the few things you have to look forward to. Pick up several cookbooks
specific to storage or dehydrated foods. I also purchased a large
quantity of the extra-large seasoning/spice containers sold at Sam’s to
provide variety. Likewise I keep a heavy selection of condiments,
honey, syrup, etc on hand.
Date any canned goods you purchase immediately, and develop a rotation
system. Anything you can’t use before its expiration date, give to a
local food bank.
In postwar Germany after WWII, cooking oil was a valued commodity and
in short supply. I keep large quantities of cooking oil on hand, olive
oil is preferred but I also have other types for variety. The books I
list above will help you determine quantities.
Here is a great resource on food storage, giving storage life of almost
any type of food you can think of:
http://www.waltonfeed.com/grain/faqs/index.html
This FAQ is so helpful I would definitely print it.
Section on how to pack your own food for long term storage:
http://www.waltonfeed.com/self/upack/index.html
Here is a food storage software program:
http://www.foodstorageplanner.com/fsp.html
Many forget that it isn’t good enough to have food stored, you also
need to be able to cook it! Don’t purchase the camp stoves you see in
Wal-Mart, they use fuels that can’t be burned indoors and are hard to
store! After much research, I decided to go with a kerosene stove.
Kerosene is a very safe fuel to store, and can be burned indoors. You
should have several stoves available along with extra wicks, as you
will literally be depending on them for your survival, as well as to
heat water for personal hygiene needs and possibly to use with a
stovetop oven. I have 5, I plan on loaning out a few to unprepared
friends. Here is a link:
http://www.msiwix.com/cookstv.htm
Walton food also sells the same stove at about the same price.
Here is an oven meant to be used with the stove. It is placed on top of
the stove, allowing you the ability to bake:
http://www.msiwix.com/schwartz.htm
Here is a preservative that will extend the storage life of your
kerosene:
http://www.msiwix.com/prid_kerosene_additive.htm
or
http://www.priproducts.com/index.htm
Purchase the diesel stabilizer, diesel and kerosene have very similar
properties
Here is a synthetic kerosene substitute - it has an unlimited shelf
life and is even safer to store. It is more expensive, but if you
purchase 100 gallons or more they will discount the price and ship for
free (e-mail the supplier for details):
http://www.msiwix.com/Klean-Heat.htm
Wheat is one of the best types of food to store, but it requires you to
have a wheat grinder. You can purchase inexpensive wheat grinders, but
they will be difficult to use, and may not work very well. I researched
the availability and decided on this one:
http://www.countrylivinggrainmills.com/
I found the best price here:
http://www.yellowstonetrading.com/m...ategory_Code=gm
Purchase the accessories such as the power bar and flour bin, you will
need them. I also purchased the “Just in case” parts kit. If I have a
critical piece of equipment I will be depending on, I want to purchase
the best quality I can afford, and spare parts in case of a breakdown.
