Posted on 05/27/2023 8:27:10 AM PDT by ducttape45
If you want to go the cheap route, get 5/5 gallon buckets, mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, and 20lb bags of rice, rice, rice, beans, beans. Maybe costs you $100 max and will last forever. Will probably keep a family fed for 3 months.
You also need a sealer for the mylar bags. One bucket of rice and beans is piddling food compared to today’s standards, but those MREs run out quick and people will eat them 3 meals a day just like regular food. The beans and rice only need salt and whatever else you can find and you just boil it in water.
It ain’t pretty, but it’s better than spending $1,000 on the same amount of food.
You can also trade bags of it for other things.
Hey, I’ve been buying stuff like that already! The shelf life is 2-3 years, sometimes more.
And test the product before you buy it. Don't just look at the great reviews. Your taste buds are yours.
One thing I do recommend is lots of gravy packets. A variety of gravies that can be made with just add water. The bulk canisters will clump. The packets will stay good for longer. Do put them in rodent proof containers for storage.
up to $5000 so most people will not get one....
it takes 24hrs or more to freeze dry something....at least that much....sometimes 30 or more hrs...
it does take water to rehydrate them....
if you are just beginning in life and have a big garden, I can see in "investing" but otherwise, it is like the nice little blooming onion maker...it'll sit there taking up space, and yes, its big so it does take up space....
I'd rather fresh food myself, although I do freeze things, can things, dehydrate things.....but no one is going to choose freeze dried food over a fresh hamburger....
Just about anything canned is dangnear eternal. I’ve been keeping things five years and longer and testing them. Only the tomato-based stuff (like my camping fave, Chef Boy-Ar-Dee Raviolis and S’getties) seem to deteriorate (NOT spoil!) over time.
Don’t forget to Think Barter!
Stuff to have on hand to Trade for stuff Ya forgot to get or need.
Soap of all kinds.
Personal Hygiene Stuff.
Rubbing Alcohol
and a case of Pure Grain Alcohol for Trading.
Matches.
Walki-Talki radios for you and select ‘Hood Members.
Common
EVERY-Day Items that will disappear in 48 hours when the
Just-in-Time Delivery System Collapses.
REMEMBER! The Usual Suspects control every major Rail/Air/Highway/Waterway Hub, AKA: Urban USA S**tHoles ;-(
GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC!
I’ll just echo something someone else said, with variations:
Unless you plan to travel AND have access to clean water, don’t go freezedried or otherwise desiccated.
(As I sit on a growing pile of rice and dry pasta...)
Rule #1 - a primary and alternate supplier for EVERYTHING
Rule #2 - Set a goal for acquire supplies on the basis of need. For example, water filtration might be more important that water storage.
Rule #3 - It is not always about society collapsing. A natural disaster is much more likely to occur.
Rule #4 - Follow the plan of survival by 3’s - 3 min / 3 hours / 3 days / 3 weeks / 3 months
Rule #5 - It is not just about food and water. Shelter, water defense, communication, etc
Rule #6 - It is not just about stuff. Skills, fitness and training are needed as well.
Rule #7 - Bug out vs Bug in, plan for both
But most importantly
KNOW WHY you are buying and what purpose it is going to serve.
The most important thing is to get right with Jesus, and do what He tells you to do. Read your Bible and Pray! Put on the full armor of God, and stand. Once you have done that, you can start to prepare.
If you want food that you like to eat, then you need to get a Harvest Right freeze drying machine and make your own. My Patriot Supply is good if you haven’t started. We got our year’s supply from Daily Bread. On Amazon you can get freeze dried staples from Augason Farms.
Remember water. You need several layers of water purification. You should be using something like Alexapure for all your drinking water. Grayl Water Filters are good for personal hydration. Kelly Kettle USA has Sagan water filters and carboys that can even filter swimming pool water. Having 15,000 gallons of water in the backyard is a good thing.
You need a Kelly Kettle or two for boiling water using loose tinder. A Sun Oven is a really nice thing to have since it only takes enough sun to cast a shadow to work.
You need medical kits and how to books. You can get antibiotics for emergencies from JASE Medical. Otherwise, antibiotics for fish is a last ditch measure.
You should have shelter and everything you would need to camp out for a couple of weeks in the woods, or, in our case, the desert.
Finally, you need weapons to protect yourself. I recommend a spectrum starting with non-lethal Byrna Mission 4 rifle launcher, Byrna SD pistol launcher, several pistols, AR style rifle, and a 12 gauge shotgun. Sufficient ammo for these, and some to use for barter. Green-tips will be the new dollar. A cross bow with hunting arrows may come in handy for quiet work.
But before you do anything, get right with Jesus.
Next I'm going to address electronic stuff like rechargeable batteries, flashlights, emergency radio, then I'm going to purchase a butane/propane cooking stove and then one that can be fueled by wood.
I've also been looking at food stuff, but so far everything that's been suggested has been bulk items, and that's not what I want. I want to find something like a online store that I shop for individual items, like packets of dried milk, noodles, grains, stuff like that. I don't want to purchase a huge pale of stuff that I'll probably never use. I know what I want/need, and I know why I need it, but I have to find the right source.
I already am, but thank you. I appreciate someone pointing out the spiritual aspect to prepping. Too many times we lose sight of that.
I have been stocking up on items like you suggested. I check the expiration dates on everything I purchase now, and I try to ensure they have a shelf live of at least 2-3 years, longer if I can find them.
Rule #1 - a primary and alternate supplier for EVERYTHING
Rule #2 - Set a goal for acquire supplies on the basis of need. For example, water filtration might be more important that water storage.
Rule #3 - It is not always about society collapsing. A natural disaster is much more likely to occur.
Rule #4 - Follow the plan of survival by 3’s - 3 min / 3 hours / 3 days / 3 weeks / 3 months
Rule #5 - It is not just about food and water. Shelter, water, defense, communication, etc
Rule #6 - It is not just about stuff. Skills, fitness and training are needed as well.
Rule #7 - Bug out vs Bug in, plan for both
Rule #8 - Simple and cheap is often the better option. How useful is that tool / product when the electricity is out or there is no gas?
But most importantly
KNOW WHY you are buying and what purpose it is going to serve.
I’d rather fresh food myself, although I do freeze things, can things, dehydrate things.....but no one is going to choose freeze dried food over a fresh hamburger....
Ditto!
Local grocery stores have packets of dried milk, noodles, canned food, etc. Nido is dried whole milk, if you don’t want the fat-free stuff. (They also make a baby formula which isn’t the same as dried whole milk ... read the label.) Dried noodles last several years; they are certainly still edible after the expiration date. Is there a reason this isn’t what you’re looking for?
Sounds like it's time to check out the grocery store's outer perimeters for lowest cost / unit of bulk foods. Highest profit for store found in 'prepared' products in middle of store.
“If the can is not breached, that stuff can last for decades. Just open the lid and it’s ready to eat.”
modern canned goods are not hermetically sealed, instead, the top is joined to the can with a high-speed mechanical press/fold fit around the rim ... in my own pantry, i’ve seen where one can that has gone bad spew stuff into the pantry that infects adjacent cans, clear evidence that external bacteria can enter canned goods ... most canned goods have a shelf life of a couple of years ...
> one can that has gone bad spew stuff into the pantry <
Interesting (and messy). I’ve read that cans without the pull-ring top last longer than the ones with such a top - I think I got that right. Do you recall what kind of top that can had?
Oh, and I do keep my canned goods in the basement. It’s always cool and dark down there, even in the middle of the summer. That should help.
You can do almost everything you need with dry goods and survive. Beans, rice and pasta have an indifferent shelf life if properly stored. A good quality vacuum sealer is a life saver. I vacuum seal 1/2 gal jars with all of my goodies. Crackers stay fresh and dry goods are sealed. Water, water and more water because that is the first thing that will get you if you do not have a source. You can use the outfits that will sell you a bucket full of stuff or do it yourself with a little effort and learn a skill that will help you survive in the event there is a catastrophic event. One thing to remember if that happens your door has to remain shut to those that cannot bring something to the game. If there are two of you in the household and you let one person in with nothing you have lost 1/3 of your provisions. Sounds harsh but that is how it has to be.
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