Freaking out for freeze-dried food

The Mail Tribune ^ | 4/22/11 | Mark Freeman

[Kartographer]

People freaked out about surviving world disasters and economic meltdown have made a run on freeze-dried food in the past month. As a result, Albany-based Oregon Freeze Dry Inc. — the country's largest supplier of freeze-dried camp food — won't accept any new orders through the 2011 camping season.

The company produces the widely sold Mountain House line of food pouches popular among everyone from overnight wilderness backpackers to Pacific Crest Trail devotees.

Oregon Freeze Dry officials say they have never seen this level of consumer panic over emergency preparedness in the company's 48-year history.

In the industry, the emergency-preparedness crowds are called "preppers," and they literally are taking food out of the mouths of hikers nationwide.

[Kartographer]

Fellow Preppers you are not alone!

[Kartographer]

PING!

[Kartographer]

PING!

[eyedigress]

I have a store of Alpine Aire...

[KoRn]

Can’t have enough food, guns, and ammo for these days. Also wouldn’t hurt to have about $20,000,000,000 stashed, because you might want to buy a loaf of bread sometime.

[Kartographer]

$20,000,000,000? That’s with a coupon right?

[D-fendr]

Food is food, but some of these taste awful.

[Smokin' Joe]

In the industry, the emergency-preparedness crowds are called "preppers," and they literally are taking food out of the mouths of hikers nationwide.

What? Taking the food out of their mouths?

No mention of the huge government orders for long term storage food?

I'll go read the article and see...

[acapesket]

What’s in that cr*p that makes it last so long?
Chemicals are bad news imho.

[eyedigress]

Its freeze-dried.

[acapesket]

My bad. I am a little bit crazed when it comes to chemicals in food.

[eyedigress]

Get I-Tunes and it captures every song FR plays. :^)

[DB]

No water makes it last a long time.

[PA Engineer]

I knew it would happen, however I have some questions. When we began to prepare we simply bought more groceries to rotate. This easily brought us to 6 months with the additional deep freeze. We also began to add raised gardens. As we got further along we began preparing dry bulk with food buckets, mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. Finally, we chose the expensive preparations of freeze dried for our very long term preps.

Freeze dried food is very expensive, but is good for very long term preps. We will be elderly before we must use them up. Why are people choosing freeze dried over store bought? It is much more economical and a good inflation hedge to purchase warehouse accordingly.

Secondly, many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. These purchases would have to be from the wealthier. Is the freeze dried infrastructure limited as the shortages would indicate or is the prepper community much larger than one would think?

Finally, is it possible many have take the same route that we have and chosen freeze dried to finish up their preps?

Just some thoughts and questions.

[ProfoundMan]

bump

[JRandomFreeper]

Why are people choosing freeze dried over store bought?

I don't see that 'people' are. Last I heard govt was buying the bulk of it.

Dessicated soup, they called it during the Civil War.

Same, same.

Preppers have tools, land, friends, skills, and hopefully, the Grace of God with them.

All the other handwaving is the media trying to paint conservatives as dangerous (and we are, to crooks).

/johnny

[Rearden]

It has nothing to do with chemicals or additives. It is the method of preservation ( freeze drying ) that makes it last. Storage conditions can also have an effect on freshness.

[CrazyIvan]

$20,000,000,000? That’s with a coupon right?

Nah, just the wheelbarrow.

[Free America52]

emergency supplies

[Rearden]

I’m not sure that “people” aren’t buying this stuff, I know I have been buying some for a couple of years now. The backorders aren’t new either. My average wait time for an order to be filled has been about 10 weeks. Some items that were ordered were listed as not currently available and substitutions have been made.

I received an email this morning from FedEx advising me that an order that was placed Mar 1 was shipped, about 500 pounds, should be 10 cases of #10 cans.

I have a small farm with some livestock, chickens, rabbits, a huge garden, a small greenhouse (which is receiving a solar upgrade to make it useable year round, a fish pond, many wooded acres filled with deer and wild turkey.

We do a very good job here of providing for ourselves and growing what we eat, we even make our own beer, lol. Trouble is, we can’t grow everything, and we can’t grow anything in the winter. If my worst fears are realized, it will take who knows how long before things settle down and a barter economy of some sort starts up. In the interim, we will be totally on our own. For example, I can’t grow wheat but the family needs bread. Solution, I buy wheat in 6 gallon, sealed buckets and grind my own flour with a small grain mill. The price for the wheat is very reasonable as well.

We are currently using our home ground flour for weekly bread making, the taste is incredibly good. We also have begun to use some of the freeze dried items like onions, carrots, celery, etc. in our normal cooking to; 1. get used to the taste and texture of the food and, 2. learn how much to use in certain dishes, etc.

What, me worry? Yep, I’m a prepper.