Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions. One question I have is where does one store all this extra food and water? I have a cellar and basement but if we are talking about a flood then that wouldnt work.
Why not? Canned goods and stored water won't be hurt by a flood, though labels can come off making mystery dinners. Other supplies can be double packed, first in plastic (ziplocks/mylar, etc) and then in 5 gallon buckets with tight fitting lids. Put things in milk crates or similar totes and bring them usptairs if flooding is likely.
Also you could buy // build shelves that would prevent this.
Most people use Mylar bags and O2 absorbers and store their food in sealed 5 gallon buckets.
I'm very utilitarian and I've always felt that the effort some folks went through to package food for storage would better be spent elsewhere. People who pack away bulk supplies may want to take the time to do this, but those of us who are of the "store what you eat and eat what you store" philosophy tend to rely more on the fact that we are constantly rotating our food through. With the exception of some rice, beans, honey, and maple syrup (we make) I don't have much food that is more than a couple years old. Extra flour is kept in the freezer except in the fall nand winter when the freezers are full of venison, then it's kept outside (protected from rodents). We have 6 months to a year supply of normal eating food, which could be extended to 2 years if supplemented and rationed.
I know folks who have 5 years of food stored away neatly packaged in mylar, o2 absorbers, and 5 gallon buckets, who never eat any of it. They spent literally weeks prepping all that stuff for storage, and unless there ever is a TEOTWAWKI, they'll probably end up throwing much of it away or donating to food pantries. I'm not criticizing the amount of food they have stored, I'm criticizing the amount of effort expended on something that would have been better served by putting those resources elsewhere and simply upping their normal rotational food storage.
Extremely valid points you make here; albeit some people lack the skills or motivation it takes in order to keep a rotation like that in order.
While I agree with you, others find it much easier to spend some time to package in bulk and be done with it.
We do both at our house, I have 50lbs of rice, wheat, beans and 10lbs of sugar and salt stored in 5-gallon buckets, we also keep a rotation and supply of food we eat on a normal basis stored at the house.
I also have 2 55-gallon drums of treated water stored in the garage; if you ask me I think having a little of both greatly benefits our situation.
This / / / / / /
Every time you go to the grocery, but $20 in extra canned food, or rice or flour, whatever. The secret is to start and stay consistent.
listen to Jack. Survival Podcast He has good ideas that anyone can benefit from.
Check out this manYouTube - AnalyticalSurvival's Channel He has short to the point vids on food water, bug out etc.
Hey, thanks for this link. That guy has some great info and very helpful content.
thats because hes former Army SF baby!!! who else would you want teaching you? them guys live it man
that brings me to my post:
if your truely gonna be prepped, you realy need to make it a complete lifestyle. eveything you do in your life revolves around it truely. it will eventualy become second nature, and thats they way you want it to be.
Yeah I know. I still kick my self in the :moon: for not going reserve SF back in the early 80's. All I had to do was sign the forms and get an airplane ride. Stupid , stupid, stupid...
I would rather learn from SF personally though instead of reading a darn website. Maybe I'll find a good teacher someday.